New USA made vise recommendation

[bushhawg73]

I have been searching for a good quality used vise. The ones that I have found are all beat up pretty bad or the seller wants three arms and a leg for it. I started looking for a new vise but the cost turned to to looking at the used ones. Now that the used search has turned up only bad apples I would like some suggestions. I am looking for a reasonably priced USA made vise. I would like the jaw width to be around 5 inches. Any ideas

 

[krusty the clown]

i'm not sure there is a reasonably priced US made vise............i think i would keep looking for a good used one.

 

[WVU Tuba Dale]

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200358821_200358821

 

[bushhawg73]

One other question. Wilton 1700 series vise. Do you think they are way over priced or are they worth the money?

 

[Merkava_4]

What's that brand that reminds me of wilted lettuce? Oh yeah....WILTON.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Oh Man, I wish you weren't on the opposite side of the country. There are some goodies on Craigslist Right now that are a smokin' deal. You have to wait for them ( In my case, six or seven months ) to snag them, but when they do come up you need to pounce.

At the local Steel Shop, Reliable Hardware and Steel, they looked up the price on a USA made Wilton with an 8" set of jaws from their supplier in Emeryville, WMH Tool. I almost needed to be resuscitated when I found out that Wilton was asking $1800 for the 8" Machinist's vise.

Adam

 

[tube_guy]

I spent a lot of time looking for and researching a new machinists vise about 5 years ago. I wanted a good quality US made vise that would last my lifetime and then my son could use it for a long time after I'm gone. Like you, everything I looked at used was either overpriced or really beat up. So I decided to bite the bullet and buy new. I'm not sure what a reasonable price is for you, but the best value I found were the Yost machinist vises. I ended up buying a Yost 6 inch machinist vise with a stationary base. It's quite a hefty vise with a jaw opening that is almost twice the jaw width, like the old vises. It's been the cornerstone of my metalworking shop for about 5 years and I've been very happy with it.

Prices on the Yost vises have gone up since then, but I think they will still be tough to beat. www.useenco.com has the 5 inch stationary base machinist vise for $390.95 and they are offering free shipping right now. That's about what I paid for my 6 inch vise back then and I also got the free shipping, which from Enco cost $90 back then. Maybe someone else is offering better prices now. But, if you're buying new, they are very nice vises for the money. Also, from time to time, new blemished Yost vises show up on eBay with significant discounts.

www.yostvises.com/index.htm

 

[ron in sc]

One other question. Wilton 1700 series vise. Do you think they are way over priced or are they worth the money?

I think just about everything most people buy is way overpriced.

I do have a Wilton 1765. I think all their 1700 series tradesman vises are USA made and of very good quality. I don't think I'll ever need to buy another vise to replace the 1765.

 

[bushhawg73]

I spent a lot of time looking for and researching a new machinists vise about 5 years ago. I wanted a good quality US made vise that would last my lifetime and then my son could use it for a long time after I'm gone. Like you, everything I looked at used was either overpriced or really beat up. So I decided to bite the bullet and buy new. I'm not sure what a reasonable price is for you, but the best value I found were the Yost machinist vises. I ended up buying a Yost 6 inch machinist vise with a stationary base. It's quite a hefty vise with a jaw opening that is almost twice the jaw width, like the old vises. It's been the cornerstone of my metalworking shop for about 5 years and I've been very happy with it.

Prices on the Yost vises have gone up since then, but I think they will still be tough to beat. www.useenco.com has the 5 inch stationary base machinist vise for $390.95 and they are offering free shipping right now. That's about what I paid for my 6 inch vise back then and I also got the free shipping, which from Enco cost $90 back then. Maybe someone else is offering better prices now. But, if you're buying new, they are very nice vises for the money. Also, from time to time, new blemished Yost vises show up on eBay with significant discounts.

www.yostvises.com/index.htm

I have looked at the Yost brand. I am not against spending 400.00 on a new vise. I am just concerned that the higher price does not mean that it will hold that much better that the 150.00 vice. Thank you for your input.

 

[bushhawg73]

I think just about everything most people buy is way overpriced.

I do have a Wilton 1765. I think all their 1700 series tradesman vises are USA made and of very good quality. I don't think I'll ever need to buy another vise to replace the 1765.

The Wilton 1765 is what I had my mind set on. I just hope that they are worth the 450.00 price tag. Thanks for your input.

 

[back2class]

250368626828 ebay item. Good as any USA vise..maybe better!

 

[tube_guy]

I have looked at the Yost brand. I am not against spending 400.00 on a new vise. I am just concerned that the higher price does not mean that it will hold that much better that the 150.00 vice. Thank you for your input.

I don't think one vise really holds better than another when new, unless you're talking about a really cheap imported one. What's different is the jaw opening, throat depth, and most importantly, the amount of abuse they will take before breaking, bending, or springing the jaws. The Wilton Tradesman vises are good vises, but the jaw opening is very small compared with the Wilton machinist vises. If you don't need the jaw opening capacity, they wouldn't be a bad choice.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have looked at the Yost brand. I am not against spending 400.00 on a new vise. I am just concerned that the higher price does not mean that it will hold that much better that the 150.00 vice. Thank you for your input.

I think if you are looking strictly at new, with no interest in old scarred and used the Yost would have to be very high on my list. The Wilton and Columbian are also very nice, but I think I would lean toward the Yost myself.

This is coming from a guy dedicated to buying stuff like old machinist vises used with no interest in buying them new!

 

[bushhawg73]

I found an old Prentiss Bulldog vise today. It has 4 1/2 jaw and looks in pretty good shape. I think that I could pick it up for 150.00. It says # 264 1/2 on the side. Still thinking about it but I am not sure that it is big enough.

 

[Flash21]

bushhawg73 - I'm in the same spot you are. I also would put the Wilton Tradesman 1765 at the top of my list. (Although, I haven't looked at Yost)

 

[bushhawg73]

The real factor is this. Some tools cost and arm and a leg and every time that you use the tool you swear that you would buy it again even at double the cost. Some tools you use and think How did I ever convince myself to spend that good money on this POS. That is why when I worked in a shop I would watch the senior mechanics and see how he did the job and what he used. The garage journal is now my senior mechanic. I just wanted to know what vise you have and how well it has worked for you. Maybe I should have listed the thread that way. Oh well

 

[ron in sc]

I bought my 1765 brand new about 1 year ago from an ebay seller. It was $260 plus insured shipping with delivery confirmation which added $45. It was shipped from Washington to South Carolina. I think you can still find good deals on these vices.

 

[halfxspaid]

I was looking for a nice vintage vise for a while on craigslist and ebay. I went to an estate sale over the weekend and found a large 1960s craftsman for cheap. Maybe look at some estate sales this weekend?

 

[back2class]

I have two wilton "bullet" vises. Very nice but they do not open all that much. One is a C-0 and one is a C-2. Not small vises but still limited in opening.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The real factor is this. Some tools cost and arm and a leg and every time that you use the tool you swear that you would buy it again even at double the cost. Some tools you use and think How did I ever convince myself to spend that good money on this POS. That is why when I worked in a shop I would watch the senior mechanics and see how he did the job and what he used. The garage journal is now my senior mechanic. I just wanted to know what vise you have and how well it has worked for you. Maybe I should have listed the thread that way. Oh well

Since you put it that way, this is my old beat Columbian I bought missing it's swivel base cheap. By the time I bought the proper base I am sure I had around $100 in it as you see it here. I would not go out and spend hundreds to replace it, I can tell you that.

If you want the most bang for your buck, buy one used. If you get a quality one like a Reed,Yost, Wilton or Columbian you will quickly figure out you missed out on nothing buying it used.

 

[beelsr]

The way I explain this to clients is:

Buy quality, you'll only cry once.

The real factor is this. Some tools cost and arm and a leg and every time that you use the tool you swear that you would buy it again even at double the cost. Some tools you use and think How did I ever convince myself to spend that good money on this POS.