Bench Vice

[JoeKan]

I'm looking to buy a good USA made bench vice. Do they make them anymore in the US and/or should I go with a vintage?
Thanks for any help,
Joe

[Greasey Harley]

Nothing wrong with a vintage vise.
I stumbled (quite literally) on a 3½" bench vise at a pawn shop. Best I can tell, it was made in Pennsylvania in the 50's. I paid 20 bucks for it, it's a great little vice.
Very recently saw a similar one at a second hand store, it was $40, it might still be there.
There is a larger 5" Vintage Craftsman vise on my other bench, it was cheap too. Both vises are still nice and tight, they work perfectly.

My preference is almost always the vintage stuff ...that's why I'm here.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Yost are a good bargain option, and Wilton. It took my uncle God rest his soul aka the destroyer of worlds 7 years to break a Wilton vise.

So for normal people in a heavy industrial applications. It will last a life time.

[Dead Parrot]

Yost, like others used to be made in USA. Now many/most of the line seems to be of China or Taiwan origin. I got lucky a few years ago and found a NOS Yost vise at a surplus sale for $200. The list price on their site showed around $1800. It was one of the larger ones. Mine is old enough to be of USA origin. Also have a vintage Colombian that is USA made.

A lot depends on your needs, patience, budget and luck. If you really need a vise today, go ahead and buy a foreign made one and just keep looking for that good deal on a vintage vise. It is a rare person that says "I have too many vises and need to get rid of some."

[LS short box]

My heavy duty bench vise is old Wilton. How old I don't know. I would check over on CL.

[Getter-Done]

I would get an Old Vice.
Swap meet, Yard sale, Flea market, CL or MP.

I have several old vices.
The new ones are poorly casted and break from what I hear.

[cwcarpenter98]

My dad has a small, old Craftsman that is great for small stuff. My grandpa had a larger version of the one my dad has, so I have the larger one now. We bolted the larger one to the work bench and the smaller one is loose so that I can take it wherever I need it. If I was looking for another one, I'd go for an old one of whatever brand made in USA

[kwmech]

Hang on to your shorts and pony up the money for a Wilton. It's the only vice I have not been able to break.............so far. With my work I can get pretty abusive with one. I was breaking a vice about once a year till I spent some real money for quality. This is the current one I am using and have had it for 4 years now and did not even use all the holes to bolt it down.

https://wiltontools.com/bench-vises/...ial/21400.html

[JoeKan]

Thanks guys, I found an older Wilton for sale that is in good condition 6". A nice (to me) welding table came with it.

[Getter-Done]

So there is Pictures of this?

Glad you found a Deal

[JoeKan]

Here's my $100 vise and bench. I like keeping it outside near my work but had to put it in the garage tonight because we're about to get a lot of snow.

[Getter-Done]

Very nice purchase

I like it a-Lot.

Here is something to think about

Soft Jaws for your new vice And Delicate work.

This is just an Example.

Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/39392798878...5f144fd758391b

Use can use raw material it does not have to be anything fancy, just something to protect the piece you are clamping.

[JoeKan]

Thanks Getter-Done! And I'll check out the soft jaws too.

[LS short box]

For $100 that's a great buy.
Just a suggestion I would add holes to the table to bolt the vise down to the table with all four bolt holes on the vise.

[kwmech]

Excellent deal for a C note

[JoeKan]

Originally Posted by LS short box

For $100 that's a great buy.
Just a suggestion I would add holes to the table to bolt the vise down to the table with all four bolt holes on the vise.

I noticed that when I bought but didn't ask him why he did it this way, but the vise is sitting cockeyed on the table with the 2 holes he had drilled out. But I plan on getting it straight on the table and make some new holes.

[Born Lucky]

Fireball Tools. Amazing vise made in America

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by Born Lucky

Fireball Tools. Amazing vise made in America

I just bought Fire ball Vice grip pliers from Jason.

[biketopia]

Nice vise, we use wiltons at work. Piece of advise, especially if you're keeping it outside. Take it all apart and grease up everything. Especially the lock bolts for the pivot, those rust up, seize and snap off, other wise they are a great shop vise.

[BLAZERMAN]

Wilton is a good vise, I have two 5" swivel bullets on my work bench. Also if you ever come across an old Reed or Chas. Parker vise they are really good. If you want a vise that will stand up to a real beating find an old blacksmith leg vise, they are forged and won't break as easy as a cast vise.