what bench vise to buy?

[Nads]

hello everyone.
I have been looking around for a quick release bench vice and I have narrowed it down to 3 options.
first one is from Carbatec - Groz 225mm quick release vice
second and third from Machinery House - Hafco 230mm quick release vice
Record 230mm quick release vice

Does anyone own one of these vices?
What would be the best option for lasting a lifetime?
Thank you.

[derekcohen]

If that is a Record vise, then it must be old stock as Record no longer build vises. They were the standard by which others were made. Snatch it up.

Groz have a poor reputation (and is a copy of the Record), and the Hafco I have not seen but it may come out of the same factory as the Groz (i.e. rebadged).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[mattocks]

I have two of the groz vise's fitted to my workbench
You can see them in the pic attached.
As you can see the inner jaw is set into the bench and I have covered the outer jaw with some tassie myrtle I had.
I have had them for about four years now and they seem ok. I like the quick release function which seems to work well
without to much trouble.
I can say that if you wind them up pretty tight with something in one end they will rack a little bit.
( I think rack is the right term for one end coming in more than the other)
Although I will say this has never worried me or caused a problem
Also I bought the 175mm and the jaws I fitted are 250mm so this may cause the racking a bit.
Someone with grater knowledge may correct me on this though.
I also replaced the front dog in the vise with one I made from hardwood I had rather than have a plastic one.
Mostly just for looks, the plastic one probably works just fine.

Cheers and would love to see a pic of your bench when finished

Frank

IMG_0034.jpg

[NCArcher]

The Record vices are now made by Irwin although still badged Record or Record/Irwin. I have a Record 52 QR and it is a great vice. Very happy with it. Can say if it will last a lifetime but heres hoping.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

I just brought a qrwv-9 from here as my first vice, it is still on the way https://mcjing.com.au/categorybrowse...?categoryid=73 after reading nearly every thread here, but i am a noob so hoping it works out for my new workbench.
Cheers,

[IanW]

Groz have a poor reputation (and is a copy of the Record), and the Hafco I have not seen but it may come out of the same factory as the Groz (i.e. rebadged)....

Derek, Groz is made in India, I believe, and the Hafco is most likely made in that other large industrial country to the north of us.

There have been posts on these vises over the years & it seems they can be a bit hit & miss on quality, but most will do the job, at least initially. I've looked at the new Irwin Records & they seem to be similar in quality to the 'noname' varieties, but that's only a visual appraisal. I suppose I'm a bit wary about any of these sorts of tools as they are all built to a price, & moving them through the shops seems to be more important to the manufacturers than how many generations of woodworkers they will serve.

I've had one of the un-named QR vises from Carbatec for about 9 or 10 years (possibly from the same source as the Hafco!?). It's not my daily user, & only gets a good workout sporadically, but it has always done its job, so far. It came with the jaws slightly out of parallel, so that they close first at the top, which is as it should be, but they were also out left to right, which is not as it should be. However, the small error was easily corrected by planing off the wooden jaw insert a little until they met straight along the top, and it grips perfectly well.

All of these vises suffer from wear in the guide rods and the nut/screw. Sloppy guide rods are annoying, but not as big a game-spoiler as a slipping nut. The QR nut arrangement is usually the first bit to give trouble due to wear, and you might need to get very lucky to find replacement parts down the track. If you are going to be using your vise all day every day for many years, this would be a concern, but given the amount of use the average backyard warrior gives them, most will probably last you out.....

Cheers,

[Pat]

Or, you can look for a second hand Dawn woodworkers vise. Choose wisely and it will last yours and your children's life times, at home use.

[derekcohen]

Derek, Groz is made in India, I believe, and the Hafco is most likely made in that other large industrial country to the north of us.

There have been posts on these vises over the years & it seems they can be a bit hit & miss on quality, but most will do the job, at least initially. I've looked at the new Irwin Records & they seem to be similar in quality to the 'noname' varieties, but that's only a visual appraisal. I suppose I'm a bit wary about any of these sorts of tools as they are all built to a price, & moving them through the shops seems to be more important to the manufacturers than how many generations of woodworkers they will serve.

I've had one of the un-named QR vises from Carbatec for about 9 or 10 years (possibly from the same source as the Hafco!?). It's not my daily user, & only gets a good workout sporadically, but it has always done its job, so far. It came with the jaws slightly out of parallel, so that they close first at the top, which is as it should be, but they were also out left to right, which is not as it should be. However, the small error was easily corrected by planing off the wooden jaw insert a little until they met straight along the top, and it grips perfectly well.

All of these vises suffer from wear in the guide rods and the nut/screw. Sloppy guide rods are annoying, but not as big a game-spoiler as a slipping nut. The QR nut arrangement is usually the first bit to give trouble due to wear, and you might need to get very lucky to find replacement parts down the track. If you are going to be using your vise all day every day for many years, this would be a concern, but given the amount of use the average backyard warrior gives them, most will probably last you out.....

Cheers,

Hi Ian

I used the Carba-tec version of the Record for about 10 years before I found a Record 52 1/2 on eBay that was located in Perth. The "real" Records were available new until about 5 or so years ago, before they became Irwins. Unfortunately I could not justify the expense of a new one all those years ago, and so purchased the Carba-tec copy (actually 2 of them). After about 3 or 4 years they became 'soft" and would rack, needing frequent re-tuning to be usable. Keep in mind that I am a weekend warrior. If I knew then what I know now I would have paid the extra to get a proper Record vise. I do not know if Irwin are capitalising on the Record name of old, and have now decided to market vises made for them in India or China, which as we know then tend to be made down to a price level, and not up to a standard (which is not a fault of the factory but a decision made by the accountants). My advise is to seek out a vintage Record 52 1/2. They are available. The Australian-made Dawn is also a good vise by reputation, but I have not used one so cannot comment.

I built a leg vise for my current bench, but still have the old Record 52 1/2. I am not parting with it!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[IanW]

Keep in mind that I am a weekend warrior........

Yeah, but a bit more serious about it than some!

I used the Carba-tec version of the Record ......

After about 3 or 4 years they became 'soft" and would rack, needing frequent re-tuning to be usable.....

Yes, Derek, it's those sorts of problems I was alluding to. Was the wear in the casting, or the guide rods, or both? It seems to me these bits should last much longer than yours did - they must use some pretty dodgy iron! The biggest worry I've come across is wear in the nut, which renders them rather useless.

My advise is to seek out a vintage Record 52 1/2. They are available. The Australian-made Dawn is also a good vise by reputation, but I have not used one so cannot comment....

Good 'ol stuff is always the way to go, imo. Usually costs less in both the short & long term, and you can feel good about giving tools a whole new life as well!

Cheers,

[safari]

I bought a Groz 225mm from Carbatec and so far I am happy with it. The jaws are parallel and the top of the outside jaw leans in slightly and grips the wood very well. I suppose time will tell wether it wears well.