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IRWIN vice reviews?
- Thread starter thatguysb
- Start date
General Geoff
Well-known member
Model numbers? Price?
What's the intended usage?
What's the intended usage?
James-W
Well-known member
Personally, I tend to stay away from anything with the Irwin name on it. I have had some Irwin products in the past and, well, let's just say they weren't all that wonderful and let it go at that.
Farmall450
Well-known member
They're about the same quality as any other chicom ones but 150% the price. Honestly the Performance Tools ones that are out now are better.
I have one that I got pretty cheap. It holds things when I turn the handle the right way which is about all I can ask of it. There might be nicer vises on the market but it gets the job done. I'm curious about the lifetime warranty and how that would work but I don't plan on using it.
http://www.irwin.com/tools/vises/mechanics-vises
the 4" model.
for general mechanic work, something to hold down axle shafts while removing the outer cv ect. Ill be hammering some stuff, not for u joints at all. Saw most reviews said thats the failure point.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5AE8EK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
the 4" model.
for general mechanic work, something to hold down axle shafts while removing the outer cv ect. Ill be hammering some stuff, not for u joints at all. Saw most reviews said thats the failure point.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5AE8EK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
SRBOND
Member
I purchased one to replace my Harbour Fraud vise w/ pipe jaws on bottom and I hate it. I prefer the Harbour Fraud!
ScottsGT
Well-known member
I've got the Irwin wood workers vise. Not a bad product for the cheap price. Can't comment on the mechanics vise.
JohnDeere1
Banned
I have one of the irwin/record vises it's a smaller one I bought new for $14 at a sale and love it only complaint is I wish I had bought the huge one but aside that it's very nice quality better than any other for the price even at retail go for the record version the sizes are bigger and priced close.
dutchgray
Well-known member
http://www.irwin.com/tools/vises/mechanics-vises
the 4" model.
for general mechanic work, something to hold down axle shafts while removing the outer cv ect. Ill be hammering some stuff, not for u joints at all. Saw most reviews said thats the failure point.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5AE8EK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
That one is one of the junk ones, the better ones are the actual Record patterns, which are at least a decent design, but can be very expensive.
General Geoff
Well-known member
If you want a really inexpensive vise like that, pick one up from Harbor Freight and use the 20% coupon to get it for $32.
I've got the Irwin wood workers vise. Not a bad product for the cheap price. Can't comment on the mechanics vise.
I got two of these for two different places in my shop. I had one of them mounted and it did fine but I intend to redo where its set up so I put it back in the drawer for now.
Other than the ww vise and maybe a drill press vise I'd pass on any current Irwin vises out there.
http://www.irwin.com/tools/vises/mechanics-vises
the 4" model.
for general mechanic work, something to hold down axle shafts while removing the outer cv ect. Ill be hammering some stuff, not for u joints at all. Saw most reviews said thats the failure point.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5AE8EK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They're largely junk. Because of my vise website I get calls all the time about people with broken vises, and it's usually one of this style (similar design, made in China) or the rotating style that people break.
Since seating bearings was mentioned, I'll point out that a vise shouldn't be used to press bearings....they simply aren't made for it. You can break even a quality vise trying that. Sure, a big vise can be used to press in small bearings, but it's hard to know where the safety line is. The other thing is I've have had people tell me they were simply tightening the vise on a piece of steel and had the dynamic jaw break off cleanly....no cheater pipe, or anything like that in use. Both of those were listed in the reviews posted of these vises.
In the long run you'll be better served if you can find a decent used quality vise...most anything U.S. or U.K. will be good. Also, don't get tricked into thinking you want/need 5" or 6" jaws. They put them on cheap vises to make people think they're getting a big, strong vise. A quality U.S. vise with 4" jaws will do all the work that a Chinese vise with 5" or 6" jaws will do, and not break.
Most fabrication/welding shops I go to have 4.5" and 5" jaw models and they don't need any more than that. Those are typically 65-95lb vises.....weight is a better indicator than jaw width.
For the folks in areas that don't have a lot of vises you can even buy some reasonable vises on eBay and have them shipped without spending hundreds of dollars. I'm getting ready to ship a Reed 105 (5" jaw, probably 75lbs) to a guy down south and he's going to get it for under $100....it's possible.
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WittHay
Well-known member
That one is one of the junk ones, the better ones are the actual Record patterns, which are at least a decent design, but can be very expensive.
I bought one of the new Irwin Record vises and I like it. Its used as a actual mechanics vise not a beating vise. Being Canadian i am used to the Record style of vise.
In the US, there are much better options for vises than the light weight Irwin's that are sold in the box stores. For comparison the OP's vise weighs about 12 lbs, the Irwin Record 4" vise weighs 33 lbs
Jeremy77
Well-known member
I've got a 5 1/2" Ridgid for big jobs but needed a smaller one for my workbench. Bought the 4 1/2" Irwin from Lowes for around 20 bucks. Had it a while and it's done all I've asked of it. No issues considering what I paid for it.