Harbor Freight Bench Vise opinions

[Mainiac Mat]

Hey all,

I moved my very old 6" China bench vise from my basement shop to the Taj-ma-garage, and now I'm missing having it there.

So I'm looking for second hand Wilton or Columbinan vises and all the sellers seem to think they're made of gold.

So I turned my sights to Harbor Freight and would like to get the forums opinions on their 6" bench vise. This is available local for $80. It weighs 28 lbs.

 

[Mainiac Mat]

Or maybe $200 for Harbor Freights Wilton knock off (Doyle)...

 

[justintendo]

The doyle is way to go, unless you have patience to find a nice used...the central is junk

 

[neophyte]

Hey all,

I moved my very old 6" China bench vise from my basement shop to the Taj-ma-garage, and now I'm missing having it there.

So I'm looking for second hand Wilton or Columbinan vises and all the sellers seem to think they're made of gold.

So I turned my sights to Harbor Freight and would like to get the forums opinions on their 6" bench vise. This is available local for $80. It weighs 28 lbs.

I think this model was tested in one of the Project Farm vise tests, at least if HF is still using the same supplier, and the vise did decently.

Personally, I would spend the extra on the red Doyle vise from Harbor Freight though.

 

[Steve_P]

I had a HF vise similar to the Central above for 20+ years on my welding table. It was pretty crappy as far as having sloppy fits, casting flaws covered in body filler..... but I beat the **** out of it, and it survived just fine. I upgraded it to a Yost ADI-5, which is 100X nicer, and also has a geared base, which is a must IMO. I gave the HF away to a guy that I worked with, and he was glad to get it since $ is tight for him.

As the vise destruction tests show, even the cheapest vises today are pretty damn strong and will survive much more than anyone reasonable will need from them. The more expensive vises like the Yost ADI are just much nicer with better machining and less slop.

I looked at the Doyle vise on a previous trip to HF and it looked nice, but I'd also recommend checking out the Yost ADI.

 

[Callelle]

Pretty sure I've read somewhere that the Doyle vises come from the same overseas supplier that Wilton get's their imported ones from.

 

[rocksnstumps]

The Doyle one gets pretty good reviews and think was also on a Project Farm video best value buy awhile back

I have had this Wilton cheaper version WS6 model for almost 25 yrs and see they are now priced about same ballpark as other "decent" China sourcing like the Doyle. No problems with abuse and all but even with dual swivel locks the base can rotate under "rougher" treatment. The Yost if 5" works for you might be good if the base holds solid from rotating like mentioned.

Still not unhappy with what this one also got it for under $90 all those yrs ago.

 

[fishwatcher]

There are some good sale prices on the Yost web site. The ADI-4 looks like a great deal if you don’t need a large jaw size.

Bench Vises

Yost bench vises are the #1 accessory for your workbench. Clamp your work securely and drill, grind, bend to get the job done.

yostvises.com

I’ve not bought from this site before but maybe others have.

 

[Ohio Andy]

I have purchased one bench vise and I bought it from harbor freight. It does a lot of spinny spinny things. I really like the vice, but when it arrived, wow it was unusable and I took it back and got another one. Then that one. I spent a couple hours taking it apart and making certain that the interface points were smooth and oiled and it greatly improved the action it went from. Oh my gosh till yeah I'll use that.

I don't consider it great but for the price and for as often as I use it, which means not often, it was the right thing for me. If I had infinite money I would spend 10 times more and get something 100% better.

One of the things I did was I used the anvil built into the vice to hammer in some pins on a knife I was building and it dented the anvil. The takeaway is that the metal on the vise is rather soft, all things considered.

 

[dscheidt]

The Doyle one gets pretty good reviews and think was also on a Project Farm video best value buy awhile back

I have had this Wilton cheaper version WS6 model for almost 25 yrs and see they are now priced about same ballpark as other "decent" China sourcing like the Doyle. No problems with abuse and all but even with dual swivel locks the base can rotate under "rougher" treatment. The Yost if 5" works for you might be good if the base holds solid from rotating like mentioned.

Yost makes a 6" ADI vise. I got one last month, works great. It's more than a doyle, but not a huge amount, and it's a much nicer vise.

 

[Steve_P]

There are some good sale prices on the Yost web site. The ADI-4 looks like a great deal if you don’t need a large jaw size.

Bench Vises

Yost bench vises are the #1 accessory for your workbench. Clamp your work securely and drill, grind, bend to get the job done.

yostvises.com

I’ve not bought from this site before but maybe others have.

Yikes! $80 for an ADI-4 is a SMOKING deal!

 

[jayemm]

The Doyle one gets pretty good reviews and think was also on a Project Farm video best value buy awhile back

I have had this Wilton cheaper version WS6 model for almost 25 yrs and see they are now priced about same ballpark as other "decent" China sourcing like the Doyle. No problems with abuse and all but even with dual swivel locks the base can rotate under "rougher" treatment. The Yost if 5" works for you might be good if the base holds solid from rotating like mentioned.

Still not unhappy with what this one also got it for under $90 all those yrs ago.

There's much better vises out there for a better price. I had the 4" version of this and it had so many problems it went back to Grainger. Strickly homeowner grade and lower strength cast iron(25-30K PSI). Better vises are ductile iron at 60K PSI or more tensile strength. And the list goes on.

 

[Steve_P]

Yost makes a 6" ADI vise. I got one last month, works great. It's more than a doyle, but not a huge amount, and it's a much nicer vise.

Yep. I think a 5" is a good size for most and they're $177 on Amazon now. Yes, they're lightweight in comparison to a typical vise, but don't go by mass because it's made of much stronger material than the typical cast iron vise. The ADI screw will break before the casting does, and it takes a 3' pipe to break it. And it has a geared base. Not sure about the Doyle having a geared base, but if you ever want to loosen an extremely tight bolt on something like a 1970 brake caliper that you don't want to use an impact on, you want a geared base.

 

[Steve_P]

There's much better vises out there for a better price. I had the 4" version of this and it had so many problems it went back to Grainger. Strickly homeowner grade and lower strength cast iron(25-30K PSI). Better vises are ductile iron at 60K PSI or more tensile strength. And the list goes on.

With Wilton you're paying a ~2X premium because of the name. They have an 80-year history in US industry so they can get away with it right now. It's kinda like how a Proto 90T ratchet cost as much as a Snap On when I checked a few years ago. They can get away with it because when a factory orders a 90T ratchet from McMaster they don't care about price. Wilton is the same.

 

[fishwatcher]

Yikes! $80 for an ADI-4 is a SMOKING deal!

Yost ADI vises get great reviews. If I didn’t have more than I need for vises.. I’d get this for sure.

As it is, I have the 6” Capri Tools version of this vise. It’s more than I need.. even though I just picked up a big 4.5” Craftsman for not a lot of money. I couldn’t help myself!

Back to the OP. If you’re going to spend $80-$100, I think you have a lot of options to buy better vises than HF, new or used.

Sometimes it just takes time. Right now I’m seeing Wilton Bullets listed beteeen $200-250 with swivel bases. That’s not normal.. but I’m also seeing Reed and another heavy duty Craftsman for less than $200.

If you’re looking for 5” jaws and up.. that’s maybe where the catch is as far as higher used prices.

 

[rocksnstumps]

There's much better vises out there for a better price. I had the 4" version of this and it had so many problems it went back to Grainger. Strickly homeowner grade and lower strength cast iron(25-30K PSI). Better vises are ductile iron at 60K PSI or more tensile strength. And the list goes on.

Today I'd probably buy the Doyle but back to the Wilton. Come on. The 4" model weighs 19 lbs. The 6" one weighs 42 lbs. Not in the same league from your experiences to mine.

But agree that was a purchase 25 yrs ago when the choices at Horror Freight were all junk. They have upped their game a bit since

To add, my favorite 4" vise is now a Reed 104 from 1922 that I picked up for under $30. With a bench

 

[jayemm]

Today I'd probably buy the Doyle but back to the Wilton. Come on. The 4" model weighs 19 lbs. The 6" one weighs 42 lbs. Not in the same league from your experiences to mine.

But agree that was a purchase 25 yrs ago when the choices at Horror Freight were all junk. They have upped their game a bit since

It sounds like you've had a better experience than what I had with mine. The main screw was bowed so the jaw wobbled going in and out, the counterbore for the screw wasn't machined square to the moveable jaw and the vise "nut" inside was retained with a capscrew that kept coming loose. The final straw was the chrome on the handle peeling and cutting my finger. It went back to Grainger.
I agree with what you say about the differences but at ~$200 it's not competitive anymore and you are absolutely correct that Wilton wants a premium just from their name.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Yes was happy with the purchase at the time. It replaced a 4" Craftsman vise that was like $50 back in the early 90s. While made in the USA it was low grade homeowner stuff and the Wilton at less than 2X the price was 5X the vise even if from Taiwan or wherever, maybe China.

But heck, remember as a kid made in Japan was the el cheapo stuff!

 

[1982fxr]

Yost ADI vises get great reviews. If I don’t have more than I need for vises.. I’d get this for sure.

As it is, I have the 6” Capri Tools version of this vise. It’s more than I need.. even though I just picked up a big 4.5” Craftsman for not a lot of money. I couldn’t help myself!

Back to the OP. If you’re going to spend $80-$100, I think you have a lot of options to buy better vises than HF, new or used.

Sometimes it just takes time. Right now I’m seeing Wilton Bullets listed beteeen $200-250 with swivel bases. That’s not normal.. but I’m also seeing Reed and another heavy duty Craftsman for less than $200.

If you’re looking for 5” jaws and up.. that’s maybe where the catch is as far as higher used prices.

Posts like this are why I miss having our locations listed. Just out of curiosity.

 

[fishwatcher]

Posts like this are why I miss having our locations listed. Just out of curiosity.

South Bay Area - California. The vises are listed in San Jose, Half Moon Bay and Los Altos.

Usually, the good stuff is further away. Hayward, Stockton, and Sacramento.

I lucked out with this 4.5” no. 506-51840 Craftsman today for $50. It’s big!

 

[justintendo]

I have purchased one bench vise and I bought it from harbor freight. It does a lot of spinny spinny things. I really like the vice, but when it arrived, wow it was unusable and I took it back and got another one. Then that one. I spent a couple hours taking it apart and making certain that the interface points were smooth and oiled and it greatly improved the action it went from. Oh my gosh till yeah I'll use that.

I don't consider it great but for the price and for as often as I use it, which means not often, it was the right thing for me. If I had infinite money I would spend 10 times more and get something 100% better.

One of the things I did was I used the anvil built into the vice to hammer in some pins on a knife I was building and it dented the anvil. The takeaway is that the metal on the vise is rather soft, all things considered.

Vises are made from cast iron...soft. the anvil on vises is a parts shelf really

 

[Bert_]

Last week I bought the 4.5" Doyle from harbor freight. Really happy with it so far. $130

Unless you really need 6" jaws I would strongly consider the 4.5". The 4.5" weighs more than most of the cheap 6" vises.

There is a 6" Doyle too but I thought $230 was getting kinda steep for a china vises. It is a serious chunk of iron if you need a bigger vice.

 

[justintendo]

Arent they taiwan?

 

[akasrick]

Looks as if Tim Allen on Shifting Gears is sporting a new multi-purpose vise in his shop.

akasrick

 

[Mr_B]

Used is way to go for proper value if can wait out for a while and enjoy hunting time on marketplace craigslist etc .
Doyle or Yost fairly good buy new if want easy purchase, Would want good HF coupon though .
For me I rather spend 100 to 200 bucks on used market, it same deal as tool boxes, you can get top quality at sensible coin but you got plan in advance, so not in a urgent need and hunt the adverts coupkle times a day minimum and be able respond fast .

 

[Mainiac Mat]

Yost doesn't appear to be publishing the weights of their less expensive vises on line... and I'm not crazy about paying shipping only to get a burst box and frustrating return process.

I'm driving by HF today while making a trip for work... The 6.5" Doyle is marked down to $200 and weighs 68 lbs. Has a pretty *********** at 4.25" (something I desired on my old vise), but it's 10" tall... so bench mounting may be awkard. YouTube reviews look very good.

The 4.5" Doyl is $130, weighs in at 39 lb. and has 3.625" ***********. YouTube reviews are glowing, with one guy comparing it side by side with a 30 year old Craftsman, which is nearly identical.

So I think it's 4.5" vs. 6.5".

My current vise is a 25 year old 5" China clunker with the rotating head (which is handy). I bought is off the old traveling auction guys (Homier Distributors?) and have beat the snot out of it, and it shows it. It still works OK, but doesn't have great clamping force. I moved it out to the new garage bench, but now I'm missing having a good cast bench vise in my basement wood shop, and my woodworking face vise is getting damaged doing double duties it wasn't design for. I use the cast bench vise for some unorthodox stuff... often straitening bent metal parts, bending pipes, etc... I've wanted more than 5" at times, but can't recall every thinking 5" was too big.

I'm most likely coming home with a vise today. Which one is TBD.

 

[Mr_B]

If picking up in HF, do a bit of self quality control before leave, check jaws align nicely and jaws moves nicely and all casting finish sensibly decent .
If can;t look in shop, have a quick inspection before leave as it far easier go straight back in on the day with an issue out the box rather than coming back in few days .
Items that not boxed or visually checkable in display packing get a good QC from me to pick an extra pleasing one to my preferences from what on display .
This can make big difference on items like pliers and wrenches and be difference between long term pleasing tool or one you annoyed with in couple months of use .
It a bonus of brick and morter store purchase that you actually got some control on what you choose from stock while with mail order it total gamble .

 

[Stevettt]

I don't reduce it to "best I can buy new" vs. "vintage that I really want." Buying vises (or vintage tools of any kind) is largely a matter of persistence and patience, so I use Harbor Freight as a stopgap. If I needed a vise quickly and struck out on finding a used USA vise locally I'd probably buy the $80 HF model and use it while I continued looking for what I really want. Maybe it takes a year and a bit of a drive, but I'll come up with one eventually. Depending on my experience with the HF in the interim I either keep as a spare, give to a friend in need or sell cheap and consider the difference as vise rental.
I use a similar strategy when buying power tools that I think I want but don't really need. The first angle grinder I bought was a cheap HF model for a specific job where it was going to be abused. I figured that if I destroyed it I was only out $20. I beat the **** out of it for a couple of years and found I was using it enough to invest in a nice name brand model. I gave the HF to a young guy at work who was tooling up his first home shop.

 

[justintendo]

I have a hundreds of pounds of good vintage vises, they are way to go often..but if i had to buy new would go with a doyle.

 

[Steve_P]

Yost doesn't appear to be publishing the weights of their less expensive vises on line... and I'm not crazy about paying shipping only to get a burst box and frustrating return process.

I'm driving by HF today while making a trip for work... The 6.5" Doyle is marked down to $200 and weighs 68 lbs. Has a pretty *********** at 4.25" (something I desired on my old vise), but it's 10" tall... so bench mounting may be awkard. YouTube reviews look very good.

The 4.5" Doyl is $130, weighs in at 39 lb. and has 3.625" ***********. YouTube reviews are glowing, with one guy comparing it side by side with a 30 year old Craftsman, which is nearly identical.

So I think it's 4.5" vs. 6.5".

My current vise is a 25 year old 5" China clunker with the rotating head (which is handy). I bought is off the old traveling auction guys (Homier Distributors?) and have beat the snot out of it, and it shows it. It still works OK, but doesn't have great clamping force. I moved it out to the new garage bench, but now I'm missing having a good cast bench vise in my basement wood shop, and my woodworking face vise is getting damaged doing double duties it wasn't design for. I use the cast bench vise for some unorthodox stuff... often straitening bent metal parts, bending pipes, etc... I've wanted more than 5" at times, but can't recall every thinking 5" was too big.

I'm most likely coming home with a vise today. Which one is TBD.

The ADI vises are extremely light. But they're made out of 4X stronger material than the typical cast iron vise. If you need a 3' pipe to break the screw, and the vise survives, it's more than strong enough IMO.

 

[IRQVET]

Personally I wouldn't look to HF for any tool like a vice, and I like HF, but only for certain stuff. If you don't mind being made in China, Costco sometimes sell nice vices. Larin was sold at Costco and these were fantastic for $59!

 

[terrific]

How's the Doyle rotating vise? The closest competitor is probably the Yost 750-DI.

 

[Shiftless]

To add, my favorite 4" vise is now a Reed 104 from 1922 that I picked up for under $30. With a bench

Used is way to go for proper value if can wait out for a while and enjoy hunting time on marketplace craigslist etc .

Buying vises (or vintage tools of any kind) is largely a matter of persistence and patience,

yep!
If you take the time to learn the good ones from the not so good ones and then take the time to patiently search CL and FBMP for a while (weeks or months) you can find vintage vises that will outperform almost anything you can buy new. Fireball and Wilton C series are fantastic but priced beyond the point that most of us are comfortable with.

My user vise is a Wilton C1 that I bought used but in great condition along with brand new jaws for $400

 

[1982fxr]

How's the Doyle rotating vise? The closest competitor is probably the Yost 750-DI.

In my opinion several steps down.

 

[boom_bap]

I was on the fence with getting a vise from HF and was deciding between Yost ADI vs Yost FSV. I had read that people consider the ADI to be "cheaper" that the forged steel. The only place I know to purchase it was from fireball tool, and went with the Yost-FSV 5, which has been very good. Love it

 

[dscheidt]

The ADI vises are extremely light. But they're made out of 4X stronger material than the typical cast iron vise. If you need a 3' pipe to break the screw, and the vise survives, it's more than strong enough IMO.

my ADI-6 weighs about 30 lbs. It was a bit of WTF? when I picked up the box from a porch, I expected a lot more. it replaced a 4" yost forged steel vise which the ADI vises replaced in the line up, and which weighs just about the same. the 6" fsv is heavy! I've threaded a bunch of 1.5" pipe, and it holds it fine with only a touch of gronk on the handle. There;s a reason they make crankshafts from this material. Its lag bolted to a 300 lb bench, so the mass isn't really missed. I've looked

 

[Ditchdigger]

I bought the Doyle 6" vise for the shop. It has taken almost 3 years of abuse from 8 techs and still operates smoothly and holds great. I honestly prefer it to my Snap-On branded Wilton bullet. If it disappeared today I would buy another without hesitation.

 

[Kscardsfan]

While I lust for a Wilton bullet, I know realistically I can't afford one. I got lucky and scored some German, actually West Germany labeled, NOS Ridgid vises when I was moving into my house and put a the smaller one in the basement and the larger in the garage. In the meantime I've gotten a couple more from cleaning out a few shops and watching FB marketplace. The point in this essay I wrote, is if you're patient there are deals to be had if you keep your eyes open. And don't discount Taiwanese made Wilton and Yost stuff outright. I have been pretty impressed with the ones I have handled.

 

[Mainiac Mat]

Looked at 6.5" Doyle and 4.5" Doyle.... build quality is very good. Heads and shoulders above any China vise I've ever seen before. The mechanism is not at all sloppy... not milling machine vise tight, but very good for a bench vise, and the action is smooth and aligns perfectly when closed.

I decided the 6.5" was too big for my general use basement shop, so I came home with the 4.5" for $129.99 out the door (love tax free NH). Close inspection at home with magnent and pick reveals no hidden casting defects. Shipping grease where it should be, and none where it shouldn't. Quick clean up and location marked on bench. Picking up hardware to mount it today.

This is nothing like the other HF vises they have on the shelf. They are clearly marketing this a premium product.

I'll follow up with more after I beat on it some.

 

[Mainiac Mat]

Forgot to add... they're having a sale on Inside Track Club membership. $5 for a year.