http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221534

Saw this thread on another forum I browse.

Please keep any comments on the polite and respectful side, I guess you learn something new every day.

Sounds familiar - the vise that is. Several years ago I bought a larger 6" vise at Lowes. Seemed sturdy enough but the first time I used it it did the same thing and I wasn't doing anything unusual, just tightening it normally! Took it back and was told I could only exchange it or get a store credit since I'd paid via debt card. Told em it was BS since they got my money right away but no luck. I ended up taking another chance on a four incher of a different brand. Same experience! Went back and got the store credit and picked up a good old used Wilton at the flea market.

Amateurs!

I snapped the handle off an 18 inch HF pipewrench about 17 years ago- cheap wrench, but everyone was f*****g scared s******s of me afterwards.

I steer clear of Harbor Freight, but I have bought from Northern Hydraulics.

Do believe I may have stopped at the 3# hammer stage!

quote:

Originally posted by oupa:
Sounds familiar - the vise that is. Several years ago I bought a larger 6" vise at Lowes. Seemed sturdy enough but the first time I used it it did the same thing and I wasn't doing anything unusual, just tightening it normally! Took it back and was told I could only exchange it or get a store credit since I'd paid via debt card. Told em it was BS since they got my money right away but no luck. I ended up taking another chance on a four incher of a different brand. Same experience! Went back and got the store credit and picked up a good old used Wilton at the flea market.

Geezz oupa, a 6" and a 4" tightening normally. Different brands. Damn, How big are you?

I happen to have both HF and a Wilton .
I beat the living shit out of HEAVY things along with torching in the vises . I've used cheater handles numerous times on just about everything you could imagine !. Never broke anything on either one . I will NOT defend HF shit though !.
Years ago when they were originally out of Camarillo CA. . I used to buy from a catalog have it shipped . I bought some fairly nice tools that I still use today and still WORK !

Now a couple of years ago I was in need of some metric wrenchs so off to the local HF and bought a set !.
I was removing the set bolt of a alternator ( tensioning bracket bolt ) 14 MM head . I can prove that by the scar on my bird finger !!. It snapped in half on the box end .
Well I never have used those dam things again as a matter of fact I threw it so far I never found it !.

My point is WAY back when trying to get into the US market they made decent stuff . Not Snap On or Craftsman mind you but decent for what you paid for it and it didn't break !.

Now just shit like Walmart or most other Chinese out lets !. So Sorry Charlie come back real soon bring more money buy again and again and ...

Mark, I have that same vise from Sam's Club about 12 years ago, others sell it too. Its made of cast iron, not forged steel as a quality vise would be. I paid $35 dollars for it and have fully got my moneys worth but it's not very strong.

I haven't broken mine but did strip the bolts used to hold it in various positions. Tapped the holes larger and installed grade 8 bolts and it's still holding but I don't put a cheater on the closing handle.

It's

I have an old Keysie Kemball vise, ideal for stock work. Jim Brockman is going to manufacture them I understand, not cheap but sure do work well.

Some things you just do not buy unless made in USA. Examples: come-a-longs, Hi-Lift jacks, sockets, vises, drills, taps, chisels, hex and Torx wrenches, c-clamps, Visegrips, pipe wrenches, are a few. Even if you are a casual user, not a professional, stay away from the junk.

I completely misread this topic. I thought it was about removing a pin, and to what extent some will go to before seeking help... My guess is that this illustrious pair would continue breaking equipment, regardless of the make, before seeking a real solution to their problem.

I have broken a big Chinese vise and a big British vise.

I now have a Boeing surplus Columbia vise on the work bench, and I know I could break it too if I treated it the way I did the ones I broke.

For heavy work, I have an old 100 pound milling vise [shaped like a Kurt]. It is indestructible, and I use it for forging bolt handles.

I bought an interesting vise from a guy by the name of Rick Letchtung (not sure of the spelling) years ago. He had a mail order place that sold some specialty tools, no longer in business. The vise rotates in a couple of degrees of freedon, and is heavy. I lined the jaws with leather and use it to hold my knife blades while working on them. I've never found another vise that will do what this one does, as I can move the jaws to get access to parts of the blade that I'd otherwise have to go through contortions to get at.

Don