What size vise do you use the most?

[EOC_Jason]

Just curious what size vise people tend to have / use the most. (For those that are slightly oddball sized like 5/8"... choose the closest size please.)

Also, if it's different than what you use, what size would you realistically want instead?

Me personally, I prefer my 4-1/2" as my go-to vise just because I can really grip on something solid. Sometimes I wish it was bigger like a 5" or 6", then I could really wale on it...

 

[GeneralDisorder]

You are missing the most important option in your poll and thus most people here will be unable to answer truthfully: "The largest vise I can find"

GD

 

[north]

Just replaced a 4" vise with a much better 4" vise. Thought of going 5" but the sum of things dictated 4" and I don't feel I lack in the vise department. That day will probable come though and I want loads of vises 'cause they're cool.

 

[Kevin54]

4 1/2" Desmond-Stephan's that from the horizontal bar up is 6" and the vise opens to a shade over 10". It's the only Desmond that I've saw that is like this one.

 

[Outlawmws]

Parker 4" but only because that is what is on the corner of my bench, and has been since I built it 25 odd years ago. I got a Parker 4-1/2" probably 20 years ago, and if the mounting bolt pattern was the same, it would live there...

I will say that would be about as big as I want on the bench, having already ripped it loose from the wall once. Any bigger goes on a heavy stand, which I now have and will probably put the 5" Bulldog on that one.

#2 is either a 3" Lakeside bolted to my welding bench/roller cab, or a 6" machinists vise I use as my DP vise.

Unless you also count the B&D WorkMates...

 

[DieselDent]

It used to be the bigest one I had which was a 3 1/2 but now I have a 6 and a 8 to use the 6 is my go to.

 

[Davefr]

Wilton C-2. The perfect vise IMHO. Machinist and Pipe, 5" jaws, swivel, opens wide.

 

[BD1]

Depends on what you are going to put in it or what you are trying to hold. You really won't use a 3/4 drive ratchet on 1/4''nut ? ok maybe sometimes !
Average use 6''. I got some small clamp on vises that are really handy
that I use on my welding table. You gotta have different sizes.

 

[transittech]

Depends on what you are going to put in it or what you are trying to hold. You really won't use a 3/4 drive ratchet on 1/4''nut ? ok maybe sometimes !
Average use 6''. I got some small clamp on vises that are really handy
that I use on my welding table. You gotta have different sizes.

I concur. I have a 4.5" at home, but most at work are 6"+.

 

[shampoop]

Me personally, I prefer my 4-1/2" as my go-to vise just because I can really grip on something solid. Sometimes I wish it was bigger like a 5" or 6", then I could really wale on it...

I'm the exact same. I have a 4-1/2" one that opens up 9-1/2" and it's great, I was waiting for the biggest super cheap one I could find on craigslist and it was only like $30! But I do wish it were more like 5 or 6". Mine has been broken before and rewelded, not too worried about it because the previous owner who did it was a retired ironworker. And I mainly just want a big one for the size, not because I'm gonna be clamping on stuff super hard, I already own a 20 ton press. So I eventually want to get a nice vise and when I do, I'm gonna wait out for a 5" or 6" one with a deep opening to restore and make really nice.

 

[metaleltr]

4 1/2" Desmond-Stephan's that from the horizontal bar up is 6" and the vise opens to a shade over 10". It's the only Desmond that I've saw that is like this one.

Kevin do you happen to know where in Urbana the Desmond factory was?

 

[Jawn]

3 1/2" simply because it's the only vise I've got in my garage at the moment.

 

[bigcaddy]

3 1/2" simply because it's the only vise I've got in my garage at the moment.

Wilton C1 (4.5") at the house with a 2" Baby Bullet on a power arm for the smaller projects.

The shop has a 5" Columbian but i'm working on finding something else closer to my toolbox, probably something in the same size range.

 

[Gary S]

I use the one in my garage. I don't know the size of it, but it is the only one I own or want to own, so I use it.

 

[2oolhound]

My main vice is a 6" which I bought because it would handle everything I needed. It's never let me down yet although I often use it for light duty work that a much smaller vice would have been fine for.

 

[DaleK]

The first one I can reach that's big enough to do the job.

 

[Packard V8]

Sort of like asking what size hammer one uses most with his vise. Depends entirely on the work. A jewelry maker will use a tiny little hammer most and a blacksmith or a Cat track monkey will use a BFH most.

Bottom line - why would which vise and hammer an individual uses most be of interest to us without tying it to the trade and/or the project which one most often uses it?

jack vines

 

[rusty65]

Any else put a drill press vise in the jaws of a bigger vise for small work?

 

[bobcatdan]

Main vises at work are 5 1/2" wilton and morgans. At home I have 6" import wiltons I bought before I new better. Then the monster wilton 800. Unless you are working on something big, a vise that big is pretty clumsy.

 

[Kevin54]

Kevin do you happen to know where in Urbana the Desmond factory was?

It is on West Water St. on the south side of the street two houses west of Main. They are still in business, but they don't make vises anymore. Their product is dressers for grinding wheels. The spur type dressers is one of their main products. http://www.desmond-stephan.com/

 

[coolreed]

I use a 5" most of the time,...usually my Reed 105. Just because it is handy and has copper liners.

But I have Vise everywhere in my garage as I have developed quite a passion for these things. It's all because of this forum to.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I use my small clamp on vise all the time when working on locks. It's clamped to the corner of my bench. Of course, I have the Samson 4" for larger jobs.

 

[BD1]

Any else put a drill press vise in the jaws of a bigger vise for small work?

I did, and now I bought small clamp on vises . They are so handy !