Looking to get a 2 Vice for Home. Nothing too fancy but with a swivel. Nothing overall expensive either.
Also unsure whether to go 100mm or something slightly bigger. Open to feedback as to whether you have had the 100mm and then gone bigger. Is bigger better in this scenario?
Bunnings would be preferred as it is close to home. Every other major store is about a 40 to 45 min drive.
The Craftright has really bad reviews. I would be using it a couple of weekends a month for basic things and don't plan on swinging a hammer. More for holding some steel pipe while I cut with the angle grinder. I am leaning towards the 150mm Irwin.
I've had too many accidents with drills and hurting myself so I need to remove my hands from these scenarios!
I bought a non swivel craftright and returned it straight away - the edges were all rough and would damage anything I put in there.
Bought an Irwin instead and it’s a much better tool. YMMV with different models though
Sounds like the Irwin is the way to go.
@geekcohen: Yep, it's kind of a "get what you paid for" deal. If it was for a few one off jobs 4 or 5 times a year, whatever, but almost every weekend and holding pipe, 100% go the Irwin 150mm
I restored and old rusty one I found at my parents place - It was pretty poor quality to begin with, took an angle grinder to it to clean up a lot of the poor casting flashing.
One of the things helps a lot is to get some magnetic vice jaw pads, these'll make it not mark up your surfaces as much (there's also ones you can get that have curves on them for holding pipes in place).
If you're working with a lot of bigger stuff you can also get something like the Triton Superjaws
I picked mine up for $20 from a garage sale (had to derust it a fair bit, but a bargain's a bargain, right?)
It will take a fair amount of space in your shed though….
EDIT: tldr: Get the good one. A good vice is awesome.
Don’t get a cheap one if you’ll be using it a decent amount.
I got ones these years ago. It's rather versatile as it swivels and rotates. Also has a pipe vice on the other side to clamp round objects.
Can confirm, we have the exact ones at work as well. Pretty good units, especially with the pipe jaws.
OP mentioned that they needed to cut pipe regularly, so this would be a much better vice to buy
Whats to recommend as Bunnings only carries a few models that swivel - pop in and see what suits your needs and budget. Keep it simple. :-)
It really depends on what you are doing with it and how often you think you will use it.
If it's for a once every blue moon for light jobs, go to Bunnings and get the Craftright. If it is going to be used every day and for holding things while you swing at it with a hammer, get the Irwin.