Bench vise advice / suggestions

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Aaron_W

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I'm looking for a bench vise, I have several small hobby vises but I'm finding I can really use something more in the 4-6" size.
I've been looking for a combo type that has regular flat vise jaws and the ability to clamp round stock (pipe clamp).

Even a cheap vise will be around a while, so I don't want to go the ultra cheapo route. Unfortunately that is what most stores (not just HF) keep in stock.

My budget is $100-150 so most of the USA made vises are way out of my range, looked at Yost and Wilton and they start at $500+ for their US made vises.

I have been watching Craigslist hoping to find someone getting rid of a nice old vise, but so far the same cheap crap I can buy new or "vintage" rust blocks priced like caviar. Looking at Ebay as well, but shipping really biases me towards Craigslist. Saw a nice old Craftsman on Ebay for $60, but shipping was almost $90.

I've been to all the hardware stores in town, Ace has Irwin and Craftsman. The Irwin's look ok, but don't include a pipe clamp, they were out of the Craftsman so I couldn't actually look at it. It does appear to include a pipe clamp. Tractor Supply carries Larin, never heard of the brand, and I was able to look at a 4" and not impressed, had a cheap feel to it. The 6" might be better since it is 4x the price, but didn't want to rip the box open to check and assuming similar quality.


Home Depot has a Bessey 5" multi-purpose vise. It is a German company (although probably made in China) and seems fairly well made. It has an odd head that flips, one side has traditional flat jaws, the other side is set up to hold round stock vertically or horizontally.
Home Depot has them in stock for $83, and I've got a $50 HD gift certificate I got as an award from work which would put my cost down in the Harbor Freight vise price range. I've never heard of the company, and not used this particular style of vise but the price would be right and it looks halfway decent. Woodcraft also stocks this brand and they seem to carry decent quality stuff.

Bessey 5" multi-purpose


I wish I could "liberate" the vice from work, it is a nice 6" or 8"iron vise and has probably been there since the 1930s when the CCCs built the station. But that would be wrong... stupid morals. I'd probably throw my back out trying to lift it anyway.


I'm going to keep watching Craigslist until the bench to mount it on is done, but leaning towards the Bessey I mentioned above unless I find something better or get terrible feedback about it.
 
I would go for an old vise like a Parker or Columbian or old Yost or Starrett or a Wilton if you find a cheap one. I have a Reed, Parker, Wilton x 2 and Craftsman. Of these, the Parker is the best by far and the Craftsman is the worst by far. I also have on like the Bessey and it sees no use here.

Best bet is CL - be patient.

To hold round stuff, I use V-blocks or soft jaws with V's in them in the standard jaws; doesn't chew up the stock that way.
 
ACHiPo said:
This guy isn’t too far from you and has been on CL for a while, so you might be able to bargain:
Charles Parker Vise
Click to expand...

Unusual jaw configuration on that first one. Almost looks like a Rock Island vise. The second one you linked to is an early Parker bench mount without the swiveling base; those jaws are typical of a Parker vise.
 
Great bench vises can still be bought for a dollar a pound or less. Keep your eyes peeled. I’ve never found a great deal on a bench vise on the Internet. The EBay prices are for showpieces and people who think they’re selling showpieces. I sold the largest bench vise EBay has ever seen two years ago for 200 dollars. One bidder...in the whole US of A. Anyhow the point is to keep looking. Very good vises can be had for very good prices. You have to get out and find them though. Good luck!
 
I HAD one of the vices that rotate. It was a Princess Auto one, similar to Harbour Freight. If it has an independent lock as the Bessey does it might be alright. The one linked in Amazon locks when you tighten the jaws. A bugger to grab something long, the jaws try to rotate with the part as your tightening or rotate as your working unless the jaws are cinched down. I find a fixed jaw vice more convenient.

Greg
 
Nothing wrong with a Bessey.
 
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I have a Harbor Freight swivel vise. Square jaws on top, and round jaws on the bottom. I've beat on it pretty hard. I didn't buy it as my first choice. Its just all the money I had at the time and I needed a vise that size right now. I've had it nearly 15 years now and its seen some hard abuse. The thing is that in my opinion the Quality and QC at HF have both gone steadily down hill since the change in management. Harbor Freight tools were always subject to failure when abused just a little bit. Now they are subject to failure under normal use as well. More and more I find myself buying from other sources and only going to Harbor Freight for things I need right now.

Anyway, this is the vise I have from Harbor Freight. https://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-multi-purpose-vise-67415.html It looks to be made of cast iron, but it must be a decent grade of cast. Sometimes the swivel is a bit of a pain, but more often its just the answer I need to get just the angle I need to work on something. I do use it with my vise brake sometimes too. If it becomes to much to deal with I have a Columbia Vise on the end of my other work bench that could survive anything short of directed destructive force. I used the Columbia at my friend John Apple's house many times over the years before he gave it to me (along with the steel bench it was bolted to). Before he had it the vise was his dad's (Lewis Apple). Its probably well over 50 years old. We half jokingly call the Columbia vises heavy duty benchtop screw presses. I have used mine as a press many time. I have made wood drop in blocks for both vises, but I also have a Zyliss all aluminum body vise in my machine room that I often use (way beyond its design specs) for holding steel parts I do not want to mar, but that will slip on the wood blocks I use in the other vises.

When I worked at Tool & Supply Co we used to have customers at both ends of the spectrum. Those that would be glad to plunk several hundred (recall one I sold that was 800) for a forged steel vise and those that refused to pay more than the a half a days wages for any vise.
 
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f350ca said:
I HAD one of the vices that rotate. It was a Princess Auto one, similar to Harbour Freight. If it has an independent lock as the Bessey does it might be alright. The one linked in Amazon locks when you tighten the jaws. A bugger to grab something long, the jaws try to rotate with the part as your tightening or rotate as your working unless the jaws are cinched down. I find a fixed jaw vice more convenient.

Greg
Click to expand...


You know I have had that problem, but usually I spin the vise to rest the part on the bench or on a block on the bench while I clamp it up. Maybe I should add a spin lock to my someday projects list.
 
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