OK so what is the best make of engineers vice to buy? In my job (building shocks) we get through a fair few vices. Either cracked castings or failed screws, so what make or model of vice will put up with lots of abuse?

Over here there are some decent makes but I am buying a lot of kit in the UK as it tends to be better and cheaper...

Looking on the web at the moment not much of the stuff I'm seeing really inspires confidence. I don't mind paying very good money if the vice is tough enough.

Thanks in advance,


Mike


PS 1000 posts!!!!!! Woohoo!

I like Record...

All the old vice's (the ones which survive!) seem to be 'Record'

"Record" is the brand of choice but you can pay up to £1000 for an 8" mechanics/fitters vice.

Often big vices come up in factory and MOD auction sales so it is worth trying tool and equipment dealers.

I bought myself a machine mart all steel vice, ok but seems a bit spongy compared to a cast one. Clarke CSVR150 - 150mm Steel Vice. At work we ordered a 150mm Record vice thinking uk made, arrived with a Record sticker over another label and paid record price. Well made but not a record as i was expecting.

Irwin now own Record ---- Irwin name used in other markets Irwin are a good quality brand --- their bolt grip sockets are ace.

Used record vices on ebay/tool auctions/car boot would be my first choice.

I've got a record 25 (quick release) that I got on ebay for £20 and it's a seriously hefty bit of kit. Avoneer's had a record 6 from a car boot sale (non quick release screw) for a few years now and we've beat that to hell, mainly unseizing yacht shackles (including numerous 'pressing' operations with a 4' extension tube on the handle) and it's still working perfectly.

The quick release versions seem to be slightly more fragile than the fixed versions, but they're still very robust. Carriage might be expensive on a decent sized one though.....

If buying new you want a Record Fitters vise, T23 (115mm) which is quick release.

You do not need an engineers vise as shockers is only lightweight work.

If buying second hand, any Record vise with 100mm jaws should do.

I got a Record 112 with a shed and bench I bought for £100. The shed went ages ago but the vice is definitely staying.

Bugatti if you have the money otherwise ex WD Record from Bills Tool Store



Cheers!

I've got 3 different Record vices at work. All 3 are older than me and have had daily abuse all there lives way beyond anything they could have designed them for. If I was looking for a new one then I'd look for an old one, if you know what I mean.

I spent ages looking for a good vice. Only to find a mate's dad was going to bin an old Record No 6 as it didn't open fully. So once I had filed off the ding on the back of the slide I had an old rock solid vice for £5!! The old Records will put up with anything. I use mine as a vice, for pressing bushes in and out and I have been known to use the slide as an anvil. And it's still just as good as the day I got it. And I expect it will be for years to come.

I have a second hand record 75 which is a beautiful old bit of kit, they're not cheap though
but I picked mine up from the free adds for £15

Given the choice, Record every time.
I mistakenly once bought one of China's finest, thinking a vice is a vice. No it ain't, they are crap!
Decent size -5in-6in- go for about £85 on the bay, but having said that, I recently bought a huge Parkinson's Model F, No 8, that's probably as old as me (someone's scratched Noah on it ) for £16 off the bay. So there are still bargains to be had, if you are not in a hurry.

You all beat me to it, Record seems to be the vice of choice at work in factories and offshore, I prefer the ones with a clutch in them to allow quick movement of the jaws instead of having to wind the handle round and round.

I have a parkinsons no6 and a record 36p.
The record gets it hands down.

Andy

I've a Record type 75 which has been brilliant, but I bout it for about 1/3 normal price when my local Cromwell tools moved premises 20 years ago, but any of the forged ones by record with the anvil patch are pretty much indestructable (T114/T36/T112/T84...)- buy used if you can find one.
I've also heard good reviews for ridgid/peddinghaus vices (made in Germany)
Regards
Hugh