Vises by the pound? Holland 18.

[mjozefow]

I have the opportunity to buy an enormous Holland 18. 10" jaws and supposedly in good shape. The guy wants $400-$500 for the thing.

Is it worth it (seems high??)? Anyone have any info on this model?

 

[boomerangg22]

Seems kinda high to me. What can it do that a $100-$150 Wilton won't do? You can buy a lot of needed tools for 400-500. JMO

 

[fordbroncodave]

get your self a nice wilton and use the rest for a sturdy bench to attach it to

 

[mjozefow]

get your self a nice wilton and use the rest for a sturdy bench to attach it to

Already got one (Wilton 1780).

This is not a NEED it is a WANT. The vise weighs in at about 300lbs. It's really a point of wanting a HUGE bench vise. I'm going to try to get the guy to go down a bit, but I'm wondering if anyone has purchased one this big.

 

[woody 73]

This may seem somewhat trivial but I think the person asking the price of four to five hundred is on the money for a large 300 lb. vise. How often do you see them listed? I bet not often and how many people want to ship a huge vise in the mail?

 

[Rory Bellows]

Good shape is very relative. All of the large vises I've ever seen were beat up worse than a similar smaller version. I think most people beat on them more because they are so big. I'd look at it first then go from there. You have to remember the market for a large vise like that is very small. Most people want a vise they can handle without having to mount it on a piece of 1 inch plate.

 

[LoneGunman]

I'm sure it cost a few times that price new, but as Rory said, the market is small for such a large vise and MOST of the places who are in the market for such a vise are probably going to buy it new. The local power company has one monster vise in their shop, I guarantee they don't buy used stuff.

If you really want it I'd go there with $300 and tell him by all means the vise is worth your asking price but I cannot pay that, $300 is what I am willing to give for it. 99% of the people I have dealt with are cool with such an offer, they may not take it but they don't get pissed about it, if they don't take the offer you can always bump it up a little in a few days. If you piss the guy off he won't sell it to you for anything less than the full price. IMHO, the worse someone can do is try to beat someone up on the price by insulting their merchandise or by insulting them by acting like they are crazy for asking that price.

Wheeling and dealing is fun but too many people act like azzholes when they are trying to deal. I've had people piss me off to the point where I refused to sell them the merchandise even after they came up in price.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

If it's in good shape, I don't think you'd regret buying it. Do you have any pictures of it? You'll have surpassed me in my quest to be holder of the presigious award of Biggest Damn Vise on the Internet. I recently had a bead on a 325-350 pound Prentiss, but the guy claims someone else bought it for $1200.

I'm going to be out Indiana way sometime in the next couple weeks. If you get that thing, I'd really like to see it. My advise: buy it.

And then sell it to me.

 

[mjozefow]

If it's in good shape, I don't think you'd regret buying it. Do you have any pictures of it? You'll have surpassed me in my quest to be holder of the presigious award of Biggest Damn Vise on the Internet. I recently had a bead on a 325-350 pound Prentiss, but the guy claims someone else bought it for $1200.

I'm going to be out Indiana way sometime in the next couple weeks. If you get that thing, I'd really like to see it. My advise: buy it.

And then sell it to me.

Ya, I'd probably kick myself if I didn't get it. We'll see. I have yet to see it in pictures or in person. He says it is in good shape, who knows, definitions vary. Ever since I got my Parker (which I gave to my Dad) I have wanted an ENORMOUS vise.

Banjo, feel free to swing by if I get it. Or even if I don't.

 

[mjozefow]

Anyone have info on a Hollands 18? Old catalog stuff?

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Damn, I want a humongous old vise too!

Adam

 

[mjozefow]

Damn, I want a humongous old vise too!

Adam

Don't we all?

 

[dfndr]

That Chinese vise that Jack Olsen posted a while back is pretty damn big. So big, in fact that it eats smaller vises! It may or may not be forged and it only costs about $150 if I recall. Maybe check it out. Rick

 

[mjozefow]

That Chinese vise that Jack Olsen posted a while back is pretty damn big. So big, in fact that it eats smaller vises! It may or may not be forged and it only costs about $150 if I recall. Maybe check it out. Rick

Thanks for the suggestion...However...

A Chinese 10" vise will probably weigh in the neighborhood of 100-150 lbs. This is less than my 6" Charles Parker. It will open about 10-12". Also less than my 6" Parker.

An old American 10" wise will weigh well over 300lbs. There is no comparison.

No offense Jack Olsen.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

mjozefow, I think 300 lbs may be a pretty conservative estimate. The Prentiss I mentioned earlier only had 8 1/2" jaws and it wasn't built nearly as heavy duty as Behemoth; it was just a lot bigger. So there are two different directions Hollands could have taken with it: they could have made a HUGE vise that is built pretty heavy or an almost huge vise that is built REALLY HEAVY. Or maybe they even did both, but that is a lot less likely. In any case, I'm really expecting it to be closer to 500 lbs than 300 lbs. I've never see one that big though so I could be way wrong, but by all means make sure someone is with you to help load it in the truck.

 

[mjozefow]

mjozefow, I think 300 lbs may be a pretty conservative estimate. The Prentiss I mentioned earlier only had 8 1/2" jaws and it wasn't built nearly as heavy duty as Behemoth; it was just a lot bigger. So there are two different directions Hollands could have taken with it: they could have made a HUGE vise that is built pretty heavy or an almost huge vise that is built REALLY HEAVY. Or maybe they even did both, but that is a lot less likely. In any case, I'm really expecting it to be closer to 500 lbs than 300 lbs. I've never see one that big though so I could be way wrong, but by all means make sure someone is with you to help load it in the truck.

If I do end up with it, the dude has a forklift. Getting it OUT is the issue.

I plotted a trend line on excel using Parker info and extrapolated the weight for a 10" non-swivel vise. I came up with over 400 lbs. We'll see.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

Ahh nice. I did some math in my head comparing my 6" and 8" Columbian weights and jaw widths, but my findings didn't match my preconceived notions, so I disregarded them.

 

[mjozefow]

Any old advertisements or anything?

 

[tonydanzah]

I am surprised by this weight, the 7" swivel Littlestown I just bough weights 75lbs. The 4" swivel wilton I have weighs 35lbs. Why is the weigh going up exponentially?

 

[mjozefow]

I am surprised by this weight, the 7" swivel Littleton I just bough weights 75lbs. The 4" swivel wilton I have weighs 35lbs. Why is the weigh going up exponentially?

It is a volume thing. Since volume is L*W*H, if each dimension is to stay proportional it increases cubically.

ex:

2x2x2 cube: V=8
3x3x3 cube: V=27
4x4x4 cube: V=64

Check out how the weights progress on these vises.(credit DS-21)

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=38720&d=1251912570

Also, on modern cheap vises, they tend to "T" the jaws. So the body of a vise might not really increase very much. This 6" weighs less than half of my Parker 6".

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

I am surprised by this weight, the 7" swivel Littlestown I just bough weights 75lbs. The 4" swivel wilton I have weighs 35lbs. Why is the weigh going up exponentially?

It also has a lot to do with the manufacturer and the purpose of the vise. I have a Reed 4C with 6" jaws that weighs 185 lbs, an old Columbian 608 with 8" jaws that weighs around 180 lbs (off the top of my head), and Behemoth has 8" jaws and weighs 255 lbs. I can't wait to find out how much this Hollands weighs.

 

[tonydanzah]

maybe, but look at some of the vises in montes tools of the old world thread when he went the tool expo. Those german vises look like tanks, but are also very minimally built.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

I agree, but the vises we are talking about are old American iron. The Ridgid vises are drop-forged steel, which is why they can make them approximately as strong with less material.

Also, here's a Hollands 15: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12339115@N00/4193779288/in/photostream/. It looks remarkably similar to a Reed, which was also made in Erie. Hmmmm

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

Any news on this? I'm impatient. lol

 

[mjozefow]

I'm supposed to be hearing back from the dude. I called him a week ago, and he said he overestimated the amount of time it would take to clear the piles of junk out of this old shop. He said you can barely shimmy back to the vise now, but no way the froklift will get in there yet.

Apparently, a forklift is the only way this thing can be moved. He said he was doubtful if even three guys would be enough without a forklift or other lifting machine.

 

[arkangel06]

Tell him to get on it!!!

 

[mjozefow]

Dear Mitch,

Thank you for the info on the Prentiss. After a very stressful winter and a very much needed vacation I came back to work to find out that we don't quite have acquisition of the larger vise. It seems that the current owner still has a use for it till his new building is built,(even thou you can barely get to it). I am sorry that I got your hopes up before I actually had it in my possession. I do not know if we will ever get it at this point. I'm told it will be six to nine months. I would like to sell it to you as much as I know you would like to have it, so if you would just send me an email back with all your info with large vise as the title and I'll keep you in my folder. Again thank you for all your interest and I hope that we can make this vise yours maybe this fall.


Dear XXXXXX-

These things happen, no big deal. I would very much like to get the larger one at some point. If it is in the cards it will happen. Until then, would you be willing to sell the smaller Prentiss? Regardless, thank you for the prompt, straight-forward response, I hope to hear from you in the future about the "biggun".

Regards,
Mitch

My info:

Mitch Jozefowski
***

Phone # 847-***



XXXX


We'll see what happens now. I would love to get my hands on that huge vise, but a good size Prentiss could be worked into my shop pretty easy!

I'm a bit bummed, but he seems to be a stand-up dude. I hope to get a call in 6-9 months.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

Somehow I missed your response. That really *****! I just wanted to see what that monster looked like. I hope you hear back from him in the fall. At least I've got until then to find a bigger one.

 

[mjozefow]

I hope you do!

I was bummed, but what do you do? I was daydreaming of seeing a vise so big it had to lifted with a forklift. I will be persistent, and I hope I find another one. Or maybe this dude will call me in 6mos.

The thought crossed my mind that a vise that large might not be super practical. But then I realized that there are some places where practicality should be tossed out the window. This is one of those occasions.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

Of course its unpractical! There's not really any reason at all why ANYONE would need something like that. HOWEVER, there is never a situation in which bigger is not better. Why do people buy 48" long pipe wrenches knowing full well that the only plumbing they'll ever be doing is under the kitchen sink? It's a matter of pride of ownership. lol

 

[mjozefow]

Of course its unpractical! There's not really any reason at all why ANYONE would need something like that. HOWEVER, there is never a situation in which bigger is not better. Why do people buy 48" long pipe wrenches knowing full well that the only plumbing they'll ever be doing is under the kitchen sink? It's a matter of pride of ownership. lol

A big vise is awesome. The bigger the vise, the more kick *** it is. Plain and simple.

 

[wellstig1]

Of course its unpractical! There's not really any reason at all why ANYONE would need something like that. HOWEVER, there is never a situation in which bigger is not better. Why do people buy 48" long pipe wrenches knowing full well that the only plumbing they'll ever be doing is under the kitchen sink? It's a matter of pride of ownership. lol

Come to work with me for a day and I will show you many uses for a 48" pipe wrench. We want to get a 60" but its only made in iron. A cheater on the 48 will do for now.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

Haha I wasn't saying there wasn't any use for a pipe wrench that big, only that some people just want them for the sake of having them.

 

[wellstig1]

Yeah, I noticed that after I posted. Although seeing somebody try to swing a 48" rigid under a sink would be damn funny.

 

[speed bump]

Of course its unpractical! There's not really any reason at all why ANYONE would need something like that. HOWEVER, there is never a situation in which bigger is not better. Why do people buy 48" long pipe wrenches knowing full well that the only plumbing they'll ever be doing is under the kitchen sink? It's a matter of pride of ownership. lol

Actually i'm on the look out for a 48" or a 60" pipe wrench. They make great mobile pipe vises, I use my 36" a lot for holding pinion yokes, more leverage is always a good thing.

As far as vises go, a bigger vise is rarely impractical I seldom need a smaller vise but I always seem to need a bigger vise.

 

[bgott]

It's the same way with anvils. Hang around the blacksmith websites a while and you'll become convinced that a 300 pound anvil will add 3" to your ****.

 

[gc427]

It's the same way with anvils. Hang around the blacksmith websites a while and you'll become convinced that a 300 pound anvil will add 3" to your ****.

Funny, but very true!
BTW, I am in the market for a 500 lb anvil on the cheap!

 

[porphyre]

It's the same way with anvils. Hang around the blacksmith websites a while and you'll become convinced that a 300 pound anvil will add 3" to your ****.

Only if you tie it to the end then stand up....

 

[mjozefow]

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/for/1710134473.html

This thing is ~250lbs and the dude wants $600 for it. I offered him a dollar a pound. It is rust as all hell. Looks like my 140lb Parker I got for $100. No one else has called on it. He won't take less than five hundred he says. I guess we'll see if he call back. I'm not paying over 300 bucks for it though.

 

[porphyre]

With the amount of rust on the sliding jaw, I can't believe that vise works.