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Vises: Which style would you choose?

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jwith68

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Junkman said:
Don't people own rulers any more? Soda cans and Pop bottles just don't cut it for me...... :headscrat

This vise I picked up about 20 years ago, but I don't know who made it, or where it was made. It is extremely heavy. It was in storage until this past month when I started to clean out the garage.
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Junkman, that looks just like one that was on eBay a few months ago, listed as a Fowler. I saved a photo of it, because I had never seen one that the rear jaw moved instead of the front jaw. Looks strong as h*ll!

Also, on the subject of maximum jaw opening, I just posted in the "vise manufacturer's" thread about getting a Ridgid F60. One of the attractions for me of this vise (beyond the 75ksi forgings) is the fact it can open to about 8.5" and still have full slide engagement, and open to 9.25" and still have full screw engagement.
 
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Junkman

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jwith68 said:
Junkman, that looks just like one that was on eBay a few months ago, listed as a Fowler. I saved a photo of it, because I had never seen one that the rear jaw moved instead of the front jaw. Looks strong as h*ll!
..............
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I will admit that I know nothing about the vise that I own, but I do know that the rear jaw is fixed and the front one moves. Thanks for the name of the brand..... I will try to find the company...
Could you please post the picture of the vise that you saw on ebay for my interest in learning? thanks Junk....
 
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jwith68

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Junkman said:
I will admit that I know nothing about the vise that I own, but I do know that the rear jaw is fixed and the front one moves. Thanks for the name of the brand..... I will try to find the company...
Could you please post the picture of the vise that you saw on ebay for my interest in learning? thanks Junk....
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Junkman, I will post it. Will probably be this evening, because I must have saved it on my home PC. Can't find it here at work.
 
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kartracer55

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The cheaper wiltons use a 30,000PSI casting, the More expensive ones use a 60,000PSI casting. The 60Kpsi is made in USA and costs at least 2x as much as the cheaper one.

Jim
 
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bmwpower

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kartracer55 said:
The cheaper wiltons use a 30,000PSI casting, the More expensive ones use a 60,000PSI casting. The 60Kpsi is made in USA and costs at least 2x as much as the cheaper one.

Jim
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You didn't answer the question.... Which one would you choose? Machinist or Tradesman?
 
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jwith68

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Junkman said:
I will admit that I know nothing about the vise that I own, but I do know that the rear jaw is fixed and the front one moves. Thanks for the name of the brand..... I will try to find the company...
Could you please post the picture of the vise that you saw on ebay for my interest in learning? thanks Junk....
Click to expand...

Junkman, found it. Actually, 3 of them. Sure looks like your photo.

Fowler_1ds.jpg

Fowler_2ds.jpg

Fowler_3ds.jpg

Hope these help!
 
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Junkman

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That is the same beast. I did a google search today for Fowler vise, but came up empty. Do you know the auction number? I might be able to get some information from the seller, or it might be in the auction itself. thanks... Junk...
 
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jwith68

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Junkman said:
That is the same beast. I did a google search today for Fowler vise, but came up empty. Do you know the auction number? I might be able to get some information from the seller, or it might be in the auction itself. thanks... Junk...
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Sorry, but I didn't save any more information on the auction, just the photos. It's been long enough that the auction would be gone anyway, I think they only stay around for 90 days.

You might contact Fowler and ask them. Someone there may still remember them.
 
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Junkman

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jwith68 said:
Sorry, but I didn't save any more information on the auction, just the photos. It's been long enough that the auction would be gone anyway, I think they only stay around for 90 days.

You might contact Fowler and ask them. Someone there may still remember them.
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Checked with the F.V. Fowler Company and they never manufactured large vises. Only very small ones for specialized uses. The search continues...
 
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Geeforce

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I like the Machinist over the Tradesman for the same reason you pointed out bmwpower. More open below the jaw. Figures, cause I just spotted the 4 1/2 tradesman for around $210 which fits my budget better. The Machinist is a lot more. Now I'm looking at the Ridgid F50.....
 
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CRTDI

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I recently purchased a Wilton Tradesman 1765. I'm using it for home/garage projects. I'm sure I'll be passing this on to my kids, no way I'm going to wear this thing out. I considered the Machinist version also, but unless you're in a production enviroment and going to be wailing away on this thing every day than there is no need to purchase the Machinist version. The Tradesman will be more than you'll ever need.

So I recommend the Tradesman for the home garage/hobbyist use and the Machinist for day in day out professional use.
 
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BanjoSavesTheDay

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alex71

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brianpgriset said:
They're usually just sort of diamond shaped to grip the pipe. Those ones look kinda dinky though... hmmm. I bet they work good though... its a Wilton!. They almost always do chew on what your clamping in them, at least my cheapo Kobalt vise does. They are helpful in many situations so I'd say go with the Tradesman.
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I broke one on a new tradesman. Its been sitting on top of my toolbox for a few months... I wonder if Wilton would send me a new one just for the asking. Bought it new, but at a garage sale and never sent in the warranty card.
 
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CRTDI

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Flash21

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Charles (in GA) said:
...I have two vices, both 4 inch (4 inch wide jaws, the way you measure a vice) Craftsman, the older one is probably 50 years old and has removable pipe jaws that drop in over the sliding "tube" of the movable jaw. This is nice in that you can get them out of the way when you don't need them, and they grip pipe about ten times better than the permanent pipe jaws of newer vices....
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Charles - Any way you could post a picture of what you are talking about? Now you have me curious, I don't think I have seen what you are describing before.
 
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Moose-LandTran

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********, those are some ugly-*** vices. Get a proper vice:

Image0020.jpg
 
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