Woodworking vise is a tool that has been said to be invaluable for woodworkers. The extent of the importance of this tool makes it unwise to select a substandard choice when purchasing the woodworking vise for your workshop.
I understand the plight of woodworkers in making the best choices of woodworking vise for their woodworking projects. This is why I have chosen to review the best vises out there.
This article promises to be of help if you keep reading. A woodworking vise can help increase your cutting accuracy and give you outstanding results for half the effort. However, picking the wrong vise could cost you money and even cause some serious injuries.
A vise is a tool that helps to hold a workpiece in place so that you can carry out your projects efficiently and effectively. Without vises, you would have a lot of trouble putting your workpiece in place, which can be very frustrating.
There are different types of vises, with each having a purpose that it is ideal for. Woodworking vise can also vary significantly in their build and design quality.
A woodworking vise contains two jaws intended for securing the workpiece as well as a screw mechanism for adjusting the grip. Since the jaws can damage the wood material being handled, the jaws are typically made of wood or metal with a wood surface. It is usually attached to a fixed object, such as a workbench, while its wooden jaws protect the wooden workpiece against any harm or damage.
Buying the best wood vise requires understanding where you’ll mount it, jaw size, and how large of workpiece you’ll be clamping. But if you haven’t purchased or used a vice in a while, you’ll also want to understand features like the quick release, pivot jaws, brands, and your workbench thickness.
That being said, when looking for a good woodworking vise, at hand are numerous choices available that vary in terms of reliability, capacity, and quality. Correspondingly, we took over the role of exploring the best woodworking vises on the market to ensure their efficiency and help you find the perfect woodworking vise that suits your needs.
The vises provide better functionality to ensure you achieve top-notch results. More interestingly, the woodworking vises are built from premium quality durable materials and powder-coated to keep them free from corrosion and rust.
Also, these products are available in a wide range of sizes to choose the ideal option for your needs. Vises are simple and easy to install, plus they can be easily adjusted to handle most applications. The best woodworking vises are easy to use and portable enough to be applied in most woodwork activities.
Our Favorite Choice Of Woodworking Vise Summary:
WILTON | # 1st Choice |
IRWIN | # 2nd Choice |
SHOP FOX | # 3rd Choice |
YOST | # 4th Choice |
PONY | # 5th Choice |
Top 5 Best Woodworking Vise Review In Details:
WILTON 78A 63144 – 4″ x 7″ Pivot Jaw Woodworkers Vise
Wilton is a great option, especially if you are looking for heavy-duty woodworking vises. One of the most remarkable features of this vise is its 10-inch jaw opening. This, plus its 7-inch jaw width and 4-inch throat depth, is enough for most professionals, and you can easily fit even large-sized objects in this bench vise without any issues.
First off, this Wilton 78A woodworking tool is an end vise. You need to install this woodworker’s vise by mounting it on the workbench. To be installed correctly, your workbench needs to be three inches thick. As support, it has a mountain flange that makes installation easier.
The front jaw also has extra features. It can double as a bench dog and can rise above the vise by up to 9/16 inches to flatten workpieces. It can also pivot 10 degrees to the two sides, which allows you to apply pressure on wood surfaces.
When you think of a high-quality build, think of the Wilton Bench Vise. This vise is made of high-strength steel. This steel makes the vise durable and steady.
It has a double lock on the swivel base. The double lock on the base makes the vise stay in place while working with the wood in it. It can be suitable if you are working on small objects or thin wood because it opens to 6 inches. The jaw is also replaceable. In case you need to replace it, you can contact the manufacturer.
The vise holds the objects well. However, the jaw has no pads, and it leaves traces on the wood it is holding. So, to make sure it will not ruin the form of the wood or object, you can put thin rubber on it to serve as padding.
The high-strength steel construction, along with the lifetime warranty that comes with it, makes this woodworking vise a reliable option. Wilton delivers with an anvil work surface that is large enough to hammer out various projects while still providing a solid steel vise, which makes it one of the most durable on our list.
As with other manufacturers on our list, we appreciate that Wilton continues to forge its products from strengthened steel for longer-lasting durability. However, we wish that they had included pipe grips for this unit to make working with pipes a bit easier and a lot more stable. This bench vise does feature a permanent design that must be attached to work surfaces using metal bolts.
Features:
- JAW WIDTH: 4 inches x 7 inches.
- JAW OPENING: 10 inches maximum.
- NET WEIGHT: 30 pounds.
- ADAPTABILITY Front jaw pivots 10° to allow for clamping irregular-shaped parts.
- VERSATILITY: The user can remove the pivot jaw for wider clamping requirements.
- Rapid-acting nut system.
- Lightweight, portable woodworking vise.
- 18 x 8 x 6-inches size.
Pros:
- Hold the object tightly.
- Constructed from strengthened steel.
- Durable and stable, it provides fantastic prolonged better stability.
- Portable and very convenient.
- Ideal for most applications.
- Comes with a lock on the base.
Cons:
- The jaw has no pads, so it leaves traces on the wood it is holding.
- The tool is quite bulky and heavy.
- The jaws are not aligned.
IRWIN 226361 – Woodworking Vise, 6-1/2 Inch
IRWIN’s 6 ½ inch woodworking vise is a decent option for a woodworking vise. It comes with a jaw width of 5 inches, a throat depth of 3 inches, and a jaw opening of 4.9 inches. These specifications allow you to use this bench vise with most workpieces without having any issues.
The IRWIN Woodworking vise is perfect for those who need a vise they can move without concern; forget about bolting this unit down; you can use its clamp design to attach it to any table surface up to 5 inches thick.
Being small doesn’t mean it isn’t feature-packed, as the vise also features integrated pipe grips and a little anvil-shaped horn. Its integrated pipe jaws keep the workpiece steady. The anvil might be a bit small for most jobs, as well as the 6 ½ jaws, but we found it suitable for light woodworking needs.
Another great feature of this bench vise is that it comes with a swivel base with a rotation angle of 360 degrees. But the best part about this bench vise is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. And this makes it highly reliable, along with its highly durable cast iron construction.
It is important to note that this IRWIN Bench Vice’s clamp design makes it portable, but it also makes it slightly less stable on surfaces. While other vises bolt onto tables with up to four bolts, this solution uses a single metal clamp. As such, we would avoid this offering for any heavy-duty projects but rather recommend it as a tool for any handyperson’s work bag,
Features:
- Toe-in toward top jaws helps ensure a firm grip on the workpiece.
- Square body seating for easy under-bench mounting.
- Provision for installing wooden cheeks to protect workpieces.
- 4-1/2″ jaw capacity perfect for light-duty woodworking tasks.
- Crafted of forged iron for long-lasting durability.
- Comes with a lifetime warranty.
- Swivel base with a 360-degree rotation angle.
Pros:
- The handle is easy to adjust.
- Budget friendly.
- It is very portable and can be easily carried about.
- The woodworking vise includes integrated pipe grips.
- The lifetime warranty proves that the woodworking vise is a reliable one.
Cons:
- The jaws might be too small for some projects.
- The amount of woodworking vise might make it unstable.
SHOP FOX D4328 – 9-Inch Quick Release Wood Vise
The Shop Fox D4328 is constructed out of cast iron and has polished guide rods. It also features sliding dogs for attaching long pieces to the workbench that can be removed when not in use. This Shop Fox D4328 9″ Quick Release Wood Vise has been engineered to deliver years of effortless woodworking service.
You can mount it on top of a workbench that’s 2 inches thick or 1.5 inches thick if you use a shim. It comes with predrilled holes for securing the tool to the workbench. This woodworking vise uses a quick-release mechanism for easy manipulation and faster work.
The jaws are predrilled to enable the installation and attachment of custom non-marring jaw faces to secure workpiece materials. It provides longevity and years of reliable use with cast iron construction, while the fast-release lever enables us to utilize this woodworking vise quickly and efficiently.
It also comes with sliding stop dogs that can be used with bench dogs that make woodworking life easier when dealing with too long materials for the vise to hold. The vise has a jaw width of 9 inches and a 10-inch jaw opening, which is ideal for working on any project type.
Features:
- A maximum jaw opening of 10 inches.
- 9-inch jaw width.
- A quick-release lever that disengages the screw, allowing for rapid release.
- Made from Cast Iron.
- Dimensions; 20 X 9.5 X 9 inches.
- Sliding dogs that easily retract out of the way when not in use and are intended for securing extended workspaces to the bench.
- Provides a mounting height of 2.25 inches.
Pros:
- The screw has an acme thread.
- It can hold larger workpieces, thanks to its sliding stop dogs.
- Guide rods that ensure superior alignment.
- Sturdy and durable.
Cons:
- This woodworking vise is not precisely budget-friendly.
- The edges are pretty sharp, so we need to take and run a file to the edge to fix this problem.
- Mounting bolts and screws are sold separately.
YOST M9WW – Rapid Acting 9” Wood Vise
The Yost M9WW is designed to make your work as smooth as possible, making it a prevalent choice among professionals. DIYers and hobbyists will also enjoy using this tool a lot.
Part of the M9WW’s appeal is its rapid nut mechanism. This allows you to clamp and reposition work materials at incredible speeds, thus increasing your efficiency and productivity.
You will also appreciate the buttress thread design of its central screw. This design facilitates tighter clamping and makes the process of opening and closing the jaws a lot smoother. Another excellent design feature is the end stop, which ensures that you do not open the vise more than is necessary.
The Yost M9WW comes with predrilled holes that make the process of mounting the vise on your workbench much easier and faster. The jaws also feature predrilled holes to install wood facings to provide cushioning to your workpieces. Do not worry about durability because this vise features heavy-duty steel and cast iron construction.
This is ideal for everyone, including beginners, because it comes with a 9-inch jaw width, 4-inch throat depth, and a 10-inch jaw opening. As a result, this tool can take on most light to medium-duty projects.
It comes at a budget-friendly price. It gives great strength thanks to the premium 30,000 PSI cast iron material construction. It features a quick-release level to allow for rapid, simple opening and closing of the vise.
However, it does not come with installation instructions, meaning that you will have to figure it out yourself.
Features:
- Heavy-duty cast iron and steel construction predrilled for mounting wood jaw facings.
- The quick-release lever allows for rapidly opening and closing the vise.
- Fitted with an adjustable front stop (bench dog).
- Because it has been engineered for optimal safety, the fused tommy bar will bend before the vise becomes over-stressed.
- Unique vise design ensures smooth & efficient operation, making this vise the most versatile and frequently used tool in your workshop.
- 9″ jaw width, jaw opening 10″, throat depth 4. 06″, weight 36. 5 pounds.
- For flush mount, table thickness needs to be 3.5”.
- Quality 30,000 PSI cast iron material built.
- An adjustable bench dog.
- A quick-release lever system.
Pros:
- High-quality steel and cast iron construction.
- Closes smoothly.
- It has been crafted for prolonged use.
- Quick-release mechanism.
- Strong enough to handle large loads.
- Budget-friendly price.
Cons:
- The woodworking vise does not come with installation instructions.
PONY 27091 – 8-Inch x 7-Inch Medium Duty Woodworking Vise
The Pony 27091 Woodworker’s Vise is a quality front vise. With a jaw width of 7 inches and an 8-inch jaw opening, this woodworking vise can handle most projects.
This woodworker’s vise is mounted on the surface of your workbench. Some workbenches may need modification by adding shims to allow the jaws to sit flush on the bench. To ensure that this vise can handle large workpieces, the front features a steel bench dog used in conjunction with a bench stop.
The whole package is made of cast iron, steel guide bars, and an acme acre to ensure your workpieces stay in place. To handle the medium-duty tasks, this product is a great selection you may give a try. The product is very sturdy and designed using quality stainless steel material to ensure prolonged use.
Again, it has a size of 8 x 7-inches to suit medium-duty applications. Also, the product mount to the face of woodworking benches makes it an excellent option for woodworking and assembling applications. It has an ergonomic, lightweight, portable design that allows for easy portability.
This product also features a solid steel dog for better functionality and stability. The versatile product is ideal for professional, home, and shop uses.
Features:
- Quality stainless steel material construction.
- 8-inches maximum opening capacity.
- 7-inches jaw width.
- A solid steel bench dog.
- Wide range of uses.
Pros:
- Suitable for DIY, light, and medium projects.
- Easily installed and simple to operate.
- Provides value for the money.
- Secure clamping.
- Comes with a steel dog.
- Smooth operation.
- Sturdy.
- Lightweight.
Cons:
- The vise does not come with an installation manual.
- It uses metric threads.
Our Favorite Choice Of Woodworking Vise Summary:
| WILTON | # 1st Choice |
| IRWIN | # 2nd Choice |
| SHOP FOX | # 3rd Choice |
| YOST | # 4th Choice |
| PONY | # 5th Choice |
Conclusion
A vise is the centerpiece of any woodworking workshop, as it comes in handy in almost every project. It is common knowledge that the quality of your vise influences the quality of your work, as well as your productivity.
Nonetheless, not all woodworking vises on the market will make for suitable partners in the shop. Therefore, you must do your due diligence to identify the best tool for your needs and budget.
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