Looking at another post here I noticed the Craftsman Professional Vise Model# 87018. I am looking for some feedback from people who own this vise. I know that this vise is made in China so if you are just going to respond with the pro USA stuff please save it for another post, I understand that point of view and support it. However I need a second vise for the garage and am having no luck finding a 4"-4.5" Wilton in the same price range as I can get on this vise. Locally I am not seeing anything worth investing in. I have a Wilton 450 that I have restored and use a lot but I am in need of another vise for a different area of the garage and do not want to break the bank. I am wondering if anyone has experience with this vise and what they think of it.
Craftsman Professional Bench Vise
- Thread starter zer01
- Start date
I have that one at home on my workbench, and one we use at work as a secondary smaller one in the shop. They've both held up very well, they slide and rotate smoothly, the paint is good, and the jaw inserts line up very precisely with very little slop or play. Despite it being made in china, it's actually pretty good quality. I've considered buying another one to mount to a toolbox, but haven't made up my mind yet. They can go as low as $90, if you're willing to wait. Unfortunately, the soft jaw caps aren't available anymore. Or at least I can't find them on their crappy websites.
Simple Sam
Well-known member
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- Aug 24, 2011
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They look like the Wilton Jr model http://www.cpojettools.com/wilton-w...tnwmh63248,default,pd.html?ref=jetwtbWMH63248 which is available through their website for as low as $90 at CPO Jet. They seem functionally challenged though since the jaw opening is only 2 1/2 inches. For a light duty vise, I got a Craftsman 506-5180 (like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CRA...828?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fd1a35fc ) off Ebay for $35 shipped.
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slipjointed
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- May 31, 2011
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It's a well made vise.
I am one of the people that makes the China comments, but I must say that this is a quality product.
I am one of the people that makes the China comments, but I must say that this is a quality product.
Also should add: The Craftsman Pro Vise has full 360 degree swivel, which you never think is all that handy until you have something that can only be touched at a really awkward angle. It also has a roll pin that holds the back plate to the body to allow for easy screw and slide lubrication.
I recently added this vise to my new(ish) bench. This is my first post to the forum but I'm a giant lurker - I've read every post on the 'vises' thread and drool at all of the great old Iron. I don't know where all of these great old Wiltons are located, though - definitely not on my local craigslist.
I finally decided that I had to have something and I really didn't want to put the old small columbian that I was using on my new bench. I wasn't able to find many reviews but I took a chance on the Cman Pro line and I'm pretty happy with the choice.
My old vise didn't have the pipe jaws - I find that they are very useful. There are rotation 'lock downs' on both sides of the anvil hold the unit steady, like a higher end vise. The enclosed screw is great compared to my open screw columbian. No more metal dust or rust in the screw lube! The jaws have a pretty aggressive cut so I have to be careful to not mar the work piece. I saw a great tip here of using angle aluminum stock with magnets to create soft jaws. I'm definitely going to do that.
As was mentioned earlier, the paint seems good and it is easy to keep clean. I removed the screws holding the jaws and applied some anti-sieze as the screws were dry (but all exposed metal was covered with oil as we've come to expect from stuff shipped from China?)
I think the weight is around 40lbs which is heavier than the vises at the slightly cheaper price point. It will be perfectly adequate for my needs: light auto repair, motorcycle repair and restoration, honeydew projects.
I still have my eye out for an old Wilton, though.
I finally decided that I had to have something and I really didn't want to put the old small columbian that I was using on my new bench. I wasn't able to find many reviews but I took a chance on the Cman Pro line and I'm pretty happy with the choice.
My old vise didn't have the pipe jaws - I find that they are very useful. There are rotation 'lock downs' on both sides of the anvil hold the unit steady, like a higher end vise. The enclosed screw is great compared to my open screw columbian. No more metal dust or rust in the screw lube! The jaws have a pretty aggressive cut so I have to be careful to not mar the work piece. I saw a great tip here of using angle aluminum stock with magnets to create soft jaws. I'm definitely going to do that.
As was mentioned earlier, the paint seems good and it is easy to keep clean. I removed the screws holding the jaws and applied some anti-sieze as the screws were dry (but all exposed metal was covered with oil as we've come to expect from stuff shipped from China?)
I think the weight is around 40lbs which is heavier than the vises at the slightly cheaper price point. It will be perfectly adequate for my needs: light auto repair, motorcycle repair and restoration, honeydew projects.
I still have my eye out for an old Wilton, though.
Its made in China for WMH Tool. I have a new one I won on Ebay a few years ago. Its still in the box. I believe that vise is 60,000 tensil strength. Its basically your Wilton 1745. For the money, its a nice buy.
Tarheelgarage
Well-known member
I've got the wilton version of that vise in my home shop. No complaints. For the price, it is well made.
I don't need a big columbian vise on the bench; I'm not making horseshoes, just need a means to hold something.
I don't need a big columbian vise on the bench; I'm not making horseshoes, just need a means to hold something.
Looks like the general consensus is it is a good vise for the money. Anyone know for sure that this is a re-baged Chinese Wilton? I know different vise manufacturers throughout the years have been relabeled Craftsman, is this the case for this vise?
I recently added this one to my bench as well. Favoring U.S. iron as much as everyone else here and wishing for that elusive vintage gold mine to appear on craigslist, I had an immediate need and purchased this one over the weekend for $95 directly from sears. I will post some pics because there are some details worth noting. Interestingly enough, the "vises" thread has become more of a vintage restoration thread which I have thoroughly enjoyed, and it just didn't feel right putting a chinese copy of an imported wilton over there 
All in all, I would have to agree with all of the posts here. this is a good vise - fitment, function, etc. are all good. In particular, I looked at a number of imported vises in the same price range (mostly rectangular style this one is a bullet style) and found them all to be uniformly horrible, failing the simplest of litmus tests discussed in this forum, some of the more important of which are:
1. are the jaws beefy "Y" shape or lightweight "T"
2. is the lead screw easy to turn
3. are the jaws stable when open or do they wobble
4. is it made of 60,000 psi iron
5. is the handle correctly sized
The craftsman pro meets all of the above. where is falls short is surface finish, which others have discovered as well. here are some photos of mine,brand new out of the box.
photo #1 shows the underside. first, note the finish -- not so good. second, note the serrated locking mechnism for the swivel, which is good.
photo #2 shows the pipe jaw. assuming one could find some, they are replaceable.
photo #3 shows the maximum width of the open jaws
photo #4 shows the 4-1/2 inch jaw width
All in all, I would have to agree with all of the posts here. this is a good vise - fitment, function, etc. are all good. In particular, I looked at a number of imported vises in the same price range (mostly rectangular style this one is a bullet style) and found them all to be uniformly horrible, failing the simplest of litmus tests discussed in this forum, some of the more important of which are:
1. are the jaws beefy "Y" shape or lightweight "T"
2. is the lead screw easy to turn
3. are the jaws stable when open or do they wobble
4. is it made of 60,000 psi iron
5. is the handle correctly sized
The craftsman pro meets all of the above. where is falls short is surface finish, which others have discovered as well. here are some photos of mine,brand new out of the box.
photo #1 shows the underside. first, note the finish -- not so good. second, note the serrated locking mechnism for the swivel, which is good.
photo #2 shows the pipe jaw. assuming one could find some, they are replaceable.
photo #3 shows the maximum width of the open jaws
photo #4 shows the 4-1/2 inch jaw width
Attachments
Thanks, and you're welcome. The photos were taking with a DSLR and not a phone . Anyway, I would like to point out one other thing: I was fortunate enough that my local sears store had two of these in stock. the lead screw on one of them had more up-down and side-to-side slop (as felt from the handle) than the other. I assume this is a consequence of very rapid assembly and lightweight quality control** -- the tolerances apparently vary from one copy to the next. Note that this slop is not due to the retaining ring -- it is caused by the tolerance between the end of the lead screw and the casting itself. something to watch for.
Another area of interest for me was the condition of the screw assembly itself (the forgotten part, hidden inside the bullet). If you remove the lead screw and dynamic jaw, and shine a flashlight into the assembly you can see that this (female) screw assembly is no slouch -- it is nearly as long as the a stationary casting itself, which means there are quite a number of threads engaged during clamping. I think its a good exercise for folks to take the dynamic jaw off and look inside there -- suddenly you will see why maximum clamping force cannot be obtained at the widest jaw opening.
but this is curious; I noticed that the interior surface of the "bullet", including the outside surface of the internal screw assembly, appeared to be dry and already gathering rust (even though the screw itself was well lubricated). I suspect one should either spray some WD40 in there from time to time or find a way to apply/swab grease in there.
** think about what it takes to produce this thing, ship it, distribute it to Sears retail stores, sell it for $95 and still make a profit for both sears and the Chinese mfg. the quantities produced must be enormous, and I feel badly about this but probably some very hard working 10 year old boy working 12 hours a day making $2/hr in poor working conditions put it together. There cannot possibly be any time for attention to detail.
. Anyway, I would like to point out one other thing: I was fortunate enough that my local sears store had two of these in stock. the lead screw on one of them had more up-down and side-to-side slop (as felt from the handle) than the other. I assume this is a consequence of very rapid assembly and lightweight quality control** -- the tolerances apparently vary from one copy to the next. Note that this slop is not due to the retaining ring -- it is caused by the tolerance between the end of the lead screw and the casting itself. something to watch for.Another area of interest for me was the condition of the screw assembly itself (the forgotten part, hidden inside the bullet). If you remove the lead screw and dynamic jaw, and shine a flashlight into the assembly you can see that this (female) screw assembly is no slouch -- it is nearly as long as the a stationary casting itself, which means there are quite a number of threads engaged during clamping. I think its a good exercise for folks to take the dynamic jaw off and look inside there -- suddenly you will see why maximum clamping force cannot be obtained at the widest jaw opening.
but this is curious; I noticed that the interior surface of the "bullet", including the outside surface of the internal screw assembly, appeared to be dry and already gathering rust (even though the screw itself was well lubricated). I suspect one should either spray some WD40 in there from time to time or find a way to apply/swab grease in there.
** think about what it takes to produce this thing, ship it, distribute it to Sears retail stores, sell it for $95 and still make a profit for both sears and the Chinese mfg. the quantities produced must be enormous, and I feel badly about this but probably some very hard working 10 year old boy working 12 hours a day making $2/hr in poor working conditions put it together. There cannot possibly be any time for attention to detail.
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more info.
photo #1: mine weighs in at 39 lbs
photo #2: inside the bullet, showing a dry portion of the casting wall (left side). grease appears to be present in the first portion of the casting but has not found its way very far inside. casting tolerances I assume. In spite of copious amounts of oil on the outside of the vise, mine was curiously short on grease on the inside. Anyway, a liberal slathering of grease on the cylinder attached to the dynamic jaw will successfully deliver lube to the inside of the casting. no more dry surfaces for me, lol. This is a also good time to re-grease the screw itself, and to make sure that the outside surface of the (female) interior lead screw assembly isn't dry (mine was).
photo #3: as deep as you can see inside there - this is the front facing surface of the screw assembly
photo #4: rear cap removed, showing the backside of the screw assembly. Two pins hold this assembly in place, and the sheer strength of these two pins have to take the force applied by the jaws. Assuming you could get these pins out, one could remove the whole assembly from the rear. in this picture, the right-hand pin is in all the way. on mine ,the left hand pin was not quite in far enough so I tapped it in just a bit further
seeing this picture (#4) it appears that, unless they are seized up, the pins could be punched gently through from the inside out, to expose enough on the outside to grab and pull them out all the way.
photo #1: mine weighs in at 39 lbs
photo #2: inside the bullet, showing a dry portion of the casting wall (left side). grease appears to be present in the first portion of the casting but has not found its way very far inside. casting tolerances I assume. In spite of copious amounts of oil on the outside of the vise, mine was curiously short on grease on the inside. Anyway, a liberal slathering of grease on the cylinder attached to the dynamic jaw will successfully deliver lube to the inside of the casting.
no more dry surfaces for me, lol. This is a also good time to re-grease the screw itself, and to make sure that the outside surface of the (female) interior lead screw assembly isn't dry (mine was).photo #3: as deep as you can see inside there - this is the front facing surface of the screw assembly
photo #4: rear cap removed, showing the backside of the screw assembly. Two pins hold this assembly in place, and the sheer strength of these two pins have to take the force applied by the jaws. Assuming you could get these pins out, one could remove the whole assembly from the rear. in this picture, the right-hand pin is in all the way. on mine ,the left hand pin was not quite in far enough so I tapped it in just a bit further
seeing this picture (#4) it appears that, unless they are seized up, the pins could be punched gently through from the inside out, to expose enough on the outside to grab and pull them out all the way.
Attachments
Thanks dlleno, your input/info was exactly what I was hoping for when I started this post. Your pictures and info show a lot more of the vise than I could find from any other source. As time and money allow I see myself investing in one of these for the shop. Thanks again.
I just did a full dis-assembly, clean and relube on mine, and highly recommend it -- the net net is that I found insufficient lube and "chips in the bullet".
see my "photo #3" in previous post. looking deep inside the bullet, having now disassembled this one completetly, I now realize that what you are seeing here is chips, depositied onto the lead screw nut, as a side effect of drilling for the roller pins. the chips have migrated into the bullet itself. I'm glad I cleaned mine up!
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142872
see my "photo #3" in previous post. looking deep inside the bullet, having now disassembled this one completetly, I now realize that what you are seeing here is chips, depositied onto the lead screw nut, as a side effect of drilling for the roller pins. the chips have migrated into the bullet itself. I'm glad I cleaned mine up!
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142872
So has anyone had ANY success in finding replacement jaws for this vise? I'd hate to buy this and never be able to get replacement parts. Will the Wilton's fit since it's compared to that? After doing alot of searching and reading I'm considering this craftsman pro or a Yost 650 (Made in taiwan, which according to Pat Nelis of Yost, is Trade Act Agreement compliant so their stuff is supposed to be better than china's.) I hate the thought of buying yet another imported product, but $250 is my max budget at this time.
I sure have not heard of any, although I beleive there are some custom shops (at least one active here, forgive me for not knowing the correct reference) that could make a pair at a cost probably approaching or even exceeding that of the original vise
thats the thing -- for $250 you can buy two of these things. Frankly I wouldn't count on replacement parts -- such is the consequence of very high volume offshore low-margin products: The cost of maintaining replacement parts inventory and documentation would drive up the cost of the vise itself. But if you clean/lube/care for it, you likely won't need to repair it, save perhaps for the jaws, for a very very long time.
Cant comment on the Yost, but the craftsman pro does hit the sweet spot of value, perhaps better than any other non-US iron. For more reading on the I've compiled everything in this thread. A source of jaws would be a welcome addition!
on edit: I recommend you go to Sears and Home Depot and look at these guys. in my experience, none of the Lowes or Home Depot vises (HD sells yost) came even close to the craftsman pro, in terms of build quality. Look at the strength (specs) of the casting as well (is it 60,000 psi?). check out the mechanical performance in the store -- rotate the handle with one finger while the vise remains UNmounted; do the jaws move freely or does the whole vise move? Check out what portions of the lead screw are exposed (craftsman "bullet" is completely enclosed), as well as general parts fitment and clearances.
thats the thing -- for $250 you can buy two of these things. Frankly I wouldn't count on replacement parts -- such is the consequence of very high volume offshore low-margin products: The cost of maintaining replacement parts inventory and documentation would drive up the cost of the vise itself. But if you clean/lube/care for it, you likely won't need to repair it, save perhaps for the jaws, for a very very long time.
Cant comment on the Yost, but the craftsman pro does hit the sweet spot of value, perhaps better than any other non-US iron. For more reading on the I've compiled everything in this thread. A source of jaws would be a welcome addition!
on edit: I recommend you go to Sears and Home Depot and look at these guys. in my experience, none of the Lowes or Home Depot vises (HD sells yost) came even close to the craftsman pro, in terms of build quality. Look at the strength (specs) of the casting as well (is it 60,000 psi?). check out the mechanical performance in the store -- rotate the handle with one finger while the vise remains UNmounted; do the jaws move freely or does the whole vise move? Check out what portions of the lead screw are exposed (craftsman "bullet" is completely enclosed), as well as general parts fitment and clearances.
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wantedabiggergarage
Member Emeritus
Since it is a current stock item, you could put the part numbers into Sears parts, and order them now. Who knows about later though.
wantedabiggergarage
Member Emeritus
Need the full model number to be able to check out that statement. It is in the ***.xxxxx format. (not 00951888000 or
correct -- and no such model number exists for the purpose of any succesful parts lookup for this vise. Many have tried, including reps at Sears and Craftsman, but if someone is able to unlock the secret and discover the unknown treasure of replacement parts, we will immediately crown them with hero status!
Garyss.smith
Well-known member
I too have one and tried to get replacement jaws. sears parts direct both online and on phone could not find anything. then I went to the store and they tried, also to no avail.
I think the wlton jaws will fit but I am not sure.
If Nick will check in he has a lot of wilton and at least one sears. He will know
Gary
I think the wlton jaws will fit but I am not sure.
If Nick will check in he has a lot of wilton and at least one sears. He will know
Gary
wantedabiggergarage
Member Emeritus
Contacted Sears, via the website, preorder question (what is the model number of this vise, in format ***.xxxxx, so I can find it on the parts site?).
Their reply:
"Thank you for contacting Sears.com.
I appreciate your interest in ordering parts for the Craftsman Professional Bench Vise! This tool will not have replacement parts since it is considered a hand tool. However, since this is a hand tool, this will be covered under the Craftsman lifetime warranty. To take advantage of this warranty, simply being the vise into your local store!"
So you walk in with the vise.
Their reply:
"Thank you for contacting Sears.com.
I appreciate your interest in ordering parts for the Craftsman Professional Bench Vise! This tool will not have replacement parts since it is considered a hand tool. However, since this is a hand tool, this will be covered under the Craftsman lifetime warranty. To take advantage of this warranty, simply being the vise into your local store!"
So you walk in with the vise.
its amusing to consider what the lifetime warranty on a Craftsman vise, in actual practice, means. Does anyone know how Craftsman impliments the lifetime warranty if a product is dis-continued? I mean -- if my take in my 1950's era craftsman vise with broken jaws, Sears is going to replace it with something new off the shelf?
With respect to the current vise under discussion, I would say we can't really predict how long this exact model will be available. contracts with offshore suppliers expire, economic factors change, so if one is committed to procuring replacement parts, without depending on the lifetime warranty to replace a particular vise with "something", then one option is to purchase two vises and maintain your own parts inventory.
With respect to the current vise under discussion, I would say we can't really predict how long this exact model will be available. contracts with offshore suppliers expire, economic factors change, so if one is committed to procuring replacement parts, without depending on the lifetime warranty to replace a particular vise with "something", then one option is to purchase two vises and maintain your own parts inventory.
well, the vise itself itsn't labled, but its true the website e-commerce site states 1-year warranty. I was being somewhat tongue in cheak, but really if someone gets a (however mistaken) statement from sears confirming lifetime warranty, the ensuing discussion on how to take advantage of it would be most amusing.
I guess I should look at my 1950s craftsman to see if the lifetime warranty was in place then, lol!
moral: its a $100 vise for pete's sake. you could spend that much or more on a pair of custom replacement jaws, or you could buy two vises for approximately half the cost of a Wilton 1745. There are magnetic jaw inserts one can buy as well, or maybe the 1745 jaws will fit I dunno.
I guess I should look at my 1950s craftsman to see if the lifetime warranty was in place then, lol!
moral: its a $100 vise for pete's sake. you could spend that much or more on a pair of custom replacement jaws, or you could buy two vises for approximately half the cost of a Wilton 1745. There are magnetic jaw inserts one can buy as well, or maybe the 1745 jaws will fit I dunno.
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SMKS
Well-known member
Craftsman vises do not have a lifetime warranty. I snapped these pics today while at Sears.
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pendragon1998
Well-known member
Like others, I've been searching craigslist for an oldie USA-built vise, but I got tired of looking. We don't have a lot coming up for sale in my neck of the woods. Maybe my second vise will be a restoration project
Based on the reviews I've read here, the Craftsman sounded good enough to me that I pulled the trigger on one. How did I do?
$135 (regular price)
-20 (website 15% off promotion)
-15 (SAVEONTOOLS discount code, save $15 on $100)
----
$100 (+free shipping to my door: $30 value)
Would I have been better off waiting until black Friday or something? Oh well, the deed is done.
Based on the reviews I've read here, the Craftsman sounded good enough to me that I pulled the trigger on one. How did I do?
$135 (regular price)
-20 (website 15% off promotion)
-15 (SAVEONTOOLS discount code, save $15 on $100)
----
$100 (+free shipping to my door: $30 value)
Would I have been better off waiting until black Friday or something? Oh well, the deed is done.
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I have watched the price on these for a long time and you got a pretty good deal. Could it have been bought at a lower price? Probably, but you never know what deals are going to come up and time is money. $100 today could have cost you more in a few weeks or months when you needed it on a project. Good buy.
nice work indeed pendragon1998. yea I've not seen it go more than just a few single digits below $100 even with coupons and all of that. so you're deal is golden. FYI I've compiled a bunch of information in the below thread -- you might consider taking your new vise apart and "restoring" it as I describe.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142872
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142872
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pendragon1998
Well-known member
Thanks, guys. Dlleno, I saw your excellent thread earlier, which made me feel a lot more comfortable about this purchase. Thanks for your writeup!
pendragon1998
Well-known member
I got my Craftsman Pro Vise today and I noticed there were some casting issues on the body of the vise. Mainly, it's on the section down by the base plate, and also at the rear. I don't think these are structurally a problem for
the vise, but would you guys consider returning the vise over this?
Also, here is how I'm planning to mount the vise on my bench. I've got the base plate aligned in a somewhat unusual way - looks that way to me anyway. That's because I'm trying to get three vise bolts into the 2x4 framing the bench top while simultaneously avoiding the bolts holding the bench together. Will this present any problems? The benchtop is 1.5" thick (two sheets 3/4" ply). I'm planning on removing part of the bench's front edging strip so it doesn't interfere with stuff hanging down out of the jaws.
the vise, but would you guys consider returning the vise over this?
Also, here is how I'm planning to mount the vise on my bench. I've got the base plate aligned in a somewhat unusual way - looks that way to me anyway. That's because I'm trying to get three vise bolts into the 2x4 framing the bench top while simultaneously avoiding the bolts holding the bench together. Will this present any problems? The benchtop is 1.5" thick (two sheets 3/4" ply). I'm planning on removing part of the bench's front edging strip so it doesn't interfere with stuff hanging down out of the jaws.
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The feet of the vise that have the most space between them should be in the front. You should still be able to have three bolts or lags go into the 2x4 frame. If not bolt right through the top with some large washers on the underside and it should be just fine with that thick of a benchtop.
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ShadowRuleZ
Well-known member
For what it's worth, these now show up at $99 in my 'Local Ad' link from Sears. Not sure if the $5 coupon works with it or not.
pendragon1998
Well-known member
If I align the wide part of the base to the front, I can only get 2 bolts into 2x4 material and 2 bolts end up in plywood. If I rotate the base, I can get 3 bolts in 2x4 and only 1 has to go in plywood. Shouldn't the 'sideways' alignment result in a stronger mounting?
The base is almost square, 5.5"x6.5", so there isn't a lot of difference between the wide side and the narrow side. Since the vise rotates 360 degrees, turning it won't be a problem. Is having the wide part to the front just an asethetics thing?
The base is almost square, 5.5"x6.5", so there isn't a lot of difference between the wide side and the narrow side. Since the vise rotates 360 degrees, turning it won't be a problem. Is having the wide part to the front just an asethetics thing?