I am looking to replace my dinky little 3.5" vise that won't lock in place anymore. I was looking at the wilton utility vise 675? model number as an option or trying a Wilton 1745 that needs a bit of rehab. Does the utility vise have a pretty smooth action or will I be "happier" with the twice as expensive 1745 vise assuming it cleans up well... I'm looking at used online so can't really preview other than read the descriptions.
Thanks in advance.
The 1745 is a much, much nicer vise all around. The 675 is made out of 30K PSI castings, where the 1745 is made out of 60K PSI castings, so effectively the 1745 is twice the strength for similar size parts.
You may not see/feel the strength, but you'll notice all the other things that make the 1745 a nicer vise. The only knock on the Tradesman line is that the jaws are sintered metal powder and tend to crack/chip easily, but I suspect they're no worse than what comes on the 675.
Unless you decide you need something larger, it's unlikely you'll ever need to replace a 1745 if you don't abuse it.
