PowerGenGuy
Well-known member
Can anyone speak on the quality of the Vice Grips that are being manufactured offshore against the older ones that were made in Nebraska?
Vice Grips
- Thread starter PowerGenGuy
- Start date
Hammer1963
Well-known member
Not even close to the quality of the U.S made Vise Grips. They don't feel the same, don't look the same and they are lighter in weight. If I am looking to purchase a locking plier, I have decided to go with the Spanish made version that Snap-on sells in the Blue Point line. Good quality and Snap-on isn't going anywhere.
plinker
Well-known member
I have some older and some newer.
The teeth on the newer ones are not as good as the older. the get worn faster. Otherwise they have some slop/play in the joints.
Overall they are still the best locking pliers I've found for the price. They are still much better then the no name ones.
Edit: the jaws are also different shaped depending on what the coo is.
IE; all china, US with global parts, all USA
I do have a pair of Channellock branded Grip-on pliers (made in Spain), I dont care for the release on them, but they are also good quality.
The teeth on the newer ones are not as good as the older. the get worn faster. Otherwise they have some slop/play in the joints.
Overall they are still the best locking pliers I've found for the price. They are still much better then the no name ones.
Edit: the jaws are also different shaped depending on what the coo is.
IE; all china, US with global parts, all USA
I do have a pair of Channellock branded Grip-on pliers (made in Spain), I dont care for the release on them, but they are also good quality.
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strnjss
Well-known member
I bought a pair almost a year ago now, and they didn't even survive one usage!
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74885
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74885
Underdog
Well-known member
Pos......................................
BrokewrenchLS1
Well-known member
Teeth on the new ones seem to get as chewed up as quickly as the teeth on the old ones. Which really doesn't surprise me, seeing what vise grips are normally used for.
poprockcrusher
Banned
Irwin Sponsored The Bristol Race last night
DonkDonk
Well-known member
No comparison. Old ones are some of the best tools made, new ones are only slightly better than the no name china junk. I buy the old ones at the swap meet whenever I can find them.. they can just about be rusted solid and will clean up and be 10 times better than a brand new set.
On a side note during the transition phase, not sure how long this was, they do not say USA on them anywhere, but they still have the roll pin (pic below) and these are still the old quality. If they have a rivet there instead, they are the new inferior vise grips.
On a side note during the transition phase, not sure how long this was, they do not say USA on them anywhere, but they still have the roll pin (pic below) and these are still the old quality. If they have a rivet there instead, they are the new inferior vise grips.
NoiseRacing
Well-known member
I buy the ****** crappy tire, gas bar special pack every year for 10 bucks. When they get tired they get used for welding. When they are no longer good at all they get thrown in my scrap bin which gets sold to the scrapper every 6 months. The Irwin ones are made in china now too.
oilslick
Well-known member
Irwin *****, they profit on cheap chinese labor,enough to sponsor a nascar race, ruined vise-grip what a shame!! They should sell them for 1/2 price because they arent even worth that!
Lump
Well-known member
I've been buying the old original Peterson Vise Grips whenever I see them at a decent price. I've got quite a few of them now, but I keep buying them, because I know that sources for the old ones will dry up one day. But I will probably start reselling some of them soon. Maybe I should make a GJ classified about that?
junk. hands down the quality went in the crapper. i have a newer pair and the jaws disentegrated on the first time trying to remove a broken stud. irwin in short order destoyed a very good product. irwin, if you are watching i will challenge any of your new imported pliers against my 25 or 30 old school originals. your new ones ****.........
so whats the solution for good locking pliers? snapon, german tools? If some tool company reps out there are looking on this forum maybe you could swing ideas for them to step up to the plate to make some quality locking pliers. *cough*channellock*cough*
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Its not Irwin. They were infected by the giant that is Newell Rubbermaid which only cares about pleasing share holders and max profits.
Michael Bryce Winnick
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2010
- Messages
- 112
The Chinese tools eat ****.
BrokewrenchLS1
Well-known member
The Grip-On (Snap-On's rebrand) vise grips seem to be the most popular, although they're not cheap.
DonkDonk
Well-known member
Good used ones are everywhere... or new old stock on Ebay. You can get the old Made in USA Vise Grips for the same price or less than the new China junk.... but they will eventually dry up so get them now.
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jeffmoss26
Well-known member
I've got the old US ones only. Love them!
Outlawmws
Well-known member
I was not aware that the Vise-Grip had been outsourced until This Saturday when I picked up two pair of the "U" shape jawed welders grips. It was noticeably clear that one was cheaper and I was thinking some Chinese company was counterfeiting them.
Who knew the company itself was doing the counterfeiting?
Here are side by side pics, the older set was well used, but the difference is obvious:
Time to stock up from yard sales better, and also get some for my son...
Who knew the company itself was doing the counterfeiting?
Here are side by side pics, the older set was well used, but the difference is obvious:
Time to stock up from yard sales better, and also get some for my son...
Attachments
plinker
Well-known member
Both pair of your welding clamps appear to be USA made, There is no "Irwin" stamped on them like the newer ones do.
The newer ones also do not have the emblem on the one side that says "Peterson Mfg. Co. Dewitt, Nb."
One pair is newer going by the fact that the one has a pat. date and the other does not.
I don't have any... yet... but:
http://shop.nws-tools.de/index.php/en/complete-assortment/grip-pliers.html
I don't have any... yet... but:
http://shop.nws-tools.de/index.php/en/complete-assortment/grip-pliers.html
Waoo that beautifil look...
V!
DonkDonk
Well-known member
I was not aware that the Vise-Grip had been outsourced until This Saturday when I picked up two pair of the "U" shape jawed welders grips. It was noticeably clear that one was cheaper and I was thinking some Chinese company was counterfeiting them.
Who knew the company itself was doing the counterfeiting?
Here are side by side pics, the older set was well used, but the difference is obvious:
These both appear to be USA Vise Grips. The one pair may be from that transition period that I was referring to earlier, but they are both made in the US. You can see the quality of the casting is not as good as the earlier ones, but the action and durability of them is on par with your other set. If you think the one set is bad, go pick up a "New" set and see what you think...
Underdog
Well-known member
They are both "Peterson" tell by the logo on the side, should say Dewiit, NE.
Both Gold. Like the other poster said go look at the China ones.
Both Gold. Like the other poster said go look at the China ones.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
If made in USA, then their quality slipped before they went offshore. The metal is rougher, the pressure handle just slightly less deep and therefor weaker, and most telling is the "Vise-Grip" stamping on the side is so blurry it is well nigh illegible. with the patent dates stripped off, everything about this tool screamed "knock off". Any company that cares so little about even presenting its name legibly, has lost it...
Lump
Well-known member
I don't have any... yet... but:
QUOTE]
This is just my PERSONAL opinion, but I very much dislike the style of this release-lever mechanism. Craftsman units used to be made this way.
Here is the difference: When you use lot of pressure to clamp a regular-style Vise Grip down tightly, the release lever springs out from the lower handle. But with this type unit (like the older Craftsman brand vise-grip clones), the release lever springs tightly against the lower handle. This makes it quite likely that the skin on your fingers will be pinched in between.
Lump
Well-known member
To see what I mean about the release levers, compare the Vise Grip photos in Outlaw's post. See how the release lever is locked away from the lower handle? Now look at the other unit, where the release lever is locked tightly against the lower handle. That's a pinch point that I prefer to avoid!
plinker
Well-known member
+1 on what Lump said.
If the euro design is better, why does it hurt when you hit the release lever?
I have gotten Vise grips on stuff so tight I would use a pair of pliers (or prybar) to trip the release lever. I have never gotten pinched with Vise grips (or Channellock pliers for that matter). I prefer the original style ('40's-'50's) that does not have the QR lever, just the bottom tang. Only have a couple though.
Colud be they were using old tooling that was worn, or made during a transisition period. Hard to say for sure. Some of the later ones may have been rougher finished for grip or or texture. The pat. date(s) were likely removed when they ran out.
Vise grips arent the best looking tool in the box, but they are one of the most useful IMO.
If the euro design is better, why does it hurt when you hit the release lever?
I have gotten Vise grips on stuff so tight I would use a pair of pliers (or prybar) to trip the release lever. I have never gotten pinched with Vise grips (or Channellock pliers for that matter). I prefer the original style ('40's-'50's) that does not have the QR lever, just the bottom tang. Only have a couple though.
Colud be they were using old tooling that was worn, or made during a transisition period. Hard to say for sure. Some of the later ones may have been rougher finished for grip or or texture. The pat. date(s) were likely removed when they ran out.
Vise grips arent the best looking tool in the box, but they are one of the most useful IMO.
OP
PowerGenGuy
Well-known member
I found a pair of rebranded Grip-On, partial set, with New Holland labels, got a good deal, but still pricey. I do like the way that the grip-ons release, but I don't have a problem with the way that vice-grip releases. I also found a source for some Petersen stamped Vice Grips, 10" straight jaw, there are about 3 left on the rack last week.
The Copilot
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2012
- Messages
- 107
Outlaw:
I know that this post is a couple of years old, but for what it's worth, both of these pairs of Vise Grips were made in the US by Petersen Manufacturing (DeWitt, Nebraska, just about an hour drive from here). The top pair with the patent dates stamped on the handle lever are older (I'd guess early 1960s since they have the handle release lever that appeared on the tools around 1958) and the bottom pair are from the early to mid 1980s. Manufacturing processes definitely did change during the decades in between and would explain the differences that you noted in your post. But otherwise both U.S. made Vise Grips. No counterfeits here.
I know that this post is a couple of years old, but for what it's worth, both of these pairs of Vise Grips were made in the US by Petersen Manufacturing (DeWitt, Nebraska, just about an hour drive from here). The top pair with the patent dates stamped on the handle lever are older (I'd guess early 1960s since they have the handle release lever that appeared on the tools around 1958) and the bottom pair are from the early to mid 1980s. Manufacturing processes definitely did change during the decades in between and would explain the differences that you noted in your post. But otherwise both U.S. made Vise Grips. No counterfeits here.
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I have been looking of the bent needle nose vise grip, I got the 6bn at a hardware store the other day. They have tons of vise grips and on the bottom were a stack of 6bn. Werent even in there computer, he says how five bucks sound, I said sold! However really want some 9bn. The only ones I have found are new old stock, and he wants 100 bucks for them. not sure when they quit making the bent nose.
morregerbert
Well-known member
i have few older and newer vise grips and slowly switching over to grip on's,knipex locking, and hoping some facom t5's.
my problem with vise grips if you lock them tight almost impossible to unlock with out use of both hands or another pair of vise grips or pry bar. never had my fingers pinched with grip ons.
my problem with vise grips if you lock them tight almost impossible to unlock with out use of both hands or another pair of vise grips or pry bar. never had my fingers pinched with grip ons.
Chuck122
Well-known member
Have 2 pairs of the never ones. Considering I use them to weld and beat on, they hold up well and are a great value. Never used NOS vise-grips but the old ones I used did not feel superior in any way. Sorry.
Capt Chrysler
Well-known member
Big POS They killed a small town when they moved off shore.
I hate the ad on TV "Tools that build America"
Capt. Chrysler
I hate the ad on TV "Tools that build America"
Capt. Chrysler