Irwin Asian Vise Grips

[mrholeshot]

Saw the new asian vise grips in HD today. I almost cried they are so bad. They were horrible

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

one of the guys in the shop owns a pair - lightweight

 

[cronic]

Saw the new asian vise grips in HD today. I almost cried they are so bad. They were horrible

What exactly did you find "horrible" about them? I haven't seen any difference in the import products compared to the usa units.

 

[Indy_500]

Mine aren't that bad. My dad has old USA Vise Grips and old Craftsman USA Vise Grips and i don't think they are any better than my china ones.

 

[AustinRoepke]

Mine aren't that bad. My dad has old USA Vise Grips and old Craftsman USA Vise Grips and i don't think they are any better than my china ones.

They're gaudy. They've got a really bright finish, they're lightweight, and they look and feel like they're cheaper.

I saw some 10" USA made with foreign parts vise grips in Rural King-they're not too good either...

I've got some older vise grips (circa 1985-1995ish). They're more solid-feeling.


But, the asian work just as well. The only fault I've found is the springs go out if they're stored closed for a prolonged time. Now I disengage the action (whatever the internal articulating piece is called), to keep from putting as much strain on the spring. In contrast, my brother found an older peterson used to clamp together some pieces of sheetmetal on a grain bin that was covered and gummed up with bean fodder. I cleaned it out and with a little WD40, it works good as new.

 

[Aberdale]

What exactly did you find "horrible" about them? I haven't seen any difference in the import products compared to the usa units.

The biggest difference I've found is the lower jaw has a lot more lateral play. I ended up squeezing the outer housing in a vise to reduce the slop, but I had to be careful not to squeeze too much or the jaw won't pivot easily.

Dale

 

[Indy_500]

I guess i'll start storing my vise grips open. Thanks for the heads up about the spring, i never thought of that before

 

[t100]

notice the prices between the real original and import are very close, at lease at sears.

 

[Indy_500]

I guess i'll start storing my vise grips open. Thanks for the heads up about the spring, i never thought of that before

 

[Indy_500]

notice the prices between the real original and import are very close, at lease at sears.

i got the 5 pc. imports for $25, whats the price for em at sears?

 

[t100]

small needle nose vise grips are $12 and $13, close but not exactly same model.

 

[Thumper]

****.....I guess I'll be on the hunt for the old USA models.

 

[JayL]

I'm old school so are most of the mechanic guys I know. We've been used to Petersen and the older USA made Irwin VGs. My observation is that 85% of us find it hard to move on to the new import VGs due to quality differences. In the absence of NOS VGs most like me have changed brands and opted for the European made equivalents for new purchases.

More often than not if somebody uses the old ones long enough the quality differences between these and the new Asian manufactured are easily spotted or felt. As one member said "They're more solid-feeling ".

Here with us the prices for NOS ( when available ) and Asian manufactured are the same. We feel the latter one should be priced lower since manufacturing cost is lower.

 

[old salvage]

The biggest difference I've found is the lower jaw has a lot more lateral play. .....

Dale

I started noticing that in the late 90's early 00's. I have ww2 era ones with worn jaws and hardly any slop.

 

[JASTECH]

I too 2nd the older USA made VG's and tin snips. I have many tools prior to the 70's and some stamped WAR and Williams S wrenches ect. I will keep buying USA for quality and support, then Germany, Sweeden ect. China is LAST!

Thanks, JASTECH

 

[oldtools]

What exactly did you find "horrible" about them? I haven't seen any difference in the import products compared to the usa units.

He saw "China" on it.

 

[Tool Pants]

I have USA, global components, and one Taiwan Vise-Grip. The only difference I could see was the Taiwan has a rivet instead of a roll pin for the quick release. The Taiwan also has the hex adjustment, but so did the global components.

 

[JayL]

If I may add its not only the locking pliers. I've had these US Made Vise Grip Quick Grip bar clamps for sometime now and had been quite happy with these.

Recently I needed another bar clamp for a drawer I was building and had purchased the newer import Irwin below. Quality & material used on this tool as expected is not the same as the older ones anymore.

NOS is the way to go till supply last.

 

[Monte]

Buy Grip-On locking pliers

 

[mrholeshot]

I own a lot of Vice grips. I have them from the 1960's to around 2007. The new ones that I saw yesterday look cheezy with that cheap chrome plate, they felt cheap, they felt loose. The entire tool felt cheap. The jaws were rough cut. I have plenty of USA built Vice grips and now retired prob will have no need to buy anymore but if I see the uSA ones at flea markets of yard sales I'll buy them. I hate the Craftsman Vice grip copies. I hate the new asian vice grips even more.

I have open my mind over the last year or so on Asian tools and have found some nice stuff on the cheap. Whe you cut the quality in half and keep it at the same price thats bad. They look like the MAC tools Vice Grip knock offs that are made in China. I'm really saddened buy this. They should be 5 pair for 9.95

 

[Stuey]

Buy Grip-On locking pliers

Agreed. They cost a little more than USA vise grips did, but their quality is pretty darn good.

 

[foul_ball]

I have some import vise grip 9dr's at work that always have to be readjusted after being released. They have felt worn out from the day they were unpackaged.

 

[stevepsd]

These were on sale at my local HD about 6 weeks ago for $2.97. Bought the last 5 in the store. Less than $17 for the lot.

Great for clamping things to weld, grind, etc. Don't have to worry about damaging them, since they are cheap. They do feel different than my USA made Vise Grips, with more slop in the jaws. But they are OK.

 

[mrholeshot]

The thing that really got me is China and Tiwan can build some really good tools. How can Irwin reduce the standard of such an American Icon tool to the likes of quality of something that bares the build quality of Buffalo tools. They are just selling junk to people using the Vice Grip name. The least they could have done was keep the quality standards the same despite COO.

 

[PaulR]

This place is costing me a lot of $$$$.

Just bought a three pack of USA Made Vise Grips from Harry J. Epstein Co. ---$35 with shipping.

Seems since Irwin went overseas everyone is squirreling away their USA vise grips, I found NONE used for sale anywhere.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

To bo brutally honest, i found the older USA vise Grips to be **** too. The release lever is backwards and it makes me want to punch people and i never found them to be particularly good overall.

I have a Knipex pair and they're nothing to rave about either, but at least the release lever is the right way round. Now, over to Monte with some useful advise:

Buy Grip-On locking pliers

Thanks, Monte. Back to the studio.

 

[dj spanners]

this is strange, i was in the local engineering shop a week ago and the latest irwin vise grips with the hex in the knurled screw had made in germany on the card, anyone know whats going on

 

[Monte]

To bo brutally honest, i found the older USA vise Grips to be **** too. The release lever is backwards and it makes me want to punch people and i never found them to be particularly good overall.

I have a Knipex pair and they're nothing to rave about either, but at least the release lever is the right way round. Now, over to Monte with some useful advise:




Thanks, Monte. Back to the studio.

 

[Monte]

this is strange, i was in the local engineering shop a week ago and the latest irwin vise grips with the hex in the knurled screw had made in germany on the card, anyone know whats going on

1000 bucks that it´s not true

 

[mrholeshot]

maybe the card was made in Germany, lol

 

[dj spanners]

hmmmm, don't know what to say really, just know what i saw, some of there older packages still had usa on them thats the ones without the hex on the knurled screw, and the new ones had germany on them, will go back and have another look, but i aint buying any just to take a picture

 

[otis66]

New Irwin vise grips are POS.

 

[plinker]

I've got one pair of grip-ons (rebranded for Channellock) I dont care for that release design, releases too easy. They are handy for a couple of things I do. I prefer the Vise grip release myself.

I have two pair, one w/ 1942 patent date (has one lever not two like the others, Paid 2$ for it) The other pair is the same except earlier pat. date and the jaws were not part of the frame, they were "staked on" for lack of better word.

If I really have them tightened on to something, I'll just take a prying screwdriver or pliers and trip the release rather then getting my digits jarred.

I have a few pair of the "global parts" pliers mostly C-clamp type, but the only real issue I have had is softer teeth.

 

[Steve_P]

what's so sad about the china mfg Vise Grips is the price stayed the same as the US ones. I accidentally bought a few chinese ones mail order before I knew production shifted. Shame on Irwin, but no biggie because they have killed the brand- but don't know it yet. People will catch on and just buy HF vise grips for 25% of the price and eventually VG will disappear. But, irwin will have a profit spike on the name for a few yrs before it becomes another dead American name.

 

[JayL]

In my case I started buying Grip On locking pliers since USA Petersen and Irwin Vise Grips are scarce now. I don't feel good paying USA prices for Chinese made VGs.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref...2Ck%3AGrip+On+locking+pliers&sort=price&enc=1

 

[littlekillertoad]

That's a shame. I've got a couple pairs of old vise grips and they wore really well.
I accidentally bought a pair made in China and the slop was pretty bad. They've been working alright but they don't seem to be as good. Granted, my favorite pairs of vise grips are the ones I've got from the 60s and 70s.

Besides, aren't vise grips always the wrong tool for the job anyway?

 

[rayzor32]

The metal on them is lighter. The USA irwins were definitely better, and the petersons were even better than them. But still the chinese irwins are WAY better than the made in spain blue point junk. Just traded in my red blue point for an irwin, irwin way better. If I would have known how crappy the red spain blue points were I would have just saved 8 bucks and bought the irwin in the first place, I figured spain is better than china but i guess not. Plus either way irwin is lifetime warranty through snap on. They still work fine just not as good.

 

[Monte]

The metal on them is lighter. The USA irwins were definitely better, and the petersons were even better than them. But still the chinese irwins are WAY better than the made in spain blue point junk. Just traded in my red blue point for an irwin, irwin way better. If I would have known how crappy the red spain blue points were I would have just saved 8 bucks and bought the irwin in the first place, I figured spain is better than china but i guess not. Plus either way irwin is lifetime warranty through snap on. They still work fine just not as good.

What don´t you like about them ??
The spanish Snap-On branded locking pliers have also lifetime warranty.

 

[Painter123]

Who/Where do they sell Grip-on plires in the U.S.?

I would love a couple dozen of these http://www.grip-on.com/ 144-12 6" ALUMINIUM ALLOY C-CLAMPS

 

[rayzor32]

What don´t you like about them ??
The spanish Snap-On branded locking pliers have also lifetime warranty.

I know i warrantied them and got a pair of irwins instead. I bought the bigger pair of needle nose for doing stabilizer bar links, I would put them on as tight as I could and they still stripped out. I didn't like the nut on the adjuster either. The irwin gripped a lot better.