Decent Bench Vise Advice

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My friend and I are putting together an auto restoration shop and we are looking for a really nice (REALLY nice) bench vise. The new ones that we have seen so far are crap. There is a huge difference in quality. The cheaper ones are rated at 35,000psi and the more expensive are rated at 65,000. One weighs about 20 pounds, the other about 65-70 pounds minimum. One costs about $50, the other about $700.  If anyone has any leads on a nice Columbia, Reid, Fulton, Athol, Parker, etc vintage heavy duty vice with 4 inch jaws at the least with a very beefy handle, keep us in mind. The good vintage ones sell for around $200 or so on ebay when you can find them. Thanks!
Reply:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=139261
Reply:Deve, Craigslist is your friend.  Best,  Bob
Reply:Not if you are in Kansas! Craigslist is pretty dead here. If I knew of a way to search the country and not just a small area of a state, I might have better luck. Thx
Reply:Auto restoration....what the heck are you going to hold if 35,000 lbs (that's about 17 tons?????) is insufficient and 65,000 lbs (about 33 tons) is better?????....I don't think the screw could exert that much pressure without breaking the back off of the vice or stripping the thread.If you are going to use the vice for press work.......Ian.
Reply:Use search tempest.I just checked there is a big ol Athol for $180.00http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...134321889.htmlOr Another on Ebay for $ 180.00http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...ectorid=229466Or a Chas Parker in Norfolk for $200.00http://norfolk.craigslist.org/tls/3143537926.htmlOr $150 for a Reedhttp://swmi.craigslist.org/tls/3143853745.htmlThe vises are out there drop the Wilton and Yost searches and read the old thread.
Reply:Thanks to all that responded. I found a guy in Tucson that refurbishes vintage vises then sells them on craigslist and they are just a work of art! Not to mention American made. Thanks for the tip on search tempest!
Reply:Originally Posted by DeveThanks to all that responded. I found a guy in Tucson that refurbishes vintage vises then sells them on craigslist and they are just a work of art! Not to mention American made. Thanks for the tip on search tempest!
Reply:A good high pressure bench vise new is about a grand. The 65$ HF specials are so easy to break its scarey. Just put a 1950 Chevy Truck door hinge in the vise, take the largest sledge hammer you can find and a friend to hold the beefiest punch you can get and take about 10 swings at it (dont miss!) and watch the average vise break in two. I have tossed 3 vises and 1 entire hardwood bench already. Now I use a decent all metal welding table and a REAL vise. Any 4 inch (or better) American made vintage vise worthy of doing this kind of work is worth at least $250 bucks. So money well spent, but I am sure there are better deals out there. I DO wonder how well this one will hold up. Time will tell! LOL!
Reply:Dave,If you are looking for a vise to wail on, think post vise instead. They are built for the abuse.EDIT: That large one was $12 @ the scrapyard. Just picked up two smaller ones, similar to the one holding the larger one for $70 for the pair.2nd. Edit: There are at least two eBay sellers for post vises down in Kansas. One is in the Lawrence area and the other around the LaCrosse area. Attached ImagesLast edited by WyoRoy; 07-17-2012 at 08:22 PM.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:" Seriously??? Not worth the money.... You can pick up any brand vise REAL cheap if you just remain patient.... Estate sales, flea markets and such. Don't waste money on something that someone else dolled up, that's a waste. There are some folks on another "site" that wax theirs. I have a parker that I paid 30.00, a Wilton C-1 I paid 68.00 and a couple of small ones too. My F.I.L. just retired so I'm just cleaning up the Parker for him. Not gonna paint it, buff it, or friggin wax it. That's pussification"Not dolled up a decent vise is not going to happen in my neck of the woods for under $150.00, I think the west just doesn't have as many as the east coast or the rust belt, my Athol I looked religiously for 3-4 a week for 6 months before I found it, and even expanded searches to about a 200 mile radius. I found $30 vises to be sure, all junk, too small. I did want 65 lbs plus though.Wyoroy,A couple of weeks ago I saw a post vise similiar ro yours, trust me you stole yours, too many horseshoers up here and those are pricey and desirable.
Reply:[QUOTE=fredschrom;1377171Wyoroy,A couple of weeks ago I saw a post vise similiar ro yours, trust me you stole yours, too many horseshoers up here and those are pricey and desirable.[/QUOTE]Bought both of 'em from an antique store over near you in St. Regis, MT. First one was listed for $45 and I didn't bother with picking it up on the way out to the Oregon coast. Came back two weeks later and was getting ready to pop on it when the seller told me he had another. Made a deal for $70 for the pair. Both sitting in my 'projects' area waiting for a pressing need...maybe my next shop.EDIT: Antique stores and junque shops seem to be the place to find them cheap if they don't come in the scrapyards. They usually don't bring much because there isn't a lot of demand for 'pretty' vises with interior decorators.Last edited by WyoRoy; 07-17-2012 at 08:49 PM.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:" St. Regis, MT "Actually pretty close to me, the one I saw was in Sandpoint, you still got a good deal. That guy in St Regis should have put that in the CDA/Spokane craigslist it wouldn't have been sitting around.BTW pretty good elk hunting near St Regis, used to go there just on the Idaho side for years.
Reply:Off topic to be sure, but does the Spokane area have any good used machine tool dealers?Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:They used to but not really any more, there are still a couple of places but they have moved out of the that side of their businesses and pickings are slim. There is still the Oxarc liquidation center but they are pretty pricey, the had four very beat up bullet Witons which I passed on, the one in the best shape they wanted $375 and the really ragged ones they still wanted almost $300. Way overpriced for condition and size. I do buy stuff there on occasion but they are pretty proud of there stuff and I usually look elsewhere. They did have a old coldsaw that was worthwhile a while back though.
Reply:In all the hours of research I did, and thanks to my many friends here, the 3 inch jaw vises are going reasonably in the 50-150$ range. But when you can find a 4 inch or higher, they hit as much as 1000$, but average about 400$. I excluded bullet vises, vises without good anvils, vises with the screw above the mechanism, vises with bases that rotate. I use a receiver system for mounting my vise and with the hammering I do on the vice, I dont need them to rotate unexpectedly. So I admit I was pretty picky and ended up with MY perfect vice at $240 including shipping (50 pounds). I'm happy enough. Thanks to tips provided here. Thanks again!
Reply:I have never paid more than $55 for an American vise, and usually $10-25.  I just picked up an Athol 614 for under $13 with tax and buyers premium.  If someone wants to get soaked for $180, who are we to stand in the way.  I just wish I knew what vise so I could be the one doing the soaking.Tom
Reply:Bixby Machine Tool Supply is the only one that comes to mind. They are located on Fancher in Spokane
Reply:Bixby Machine Tool Supply = moved out of the that side of their businesses and pickings are slim.Old owner sold, not the same they don't have near what they used to.
Reply:Originally Posted by DeveIn all the hours of research I did, and thanks to my many friends here, the 3 inch jaw vises are going reasonably in the 50-150$ range. But when you can find a 4 inch or higher, they hit as much as 1000$, but average about 400$. I excluded bullet vises, vises without good anvils, vises with the screw above the mechanism, vises with bases that rotate. I use a receiver system for mounting my vise and with the hammering I do on the vice, I dont need them to rotate unexpectedly. So I admit I was pretty picky and ended up with MY perfect vice at $240 including shipping (50 pounds). I'm happy enough. Thanks to tips provided here. Thanks again!
Reply:Well, there you have it! Life is like that. Learning something new everyday means you had a great day! We SHOULD be using a shop press and a special jig for taking these vintage hinges apart, but the way the hinge is made, the vise is necessary to hold it in place, then a brave soul with gloves and a huge punch, another dude with a sledge, and maybe if you are lucky you can get them apart without ruining them. We restore to original condition and are very particular about our tools, but we dont have a shop press yet. On the fence as to wether we really need to take up the floor space. I DO feel sorry for the new vise though. LOL!
Reply:I have a Wilton 1760 for sale. Unfortunately, I think the shipping would probably kill you. That thing is heavy duty though. I have two of them. They weight in at about 100lbs. 60,000psi tensile strength. It would take some serious effort to break one of the good Wiltons.Edit: Whoops didn't see you got one already.What vise did you get? I have a love for old Wilton's and Reed'sLast edited by Seb650R; 07-18-2012 at 07:32 PM.
Reply:http://tucson.craigslist.org/tls/3140853869.htmlThat one. Im really looking forward to getting it. Never heard of the brand, but back in the day, Hardware stores had their own brands forged, so I'm excited about it. Even tho its 'purdy' it will get a LOT of hard use.
Reply:wyoroy. where did you find the vise around Lacrosse area ? im not far from there .MM 251MM 135Lincoln Pro cut 55Bobcat 250Miller Thunderbolt ac/dcolder ac forneyJackson nexgen 3n13-Smith OP setups97 Dodge dieselMakita chopsawJet swivel head bandsawlincoln tig 300/30030a spoolgunpuma port. gas air comp.
Reply:Originally Posted by ksweldermanwyoroy. where did you find the vise around Lacrosse area ? im not far from there .