Bench Vise

[Fabtechprerunner]

I'm looking for a 6in bench vise. I used to have a 6in craftsman, but sold it years ago and now regretting that. I'm looking to stay under $100. I have looked around and haven't heard anything go I d about harbor freight bench vise's. Looked on Amazon and saw a Vevor 6in one for $63, read reviews but those are from woodworkers, weekend warriors.


I need a bench vise for some automotive repairs and woodwork projects.

Anyone have an experience with this Vevor vise, or any advice on other options. I have looked on marketplace and they are all asking for msrp for a used bench vise.
Here's the link for the vevor
Amazon.com: VEVOR Bench Vise, 6-inch Jaw Width 5.9-inch Jaw Opening, 360-Degree Swivel Locking Base Multipurpose Vise w/Anvil, Heavy Duty Ductile Iron Workbench Vise w/Bolts & Nuts, for Drilling, Pipe Cutting : Everything Else https://share.google/knEWEo80SqLdEpiAe

 

[General Geoff]

I suggest you spend a little more (still under $100) and get the rotating vise

https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Opening-Multi-Purpose-Ductile-Repairing/dp/B0DRFHX9KD?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

I suggest you spend a little more (still under $100) and get the rotating vise

https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Opening-Multi-Purpose-Ductile-Repairing/dp/B0DRFHX9KD?tag=atomicindus08-20

Will this hold up? I no nothing about the quality of Vevor tools. I kick myself everyday for selling my $80 Craftsman 6in bench vise, as it lasted 17 years and I sold it....

What are your opinions on a Wilton vise from Lowes?

 

[Mr. Tool]

I suggest you spend a little more (still under $100) and get the rotating vise

https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Opening-Multi-Purpose-Ductile-Repairing/dp/B0DRFHX9KD?tag=atomicindus08-20

Oh man!......thanks so much for posting this!

I, as well, am in the market for a VISE and was getting ready to possibly drop $400 on a brand new, in it's box Wilton (normally well over $1K!) but as like a lot of other things in life I really don't "need" the very best, top of the line, etc. VISE.....just something that will do the job, etc, and getting my money's worth out of it.
Like anyone else I'd rather spend a bit over $100 rather than $400 and definitely, than over $1K !

Just my $0.02

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

Oh man!......thanks so much for posting this!

I, as well, am in the market for a VISE and getting ready to drop $400 on a brand new, in it's box Wilton (normally well over $1K!) but as like a lot of other things in like I really don't "need" the very best, top of the line, etc. VISE.....just something that will do the job, etc, and getting my money's worth out of it.
Like anyone else I'd rather spend a bit over $100 rather than $400 and definitely than over $1K !

I hear you. I would love to buy top of the line, but that will have to be later on.
I'm thinking I'm going to have to up my budget price from $100 or under to under $200 (if possible) for a decent quality.

I was looking online and saw this Wilton at Lowes for $150+ tax, but I dunno. Wilton 6-in Ductile iron Apprentice Bench Vise in the Vises department at Lowes.com https://share.google/2xedAsOVt2HGM3m1s

 

[RTM]

I need a bench vise for some automotive repairs and woodwork projects.

Two different videos in theory, but my dad did many WW projects w a traditional bench vise. I don't think he knew how much easier a WW vise would have made certain projects.

But, back on topic:

Where are you located? There might be a GJ member nearby who has a glut of vises, willing to let one go at a reasonable price.

Do you really need a 6"? That is a lot of real estate burned in some of those the larger vises.

There were recent posts about someone getting a tolerably decent big import vise cheap, but I can't recall who or from where.

Regarding the rotator shown above, make sure you can get your hands on it first. Some decent ones, and the some real **** out there. Caveat Emptor.

 

[Mr. Tool]

I hear you. I would love to buy top of the line, but that will have to be later on.
I'm thinking I'm going to have to up my budget price from $100 or under to under $200 (if possible) for a decent quality.

I was looking online and saw this Wilton at Lowes for $150+ tax, but I dunno. Wilton 6-in Ductile iron Apprentice Bench Vise in the Vises department at Lowes.com https://share.google/2xedAsOVt2HGM3m1s

Dude...... thanks for posting!

I was reading the reviews (both positive and negative) on that one offered on Amazon and well like everything else on Amazon it's a hit or miss on getting what you pay for. So I would read all the reviews then base your buying decision on what you think about it all. Again, that's just my opinion.

That Wilton from Lowes seems to be worth the price for what they are asking for. I'd consider that another alternative for buying it.....hey it's a Wilton!

The Wilton (pictured below) is the one that I had been contemplating on buying but again for $400.

 

[General Geoff]

The Wilton (pictured below) is the one that I had been contemplating on buying but again for $400.

That's a C0, while it's "only" a 3-1/2 inch jaw width, it's an absolute unit. Weighs 51 lbs, more than the 6 inch Vevor vises posted earlier.

I don't think I would buy one for $400, but for $300 and I had no vise? Maybe.

 

[General Geoff]

I was looking online and saw this Wilton at Lowes for $150+ tax, but I dunno. Wilton 6-in Ductile iron Apprentice Bench Vise in the Vises department at Lowes.com https://share.google/2xedAsOVt2HGM3m1s

I recently bought a new Wilton Tradesman 1765, and I was pretty well disappointed with fit/finish and QC, even for the discounted price I bought it at. I had to request a replacement spindle assembly because the one that came with the vise, had the handle hole drilled so far off square that the handle was probably about 15 degrees canted. The replacement was better but still not square.

I will never buy another new Wilton.

 

[JuncleJohn]

That Wilton vise looks awesome. I bought a used one (also a Wilton) years ago and love it.

John

 

[Mr. Tool]

That's a C0, while it's "only" a 3-1/2 inch jaw width, it's an absolute unit. Weighs 51 lbs, more than the 6 inch Vevor vises posted earlier.

I don't think I would buy one for $400, but for $300 and I had no vise? Maybe.

Thanks for the tip and info....very much appreciated.

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

I recently bought a new Wilton Tradesman 1765, and I was pretty well disappointed with fit/finish and QC, even for the discounted price I bought it at. I had to request a replacement spindle assembly because the one that came with the vise, had the handle hole drilled so far off square that the handle was probably about 15 degrees canted. The replacement was better but still not square.

I will never buy another new Wilton.

I hear you that's why I am skeptical about buying a vise from a box store to begin with, they are usually made to sub-par standards and the price usually reflects that.

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

Two different videos in theory, but my dad did many WW projects w a traditional bench vise. I don't think he knew how much easier a WW vise would have made certain projects.

But, back on topic:

Where are you located? There might be a GJ member nearby who has a glut of vises, willing to let one go at a reasonable price.

Do you really need a 6"? That is a lot of real estate burned in some of those the larger vises.

There were recent posts about someone getting a tolerably decent big import vise cheap, but I can't recall who or from where.

Regarding the rotator shown above, make sure you can get your hands on it first. Some decent ones, and the some real **** out there. Caveat Emptor.

I am located in North Georgia. I don't need a 6in vise, but "want". If can settle for a 5in or 4in vise, but don't want a vise smaller than a 4in, as the smaller jaws are limited in surface area

 

[UserNameAttempt3]

You check Facebook marketplace or offerup? I found my 70's craftsman vice for $60

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

You check Facebook marketplace or offerup? I found my 70's craftsman vice for $60

Offer up isn't really used in this region. I have checked market place several times, but there's too many "dreamers" asking absurd pricing. I'm not kidding, they are wanting "retail" for stuff that isn't new and they won't budge

 

[darkzero]

I'm one of those who will never buy anything with the Vevor name on it.

At work the cheapo HF basic Central Machinery didn't last long & I hated using that thing. Been asking for a replacement for a while. When the Doyle bullet vise looking copies poped up in a PLS I brought it up. Boss bought the 6" which is a beast. The thing is pretty nice, can't believe I would ever say that about a bench vise from HF. I'm might get me the 4½" one for home.

 

[AEAdam]

Offer up isn't really used in this region. I have checked market place several times, but there's too many "dreamers" asking absurd pricing. I'm not kidding, they are wanting "retail" for stuff that isn't new and they won't budge

Same up here. I see adds for Wilton bullets asking $600. I think it’s an artificial market. People are buying them because they believe they can sell them for more.

That said, there are plenty of fine old American vises pretty cheap around here. I would not consider and do not recommend buying a new vise.

 

[decableguy2000]

If you need nowish, but can wait a couple weeks. I believe the Doyle vises will be on sale during the HF June parking lot sale. It's been my experience that trying to find a good, used, cheap, US made vise in a specific time frame usually doesn't happen. I have only found them while on a side quest, or when I don't need one.

 

[ecotec]

Same up here. I see adds for Wilton bullets asking $600. I think it’s an artificial market. People are buying them because they believe they can sell them for more.

That said, there are plenty of fine old American vises pretty cheap around here. I would not consider and do not recommend buying a new vise.

I agree with all of this, with caveats. In my area… and with enough time, you can find most mass produced tools cheap.

If you live in my area past the suburbs, the quantities of cheap used tools plummet and the prices go up.

Also, this takes time… which not everyone has. I have been working 6-10’s, and haven’t been to a single sale in weeks.

Another point… once a tool reseller has a given tool… of course it is not going to be cheap. The guy bought it to make a profit. You have to beat him to it… or pay his price. The game is beating the tool resellers to the tools. If you don’t play, you have to pay.

I do agree with the AEAdam, though. If you have the time to hunt for a used vise, you are going to get a lot better vise for a lot less money.

This is my backup backup vise… waiting for paint and time to paint…

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

Same up here. I see adds for Wilton bullets asking $600. I think it’s an artificial market. People are buying them because they believe they can sell them for more.

That said, there are plenty of fine old American vises pretty cheap around here. I would not consider and do not recommend buying a new vise.

The problem in my area is "Flipper's). All they do is buy and sell. They are the typical low baller, then they turn around and re-sell it for astronomical $$$. They literally flood marketplace like this and ruin for people who are looking to buy and put it to use.
Extremely frustrating.

 

[ecotec]

The problem in my area is "Flipper's). All they do is buy and sell. They are the typical low baller, then they turn around and re-sell it for astronomical $$$. They literally flood marketplace like this and ruin for people who are looking to buy and put it to use.
Extremely frustrating.

Yes… but… this is their business model, and it works for them. You have to beat them to the tools… which costs time, planning, gas, storage, organization, more time for taking pictures, more time for accurate listings, time for packaging and time to take the packages to be mailed.

I am the first to say that I love taking food off their tables. I love it. Beating them to the tools is 100% of the game.

Once they have the tools, why should they charge what you want them to charge? They should charge the most that they can get.

They are not ruining anything.

Get off the couch, steal the food right out of their mouths… or cry about it… that will put tools in your garage…

Buying tools for pennies on the dollar is merit based, and it is not easy or fair.

Read the garage/estate sale thread.

 

[liliysdad]

The problem in my area is "Flipper's). All they do is buy and sell. They are the typical low baller, then they turn around and re-sell it for astronomical $$$. They literally flood marketplace like this and ruin for people who are looking to buy and put it to use.
Extremely frustrating.

That’s how I pay the bills. I find cool stuff, but it for as little as I can, and sell it for as much as I as I can. In the process, I get to keep some of the coolest stuff for myself.

Easily the funnest job I’ve ever had.

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

Yes… but… this is their business model, and it works for them. You have to beat them to the tools… which costs time, planning, gas, storage, organization, more time for taking pictures, more time for accurate listings, time for packaging and time to take the packages to be mailed.

I am the first to say that I love taking food off their tables. I love it. Beating them to the tools is 100% of the game.

Once they have the tools, why should they charge what you want them to charge? They should charge the most that they can get.

They are not ruining anything.

Get off the couch, steal the food right out of their mouths… or cry about it… that will put tools in your garage…

Buying tools for pennies on the dollar is merit based, and it is not easy or fair.

Read the garage/estate sale thread.

"Get off the Couch", I'm a tradesman, HVAC, not the first trade I've been in either. I have been in the trades since I was kid (worked during the summers, spring break, etc, in electrical trade). Implying i sit around is laughable.

 

[liliysdad]

"Get off the Couch", I'm a tradesman, HVAC, not the first trade I've been in either. I have been in the trades since I was kid (worked during the summers, spring break, etc, in electrical trade). Implying i sit around is laughable.

I don’t think that was a legitimate accusation…just a reference to the fact that if you want the deals you’ve got to get out and find them.

 

[General Geoff]

The problem in my area is "Flipper's). All they do is buy and sell. They are the typical low baller, then they turn around and re-sell it for astronomical $$$. They literally flood marketplace like this and ruin for people who are looking to buy and put it to use.
Extremely frustrating.

that's just the world now. Everybody's got an angle, and all the angles are worked out to extract maximum possible money from everyone involved.

 

[liliysdad]

that's just the world now. Everybody's got an angle, and all the angles are worked out to extract maximum possible money from everyone involved.

Nahh…I give cool **** to people I like all the time. Otherwise, yeah…I sell things for the most money possible. To do otherwise kinda defeats the point, doesn’t it?

 

[General Geoff]

Nahh…I give cool **** to people I like all the time. Otherwise, yeah…I sell things for the most money possible. To do otherwise kinda defeats the point, doesn’t it?

You are just turning opportunity into a business as a middleman. Nothing wrong with that, more than half of the economy is middlemen.

There's just a lot more middlemen in the used goods market than there were 20 years ago. With the internet especially, niche goods that are difficult to sell privately in a small local market are now easily spotted, snapped up, and flipped to whomever is willing to pay the going rate for said goods in the geographical markets where they are most expensive and sought-after.

 

[liliysdad]

You are just turning opportunity into a business as a middleman. Nothing wrong with that, more than half of the economy is middlemen.

There's just a lot more middlemen in the used goods market than there were 20 years ago.

There absolutely are. Luckily most of them are lazy, and there’s still plenty of room when you’re willing to hustle

 

[ecotec]

I don’t think that was a legitimate accusation…just a reference to the fact that if you want the deals you’ve got to get out and find them.

This.

I haven’t been able to beat anyone to deals in weeks. I am on 6-10’s with sporadic Sundays.

I am just saying that if you want the deals, you have to buy them from the person who the resellers are buying them… you have to be amongst the first people at the garage or estate sale.

If you can’t figure out a way to do that, you have to pay “whatever the market will bear”.

You can decide what you want to pay for a given item, but you can’t decide what the market will pay for a given item.

I did not imply anyone was sitting around. I am saying that those deals go to people who are out in the streets hunting them down.

 

[liliysdad]

This.

I haven’t been able to beat anyone to deals in weeks. I am on 6-10’s with sporadic Sundays.

I am just saying that if you want the deals, you have to buy them from the person who the resellers are buying them… you have to be amongst the first people at the garage or estate sale.

If you can’t figure out a way to do that, you have to pay “whatever the market will bear”.

You can decide what you want to pay for a given item, but you can’t decide what the market will pay for a given item.

I did not imply anyone was sitting around. I am saying that those deals go to people who are out in the streets hunting them down.

I’ve all but stopped going to estate sales on the first day. I find there are plenty of deals on the subsequent days, at a discount.

I find a lot more deals on marketplace and at flea markets and random garage sales.

 

[AEAdam]

No judgement, whether it’s AC Cobras or Pokémon cards buying to sell to another seller is as an artificial market, really not good for anyone but the last seller who has found “the greater fool”. This doesn’t sound like the @liliysdad I know or anyone else here.

Wilton Bullets are nice vises with an amazing space age look, but not worth $600. I think people pay those prices thinking prices will continue to climb. Choose a non Starrett branded Athol vise instead.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed, prices for anvils are ridiculous as well.

 

[Shiftless]

Choose a non Starrett branded Athol vise instead.

Those are good ones. Add to the list, Reed, Rock Island, Morgan, Prentiss, Parker and others that slip my mind right now.

 

[Fabtechprerunner]

About all I have found in my area within a 30-45 minute drive on marketplace is a Made in USA craftsman 6in vise for $85, but it needs ALOT of tlc from the pictures. I'm going to see about going to look at it. I know the spindle screw are usually go bad when used improperly. The market in my area is extremely small, I live about 2, 2.5 hours from any suburbs. I'm in a rainforest

 

[ecotec]

About all I have found in my area within a 30-45 minute drive on marketplace is a Made in USA craftsman 6in vise for $85, but it needs ALOT of tlc from the pictures. I'm going to see about going to look at it. I know the spindle screw are usually go bad when used improperly. The market in my area is extremely small, I live about 2, 2.5 hours from any suburbs. I'm in a rainforest

Location, definitely, affects scarcity and price of used goods. I am the first to admit that I am in a great area for finding tools (an industrial suburb of an industrial metro area).

Hunting for used tools where you live is a very different thing than hunting for used tools where I live.

 

[RTM]

The phrase I like is

The harder I work, the luckier I get.

I used to whine about the tool selection here, then started widening my search, getting to them earlier, buying lots, etc.

I now have Two 6" vises, a 5+, a 5, couple of 3-4", boatloads of planes, etc. My buddies shake their head, how do I get so lucky ....

 

[ecotec]

I’ve all but stopped going to estate sales on the first day. I find there are plenty of deals on the subsequent days, at a discount.

I find a lot more deals on marketplace and at flea markets and random garage sales.

It works exactly the opposite for me.

I don’t resell tools, and I have been going to sales for years. My tools, are well beyond what I can justify.

So, to find tools that I don’t have or are better than what I have… I have to be amongst the first in the door. Because I have more than I need in a lot of tool categories, I am picky and buy very little.

I do buy certain things, if they are in great condition, to give away. 10” half round ******* files are one example. While not on the tool list, every electrician should have one. I gave a Benchtop one away a couple weeks ago.

My best honeyholes have been when I just happened to walk up to a garage sale when nobody else was there and had the pick of the place.

 

[paulsomlo]

https://yostvises.com/products/yost...e-iron-bench-vise?_pos=1&_fid=adad7f987&_ss=c

You might take a look at this vise, haven't heard anything bad about them. Search here on the forum, see if you can find a member who owns one.

 

[paulsomlo]

Here's one that might be in your locale and in your price range: https://www.facebook.com/share/17hCcVRzjq/

It's a plain jane Wilton mechanic's vise, but if in good shape, can be acceptable users.

 

[AEAdam]

I too have been keeping my eye out for a vise for my machine shop. I have a pair of old post vises which are cool, but would like a bench vise for the machine shop.

Just today I saw an ad for a really crappy small workbench that had a really nice old vise attached. I’ve also seen Wiltons misspelled. Maybe once you get a little away from civilization, you might need a slightly different approach for finding deals.

 

[liliysdad]

The deals are still out there, but they are harder to find than they used to be.

I got lucky and picked up a very nice 4-1/2” Wilton Cadet for $40 at an estate sale few months ago. I have it priced just high enough that it will probably sell, but if it doesn’t then I’d have to take it home and put it on my bench. Horrible.


I’ve found that most tool buyers are relatively lazy. They want stuff for nothing, and if a vise is bolted to a bench they will likely leave it if it’s not ridiculously cheap. I actually like it when estate sales price their stuff a little on the high side because I don’t mind paying up for good stuff..and it’s usually there when I get to it.