What size bench vise is best?

Staff, Courtesy of IRWIN

A reliable bench vise is one of the more useful accessories you can add to your workbench, and will probably end up being more convenient than you might think. They’re available in a few different styles and types, but essentially they’re just large clamps that are mounted directly to the top, side, or front of your workbench, and use a rotating screw to open and close their jaws. By providing the ability to safely and securely hold nearly anything in place while you work on it, you’ll be able to tackle a variety of automotive, metal, or woodworking projects.

What to Consider

Take note of the jaw width of the vise, and make sure that it's large enough to be used for the projects you have in mind. Keep in mind that “jaw width” may not be the same as “jaw opening."

On a similar note, what type of material are you going to be using in your vise? If you’re planning on working with metal piping, make sure to choose a model that has a pipe jaw. This is a separate, angled jaw that makes it easy to clamp a round pipe, much easier than trying to secure it in the flat face, which can easily dent or misshape your pipe. This feature is really convenient for using a hacksaw on metal pipes. On the other hand, if you’re looking to secure large wood pieces, and don’t want to risk damaging their delicate surface, go with a dedicated woodworking vise.

How We Selected

I’ve used a variety of bench vises in my career as a residential carpenter. I used this experience to assemble a list of options, and did my best to make sure I included a good range of vise styles, so whether you’re a woodworker, automotive hobbyist, or just someone who needs a solid, reliable vise, you should find something that works for you. I also kept size and weight in mind as well, since we know not everyone has the space to fit larger or heavier options.

1

Best Budget-Friendly Heavy-Duty Option

IRWIN

IRWIN Tools 4935507

2

Best Compact/Craft Option

Toolsmith

Toolsmith 240006

3

Best for heavy-duty use

WILTON TOOLS

Wilton 63302

4

Best High-End Option

Wilton

WILTON 28813

5

Best Low-Budget Woodworking Option

Yost Tools

Yost M7WW

6

Best Woodworking Option Overall

Pony Jorgensen

Pony 27091

7

Best Hammer Kit

WILTON TOOLS

Wilton WIL11128BH

8

Best budget-friendly option overall

Olympia Tools

Olympia Tools 38-604

Alex Rennie Alex Rennie is a freelance writer who specializes in the Home Improvement, DIY, and Tool space.

Features to Check Off When Buying a Bench Wise

Material

Let's start our guide with the material, as it is the most important thing for hardware. Bench vises are usually made from two types of iron and steel, known as cast iron and forged steel.

Let's talk about cast iron first as it is the most popular material in the manufacturing of bench vise. It is more affordable than steel, but it is not as strong as the latter, i.e. it can apply pressure ranging between 19 thousand to 60 thousand PSI.

It's made from magnesium, carbon, and silicon, making it less hard and providing greater flexibility. When we include steel in the equation of carbon and silicon; we get a very strong material with less flexibility, which means more vibration when you work with the bench.

Forged steel is made from steel subjected to high pressure yielding an even more excellent quality product, which can apply a pressure up to 90 thousand PSI. There is another material called grey iron made from 95 percent of iron; It is vital in quality while also being a good shock absorber.

Durability

After buying a bench vise, many people complain that it broke, so it's better to buy a bench vise of better quality once than spending money over and again on substandard tools!

For more durability, look for a bench vise with replaceable material like the jaws as jaws' teeth after frequent use may require replacement, primarily made from iron.

Weight

If you visit a hardware store and pick two bench vise with the same features but different weights, you will feel that the heavier one is of better quality and material.

Weight tells a lot about the hardware's might. Heavy material will easily take all those strikes you make on the anvil and won't break. But don't go for a material that’s too heavy either - it may mostly be a result of lousy manufacturing techniques, especially when you’re choosing a steel bench vise.

Jaw width

Jaw width is the length between the jaws of the bench vise. If you are looking for a bench vise for home use, 3 to 5 inches should be suitable enough for you. However, for heavy-duty use, you can go for up to 7 inches. Find out the dimensions of the material/sheet you’ll be working with and then go for a suitable bench vise with the required jaw width.

Opening type

There are two ways to open the jaws of your bench vise—manual and quick release. Quick release allows the user to easily open up the tightly locked bolt with just one push.

It would seem much now, but quick-release becomes pretty handy, primarily when you work with different sizes of objects.
It saves you a lot of time unscrewing that long bolt attached to the jaws. However, if you will be working with small objects typically of the same size, the manual opening won't bother you.

Types of Jaws

You will be using bench vise for different projects, so it's best to buy one with versatile uses. For example, you will be working with either pipes or straight objects (nylon and serrated). Usually, bench vises have jaws for both attached; if not, they have replaceable jaws that are either straight or curved depending upon the use.

The most common jaw used in bench vise is the serrated jaw which can usually hold straight objects and pipes.

It's best to go for a bench-wise with a combination jaw if you work with straight objects and all kinds of pipes. However, if you are going to be working with PVC pipes and straight objects mostly, then the serrated one of higher quality will come at the same price and will get the job done!

Some More Important Things to Consider

Base

Bench vises should be attached to some table or ground via typically 4 bolts. These bolts are usually not included in an affordable bench vise package, so it's essential to see if the bench vise you are planning to go for uses regular-size bolts that are easy to acquire from a nearby hardware store.

Moreover, lighter bench vises may not even use bolts; they will attach through suction cups or clampings.

Anyhow you will be attaching your bench vise permanently or semi-permanently to a base. So to prevent the hassle of you moving around the hardware, there is a swivel attached to the bottom of most bench vises.

These swivels can rotate 120, 180, 270, or even 360 degrees. Angle matters a lot when cutting or reshaping pipes and other hardware, so it's best to look for bench vises with greater angles for rotation.

Anvil

Anvil seems to be an unimportant feature at first but comes very handy when working at home in a small workshop. It's a perfect place for heavy hammer strikes for all that material you will use the bench vise to hold. So it's best to look for this feature while buying a bench vise.

Handle

Long-length items produce greater torque. So it's best to look for bigger handles when buying heavy-duty bench vise for grand projects. Handles come in the range of 2 to even 7 inches for tightening those jaws on a bench vise!

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