Wilton 8" Bench Vise

[Transam461]

Im in the market for a new 8" Bench Vise and was wondering if anyone owns the Wilton 8" Bench Vise WS8 #63304 that could share their experience? I have read a few reviews on Amazon, and people seem to really like it, most say it really Heavy Duty, nice vise. I have found it for $229. I also see there is a 8" Wilton #21800 that looks really nice, but it is $409, I wasnt really looking to spend that much, although it does look nicer in the pictures, it appears to be power coated. I am unsure of the differences between the two, as far as material strength and such. I'm a mechanic, and currently have a cheap 6" that's about to bite the dust, and would like to have a 8" this time around. I was initially looking at the Eastwood 8" vise, but I read one review that said the design of the jaws didn't extend past the base, so it was hard to put anything very long into it without hitting the base of the vise. I definitely wouldn't want that.

Anyone have any experience with any of these?
I'm also open to recommendations on others as well

Thank You!

 

[Lelandwelds]

Im in the market for a new 8" Bench Vise and was wondering if anyone owns the Wilton 8" Bench Vise WS8 #63304 that could share their experience? I have read a few reviews on Amazon, and people seem to really like it, most say it really Heavy Duty, nice vise. I have found it for $229. I also see there is a 8" Wilton #21800 that looks really nice, but it is $409, I wasnt really looking to spend that much, although it does look nicer in the pictures, it appears to be power coated. I am unsure of the differences between the two, as far as material strength and such. I'm a mechanic, and currently have a cheap 6" that's about to bite the dust, and would like to have a 8" this time around. I was initially looking at the Eastwood 8" vise, but I read one review that said the design of the jaws didn't extend past the base, so it was hard to put anything very long into it without hitting the base of the vise. I definitely wouldn't want that.

Anyone have any experience with any of these?
I'm also open to recommendations on others as well

Thank You!

Nice piece of Chinesium. I bet it holds stuff.

 

[davethorik]

71 lbs for an 8" vise...wow. My old Reed 4.5" weighs 68.
Do you need 8" jaws or is this for bragging rights?

 

[Transam461]

Yeah, I need 8" jaws... I have ran into several projects where the 6" vise just wasnt big enough... 70 lbs not good for an 8" vise? I seen the 8" Eastwood weighs only 56 lbs. I'm not real knowledgeable on them, so please forgive me Lol.... I basically want to know which 8" vise people would favor in the $200-$400 price range

 

[crguy]

I basically want to know which 8" vise people would favor in the $200-$400 price range

You're not going to get anything but **** Chinese quality cast iron for that price.

 

[Transam461]

Yeah, I already figured that, a U.S. built vise is like $800, I don't need anything like that, but I would like to have the "best" **** Chinese vise I can get in that price range Lol... I've been doing more research, and that Wilton 21800 8" that I mentioned above that is normally $409, I found on Zoro Tools for the same $409, but I subscribed to their email, and they sent me a 15% off coupon code for my first order, so I can get it for $348 and free shipping.... sounds like a good price to me, even though it is made in China, it looks like a really nice vise, and has awesome reviews.. it weighs 91 lbs.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

My 8" Athol non swivel is 310 lbs...just FYI

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Where are you? I know where a 9" stout import is for $125 ( if it's not sold yet that is)

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

Good 8" jaw vises are expensive new, you might get lucky and find a good, used USA made vise worth the money. A good 8'' vise should weigh on the North side of 150 lbs. A good USA industrial duty 4"-6" may be more vise than what you currently are using, if it is an Asian vise. I like the USA made Yost industrial vises myself. I replaced a 6" Taiwan made Craftsman with a 103 Yost a few years back on a welding table. The 3" Yost is more vise than the craftsman was. My big vise is a 104 Yost.

 

[matt_i]

The 21800 looks more aesthetically pleasing to my eye. But, Im also not voting with my wallet Both are advertised to have 30ksi iron.

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

I got tired of trying to find a good large used vise that wasn’t priced out of this world.
I picked up the 21800 and it is a pretty nice unit. It’s large and works smooth. It’s pretty heavy and the shipping box was pretty much gone by the time it got here. I was worried but it only got a little scratch on the top.
I think it was pretty heavy for the UPS employees to throw around.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Yeah, I already figured that, a U.S. built vise is like $800

https://www.zoro.com/wilton-machinists-vise-swivel-standard-duty-800s/i/G8491506/

That's the drool worthy one.

 

[chrisnazzy]

Can you tell us general vicinity where you live so maybe one of us can point you in the direction of a old quality American made vise. Your $200-$400 budget would but you a pretty awesome vise if you're patient.

I worked a deal on a Reed 406 swivel jaw, swivel base for $300 just a couple months ago for member CrotalusAtrox. If a 164lb 6"jaw vise isn't enough for you a chinesium 8" Wilton certainly won't be. Here are as found pics and pics after he wire wheeled the whole thing and coated in boiled linseed oil.

Last pic is my Wilton 600 that I scored for $50. 150+ lbs. Phrases like "patience is a virtue" and "good things come to those who wait" come to mind here.

Let us know where you're at and maybe we can help you find a vise to be proud of!


Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[dkroth]

Based on the criteria you laid out you're on the right track with the 21800 Mechanic's vise.

Certainly a step up from the Workshop line - the 63304.

If you can wait a bit the 20% coupons seem to be fairly frequent from Zoro. OTOH, you've already got 15% so how much is your time worth to score that last $20 off?




.

 

[Transam461]

Thanks for all of the great advice, we are located in s.w. Missouri.... and I have been doing a ton of research on these, and I believe the 6" Wilton would be plenty of vise for us, the 21500, same as the 8", but in a 6". Most people say you usually get alot more vise, as far as size, in an industrial vise, than the usual cheap 6" vise. The vise this one will be replacing is just a little cheap Harbor Freight 6" vise, so I think the 6" Wilton will be much bigger in comparison anyway, and in fact the 8" may be too large for what we need. I can get the 6" from Zoro for $238

 

[crane operator]

I'm southwest missouri too. I don't know where you're at from carthage, and columbians don't always get a lot of oh's and ahh's, but I don't think they are too bad of a vise. $89.00 for a 5".

I do heavy machinery and have never had bigger than a 5" wide jaw.

Sometimes it helps searching craigslist to type in "vice" instead of "vise".

https://joplin.craigslist.org/tls/d/columbian-vice/6506661659.html

 

[Transam461]

Ok, thanks, I appreciate it! We are about 20 miles west of Branson, on Table Rock Lake.

 

[crane operator]

Just to be clear, a 8" vise in a sales ad means 8" wide jaws, not the opening size. They define/label vises by jaw width, not opening.

I could see you having troubles with something bigger than 8" fitting in a vise, but I've not had something I couldn't grab (that I needed a vise to grab), that I needed 8" jaws for.

 

[Transam461]

Well.... after studying the dimensions between the 6" Wilton and the 8" Wilton, it didn't seem like there was a drastic difference in size between the two. The 8" is about 2.5" longer than the 6", about an 1" taller, and they are the same width. One thing I liked about the 8", is the open capacity is 8 1/4", where as the 6" was only 5 3/4". (I can always close up the larger vise for smaller projects, but depending on the size of what im working on, I cant always open up a smaller vise for bigger projects.) The throat depth on the 8" is 4 3/4" vs 4 1/8" on the 6".... so, in the end, I went with the Wilton 21800 ( model 748A) 8" Vise, I believe it will serve me well. Got it from Zoro for $348 with my 15% coupon code. Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[meatsis]

My 8" Athol non swivel is 310 lbs...just FYI

Just curious, what model Athol do you have that weighs 310 pounds? I have several 8” Athols and the heaviest one (Athol 628 swivel base) weighs in at exactly 300 pounds. Any pictures would be great also.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Just curious, what model Athol do you have that weighs 310 pounds? I have several 8” Athols and the heaviest one (Athol 628 swivel base) weighs in at exactly 300 pounds. Any pictures would be great also.

Huh...Maybe I'm mistaken. It's the 618 (IIRC) and it's posted in the Vises thread. I'm on my phone right now so I don't have pictures. But when I posted it another user told me it was 310 or had the old ad or something I don't remember. When I get back home today all upload a picture or 2

 

[chrisnazzy]

Huh...Maybe I'm mistaken. It's the 618 (IIRC) and it's posted in the Vises thread. I'm on my phone right now so I don't have pictures. But when I posted it another user told me it was 310 or had the old ad or something I don't remember. When I get back home today all upload a picture or 2

If it ends up being a catalog page that was posted please re-post it on the vises thread. I have very few Athol catalog pages and none that show bigger than a 616 / 626 so if there is a page that shows both of your 8" Athols I'd like to save it. Thanks.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[Transam461]

Just to follow up... Zoro was extremely fast at shipping the new 8" Wilton 21800 (748A) Mechanics vise.... USF Holland delivered it earlier.......this thing is a beast!! I absolutley love it! Probably the last vise I'll ever have to buy for what I do. I'm happy I went with the 8" over the 6". Here is a few pictures, and a couple comparing it to the 6" Harbor Freight vise it is replacing, makes it look like a toy Lol... the pictures aren't great, I had to resize them in order to post them.

 

[dkroth]

Probably the last vise I'll ever have to buy for what I do.

Whoa! Hold on there.

You've got two vises. That's a start.

Two vises is what some on here eat on a Friday garage sale lunch run.



.

 

[Transam461]

Whoa! Hold on there.

You've got two vises. That's a start.

Two vises is what some on here eat on a Friday garage sale lunch run.




.

That's true! LOL