Educate me on Vises. - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Educate me on Vises.

Posted: 12/23/2018 2:42:37 PM EDT

I'm hoping this is the right place to post this. Looking to pick up my first vise. Tired of driving over to friends to borrow theirs every time I work on a gun. I don't really need anything super heavy duty. Just enough to easily secure an ar15 when i'm building it. I'd rather have more vise than I need than too little. Reliability is key. I want this to last a lifetime.

What model or brand should I be looking at? Thank you.

Posted: 12/23/2018 3:07:57 PM EDT

[#1]

Good chance you'd do just fine with anything you can buy at the local big box stores. The average person won't wear a vise out in their lifetime.

A 4" bench vise with a swivel base should serve you quite well. Will fit a clamshell upper holder and any lower receiver holder on the market.

Some folks like a vise that can rotate the jaws while others hate that. Those are often seen on bench vises with pipe jaws. My do all bench vise is a 5" swivel base with pipe jaws.

Posted: 12/23/2018 3:46:46 PM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good chance you'd do just fine with anything you can buy at the local big box stores. The average person won't wear a vise out in their lifetime.

A 4" bench vise with a swivel base should serve you quite well. Will fit a clamshell upper holder and any lower receiver holder on the market.

Some folks like a vise that can rotate the jaws while others hate that. Those are often seen on bench vises with pipe jaws. My do all bench vise is a 5" swivel base with pipe jaws.

View Quote

Are there any particular brands that are better than others? I see Wilton but no clue if that's quality.

Posted: 12/23/2018 4:16:24 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:

Are there any particular brands that are better than others? I see Wilton but no clue if that's quality.

View Quote

I have a 6" I picked up at Lowes a couple of years ago and when I opened up the box and went to mount it, the vise says Wilton right on the bottom of it, it is a good quality large heavy vice and works for anything I have thrown at it. I paid $76.00 for it.

Posted: 12/23/2018 4:17:01 PM EDT

[#4]

There is USA made, Taiwan made, and than the Chinese junk.

The two big brands in this area are Yost and Wilton. BOth make a USA line and a Chinese line.

My recommendation would be a Yost 203 - $130 or so.

https://www.amazon.com/Yost-Tools-Vises-Machinist-Vise/dp/B00209MJ3U?th=1

Posted: 12/23/2018 4:23:26 PM EDT

[#5]

I was exactly in your position a couple weeks ago.

I am not disappointed in my decision, yet. I went to harbor freight and bought a 5" swivel vise. I used a 25% off coupon, ended up being like $50 I think, maybe less.

It's heavy. I was on the fence about the swivel feature, but it seems solid. Not only is there a lever to lock the swivel feature, but when you tighten the jaws it also tightens the swivel feature. I'm no blacksmith, this vise ought to be overkill for me.

The only oddity I notice is that the vise swivel feature has a ring with degree markings on it however there is no mark to index on!

Posted: 12/23/2018 6:33:49 PM EDT

[#6]

I'm definitely a buy once cry once kind of guy. At the same time I must be realistic about my expected use. I'll probably shoot for a mid-end Wilton or Yost. I'm pretty hard on my stuff but at the same time i'm not working in a shop every day. This vise might see use once or twice per month depending on how many builds I do for myself and others.

Looking at this one. I'll shop around and try to find a better price but i'm pleased that it's not $1000+.

ETA - The biggest thing is that it has to be made in America. I buy American first.

Posted: 12/23/2018 7:34:39 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm definitely a buy once cry once kind of guy. At the same time I must be realistic about my expected use. I'll probably shoot for a mid-end Wilton or Yost. I'm pretty hard on my stuff but at the same time i'm not working in a shop every day. This vise might see use once or twice per month depending on how many builds I do for myself and others.

Looking at this one. I'll shop around and try to find a better price but i'm pleased that it's not $1000+.

ETA - The biggest thing is that it has to be made in America. I buy American first.

View Quote

That is a great vise, look on Craigslist, I just saw one on our local CL today the guy wanted less than a hundred bucks for it, I don't know where I would put it but I am thinking about calling him and picking up because he needs money and I need another hole in my head!

LOL

Posted: 12/24/2018 12:56:27 AM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:

That is a great vise, look on Craigslist, I just saw one on our local CL today the guy wanted less than a hundred bucks for it, I don't know where I would put it but I am thinking about calling him and picking up because he needs money and I need another hole in my head!

LOL

View Quote

Haha. 2 is 1 right?

Posted: 12/27/2018 1:32:45 AM EDT

[#9]

Wait till they go on sale and get one of these.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009AGFLD6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If they are good enough to teach armorers on and good enough for !e to use in my shop they are good enough for 98% of gunsmithing work

Posted: 12/27/2018 1:50:02 AM EDT

[#10]

Purchased a Wilton Tradesman. It arrives on Friday (28 DEC 2018).

Posted: 1/3/2019 8:47:17 PM EDT

[#11]

I see that you got one, but keep an eye out. You never know what you will find people selling cheap. I have a couple craftsman - okay, a really overpriced wilton - extremely nice, exceph that the replacable jaws will break easily if abused and the screws securing them sieze, I have an old bench vise that is amazing. It’s old - my guess is 75+ years, big, heavy, wel built, and an indestructible beast. I know for a fact that a previous owner had used a 8 & 12lb sledgehammer on it a number of times. When looking at the main acme screw, it’s twice the size as my others.

Keep an eye out, you can find multi-generational heirloom tools for quite cheap. Some of the old things are vastly better than the new stuff. Vises, anvils, planes, axes, etc. Hand tools were built better back when people fixed things when they broke. Now we just throw it out and buy new chinese junk at Walmart.

Posted: 1/8/2019 5:00:17 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good chance you'd do just fine with anything you can buy at the local big box stores. The average person won't wear a vise out in their lifetime.

View Quote

Look for a vise that uses ACME threads (the chunk squarish ones) and NOT V threads for the main action.

29 degree Acmes tighten up and stay tight without slipping that can mar the surfaces of a polished object like a firearm.

It does NOT take a huge amount of tightening for them to hold and work well.

Posted: 1/8/2019 5:30:08 PM EDT

[#13]

I have never worn out a vise, I have broken several that I tried to do too much on.....

Even the chicom ones are fairly decent for a homegamer, or keep an eye out for a good North American or British one at flea markets and the such

Posted: 1/19/2019 7:27:01 PM EDT

[#14]

I'm actually looking for a 4" Machinist/Mill Vise: Shars have one I like, but the shipping was going to be $43.xx
Amazon sells some imported vises in the $95. range with free shipping (Prime) but I was hoping to find a better vise, better deal.
Currently I've got a 6" vise and it's really just too big for my Milling machine, oh and for a Shop Vise, I've got a 6" Wilton Industrial Vise and it's heavier than a dead Minister, but it'll clamps SOLID and will take a beating without fracturing (which is the problem with many Import vises)

Posted: 1/20/2019 8:58:51 AM EDT

[#15]

Just pick up a harbor freight vice. I am using an old 4" vice from probably the 50's that is beat to hell, works good for me.

Posted: 1/20/2019 11:14:55 AM EDT

[#16]

A good vise that is often overlooked is the older Columbian vises that were made in the US. You can find them all the time on eBay and Craigslist (in my area at least) for $50 and under in pretty good condition. The newer Columbian vises are made in China, so look for the US made ones.

Posted: 1/20/2019 12:54:20 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
I'm hoping this is the right place to post this. Looking to pick up my first vise. Tired of driving over to friends to borrow theirs every time I work on a gun. I don't really need anything super heavy duty. Just enough to easily secure an ar15 when i'm building it. I'd rather have more vise than I need than too little. Reliability is key. I want this to last a lifetime.

What model or brand should I be looking at? Thank you.

View Quote

Seriously consider a Ridgid F-series 6" swivel base. German made, built like a tank, and worth every cent. I think I paid just under $500 five or so years ago, and it quickly became my go-to vise in my shop.

Yes, here you go: https://www.zoro.com/ridgid-combination-vise-swivel-standard-duty-66997/i/G2613021/ or https://www.amazon.com/RIDGID-66997-Model-Forged-6-inch/dp/B001T9J68I and you can get it for $440ish.

ETA: Unlike all of the other suggestions, the German-made Ridgid is forged steel. Not ductile iron, not cast iron, not cast steel. It will outlast me, honestly.

ETA2: I see you got a Wilton Bullet. You'll be happy with that, but don't over-tighten. I've seen more than one crack the casting after being tightened with a pipe on the handle. They're ductile iron, not indestructible by any means. Far, far better than the regular cast iron junk from Taiwan, though.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Educate me on Vises.

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