Need a six inch vice. What do I do?

[rogersmithiii]

My dad had bought a Harbor Freight 6 inch vice, and I decided to mount it as it was sitting on the shelf. The plates screwed to the jaws snapped off the first time I used it. Chinese garbage.

Most of the vices on Craigslist look beat to ****. Should I keep looking there, or buy new? Which brands are quality?

Thanks

 

[Davefr]

My dad had bought a Harbor Freight 6 inch vice, and I decided to mount it as it was sitting on the shelf. The plates screwed to the jaws snapped off the first time I used it. Chinese garbage.

Most of the vices on Craigslist look beat to ****. Should I keep looking there, or buy new? Which brands are quality?

Thanks

Keep looking. There are tons of great old USA vises out there. (spell it correctly and you might have better luck in your search).

Wilton's always command a premium but other brands can be as good at much better prices.

Post your location.

 

[Packard V8]

It's doubtful many home shops can afford the $1000 for a new USA vise.

Odd you had first article failure with your Chicom. There are a couple of threads here where they were lauded as good users.

And yes, finding a good old USA vise on craigslist demands patience, constant vigilance and the ability to drop everything and go get it immediately.

jack vines

 

[Rabid Badger]

Does it have to be a 6 inch? You can pick up a Yost ADI-5 for $149 right now. I don't know of anything better for less than $500.

Keep looking. There are tons of great old USA vises out there.

I'm pretty certain the time of plentiful second-hand USA vises has passed. I've been on the lookout for over a year now across multiple states and the best I've found is a 4 inch Columbian for $185.

 

[rogersmithiii]

Massachusetts.

Sorry for the misspelling.

Vise.

 

[cory52000]

Craigs list and market place find an old one and fix it up

Massachusetts.

Sorry for the misspelling.

Vise.

Sent from my LM-V405 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[davethorik]

In terms of vintage vises. For every 6" vintage vise that I see for sale, I spot maybe forty or fifty 3.5/4/4.5" vises. And then the 6" is a Wilton C3 with a "rattlecan resto" on Craigslist for $1250. I've only seen two 7" and one 8" in the wild.

And then the 1.5-3" sizes aren't common either, with some like Wilton Baby Bullets going for just as much $$$ as big boys.

 

[matt_i]

A version of this was my first vise, think it was $99 maybe.

https://www.wiltontools.com/us/en/p/mechanics-vise-6-jaw-with-swivel-base/21500

In any case its held up very well thru much abuse I've thrown at it, a lot of hammer-forming and hammer-bending of steel rods early on.

Eventually I found the bigger rarer birds which are excellent but that first vise is still holding down its corner of the bench.

Here I go with my broken record: my free advice is to instantly get rid of (remove and store) the hard jaws and make soft jaws from solid copper or aluminum. About 1% of the things that I put in a vise I find it acceptable to have the "bite marks" when I'm done. For those I can pull out the hard jaws and swap them in with 4 screws.

 

[Davefr]

Massachusetts.

Sorry for the misspelling.

Vise.

Here you go (the first one looks like a "cream puff" - go get it):
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/tls/d/westford-wilton-vise/7075742197.html

https://providence.craigslist.org/tls/d/portsmouth-large-oswego-sawyer-tool-6/7073492982.html

Or if you want new, get a Zoro coupon and order this one:
https://www.zoro.com/ridgid-combination-vise-swivel-standard-duty-66997/i/G2613021/

 

[ForrestT]

Warranty the HF vice for free while you’re looking for the right vice.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[drivesitfar]

Roger: if you go in your GJ profile and put in your location maybe a member like me with more than a few extra vises sitting around collecting dust might be able to sell you something that is a lot better than a new vise and about the same price.

while you are in your profile click on AVATAR and download one of your favorite car, garage, tool, pin up or pics so other members will recognize you. the Bison i've been using for the last few years is maybe the 5th one i've had so you can change later if you'd like to.

good luck and let us know what you find locally or from a member.

 

[MattT]

Odd you had first article failure with your Chicom. There are a couple of threads here where they were lauded as good users.

The Chicom "English Pattern" clones aren't bad vises for the money, so long as you get one that isn't defective. Better than some of the old USA homeowner vises IMO. So if the the OP does decide to look for a used vise it has to be the right one.

And to whoever recommended Yost for a reasonably priced new option. Though if the budget is too tight for that going back to HF would probably work out OK.

 

[bczygan]

What were you doing to break the vise?

And why do you need a 6" one?

Bill

 

[CafeTools]

I really like the 6 inch bessey vise that home Depot and Ace hardware sells. Gets good reviews here too.

 

[AngryBeaver]

look for a 4" machinist vise from Reed, columbian, Yost, Starret, etc. they will last a lifetime and be bigger than that 6" chinesium vise you bought

 

[tarbellb]

4.5" vise will serve you just fine.

But if looking for new, Yost makes a good affordable vise.

 

[Professional Tool User]

In terms of vintage vises. For every 6" vintage vise that I see for sale, I spot maybe forty or fifty 3.5/4/4.5" vises. And then the 6" is a Wilton C3 with a "rattlecan resto" on Craigslist for $1250. I've only seen two 7" and one 8" in the wild.

And then the 1.5-3" sizes aren't common either, with some like Wilton Baby Bullets going for just as much $$$ as big boys.

+1 If you can't find a made in USA, England, or Germany vice on your local classifieds that isn't beat up for cheap, then I'd have a look at the made in Taiwan offerings from Yost. It really depends on what is available locally on the used market and how patient you are. In my case, most of the vices that are not made in China are made in England Record vices from before Irwin took over and outsourced production to China. Anything that opens wider than 4" is also going to be harder to find. It took me at least a year or two of additional searching before I was able to find a Record 34P for $50 to mount on my bench after I bought my $40 record no. 3. And this is in a big city.

 

[Steve_P]

A new Yost ADI. Or a DeWalt, if you dont need 6" . These are essentially indestructible vises per the you tube torture test . I have an ADI and its really, really nice.

 

[Parrothead]

Fireball vise test. The Harbor Freight did surprisingly well considering the price point.

 

[fang123]

Yost ADI-6 or Capri. New high quility vise with a warranty.

 

[Gogo300]

Here’s a 6” vise with free shipping

https://www.sears.com/craftsman-6-in-bench-vise/p-00951856000P

 

[Rabid Badger]

Fireball vise test. The Harbor Freight did surprisingly well considering the price point.

Also, the Yost ADI shamed 4 Wiltons on clamping force.

 

[ARFLY]

Here’s a 6” vise with free shipping

https://www.sears.com/craftsman-6-in-bench-vise/p-00951856000P

I have the older USA made version of that vise. I got off Craigslist for $20. Watch CL and you might come across something like that.

 

[seber]

I just bought Yost FSV-5 forged steel 5" vise for $181 from Sears. Shipping was $6. Once it arrives I'll sell my 5" Wilton machinist vise. It would be hard to beat that even with used prices. A nice thing about steel is you can actually use the anvil.

 

[mike93lx]

5" Dewalt for $95

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QG3NLRZ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It did very well in Fireball tool's recent destructive test and as a result, I have one in my garage. At the price, it is awesome

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Put up a location and maybe someone local can help.

 

[Man of Many Vices]

I have collected so many vises over the last five years that I finally stopped. But, every once in a while, another fine vintage USA made vise will show up at the swap meet for between $25 and $50. When it does, no matter how many I already have, it comes home with me (even if I have to run to the ATM).

Unless you go to a mega swap meet like Pomona or Qualcom Stadium (I haven't been there yet), you cannot expect to find any particular tool, especially if that is the tool you need right now. Rather, you find good to great tools at good to great prices, whether you need it now or think you will need it later. Before long, you will have accumulated many, if not most, of the tools you will need. And, yes, more than a few you don't need.

But check with your psychiatrist before you start. Especially if you are a borderline hoarder. Swap meet tool buying use to be my therapy. Now it's my sickness.

 

[seber]

I have collected so many vises over the last five years that I finally stopped. But, every once in a while, another fine vintage USA made vise will show up at the swap meet for between $25 and $50. When it does, no matter how many I already have, it comes home with me (even if I have to run to the ATM).

Unless you go to a mega swap meet like Pomona or Qualcom Stadium (I haven't been there yet), you cannot expect to find any particular tool, especially if that is the tool you need right now. Rather, you find good to great tools at good to great prices, whether you need it now or think you will need it later. Before long, you will have accumulated many, if not most, of the tools you will need. And, yes, more than a few you don't need.

But check with your psychiatrist before you start. Especially if you are a borderline hoarder. Swap meet tool buying use to be my therapy. Now it's my sickness.

Ebay selling may be in your future.

 

[Steve_P]

Vintage USA vises have a cult following here- for no legitimate reason; and that test proves it. If you can get one at a great price, then sure; I'm into recycling and keeping stuff going if it makes economic sense. In my area beat up USA Craftsman and Wilton vises are on CL for more than a similar new Yost ADI. And no one ever says buy used US vintage sockets, but somehow vintage vises are made of magic cast iron. Well, they're not. Look how good the bargain DeWalt vise did; that's more than anyone sane would do to it.
I have my dad's 1960s-70s Craftsman/Columbian vise, limited homeowner use only; my new Yost ADI and FSV have 5% the slop in them.

 

[Jeremy77]

You can get a Ridgid, forged in Germany, 5 1/2” for about $350. Or step up to the 6” for about $120 more. Forged and welded steel vs. cast. I’ve had mine several years and I’ve not been especially kind to it. Still works as great as the day I mounted it brand new.

 

[Steve_P]

Repost. Deleted

 

[Mgdoug3]

I gave up searching for a good used USA vise. I ended up buying a 5" Dewalt that the jaws also swivel for $95 plus tax. I still wouldn't mind a USA vise but I'm not going to spend $300+ for someone's abused vise. Maybe one day I'll find a deal.

 

[magicrat]

Steel host vise is the way to go, cheap and very strong. U can abuse it and it won’t break. For more strength don’t use the swivel base. It will stand up to almost any homeowner use.

 

[bobcatdan]

While used is an option, a decent USA made 6" vise is pretty good size and is going to often priced high. If I was to go out and buy a new vise, Menards has the Irwin bastardized china made 8" Record on the shelves for $200. Opening 9", it is pretty much the biggest vise you are going to buy at a store. Anything else you buy new will be China unless you are willing to spend big money. For double the price I think you can get an European made Ridgid. Otherwise you will be well over a grand to get an USA made 6" Wilton or Morgan. I think tradesman are back in China now.