Irwin Vice Grip Damaged on First Use!

[strnjss]

well, a couple of months ago, I bought a new Irwin vice grip to replace my well worn Husky one.

So I finally got around to using it today on some really stuck screws that were stripped out.

So I clamp down on the screws and give it a turn. When I looked at the teeth of my vice grip after, they were all squished flat!

Who the heck makes a vice grip so soft, that it flattens the teeth before it damages the tiny little screw?!?

I tried to get a good picture of it, but my camera is terrible at close up shots. This blurry one is the best I can do. You can sort of see the damage at the tip, but it's much flatter in person.

What are they making these things out of lead now? That will definitely be my last Irwin product.

 

[jjarrell4]

Ouch that's a pisser. Irwin used to make great v grips

 

[caper]

No,Peterson used to make great vise grips.Irwin has been **** since they bought the name and getting worse by the day.

 

[Art From De Leon]

This is what I have been saying for years, Vise-Grips are basically useless, except for clamping.

They were junk long before they were bought out by Irwin, and before Irwin took them to China.

You might say they are a 'high tech' version of farmer pliers.

 

[mrholeshot]

Who the heck makes a vice grip so soft, that it flattens the teeth before it damages the tiny little screw?!?

The same people who made your camera, lol

I don't like the new China Vice grips either. The Irwin ones were good until they moved to China. They were made in the same factory as the Peterson Vicegrips

 

[Monte]

"Grip-On" ist the answer to your non quality product.

 

[joeswamp]

Nice... Garbage disguised as vise grips.

 

[Ben Iv]

I have some irwin 11R finger clanps made in china at home and a few dozen peterson 11R's at work and ill be honest I cant tell a difference, the ones at work are probably over a decade old but the new ones dont seem to be built any lighter.

 

[dankicksass]

When I picked up some NOS USA Vise Grips a week ago, I compared the 7R and 10R to the new China produced Vise Grips of the same model. They really changed things, I was surprised the tools are completely different in the jaws.

 

[LAROKE]

One of my first bad tool decisions as a teenager in the sixties was buying a cheap pair of vise-grips with a money back guarantee. The handle broke off after I got the tool out of the shrinkwrap and clamped it on a pegboard hook to hang it up. The money back guarantee was full replacement after I shipped it to the manufacturer at my cost. When it dawned on my fragile teenage mind that the shipping cost (to the far east) was more than I had paid for the tool, a palm to forehead action was initiated.

 

[woody 73]

Some people like art don't like them but they have saved me more times then I can recall, if the op can find used vise grips at garage sales pick them up.

 

[1320stang]

Looks like they missed the heat treat.

 

[mrholeshot]

The new China Vise Grips look like they have been run through a Sandblaster.

 

[KEH]

I've used real US made vice grips for years and they have been very useful. Irwin is just selling their name on Cninese made stuff and selling it at US prices. They sad part is that the move was unnecessary. Vise Grips were popular to the point they almost had a captive market. I pick up used vice grips when possible and give them to family and friends.

KEH

 

[rayzor32]

petersons were the best, then the usa irwins we also good but not near as good, and the new chinese ones are complete garbage.

 

[737mechanic]

Here is an interesting clip about the history of Vise Grip.

Vise Grip History

 

[dankicksass]

"Grip-On" ist the answer to your non quality product.

Amazon has Grip-On as low as $9 this week. Outstanding value.

 

[Keep]

Or you can luck out in a random visit to a local industrial supply store

 

[mjozefow]

I actually did not know Irwin had off shored for quite a while. I was on a job site and my dad handed me a pair, and without looking at them I said "Oh great, cheap sh** ones". He said that was the only ones they sold anymore, then I saw the Irwin name and was totally bummed. They are never the best tool, but they can be damned useful. I have about 20 Peterson and DeWitts.

 

[00S4Boy]

Yea ive come to terms my vice grips **** as well. Looking to replace them with grips ons, just not sure if i want to go with Grip On branded, or Snap On branded. I beat the **** out of vice grips so i think the snap on branded ones would be easier to warranty when the jaws get fubared.

 

[Monte]

Amazon has Grip-On as low as $9 this week. Outstanding value.

couldn´t find them for $9.- but the other prices ain´t bad

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1284151...rh=n:228013,n:!468240,k:Grip-On pliers&page=1

 

[strnjss]

I'm going to seriously consider some Grip-On's since you all seem to think so highly of them. I'd be interested to know how hard they actually are though.

Like I'd probably want some vice grips to have teeth so hard that would snap before they just squished flat like my Irwins did on a stupid little screw.

Oh and by the way, when I first came back to this thread, my Vice-Grip picture was replaced with a naked woman?!? I had to refresh it like 3 times, and my vice grip pic was back. What the heck was that all about?

 

[Monte]

There are several threads about Grip-On/Vise-Grip and Grip-On vs. Vise-Grip for example:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70204&highlight=grip-on+vise

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47915&highlight=grip-on+vise

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36955&highlight=grip-on+vise

http://toolguyd.com/2009/08/grip-on-locking-pliers-muy-dulce/

 

[Skin]

i dont live in the boonies and my sears and home dope have tons of NOS American stamped vise-grips, mainly those 3 pack sets. Check toward the back of the rack since the stock people are often lazy and stick the new stuff right over the older type. I was able to find quite a few C/O USA singles when i did this as well.

 

[Joe From NY]

When I picked up some NOS USA Vise Grips a week ago, I compared the 7R and 10R to the new China produced Vise Grips of the same model. They really changed things, I was surprised the tools are completely different in the jaws.

i dont live in the boonies and my sears and home dope have tons of NOS American stamped vise-grips, mainly those 3 pack sets. Check toward the back of the rack since the stock people are often lazy and stick the new stuff right over the older type. I was able to find quite a few C/O USA singles when i did this as well.

My local Home Depot today had all sizes of Vicegrips, but strange thing is only the "7R" model was made in USA. All the other models, larger and smaller, were made in China. The entire row of 7R were made in USA. What is it about that model? Are they the most popular?
The only hand tools i could find made in USA was the entire line of Channellock pliers and wrenches.

 

[matthew]

I would think the 7R is a lot less popular than 7WR.

 

[bonneyman]

In Oct of 2008, Vise-Grips were outsourced to China. Harry Epstein bought out the remaining American made inventory, and, at last check, they were running low on some models.
They had some 7WR's for $12. Think I'll be buying a few pairs!

 

[Joe From NY]

well, the ones i mentioned are at home depot of elmont, long island if anyone is looking for some.

 

[strnjss]

Well, I just ordered a new Grip-On 121-10 Locking plier off Amazon for $20.

We'll see how it holds up! It can't be any worse than my Irwin was. (of course all it has to do to be better than that is to survive more than 1 usage!)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G0MGV4/?tag=atomicindus08-20