VISE Jackpot!

[Troyman]

This last year I was looking for a large Quality made Vise since I injured my craftsman 3 1/2 - just could not take the abuse. So I came across a Wilton on Offerup for $150.00 wow was I excited, my wife just shook her head. Proudly displayed on the work bench. Fast forward this year I was looking for another Quality made vise (American preferred) for my fixer upper in Lake Havasu. For several weeks I could not believe the prices anywhere between $300.00 and $1200.00 . I was almost set to grab one in Phoenix area - when a gentleman was selling locally in So. Ca. near my house. WOW! the Holy Grail of Vises - what a score for $140.00. My wife actually picked the vise up, brought it home and just shook her head with a smile. How can you get so excited about a tool. I just said " I dun't know.
I know there are a lot of guys here on the Journal that UNDERSTAND.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

which are you referring to as the holy grail?

 

[mark-NJ]

You just earned a first-class "you ****".

 

[General Geoff]

I don't think I've ever heard someone refer to a rotating head bench vise as a "holy grail" before, but if it makes you happy, great!

FYI that particular vise is a Chinese-origin unit that's been rebranded and sold as several different domestic brands, usually for between $200 and $300 new. Wilton-branded example 69999:

 

[paulsomlo]

Umm... are you sure you posted the right pictures?

 

[ecotec]

which are you referring to as the holy grail?

Umm... are you sure you posted the right pictures?

I am with these two guys…the holy grail Wiltons are 60,000psi ductile steel bullet vises.

 

[ecotec]

A will add that every person that I have ever known that has a rotating “Chinese wonder vise” absolutely loves theirs.

Google Wilton bullet machinist vise and go to “images”. You will see what people are looking for. The bullet vises are America… like a 1911 .45ACP or a B52 dropping it’s bombs or Farrah Fawcett’s ****.

 

[JradM]

I realize they're not Wilton bullets, bit I would be very happy with that pair. Nice work OP.

 

[Shelbylex]

I have a similar Columbian. 60 lb. Works well for me on my limited projects!

 

[tarmy]

A will add that every person that I have ever known that has a rotating “Chinese wonder vise” absolutely loves theirs.

Google Wilton bullet machinist vise and go to “images”. You will see what people are looking for. The bullet vises are America… like a 1911 .45ACP or a B52 dropping it’s bombs or Farrah Fawcett’s ****.

You win the mentally visible descriptive analogy for the damn WEEK with that one…well done.

 

[F-22]

Google Wilton bullet machinist vise and go to “images”. You will see what people are looking for. The bullet vises are America… like a 1911 .45ACP or a B52 dropping it’s bombs or Farrah Fawcett’s ****.

Ironically, Wilton is a bit of a rip off. A Czech company called York made the original bullet vise before WW2. A seller for York vises escaped to the US before the war and founded Wilton vise company.

Here is that old 40's design:




And here is an old York:








You can see how these are practically identical. Including the rear "cap" and the front plate that holds the spindle. Later on York changed the design to make it a bit cheaper to produce these vises.


Here is one of my own York vises, I think from the 50's or 60's:



(did not mill the jaws straight yet on this photo)
The spindle is held in by a pin at the front. It's not a bad design, the spindle isn't weakened it just has a groove around it (vises often have a pin through the spindle and a spring to take the slack off, but that pin through the spindle is a weak point, on the York it goes to the side). The rear is also held by a pin...



Anyway, Wilton vises are great and it's especially the ductile cast iron which makes them amazingly durable, but the design is a rip off. The patent of the York vise in the Czech existed before Wilton... At those times the Czech company couldn't know their patent was copied half way around the world. Afterwards, Wilton got huge and the Czech were under the Soviets... Today it's likely Wilton bought York. The small Wilton Junior vises are made by the Czech and look identical to the new York vises still made today.

 

[Troyman]

I knew this thread would be educational, I find the Vise history fascinating.
Also if you don't have a vise in the garage you are problem not on this forum.
Thank you all for your in put.
F-22 when did Wilton switch over to Chinese?
Thanks again

 

[woody 73]

I don't get the whole vise thing, to me just an old boat anchor. But I get it, because I get excited over hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and most any hand tools. At least I don't get a hernia carrying around screwdrivers.

Funny story but I found around 20 nos vintage screwdriver's this week and the clerk thought I was nuts & insane for buying all those old dusty screwdrivers; so, I get the vise thing op good job .

 

[Troyman]

Thanks woody 73 that is very funny and true!!

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I don't get the whole vise thing, to me just an old boat anchor. But I get it, because I get excited over hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and most any hand tools. At least I don't get a hernia carrying around screwdrivers.

Funny story but I found around 20 nos vintage screwdriver's this week and the clerk thought I was nuts & insane for buying all those old dusty screwdrivers; so, I get the vise thing op good job .

There are other tools besides vises to collect???? Now I'm in real trouble.

 

[rdenney]

The Wilton vises like in the OP were actually made by Columbian in the 90's, after Wilton had acquired Columbian. The design was off-shored at some point. I have a similar one that has "Made in USA" cast into the movable jaw. It was Wilton's price-point offering even then. The movable jaw fits too loosely, there's a lot of backlash, and the screw is exposed to the bottom. But I still have mine after maybe 25 years because, try as I might, I can't break it. And I have tried.

Some of the off-shore vises made in those patterns, like the rotating vise in the OP, also use 60,000 psi ductile iron. I have one of those plus a 5" vise that are branded "Doyle" and sold at HF. They use ductile iron, have very little backlash, line up perfectly without having to be guided, and have enclosed screws. They are very decent vises, and certainly on a par with my 50-year-old Wilton Mechanic's Vise (which was their price-point vise before they acquired Columbian).

Rick "country of origin is no guarantee of quality or lack thereof" Denney

 

[1982fxr]

I believe the red one is current production. The name on it switched to wilton when they killed the Columbian line a few years ago, so I wouldn't say that was made by Columbian because that's a dead brand.

 

[General Geoff]

Some of the off-shore vises made in those patterns, like the rotating vise in the OP, also use 60,000 psi ductile iron. I have one of those plus a 5" vise that are branded "Doyle" and sold at HF. They use ductile iron, have very little backlash, line up perfectly without having to be guided, and have enclosed screws. They are very decent vises, and certainly on a par with my 50-year-old Wilton Mechanic's Vise (which was their price-point vise before they acquired Columbian).

Absolutely true. Lots of Asian import vises are rock solid. Just have to do a bit of research to separate the wheat from the chaff. I have a Taiwanese Yost FSV-5 (forged steel) vise that's very stout for its size and weight. I use it as a hitch receiver mounted vise on my truck.

 

[rdenney]

I believe the red one is current production. The name on it switched to wilton when they killed the Columbian line a few years ago, so I wouldn't say that was made by Columbian because that's a dead brand.

I don't know if vises were even still being made by Columbian when Wilton bought them, so let's just say it's in the Columbian pattern.

The one I bought in the late 90's actually says "Columbian" and "Made in USA" on it, but it was in a Wilton box. The finish level was...basic. The one in the OP looks better to me.

Rick "but it was cheap for a largish serviceable vise" Denney

 

[mark-NJ]

...plus a 5" vise that are branded "Doyle" and sold at HF. They use ductile iron, have very little backlash, line up perfectly without having to be guided, and have enclosed screws. They are very decent vises, and certainly on a par with my 50-year-old Wilton Mechanic's Vise (which was their price-point vise before they acquired Columbian).

Rick "country of origin is no guarantee of quality or lack thereof" Denney

Not sure how I overlooked these, but I just checked them out, saw a video, read the reviews...and it sure looks like these Doyle vises are pretty nice. Next time I go to HF I'll check these out "up close & personal".

 

[mark-NJ]

This is sort of a hy-jack to the OP's thread, but to follow up on Rick's mention of (and my response to) the Doyle vices, I was at HF today and checked these out. They're massive, the fit/finish sure looks good and the mechanism is silky smooth. The jaw faces come together square, straight & true. I suppose someone needs to bang on one for a year or 2 to know for sure, but just on first impressions, I'd buy one of these without reservation.

In short, these seem to be part of the (limited) HF offerings that are a step above their typical mediocrity.



Fiver added for scale






The 5" has a robust pipe clamp, too.

 

[ecotec]

This is sort of a hy-jack to the OP's thread, but to follow up on Rick's mention of (and my response to) the Doyle vices, I was at HF today and checked these out. They're massive, the fit/finish sure looks good and the mechanism is silky smooth. The jaw faces come together square, straight & true. I suppose someone needs to bang on one for a year or 2 to know for sure, but just on first impressions, I'd buy one of these without reservation.

In short, these seem to be part of the (limited) HF offerings that are a step above their typical mediocrity.



Fiver added for scale






The 5" has a robust pipe clamp, too.

I have enough vises for the rest of my life.

I have no urgency.

I want to pay less than those Harbor Freight vises cost for lightly used trophy level American vises. I am not going to leave them for you… that is the game.

 

[jtitus07]

A will add that every person that I have ever known that has a rotating “Chinese wonder vise” absolutely loves theirs.

Google Wilton bullet machinist vise and go to “images”. You will see what people are looking for. The bullet vises are America… like a 1911 .45ACP or a B52 dropping it’s bombs or Farrah Fawcett’s ****.

Has anybody signature'd this yet? Because I'm stealing it

 

[ecotec]

Has anybody signature'd this yet? Because I'm stealing it

It’s all yours.

 

[paulsomlo]

I want to pay less than those Harbor Freight vises cost for lightly used trophy level American vises. I am not going to leave them for you… that is the game.

I thought you had enough for the rest of your life?

 

[ecotec]

I thought you had enough for the rest of your life?

That only takes away the need and urgency, Paul.

 

[Shiftless]

I thought you had enough for the rest of your life?

I too have plenty of vises. But “enough” is an elusive term. When I had enough to fill my shelf system, I built another shelf system. When that was full, I just built some more shelves. Soon after that I built a few more.

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

I bought one of those harbor freight vises a few years so, it was a mid size one not the rotating jaw kind, got it home installed it went to tighten down on a piece of pipe and the dynamic jaw immediately broke in half and fell onto the floor with the handle in my hand. Never had a wilton or any vise do that. My experience.

 

[mike93lx]

I thought you had enough for the rest of your life?

The right number of vises is N+1, with N representing the number of vises you own right now.

The same is often said for bikes, guns, knives and anything else we seek justification for owning "too many" of

 

[mark-NJ]

I bought one of those harbor freight vises a few years so, it was a mid size one not the rotating jaw kind, got it home installed it went to tighten down on a piece of pipe and the dynamic jaw immediately broke in half and fell onto the floor with the handle in my hand. Never had a wilton or any vise do that. My experience.

How many years ago? The Doyle vises are pretty new...

 

[ecotec]

The right number of vises is N+1, with N representing the number of vises you own right now.

The same is often said for bikes, guns, knives and anything else we seek justification for owning "too many" of

This guy understands…

 

[Lwel9226]

I bought one of those harbor freight vises a few years so, it was a mid size one not the rotating jaw kind, got it home installed it went to tighten down on a piece of pipe and the dynamic jaw immediately broke in half and fell onto the floor with the handle in my hand. Never had a wilton or any vise do that. My experience.

I also bought one of their vises a few years ago.... Pulled the threads out of the body the very first time I tried to used it....
I too have never had any other vise fail like that....

LynnW

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

How many years ago? The Doyle vises are pretty new

The right number of vises is N+1, with N representing the number of vises you own right now.

The same is often said for bikes, guns, knives and anything else we seek justification for owning "too many" of

It’s like when that journalist asked bill gates how much money was enough? “More”.

 

[Mwoods35670]

After getting a new snap on vise,which is a Wilton 1750 rebrand,I'm seriously disappointed with the quality and finish.the casting had flashing everywhere and was painted over with the thinnest coat imaginable.now,all I think about is how super nice these Doyle vises are.if you have not personally seen one,you won't believe how nice they are.they seem like every operation was done under super strict qc.like an $1100 Wilton should be

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

But you bought a snap on not a Wilton.

 

[1982fxr]

After getting a new snap on vise,which is a Wilton 1750 rebrand,I'm seriously disappointed with the quality and finish.the casting had flashing everywhere and was painted over with the thinnest coat imaginable.now,all I think about is how super nice these Doyle vises are.if you have not personally seen one,you won't believe how nice they are.they seem like every operation was done under super strict qc.like an $1100 Wilton should be

When did you get the Snap-on? Wilton hasn't made the 1750 for a long time.

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

I’d like to see a picture of where it says Wilton on it.

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

Sounds to me like your issue is with snap on, since according to you a snap on vise.

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

Maybe snap one threshold of of quality is lower than the brand that you say your vise is, but your vise says snap on, I’m confused.

 

[WoodenDisasterMaster]

And… the 1750, at least mine has the parting line right down the middle and then the jaws the anvil and the rear are machined,,, there’s not a lot of parting line left after that … so I’m just wondering where all the flashing is…