As the reviews say (4.5+ Stars, 450+ reviews), it's a decent light-weight hobbyist-grade wood-working vise, designed to easily mount to a bench; exactly how good it is is partly luck-of-the-draw: I have two, and a friend of mine has one, and out of those, 2 are perfectly aligned.
The other (one of mine) has the jaw slightly misaligned, causing it to apply uneven pressure when tightened, which can mar the wood. I considered returning/exchanging it, but, in the end, I had always planned to add thin wooden jaw inserts (straight metal to wood is never the best idea), so I simply cut the insert at the appropriate angle to compensate.
It's certainly not the best vise you can buy, but it beats the Harbor Freight equivalent, as well as any other model I've tried at the price. I wouldn't buy it at $31 (there are better options at that price), but for $15, you really can't go wrong. I just ordered another to attach to my porta-bench.
Just remember, it's pretty solid, but it definitely wasn't built for super-heavy-duty action, so if you're looking for something indestructible that will take any beating you throw at it, this isn't for you - for that use, I'd recommend the similarly priced Harbor Freight version, which has rougher build-quality, but can really take a beating. Or you may just want to look outside the $15 category.
Comments & Reviews (5)
The other (one of mine) has the jaw slightly misaligned, causing it to apply uneven pressure when tightened, which can mar the wood. I considered returning/exchanging it, but, in the end, I had always planned to add thin wooden jaw inserts (straight metal to wood is never the best idea), so I simply cut the insert at the appropriate angle to compensate.
It's certainly not the best vise you can buy, but it beats the Harbor Freight equivalent, as well as any other model I've tried at the price. I wouldn't buy it at $31 (there are better options at that price), but for $15, you really can't go wrong. I just ordered another to attach to my porta-bench.
Just remember, it's pretty solid, but it definitely wasn't built for super-heavy-duty action, so if you're looking for something indestructible that will take any beating you throw at it, this isn't for you - for that use, I'd recommend the similarly priced Harbor Freight version, which has rougher build-quality, but can really take a beating. Or you may just want to look outside the $15 category.
Thank you!