Chose Vintage Reed Vise(s)

[RichRiddle]

Spoiler alert.....look at the bottom post to see the choice made between vise options.

I am in the process of selecting a vintage Reed vise and have narrowed the search to a Reed 204R or a Reed 1C. The purpose of the vise is to sit in the farm garage on a bench for light/medium duty jobs. There are rare occasions where a pipe may be involved but it's not likely.

Both vises are available in the region. The 1C has been decently restored and finished with boiled linseed oil, but the 1C shows signs of it's former neglect with fairly significant pitting. The 204R (post 1947 so it has the "hockey puck" spindle nose instead of the "meatball" spindle nose) looks like someone dunked in a container of boiled linseed oil or polyurethane and will need refinishing.

Any thoughts between the two choices?

 

[Shiftless]

I have more than a few vises available for using. If you want to limit yourself to just one vise on your workbench, I encourage you to select a combination vise that has robust pipe jaws so that you can grip objects that don’t really fit in between the parallel vise jaws.

So with that being said, I recommend you purchase the Reed 1C. I have 2 of them and can testify that they are VERY well built and will handle just about any task you throw at it. The slightly narrower jaws won’t make much difference.

The only qualifier is that the later model hockey puck nose models have a unique patented front split nut to adjust axial play.

From what you said, I assume the 1C is an earlier model with the meatball nose, right?

(In case you are wondering, my daily driver vise is a Wilton C1)

 

[RichRiddle]

Shiftless, there are other vises in the farm garage, a Prenitiss 54 (though it has a crack along the length),

a Polish FPU smaller/medium sized vise,



a Wilton smallish/medium sized combination vise Wilton 645 (though it's lacking a pipe insert), and a tiny vise.



The 1C is a later model with hockey puck nose.



Some member in here suggested I needed more vises......it's his fault..

 

[Shiftless]

Good start!
Looks like you need either a combination vise or a dedicated pipe vise.

Quite a few GJ members have at least 10 vises.

 

[RichRiddle]

Good start!
Looks like you need either a combination vise or a dedicated pipe vise.

Quite a few GJ members have at least 10 vises.

And of the two under consideration, it looks like the C1 is the better choice. Thanks.

 

[Shiftless]

And of the two under consideration, it looks like the C1 is the better choice. Thanks.

You’re welcome.

BTW, the Wilton combination vise I have is the C1
The Reed combination vise you are considering is the 1C

(easily confused)

 

[Mgdoug3]

I would love to find a 2C Reed. I like the wide pipe jaws of the Reeds and Wiltons which I think would be good for working on hydraulic cylinders. I have a meatball 204R I keep on a receiver hitch for field repairs. Looking back, I probably should have picked a lighter vise but I don't have to worry about hurting it.

 

[RichRiddle]

I would love to find a 2C Reed. I like the wide pipe jaws of the Reeds and Wiltons which I think would be good for working on hydraulic cylinders. I have a meatball 204R I keep on a receiver hitch for field repairs. Looking back, I probably should have picked a lighter vise but I don't have to worry about hurting it.

I considered a 2C as the perfect vise, but the closest one for sale to this area is in California.....all the way across the US. It's also pickup only...so that's a deal breaker.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I haven't had any luck either. They're too far away or beat up beyond repair or way overpriced.

 

[Maui]

I would love to find a 2C Reed. I like the wide pipe jaws of the Reeds and Wiltons which I think would be good for working on hydraulic cylinders. I have a meatball 204R I keep on a receiver hitch for field repairs. Looking back, I probably should have picked a lighter vise but I don't have to worry about hurting it.

A Reed 2C is my daily user. It's one of the best bench vises they ever built in my opinion. And I fully restored it.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I have a Wilton 400S and Morgan 45 I have restored I use daily. The Morgan was my grandfather's so it'll never leave. My 204R is my field vise and turns my tailgate into a work bench.

One day I plan on having a welding table on wheels with a 2C hanging on it.

 

[RichRiddle]

Some people stated opinions saying the "R" versions of the Reed vises had higher "rigidity" or something similar. Does the 1C also have the same characteristics found in the "R" versions?

 

[RichRiddle]

In an endeavor to ensure everyone felt is opinion was respected, I purchased BOTH the 204R and the 1C Reed...



The 1C is much nicer/cleaner than the 204R, but the 1C had been refurbished....

And to show the lesson from Shiftless about model numbers between the Reed #C and the Wilton C#, I also picked up a Wilton C3. The difference is very evident.



Thanks to all who helped educate and choose....... No more vises for some time....

A few questions have surfaced........

What is the X on the side of the 1C? The seller stated the initials of the person making the vise (EC) were below the "X" but he didn't know what the "X" means.




Here is the side with all the written identification:



On the Wilton vise, why does this particular vise have the recesses cut for copper inserts? I have seen no other Wilton C3 like this...



Thanks again for your input...

 

[Shiftless]

Those recesses are not cut outs for the copper jaw protectors… they are part of the design when Wilton decided to make the jaws on their big bullet vises attach with screws coming in from the back rather than from the front. Many users find this better because the screw heads don’t get bunged up. Also, the jaw serrations are consistent across and free of gaps where the screws would otherwise go. Newer models have the conventional front screws.

BTW, you made a good choice. Rather than choose between 2 excellent vises you made the logical GJ move… BUY BOTH !!!!!

 

[RichRiddle]

Shiftless, so you are saying this is an older C3 model of Wilton vise? How does one date the C3? Looking at the one photo, it looks like it says 101066....could that mean October 10, 1966?

 

[IndyGarage]

I have a Reed 4 inch in my home workshop. I don't know what model. It's a little smaller than some other vises I have - not at all comparable to that big Wilton up above (I have one of those also) but it is a really good vise. My Reed does not rotate - which I greatly recommend. I've never missed not having a rotating vise, but when I've had them they all get loose, which is annoying .