Choosing a vise

I

imagineer

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I need to purchase a milling vise (4" or 5", hopefully <$150) to use on a recently acquired Jet JMD-18. I'm finding there are options that include a 360* swivel base, and others that don't. To my untrained eye, the vises on either option look the same, i.e., a regular vise just bolted to a swivel base.

My question, is there any value to getting the swivel base option, or should I just go for a fixed base vise?
 
In my opinion a vise is something you don't want to cheap out on. Buy a good quality one that will last and hold your parts tight. Cheap vises bring nothing but frustration. Do you have pictures or links to the vises you are considering?
 
If you do not have an immediate need for the swivel base it can wait till later, I waited several years before I got the swivel base for my Kurt 6". I have not used it, but I have it. :grin:
 
Just to pile on, a vise is one of those things where any 'extra' money spent to buy quality will pay dividends almost every single time you use your mill. I second Glacern as a good option, particularly if you need a vise smaller than 6".

A swivel base is handy once in a very great while. It also reduces the rigidity of your setup ever so slightly and, perhaps most importantly for small machines, it eats into your Z-axis work envelope by another couple precious inches. It can probably wait, and you should / will probably leave it off the vise most of the time if you do get one.

GsT
 
Sorry, content was not pertinent. Lesson: don't write once out of bed!

John
 
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I have two smaller size mills , Clausing 8520 and an older Jet-15 the 8520 came with the original vise with swivel base that I have never use . The Jet had also had a swivel base that I removed . If I was looking to buy one for a smaller size mill I think one that had ground sides . It gives many mounting options , I would bolt a ground rectangle bar on one side of the vise this way if you had a odd job that you needed to move the vise it would be as simple as loosing and sliding along the ground stock . The options of moving the jaws front and back also would give many more holding available. Being able to turn the vise on its side another . If you ever needed to angle a set of pension angles could be laid against the ground stock to quickly set the angle . Having perimeter mounting makes all this easier then standard type flanges like on my vises . Here’s one that will show what the vise I’m talking about .https://www.glacern.com/gpv_412
 
GPV-412.jpg
 
Here’s the vise in my link
 
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