Top 10 vices

Before us is a machine tool aluminum vice designed for installation on special processing equipment. However, they made it to our top, as they can also be used as a locksmith tool for a garage or home. Aluminum is a very light material, yet strong enough to hold the workpiece securely. You can't use it as an anvil, so it's not here. The length of the jaws is also not the most impressive, only 22 millimeters, with a maximum clamping width of over 60 millimeters.

Such a tool has a narrow specialization, and it should be bought only when necessary. For example, with its help it is easier to work with small parts, or to clamp fragile products into it that cannot be compressed under high pressure. There is also a convenient mount that allows you to move the frame on the base. But there is no turning mechanism, which is not surprising, given that we have a machine model in front of us, and in standard use it is simply not needed here.

Many of us are used to the fact that a cast iron bench vise is a bulky, heavy tool that needs to be fixed to a workbench. But there are also very compact models, weighing less than a kilogram. Yes, such a tool will not cope with hard work, but this is not its task. In addition, compact dimensions should not confuse. There are 50 millimeters of jaw length, as well as 40 millimeters of clamp width. Pretty decent for a product like this.

But the main advantage here is the price. This is the best price tag on the market for a cast iron axial rotation vise. The most convenient design, which should be in the arsenal of any home master. Of course, they should not be used as an anvil. Yes, the vise is cast iron, but judging by the reviews, Chinese manufacturers managed to bring out a completely new cast iron, which is significantly inferior in strength to the analogue familiar to many of us.

A bench vise is a tool that requires stationary fixation. They need a workbench or countertop in which 4 holes can be drilled.For a garage, this is the norm, but you can’t install such a tool at home, and it weighs decently. If you need to do some small housework, then this option will be the best choice.

This is a compact clamp-on vise. They are attached to the countertop and do not require permanent installation. The weight of the model is less than three kilograms, and the width of the clamped part is 60 millimeters. Not the highest figure, but for household work it is quite sufficient, as well as the depth of the sponges is 50 millimeters. In addition, the vise has a swivel mechanism that allows you to rotate the frame in a circle, which is very convenient, since it is not always possible to fix the tool at the desired angle. The price of the product, the best in this segment, will also please, and all thanks to Russian production, without the use of imported parts.

Locksmith vice of standard form from a Russian manufacturer at the best price on the market. This is a cast iron tool with an anvil and rotary positioning. The vise rotates around its axis and is fixed in the selected position, which is very convenient when working. The weight of the model is 5 and a half kilograms, and they are attached to the workbench with 4 bolts, which, unfortunately, are not included in the kit, as well as replaceable sponges.

The length of the jaws is one hundred millimeters, which is not so much, but the width of the clamp is 103 millimeters, and this is the best indicator among similar models. The manufacturer also equipped the model with overlays on the twisting levers, which, in theory, should facilitate this process. But as it turned out, the element is completely unnecessary and does not carry any applied value. Simply put, these are ordinary garage vices that will last a very long time, and the only part that may need to be replaced is the jaws.Their fastening is standard, so there will be no problems with finding and selecting the right module.

Before us is the simplest vise for the garage, attached to a workbench or any countertop. This cast-iron product weighs almost 6 kilograms, which is quite small for a similar model. The width of their jaws is 180 millimeters, and the maximum clamping size of the workpiece is 80 millimeters. There is nothing innovative in this version, except for the rotary function, which allows you to rotate the tool along the axis and fix it in the desired position.

The main advantage here is high strength, since the vise is cast iron, they can easily withstand blows on their surface, and for this they even have a special anvil. Sponges, unlike the whole structure, are steel, and they can be changed if necessary. Despite the fact that this is a German development, even though it was released in China, the size of the attachment of the jaws is standard and modules from Russian manufacturers will fit these vices, which is very convenient, since spare jaws are not included in the kit, and this can be considered a disadvantage. Especially given the low price.

Hinged vices are made of steel and even cast iron, but it is not recommended to use them as an anvil. The main blow will fall precisely on the hinge and its fastening, which will quickly fail. This model is aluminum, and this is a huge plus here, as the manufacturer managed to reduce the weight of the tool and make it as transportable as possible.

But the main feature is the interchangeable type of attachment to the base. There are two of them here: the first is a standard clamp that attracts a vise to a countertop or workbench. The second is a round mount that allows you to fix the tool to any pipe with a diameter of up to one hundred millimeters. Of course, for most users, this factor will not seem so important, and the additional mount will be lost somewhere in the tools, but often, such a function is very lacking. Simply put, this is a model for a narrow circle of users, which is why it got to a not very honorable place in our rating. In terms of other characteristics, it can be safely called the best model in its class, especially with the most attractive price tag.

Matrix has found a way to produce completely different vise models using the same clamping mechanism. The vice itself is available with a conventional mount, and on a hinged bed, and even those on a suction cup. A very convenient type of fastening of the vise to the base, provided that it is even and smooth. You simply place the instrument on the table, and by pressing the lever you press the pillow.The vise is fixed tightly, but there is a minus in this. Such suction cups have a limited service life, and quickly fail.

In addition, it will not work to attach to a dirty or wet surface, as the tool will either ride on it or simply detach. That is, the base for the vise should be as smooth and even as possible. This is true for home use, but such a model is hardly suitable for a garage. If it does not remind you of a medical laboratory. Simply put, a rather controversial model, but deserving of attention and in order to get into our vice rating in an unusual form factor. Albeit not in the most respected place.

Before us is a steel metalwork vice without a stationary installation. This is a complete tool, great not only for the home, but also for the garage. The clamp width here is 50 millimeters, with a jaw length of 70. This is the average size for a bench tool.

But the main advantage here is the hinge mechanism. The vise rotates at any angle and is securely fixed. The reliability of this fixation is precisely ensured by a one-piece steel structure. There are no plastic or aluminum parts here, which allows us to call the tool a locksmith, that is, durable and reliable. There are a lot of reviews about this model on the net, and almost all of them are positive. The vise copes with its tasks, and if you do not use them as an anvil, which is generally unacceptable on articulated models, then they will last a very long time, and the only module that may require replacement is sponges.They are not included, but the mounting width is standard, so there will be no problems with the selection. And no less important advantage is the price. There is nothing more to add here.

Looking at a metalwork, steel vice, you understand that a tool designed to perform the most difficult tasks. You can beat them with a hammer or cut a fixed part with a grinder. But not always the vise should perform just such a task. For example, this tool is designed for fixing soft parts that require careful handling, such as electronic circuit boards and the like.

This is a hinged model that is attached to the tabletop without stationary fixation. The hinge itself is fixed with a clamping nut made of plastic, and this could be considered a minus, but numerous positive reviews indicate otherwise. It turns out that the mechanism is quite reliable, and if necessary, the upper part of the vise is removed and can be used as a clamping clamp. The jaws here are plastic, and will not harm the product when clamped, and the clamping handle without an eccentric allows you to use the product with one hand without experiencing any inconvenience.

There is hardly a tool that this Chinese company does not produce, and the vise is no exception. Before us is the best articulated model, designed for small jobs and fastening workpieces up to 70 millimeters wide. Not the smallest indicator, it is worth noting, as well as the length of the sponges is almost 80 centimeters.

The vise is attached to the countertop with a clamp, which allows them to be installed on any surface, without the need to drill holes in it. There are two levels of fixation: the first fixes the vice itself to the surface, and the second presses the hinge. You simply expose the tool at the angle you need, and clamp the mechanism. Judging by the reviews, the hinge mount is of very high quality, and in such models this is the main problem. It is thanks to this that this design has taken such an honorable place in our rating, and has been awarded the title of the best, and even at a very reasonable price. An excellent choice for the garage or home, which will become an indispensable assistant to any craftsman.