What is it with these Wilton vises?

[Rick B.]

I used to get sticker shock when I saw them for two and three hundred dollars. Now I'm seeing them on CL in my area for four and five hundred!!! Are these vises THAT fantastic or are they just getting to be more of a status symbol for tool snobs? Do people really pay those prices?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a nice Wilton bullet vise because they do look cool but seriously, what will it do for me that my $58 on sale HF vise hasn't been doing for me for the last five years?

 

[Musicinabottle]

I'm in a shop that has an older wilton and I was expecting this thing to really be some thing but in many regards, I think it's a *************. It's huge, at least 8 inches across the vice clamp surface but it has small little release levers for tighting the turn radius which doesn't hold at all unless you beat on them. This isn't an antique but it is older 1960s? Just don't think they warrant the money in the rabid fashion people seem to think they are worth myself. I'd do better with another sensible brand.

 

[davethorik]

Wiltons are nice, but certainly not the strongest or best bench vise out there. I think it is their somewhat unique appearance, combined with collectors having more $ than common sense that makes these pricy.

On the flip side, if you ever find a Wilton bullet for cheap, you can usually do a quick flip on craigslist and pocket some $.

 

[exmaxima1]

I'm in a shop that has an older wilton and I was expecting this thing to really be some thing but in many regards, I think it's a *************. It's huge, at least 8 inches across the vice clamp surface but it has small little release levers for tighting the turn radius which doesn't hold at all unless you beat on them. This isn't an antique but it is older 1960s? Just don't think they warrant the money in the rabid fashion people seem to think they are worth myself. I'd do better with another sensible brand.

At 8 inches across, I highly doubt it's a classic Wilton "bullet" vise, and more likely it's a mechanic or shop grade model. Please don't base your opinion of Wiltons solely on their low end models.

 

[RatchetMan]

Wilton machinist vise owner here, in fact I own a couple of them. I think the inflated prices are all due to hype as a Yost, Reed, Parker or any number of other brands will hold stuff just as well. Wiltons do have a unique look but that's not why you buy a vise.

What's really weird is the price of those little 2 inch baby bullet vises. Sure, they don't make them anymore but I found one a while back for $30 or so and sold it for over $450. I'll take peoples' money all day long but I found myself wondering why anyone would pay that much for what amounts to a shelf decoration.

 

[Musicinabottle]

At 8 inches across, I highly doubt it's a classic Wilton "bullet" vise, and more likely it's a mechanic or shop grade model. Please don't base your opinion of Wiltons solely on their low end models.

First off, I never claimed it was a bullet. Never happened. I did state that it was an older vise from the 1960s. Nonetheless, I wasn't that impressed with it. I see the cheaper wilton vises on craigslist for huge money. There really is a stigma attached with the wilton name. This is what I was commenting on. I'm sure that were the vice in the shop I spoke of were a bullet, that there would be a gathered light around it, and it would have been barricaded off from the rest of the shop, and those not having exclusive permission to use.

 

[davethorik]

Wilton machinist vise owner here, in fact I own a couple of them. I think the inflated prices are all due to hype as a Yost, Reed, Parker or any number of other brands will hold stuff just as well. Wiltons do have a unique look but that's not why you buy a vise.

What's really weird is the price of those little 2 inch baby bullet vises. Sure, they don't make them anymore but I found one a while back for $30 or so and sold it for over $450. I'll take peoples' money all day long but I found myself wondering why anyone would pay that much for what amounts to a shelf decoration.

Vises are like machinist tools. They all have some value but extremely big or small examples always will be worth more. To be fair the little Prentiss jeweler's vises command a pretty penny as well.

Collectors will pay for, what they don't have. They will also pay to get an identical version of something they already 1 or more of, but want more. I'd just take that cash and smile.

Edit: the one Wilton I did have, I flipped for a 500% profit. It was a nice one, too 4" fixed base.

 

[Musicinabottle]

I think a lot of it too is just that people really do create frenzies. I'm an old audio buff. I bought years ago, a XXXXXX brand amp off of ebay for $430 plus shipping. Nice amp in super condition and in excess of 50 pounds. I see these same amps in worse shape going in excess of $1,500 and up to $4,000 and more. But it's because someone on some damn forum pumped it up and created stupid. Now, something that was fairly affordable is now white eyed rabid crazy bat **** priced and people are even more eager to become a part of the craziness. It happens all the time.

 

[thehorse13]

I blame reality TV for most of the idiotic frenzies like this Wilton vise illness. I recall when you could find porcelain gas and oil signs at flea markets for 10 bucks. The very same ones people now pay 5 grand for at these nutty auctions on cable TV or Ebay.

My Chas Parker, Rock Island and Prentiss vises work better than my Wilton bullet. I've argued for years that Prentiss and Rock Island are among the best, "user" vises ever made.

All of that said, I like the shape of the Wilton. It works well enough on my 50s bench and looks like it belongs there. It has no super power nor do I think it's worth 400 bucks.

 

[Musicinabottle]

I blame reality TV for most of the idiotic frenzies like this Wilton vise illness. I recall when you could find porcelain gas and oil signs at flea markets for 10 bucks. The very same ones people now pay 5 grand for at these nutty auctions on cable TV or Ebay.

My Chas Parker, Rock Island and Prentiss vises work better than my Wilton bullet. I've argued for years that Prentiss and Rock Island are among the best, "user" vises ever made.

All of that said, I like the shape of the Wilton. It works well enough on my 50s bench and looks like it belongs there. It has no super power nor do I think it's worth 400 bucks.

My point exactly! Now that you just mentioned it....... Parker, Rock Island and Prentiss vises just went up 90%! This is why I X'ed out my example above because I refuse to contribute to the stupidness!

 

[Richard Cranium]

I had a old Wilton, that I tried to give away and couldn't find a taker, I even offered to haul it to Seattle. So it is also depend on your region.

 

[Rileysan]

Wiltons are nice, but certainly not the strongest or best bench vise out there. I think it is their somewhat unique appearance, combined with collectors having more $ than common sense that makes these pricy.

On the flip side, if you ever find a Wilton bullet for cheap, you can usually do a quick flip on craigslist and pocket some $.

I totally agree. They have a really unique look to them and that's what sets them apart from other vises. I don't own one, however, and unless one falls in my lap, I don't intend to. Rock Island, Reed, Yost, etc. are all excellent vises that are as good or better than a Wilton bullet. But I'm more into function than style so it's ok that I don't have one

Brian

 

[dkroth]

Baby bullets are on fire:

$760

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-WILTON-...308146?hash=item2f0c172c32:g:w3AAAOSwCOZZywjU


$737

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Chi...et-Wilton-820-Swivel-base-MINTY-/132344804081

 

[6pony6]

Baby bullets are on fire:



$760

$737

I was going to clean up my 2" bullet and find some use for it. Now I'm thinking I'll leave it as is and let the eBay crazies bid on it. Maybe I can make enough to buy that wood planer I need.


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[1982fxr]

Insane

 

[Teenager with old tools]

I only bought my Wilson because $40 pneumatic vise was bad*** I much prefer the athol I bought from a member here I honestly bought the wilton because I thought it was cool and cheap.

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[Fretters]

It's the same everywhere. Certain names command a premium, regardless of whether the gear is better or not. A perfect example over here is Myford. One specific model even more so, namely the M type. Designed and created by Drummond, yet the ones produced by Myford from the war onwards, (Drummond had to hand domestic manufacture over to Myford), will generally command a higher price than the originals. Figure that one, when apart from minor alterations, (mainly to the drive setup), it's the exact same machine. People are fickle and easily swayed.

 

[DadsTools]

I was going to clean up my 2" bullet and find some use for it. Now I'm thinking I'll leave it as is and let the eBay crazies bid on it. Maybe I can make enough to buy that wood planer I need.


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Careful with that Wilton ****, you just made the price go up $150, especially with that closeup.

 

[200.447]

I think a lot of it too is just that people really do create frenzies. I'm an old audio buff. I bought years ago, a XXXXXX brand amp off of ebay for $430 plus shipping. Nice amp in super condition and in excess of 50 pounds. I see these same amps in worse shape going in excess of $1,500 and up to $4,000 and more. But it's because someone on some damn forum pumped it up and created stupid. Now, something that was fairly affordable is now white eyed rabid crazy bat **** priced and people are even more eager to become a part of the craziness. It happens all the time.

Old tubed McIntosh amps bring some $,$$$.
But, one listen confirms why they were and still are, The Best.

 

[200.447]

Baby bullets are on fire:

$760

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-WILTON-...308146?hash=item2f0c172c32:g:w3AAAOSwCOZZywjU


$737

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Chi...et-Wilton-820-Swivel-base-MINTY-/132344804081

Anything NOS will bring about twice the price of nice used... IMO.

 

[Cyansarunt]

Name and appearance. The Wilton brand quality is all over the map as well

I'd rather have my two Athols or Charles Parker all week and twice on sunday over a bullet. They sure do look cool, but certainly do not perform any better

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Name and appearance. The Wilton brand quality is all over the map as well

I'd rather have my two Athols or Charles Parker all week and twice on sunday over a bullet. They sure do look cool, but certainly do not perform any better

For the same size jaws my athol is heavier and opens farther than my wilton

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[thehorse13]

I was going to clean up my 2" bullet and find some use for it. Now I'm thinking I'll leave it as is and let the eBay crazies bid on it. Maybe I can make enough to buy that wood planer I need.

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I bet that if you cleaned that up and make it look pretty you'll add $150 to the final bid.

 

[-Brent-]

Here are some local Wiltons for sale:

I used to get sticker shock when I saw them for two and three hundred dollars. Now I'm seeing them on CL in my area for four and five hundred!!! Are these vises THAT fantastic or are they just getting to be more of a status symbol for tool snobs?

With the way some people collect them, there's no doubt that the Wilton bullets have become an object of desire. I don't know if I'd necessarily call them snobs because there are all types of folks that are into them. Some want to be in the "in crowd." Some others like having things they perceive are the best. Obviously there's the "scarcity heuristic" crowd that loves to scoop up things before others can get it. Hell, with every post of "I finally scored a Wilton xyz..." there's a signal being sent to our basic human nature that this item has value and some emotion related to "the next one that's gotten is one I'm missing out on" is further attached to this thing. And sure, yes, some are snobs. Some are also "tool polishers" that will never use them. Other's are the "I have more than you" guys. And, oddly enough some guys actually use them.

Do people really pay those prices?

Some have to be. But I doubt they're admitting to it.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a nice Wilton bullet vise because they do look cool but seriously, what will it do for me that my $58 on sale HF vise hasn't been doing for me for the last five years?

I think the quality of a Wilton beats HF every day but there's no denying that you couldn't truly use enough HF vises to the point that they wear out or break in your lifetime to equal the price that some folks are asking for their well-used Wiltons.

 

[RStewart]

So now I need to find an Athol, a Parker, a Reed, damn you GJ

 

[Musicinabottle]

Old tubed McIntosh amps bring some $,$$$.
But, one listen confirms why they were and still are, The Best.

I hear that with the Marantz crowd too, (oh wait, I'm part of that Marantz crowd) but you can buy modern tube amps that are every bit as good and better than the vintage gear.

 

[-Brent-]

So now I need to find an Athol, a Parker, a Reed, damn you GJ

Just stay away from Prentiss!

 

[dr_clyde]

People like what they like, and that's OK.

I have had a bunch of vises over the years, and I tend to favor Wilton. They are just nice. I've had Prentiss, Emmert, Columbian, Craftsman, Yost, and some Polish vise I can't remember the name of. I've used Rock Island and Athol at other shops.

Would I like an Athol in my shop? Absolutley. They are fine vises. But a good example of an Athol will bring at least as much as a wilton.

The things I like about Wilton are admittedly small things. Arguably the biggest draw is the shape. I love the shape. Doesn't make it any better of a vise, but that doesn't really matter. Sometimes just looking cool is enough to warrant extra demand. Some people are willing to throw down for old cars, antique furniture, sports cards, or whatever. I happen to be willing to spend money on tools. Am I going to pay nutter craigslist money for a used vise? No. I will just buy a new one for that money. But I'd be crazy to not buy a 5" wilton for $100.

I like the enclosed lead screw of the wilton. I like the minimal amount of lash in the screw. The other used american vises i've used all seem to have a ton of slop in the screw.

They are well made, and still available new. I have ordered 4 brand spanking new Wilton vises in my career, for both myself and the various shops I've worked at. I don't have time to fuss around on ebay or craigslist to find a swinging deal on a used Rock Island, but the boss can order a Wilton from the welding supply and put it on our account.

 

[G-ManBart]

I think the quality of a Wilton beats HF every day but there's no denying that you couldn't truly use enough HF vises to the point that they wear out or break in your lifetime to equal the price that some folks are asking for their well-used Wiltons.

I've sold quite a few Wiltons to companies tired of breaking imported, junk vises. Several times they've said the downtime lost costs more than the price of a good vise, so it was an easy expense to justify.

I've also sold a lot of Wiltons to people who have just broken an imported vises and they decided they didn't want to waste any more money on something that was just as likely to break again.

What everyone seems to be missing is that of all the brands named in this thread, who's still left selling essentially the same models after all these years?

I love lots of other brands of vises, but there's no way for someone to get a good idea of value other than looking at eBay sales prices. With Wilton you can see what the current prices are, and then compare that to a nice used/refurbished vise and decide what you're comfortable with paying.

I can usually buy, fix/restore/etc and sell a Wilton for right around 1/2 of retail price. To the guy setting up a welding shop, spending $600 on a restored 600S looks pretty attractive compared to $1,200 for a new vise that isn't really any better. To the guy building a new service truck, $300 for a clean 1760 looks a lot better than $600 for a new 1765. Those are just two examples from the last week.

Sure, those guys could have spent hours trying to learn about vintage vises, searched for one, maybe found one that was good, maybe found one that had issues, etc. It's a heck of a lot easier to buy something that's a known quantity, and something you can get parts for in the future if you need them, which isn't true of most other brands.

 

[G-ManBart]

Just stay away from Prentiss!

You can have them. Cracked slides, jaws fit terribly on the jaw supports...ugh. I've had a couple, and glad they're gone. They had nice styling, but that's about it.

 

[-Brent-]

I hear you G-Man but the OP isn't referring to people using them commercially like you are.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

I used to get sticker shock when I saw them for two and three hundred dollars. Now I'm seeing them on CL in my area for four and five hundred!!! Are these vises THAT fantastic or are they just getting to be more of a status symbol for tool snobs? Do people really pay those prices?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a nice Wilton bullet vise because they do look cool but seriously, what will it do for me that my $58 on sale HF vise hasn't been doing for me for the last five years?

It'll be an American vise on your bench is what it'll do. I paid 40 for my wilton with 4 inch jaws and 40 for the one I restored and sold to a friend. My athol I got from an amazing member here is great but my stepdads cuz he paid for it. For the same!e price I'd take a machinist vise over a Wilton in similar condition and jaw size because machinist vise tends to open farther and be heavier. But I couldn't pass up either Wilton I got at 40 bucks a piece. It's a lot to do with the name on it you see with anything. Any hobby has similar. Something of equal or even slightly lesser quality selling for much more because of a name on it.

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