Bench vises

[Mike L]

What brand vise do you guys use? I havent found many that i couldn't break eventually, and i'd like to find a tough one that won't break the bank.:Banghead

 

[koldsteele]

Wilton machinist vises are tough ...I have to in the shop and one on the truck ...there are a little pricey but I've beat on the handles with sledge hammers ..Wilton you wont be dissatisfied ..

 

[mljohn]

yes definitly wilton. you get what you pay for in a vise

 

[masterwelder]

Wilton all the way... replaceable jaws to make them like new again. We have got three of them, including the one my dad had on his bench.

 

[Dwan Hall]

$1.00 a pound? or that is what it use to be 25 years ago when I got mine.

 

[koldsteele]

Wilton all the way... replaceable jaws to make them like new again. We have got three of them, including the one my dad had on his bench.

I have one that was Dad's probably 50 years old and still tough as a pine knot ..

 

[markshr151]

I find good ones on e-bay about a dollor a pound

 

[mitch504]

I have 2 craftsmans, and 1 wilton. I think the craftsman is a wilton. The replaceable jaws are interchangable. The only think I don't like is that the replaceable jaws are brittle.

 

[Mike L]

what's the difference between the wilton machinist vise and the tradesman vise?

 

[Greg]

:usa:usa:usaYou have to be careful with the Wiltons now because as I recall lots of them are coming from china now. Look for one made in the USA if you can find it..

 

[Stevenbrla]

beer here.

 

[koldsteele]

what's the difference between the wilton machinist vise and the tradesman vise?

I'm not really sure but the machinist vise is made of a tougher iron ..My dad told me along time ago "get what you want and you wont be dissatisfied " ..The wiltons i got are tough ..

 

[norite]

Around here, the Record vise was the standard for cast iron vises, they also made heavy duty machinist vise and even steel vises. They were very good. My biggest vice is a Columbian, massive, strong can't conceive it will ever break.

 

[Dwan Hall]

what's the difference between the Wilton machinist vise and the tradesman vise?

The machinist vise usually do not come with the pipe jaws under the main working jaws. and are built to a tighter tolerance.

 

[Bison]

I got an 8" and a 6" record machinist vices,been using them for at least 25 yrs,beat the snot outa them and used snipes on the handles.
They've stood up well,i replaced the yaws and the spindle springs once

 

[bolt thrower]

Yep, it's Wilton all the way for me. The machinist's vises have a wider opening and narrower jaws than a Tradesman. The wide opening is sure nice for me. The tradesman and machinist's are both top quality, 60,000 psi ductile iron, and you will pay$$ for them. The mechanics vises are the chinese junk, and are made from 30,000 psi castings. The old wilton "bullet" vises are good, but beware, wilton doesn't offer replacement jaws for them anymore.

 

[Greg]

:usa:usaagree with you on the 30,000 psi gray iron and 60,000 psi ductile iron part of your statement. However, you still have to watch out for the chinese sh--. They are turning out just as much junk in ductile iron as they are in gray iron. Ductile iron is a lot harder to make from a metallurgical point of view. So, word to the wise again is check point of orgin before you buy.

 

[225]

Go to ebay and look at Columbian vises, we just bought one for the work bench at the firehouse . I personal have had one for years on my bench,trouble free.
china vises are 20-30000 psi cast, american vises 60000-70000 psi cast. Wilton purchased Columbian vise co.

 

[Greg]

There are a lot of Wilton vises made of 30,000 PSI tensile strength gray iron floating around too. Wilton used to have them made from this material in the past by foundries here in the United States. Just because it is or was made here in the states does not mean it is 60,000 PSI ductile iron. the chinese "try" to make ductile iron too but like everything from there it is trash. Look for that point of orgin mark before you buy it.

 

[RonG]

The now defunct Charles Parker Company who used to make vises that are popular on the east coast here was based and maufactured their products about 1/2 mile from my home here in Meriden ct.Ron G