looking at vise, 1600$ wilton, seriously?

[rockwind1]

so in all seriousness, i am not going to buy a $1600 vise. my old POST tools vise from the 80's has finally succumbed to my abuse and neglect,

my question is,,, alot of the chinese stuff is usually not too bad for a non-picky guy like myself,, i like the bearing idea in the wilton, is there any chinese/tiawan, other third world imitation that comes vaguely close to working good? i mean with a bearing? my old vise is 6" so kind of looking for something similiar. been glancing around on amazon, as usual it seems like i can't make my own goddamn decision anymore with "polling the audience" on GJ.

 

[exmaxima1]

There's alot of respect for the Yost ADI model vises. Very similar to the German-made Ridgid F-Series, but made somewhere in Asia.

The 6-inch version is currently around $270:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMDO9AE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rockwind1]

There's alot of respect for the Yost ADI model vises. Very similar to the German-made Ridgid F-Series, but made somewhere in Asia.

The 6-inch version is currently around $270:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMDO9AE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

i had been eyeballing that one,, was still wondering if there was a step up even in the cheaper asian made ones

 

[GeoBruin]

You could look at the lower tier Wilton's like the tradesman. They used to be US made but not anymore.

Otherwise, something like the Yost posted above or several of the same design sold under other names are probably your best bet. Of course, this all assumes you're not willing to buy used, which is what most here would recommend.

 

[rockwind1]

You could look at the lower tier Wilton's like the tradesman. They used to be US made but not anymore.

Otherwise, something like the Yost posted above or several of the same design sold under other names are probably your best bet. Of course, this all assumes you're not willing to buy used, which is what most here would recommend.

i would be fine with used,,haven't seen anything, except some overpriced mangled stuff. obviously local since shipping would be prohibitively expensive.

 

[rockwind1]

You could look at the lower tier Wilton's like the tradesman. They used to be US made but not anymore.

Otherwise, something like the Yost posted above or several of the same design sold under other names are probably your best bet. Of course, this all assumes you're not willing to buy used, which is what most here would recommend.

i like this one,

Wilton 865M Mechanics Pro Bench Vise​

but if it is made in china,, surely there is a "knock-off" chinese version which is cheaper but made in the same darn factory or the factory next door?

 

[rockwind1]

on a side not,, the dual lockdowns on most vises,,, they are super irritating,, has any seen a vise that is a solid 90 degree throw, on my current el cheapo that is el broko, i have to keep flipping the levers several times to rotate lock down enough to loosen or tighten.

 

[exmaxima1]

Rather than spending >$600 for that imported Wilton, consider a Doyle version currently selling for $172 thru 1/2/23. Based on the reviews, it's a very decent vise:

6 in. Swivel Vise with Anvil and Pipe Jaws

Amazing deals on this 6In Swivel Vise With Pipe Jaws at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Shiftless]

Regarding swivel lockdowns…
How often do you really NEED a to swivel your vise? Just bolt it down.

 

[GeoBruin]

I've looked at the Doyle in the store. Looks decent. I wouldnt be affraid to try it for that price.

 

[rockwind1]

Rather than spending >$600 for that imported Wilton, consider a Doyle version currently selling for $172 thru 1/2/23. Based on the reviews, it's a very decent vise:

6 in. Swivel Vise with Anvil and Pipe Jaws

Amazing deals on this 6In Swivel Vise With Pipe Jaws at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

thanks! i wonder what doyle means,, is it a real long time brand? or just an american sounding name on a chinese thing (which is fine, just want to know) seems damn good,, i wonder how it truly compares to the adi with 130,000 psi tensile strenth,, blah blah,, which i don't even know what it means really. i just put big things in vise and hammer on them.

 

[rockwind1]

Regarding swivel lockdowns…
How often do you really NEED a to swivel your vise? Just bolt it down.

i know, i used to think that but been using it lately for long guns with a barrel gripping adaptor thing and i am constantly swiveling it a little bit. it's really a non issue,, i am not going to pay an extra 1000 for some cool lock downs

 

[rockwind1]

i was looking at orange vises,,,, freaking wow. i want one.

 

[GeoBruin]

thanks! i wonder what doyle means,, is it a real long time brand? or just an american sounding name on a chinese thing (which is fine, just want to know) seems damn good,, i wonder how it truly compares to the adi with 130,000 psi tensile strenth,, blah blah,, which i don't even know what it means really. i just put big things in vise and hammer on them.

It's a made up in-house Harbor Freight brand. But if you know that going in...

 

[Shiftless]

i know, i used to think that but been using it lately for long guns with a barrel gripping adaptor thing and i am constantly swiveling it a little bit. it's really a non issue,, i am not going to pay an extra 1000 for some cool lock downs

Sounds like you’re a likely candidate for a dedicated gun vise.

 

[Shiftless]

For guns, I bet this would be WAY better than any machinist or mechanic bench vise.
Tipton makes several different models. This is the top of the line.

 

[gleman]

i was looking at orange vises,,,, freaking wow. i want one.

I don't have the need but I totally want one of those.

I was following the Fireball guy on YouTube and that's how I ran across the orange vise.

Didn't a guy on here build a 8020 work table and have one of those attached to it?

 

[jayemm]

I've looked at the Doyle in the store. Looks decent. I wouldnt be affraid to try it for that price.

It looks the same as the Craftsman Professional Vise that Sears carried. I had one (4-1/2") and it was major bang for the buck. This looks like the squared off back end version. Mine had the more rounded back end but otherwise identical. Made of 60,000 psi ductile iron , not the cheaper 30K psi cast iron. It looked identical to the Wilton Tradesman 1745. Even the swivel base was the same by part number. Apparently Wilton had part ownership in the largest bench vise factory in China which produced these and it seems they copied the 1745.
Regarding the Wilton Mechanics Vise. I had the 744 and gave it away to a friend. Massively over heavy moveable jaw that kept dropping if extended too far and seemed to require a lot of tightening for the grip it provided. Lousy powdercoat that peeled off easily. Did not like it at all. Bought the Craftsman mentioned above. No comparison for the price and better design.

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

Most 6" chinese vises can't really compare to a Wilton 600. I would pick a Wilton 400 over the 6" Chinese vises I have seen. Like some others have said, maybe a 6" Yost ADI might work for your budget. Ridgid vises look good for the money.

 

[Monte]

Ridgid or Heuer

 

[seber]

I have the Yost. It has proved very tough. I swivel the vise almost every time I use it. And that is the only thing I don't like about it. The handles have to be shifted and rotated three times each way to lock and unlock. Both handles must be torqued to fully lock the thing up.

 

[tarbellb]

For guns, I bet this would be WAY better than any machinist or mechanic bench vise.
Tipton makes several different models. This is the top of the line.

look at all that plastic

 

[Shiftless]

look at all that plastic

I know…but you don’t need to have a ton of gripping force for gunsmithing and also, plastic doesn’t scratch valuable firearms.
This is GJ… get a woodworking vise for carpentry, a machinist vise for benchwork on stuff, and a specialty Tipton for gunsmithing.

 

[tarbellb]

I know…but you don’t need to have a ton of gripping force for gunsmithing and also, plastic doesn’t scratch valuable firearms.
This is GJ… get a woodworking vise for carpentry, a machinist vise for benchwork on stuff, and a specialty Tipton for gunsmithing.

just surprised this is a top option.

what's the price point?

 

[acer66]

I know…but you don’t need to have a ton of gripping force for gunsmithing and also, plastic doesn’t scratch valuable firearms.
This is GJ… get a woodworking vise for carpentry, a machinist vise for benchwork on stuff, and a specialty Tipton for gunsmithing.

Plus random vises of all sorts just in case.

 

[Shiftless]

Simpler models start around 50 bucks

 

[LNKMK8]

There aren't any bearings in a Wilton vise, nor any other that I am aware of. If you abused and neglected your last vise, the last one you need is a Orange. It's hard to beat a good used USA vise, many can be had for under $200.

 

[shawhite]

so in all seriousness, i am not going to buy a $1600 vise. my old POST tools vise from the 80's has finally succumbed to my abuse and neglect,

my question is,,, alot of the chinese stuff is usually not too bad for a non-picky guy like myself,, i like the bearing idea in the wilton, is there any chinese/tiawan, other third world imitation that comes vaguely close to working good? i mean with a bearing? my old vise is 6" so kind of looking for something similiar. been glancing around on amazon, as usual it seems like i can't make my own goddamn decision anymore with "polling the audience" on GJ.

Yes $1600 for a 150lb industrial vise. They are huge and couple probably fit the Doyle in the jaws and crush it. If I had to choose between the Doyle and yost I would go with the yost all day long. Yost has a history of making great quality vises and I don’t think the adi would be any different.

 

[G-ManBart]

thanks! i wonder what doyle means,, is it a real long time brand? or just an american sounding name on a chinese thing (which is fine, just want to know) seems damn good,, i wonder how it truly compares to the adi with 130,000 psi tensile strenth,, blah blah,, which i don't even know what it means really. i just put big things in vise and hammer on them.

Which is exactly what bench vises aren't made for, and why they break. Even quality vises will fail when subjected to that sort of abuse.

Doyle isn't a quality brand, much less long-time brand. Also, there are no bearings in Wilton vises....and hammering on bearings would probably be even worse than no bearings.

If you really want a vise that will survive holding stuff that's getting hit with a hammer, find a blacksmith's post vise/leg vise. They are meant for that exact purpose. A 40lb blacksmith's vise will indefinitely withstand hammering that would destroy a 100lb quality bench vise.

 

[Nvrplzd]

For guns, I bet this would be WAY better than any machinist or mechanic bench vise.
Tipton makes several different models. This is the top of the line.

Can confirm, these things are invaluable for rifle builds/modifications.

I was extremely hesitant at first as well, however they’re very stout for being plastic and hold the rifles extremely tight for anything you would need to do. Keep in mind you’re not doing metalwork or heavy woodworking so an absolute clamping monster such as a Reed, Chicago Morgan, or Prentiss is highly unnecessary and would likely damage the firearm without specialty vise jaws.

If you have the space around your existing vise, you can always pick up a magazine adapter that will work with your existing vise, however it’s not as secure/stable depending on what kind of work you’re doing.

 

[neophyte]

If you want a US Made vise, but find Wilton too expensive, a Milwaukee Morgan machinist vise probably has a street price around 40% less than the cost of a Wilton, with fairly similar specs.

For instance.
Wilton 400S, Machinist Vise, #28831.
-4" Jaw,
-3-1/2" Throat,
-6-1/2" Max Opening
Shipping Weight according to Amazon is 62lbs.
Price, $976

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7P7C72/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Morgan Machinist Vise, model 140
-4” jaw
-Throat Depth - 3-1/4" (82mm)
-Max Opening - 6" (152mm)
-Weight - 58lb (26kg)
Price, $570 +shipping

Morgan Machinist Vise with Swivel Base

Milwaukee Morgan bench vise constructed of high tensile grey iron and machined to close tolerances to assure true clamping. Easily replaceable hardened steel face jaws, steel screw and malleable iron nut are provided for a lifetime of service. Swivel base locks at any angle. " Meets all Fed...

www.lakeerietoolworks.com

Wilton 600S, Machinst’s Vise, #28833
-6” jaw width
-5.5” throat depth
-10” throat opening
-weight, 156lbs
-price $1,948.99

Morgan Machinist Vise, model 160
-Jaw width, 6”
-throat depth 4”
-Max Opening - 10" (254mm)
-Weight - 145lb (65kg)
-price $1,449.99 + shipping.

Morgan vises aren’t Wilton Bullet vises admittedly, but the design has been proven thru tests to be very durable.
The only major issue is that the standard Morgan design may loosen up over time more than the Wilton Bullet design, although I’m not really certain about that.
The older loose “Morgan design” vises I used were Parker vises, which were decades old, and used side by side with relatively new Wilton bullet vises, so the difference might simply have been age and use.

The only other major downside to the Morgan vises is throat depth, and that can be solved with the Morgan Combination Pope vise, although those are more expensive.

 

[bb29510]

There's alot of respect for the Yost ADI model vises. Very similar to the German-made Ridgid F-Series, but made somewhere in Asia.

The 6-inch version is currently around $270:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMDO9AE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

that the one i bought last , a year ago. its not red no more, its been painted about five different colors due to overspray. I like it no complaints, I had one of those $50 china models, I beat the **** out of it for over thirty years till it broke. yea it broke but thirty years, I got my money out of it

 

[cvairwerks]

An Orange bench vise isn't made for being hammered on, It's more of a fixture vise for assembly or hand work. At 1500$ base price, you are very close to Fireball Tool's Hardtail.

 

[decableguy2000]

You have to be patient and diligent, to find used ones. Both my Wilton 1765s came from FB/CL finds. I also have 2 Milwaukee Morgan's, not 6s. One came form FB and the other from an antique mall. If I was buying new, I would get a new Ridgid F60. New Morgan's can be ordered from Zoro, etc.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Whats with the Versa Vice and gun stuff. I picked one up cheap (no base) and was gonna shift it for just slightly more than cheap but then all of a sudden I'm seeing a bunch of gun guys posting about getting a Versa Vise.
As someone relatively new to a vise addiction but having a long standing toolbox problem, I can say, don't be in a hurry. The longer you have to shop the better deal you will find on the thing that you're after. I know I'm not tellin' y'all anything but 19, there are plenty of good 'ol US of A vises out there to be had, just gotta be patient and ready to rock when one pops up.
All that said, speaking of working on guns, I've been hard pressed to find a reliable, readable technical drawing (dimensioned) for a lower in the controversial flavor of guns. Anyone that might have a file or a link, it would be much appreciated. Apologies if I set this in the wrong hole. Just stream of thoughting.

 

[F-22]

I'd second the Heuer, it's an awesome design and forged steel is simply way more durable for a vise, you can hammer on it for decades and it won't break a sweat, while I wouldn't dare go near a 1600$ Wilton with a big hammer...

Check out other German brands too. They're way less known in the US but I guess you can get some through Hoffmann Group. Leinen is very well regarded, very rigid and quality made. The Swiss Gressel is very similar as well.

 

[Snapped-off]

so in all seriousness, i am not going to buy a $1600 vise. my old POST tools vise from the 80's has finally succumbed to my abuse and neglect,

my question is,,, alot of the chinese stuff is usually not too bad for a non-picky guy like myself,, i like the bearing idea in the wilton, is there any chinese/tiawan, other third world imitation that comes vaguely close to working good? i mean with a bearing? my old vise is 6" so kind of looking for something similiar. been glancing around on amazon, as usual it seems like i can't make my own goddamn decision anymore with "polling the audience" on GJ.

Did you buy a vise? I'm kind of torn between a few myself.

 

[PoorUB]

An Orange bench vise isn't made for being hammered on, It's more of a fixture vise for assembly or hand work. At 1500$ base price, you are very close to Fireball Tool's Hardtail.

Assume vise, but I need a vise I can clamp a piece of steel, heat it up with a oxy/acetylene torch and beat on it with a two pounder!