User Panel
Posted: 12/8/2020 10:28:27 AM EDT
Posting this in gd for the traffic/views.
I need a bench vise. What are you guys using? What's good? What do I stay away from? TIA. |
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A Yost I grabbed off amazon for like $60. I'm not a space shuttle welder or anything special though.
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What are you going to use it for?
I’d get an old school US made one used and rehab it if necessary. |
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If money were no object, a Wilton US made.
I use a cheapo Amazon special around the house and it works fine. |
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A Wilton Bullet vise is a beautiful piece of American Craftsmanship. A used pre-war example can be found for $100-200 but their still made and cost new $500. You'll have to search because collectors will snatch them up. A sold a couple of my late FIL had. I'm sure they were his fathers.
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Find a 50 year old Bulldog.
...profit???? I have a Yost forged steel vice in my basement shop that is pretty decent, the steel is stronger to the body is smaller providing lots of clearance to hold odd shaped things. I have Craftsman Wilton clone in my garage that I have been pleasantly surprised how nice of a vice it is. |
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If you're buying new, get a Wilton mechanic or machinist line.
Or buy an old Wilton at a garage sale. Yost is excellent, also. Get one of their American made vises. |
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Tier 1 you say...
Making A Big 16” Vise from Tube and Plate. |
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Anything old and made in the USA.
Garage sales are your friend. |
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View Quote You just missed his free shipping for black Friday, that shit is expensive. If you sign up you should get a 10% off coupon. I'm good on vises but picked up clamps, a couple of squares, and a set of magnetic shims. https://fireballtool.com/ https://fireballtool.com/forged-bench-vise/ |
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Buy once cry once. Make sure you get one that rotates. I have a wilton.
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I bought one at Lowe's about 10 years ago and it sat in the box for years until we built the house we live in now.
It gets used WAAAYYYY more than I ever thought it would. It's worth having just for cleaning rifles - clamp them in the vise with the muzzle angled down towards a garbage can. I'd keep my vise if that was all I ever used it for. But it's not. I don't remember my brand and it doesn't matter because reviews were inconsistent at best. I guess I got a good one. It's big and heavy. I second the idea to find an old used one at a pawn shop or estate sale. |
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I been using the Wilton 4600 reversible 6.5" vice for a few years. It's been fantastic.
https://www.jbtools.com/wilton-14600-6-5-reversible-swivel-mechanics-vise/#oid=1002_1 |
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Broken Deadlocked Vise - Perfect Restoration (I did it again) |
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Any antique malls near you? I have vises from Chas Parker and Wilton that I got cheap.
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Quoted: An old 4-1/2" Columbian that I picked up at an estate sale for $15. Circa 1940'ish, it's American cast iron and probably weighs fifty pounds. https://i.imgur.com/XuFXCWw.jpg View Quote I'd have paid 2-3x that for that Columbian. OP: there is lots of good advice in this thread. I also recommend checking out Estatesales.net, Craigslist, Offerup, and go see what you can find with a reasonable price. There is a lot of good information as well here. If you end up buying a Craftsman or Columbian with a 506-##### product code, it is going to be a U.S. made. Japanese foundries also made good vises, and their PN's begin with a 3. |
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I just picked up a 6" Kurt recently. Needs to be repainted, but they're pretty nice.
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Just checked offer up, there's a bunch of Wilton "vintage" bullet vises, nothing under $350.
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View Quote Too beacoup $$ |
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Quoted: Wilton is the one everybody wants. Also check for vintage Parker, Yost, Columbian, Reed, Record View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Just checked offer up, there's a bunch of Wilton "vintage" bullet vises, nothing under $350. Wilton is the one everybody wants. Also check for vintage Parker, Yost, Columbian, Reed, Record +Starret |
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View Quote I had no idea I needed a 900 dollar vise in my life until now! |
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I would check Craigslist ,I recently picked up a 5 ½” Craftsman (USA Mfg.) vise plus 2 other smaller vises for $110.00 .
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Quoted: I would check Craigslist ,I recently picked up a 5 " Craftsman (USA Mfg.) vise plus 2 other smaller vises for $110.00 . View Quote I got an old school vise made in Pennsylvania off CL from an old timer, for the same cost as one from Hazard Fraught. Look around for old school awesomeness before buying mass manufactured garbage. |
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View Quote This right here!! Im still saving some coin to buy one. |
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I have a early 50s era Paramo that's built like a tank. Made in Sheffield England.
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View Quote lol..$1000.00 kiss my ass. Nice, tho |
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OP, check out my workbench thread for a pic of the Wilton 1765 Tradesman vise that Snap On sells in red. The copper jaws aren't exactly the right ones but they worked for what I need. I traded some old appliances for it. Further down is a small Wilton bullet I cleaned up.
https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/-ARCHIVED-THREAD-Work-bench-tool-chest-combo-project/5-2322209/?page=1 |
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Since the Wilton tradesman is made in Taiwan now, save your money and get a Capri forged steel vise.
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View Quote Made in China |
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Rock island made some good ones back in the day. I have one from at least 1950
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For gun stuff anything will do. I have an old little 4 1/2 wilton that works good. You can find those on ebay for like 50 bucks.
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Are there any reasonably priced 5-6" bench vises that are still made in the US? Even most Wiltons I see are made in China now.
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Wilton bullets are pimp..I have a 6" Bullet in my shop that I picked up for $200, including the bench it was bolted to. They are also absolute overkill for most home hobby shop uses. One of the best affordable vises are the Japanese Craftsman 391 vises. I have a 5" on my shop work bench, a 4" in my gun room, and a 3" on my mobile wiring cart. I don't think I have paid more than $20 for any of them at estate and garage sales.
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