Work bench vise recomendations

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my5thmopar

my5thmopar

Life Long MOPAR Owner
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I'm looking for new or used. I missed a craigslist old monster craftsman a few weeks ago. I've broken two cast china HF multi-purpose this year. It is the one with the round center that rotates 360 deg. The first one lasted maybe 2 years and the other a few months. I'm rough on them. Maybe the non rotating one would be stronger? I would like to spend less than $200 if possible. Thanks Craig
 
Wilton,
When I bought mine Northern Tool was the cheapest.
I think I gave $188 shipped, made in USA.
I can reverse the threaded jaws on mine and it will open to 8".
 
Wilton is the best and the Tradesman vises are their best. The price is not for the faint of heart. Most other cheap vises are cast iron and not forged and are smoothed with body putty to look good. One missed hit and your cheap vise is in pieces.
 
Look to the used market, garage sales, CL. Wilton was one of several. Nearly ANY old brand name US vise is worth the money. I don't care for swivel bases. If you broke the base, remove it and remount it without the base, LOL

You want the thing on an outer corner of your bench, and sometimes, at an angle.
 
I love my Craftsman Professional Series vice. It goes for roughly $160 unless on sale and has 60,000 tensil strength, 4.5 inch jaw width, pipe jaws. I got the Wilton looking one, the new ones are square backs but basically the same vise.
 

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Wilton is the best, as said. I use two, one a machinist vice and one a standard vice.
 

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Another vote for Wilton. 6in mech vise on homemade stand. In service 15 years
 

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You guys are gonna just HATE me. I went into an estate sale on the trike about 10 minutes before the old ladies wanted to leave for the day. This was a few blocks from home. Down in the basement, no price, was a HUGE vise on a bench. Most of the "good stuff" was gone. I asked someone "what about the vise?"

She said "we'd sell it but we don't know how to remove it"

I told her "I already looked it would take me about 2 minutes"

I beat feet for home, grabbed a few tools and took the pickup back down. TWENTY FIVE BUCKS. The darn thing is so big I can barely lift it. It is HUGE.
 
i know how you feel, I sold my old wilton vice when I moved {along time ago} got next to nothing for it because I didnt know how much it was worth. Now I ccant afford to replace it. It was big and had the adjustable handle with the splines on it. I have found some older smaller vices. Sometiimes you can find them at swap meets or go around to some of the farms in your area and they might have one in the barn that they might sell to you if they are not using it anymore. the chinese vices are junk for the most part.
 
67Dart273 said:
You guys are gonna just HATE me. I went into an estate sale on the trike about 10 minutes before the old ladies wanted to leave for the day. This was a few blocks from home. Down in the basement, no price, was a HUGE vise on a bench. Most of the "good stuff" was gone. I asked someone "what about the vise?"

She said "we'd sell it but we don't know how to remove it"

I told her "I already looked it would take me about 2 minutes"

I beat feet for home, grabbed a few tools and took the pickup back down. TWENTY FIVE BUCKS. The darn thing is so big I can barely lift it. It is HUGE.
Click to expand...

You lucky dog!
 
toolmanmike said:
You lucky dog!
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I know!!! This is my old one, which "lives outdoors." It's also pretty big as compared to the intake. But the jaws are completely worn smooth, LOL

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I noticed some of the cheaper Wilton, if you want to call $300+ cheap, are made in China. They do come with a lifetime warranty. I think I'm going to keep looking on Clist.

BTW I smell a dog!
 
How about this Reed 204R I bought for $50. It doesn't look abused. Opens over 9 inches.
 

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Frankly, if you buy an old used one somewhere, the brand does not matter much. Just go by size, heft, weight, price. Even some of the earlier imports weren't "THAT" bad, say, from 30 years ago.
 
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