Best Woodworking Vises - Top Picks, Reviews & Complete Buying Guide
by Scott Miller Updated on
As you are reading this article, you are probably in search of the best woodworking vise that can be found on the market, and that is why we are here to help you.
Actually, going through all the manufacturers and their models descriptions can be tiresome and time-consuming, so we did that for you and gathered all the necessary information as well as made the list of the best possible models currently available for you.
If you know what you want to get from a woodworking vise and how much money you are ready to spend on it, your decision will be easily made.
If you are buying it for the first time, our buyer’s guide can be of great help being that it is full of great general information about woodworking vises.
The first place is always given to the best of the best model and that is the case with the Wilton 63144.
This is considered top woodworking vise, due to its huge capacity which is achieved by jaws that can open to ten inches wide and that are large enough – four inches tall and seven wide.
What you also get is a rapid release, enabling easy opening and closing of the jaws.
The front jaw can pivot up to ten degrees to allow you to securely hold irregularly-shaped parts.
That is why users believe that this is the best vise, as working with more difficult shapes is possible which was not an option before.
What comes with this tool are mounting instructions, so that you can follow them and easily mount this vise.
Additionally, there are maple jaw inserts designed to expand the jaws’ capacity even further.
However, some users claim that the magnets used to hold them in place are not of great quality.
All in all, we believe that you will not be able to find a vise with the capacity and gripping power that you get with this one.
The Shop Fox D4026 vise is more of a kit that you will use to build your own vise.
What users claim is that the jaws lack a front piece, meaning that you will have to build your own.
It will also allow you to match the wooden jaws to the wood from which your workbench is made, which can lead to a very nice final look.
We can say that this is a set for beginners, being that it will enable you to get experience and provide a nice look without a lot of technical mastery.
However, you have to build your own jaws.
And that is not want experienced users are going to want to do.
Furthermore, you will get the wooden jaws which do not have so much strength as the cast-iron ones that can be found on other vises.
What is even more important, this model is not cheaper at all, plus the amount of work required to get this model ready for use makes it less favorable model among users.
Being that there are so many available woodworking vises on the market, it is difficult to determine which one is the most suitable for your needs.
So, we believe that reading this buyer’s guide can be of great help to you and will inform you about everything you need to know before you buy one.
We are sure that after reading this you will be able to get a great one at affordable price.
What should I know about the size?
With this tool, the size is significant, being that with the bigger vises you will be able to do the more kinds of projects.
In some instances, you may not need a large vise but the bigger the jaws.
With the bigger jaws, the more friction is applied and the more securely your pieces are held in place.
So, you will get your projects done without worrying about pieces slipping out of your vise.
The tools that have that extra grip that usually comes with a larger model are always useful and efficient.
In case you are planning to do a lot of fine detail work on smaller pieces, it does not make sense to get the largest vice on the market.
What will happen is that the oversized jaws would make it hard to have ready access to the surfaces on which you will work.
The fact is that you can always clamp a smaller piece on a larger vise, but you will not be able to clamp large piece on a smaller vise.
How important is the ease of use?
Many people pay attention to the ease of use when buying a woodworking vise.
This feature is not so important and cannot change the price for which the vise is sold, but it can affect how much you like using your vise.
The frequent user will know how important it is to invest in a model that you will find easy to use and like using due to the fact that frequent usage requires something like that.
What improves the ease of use of woodworking vise is a quick-release mechanism.
Actually, with this feature you will be able to take the vise off its track and get it close to its final location, before putting it back on its track and turning the handle to tighten it.
What about quality?
We claim that choosing any of the models on our list, you will get the high quality and you do not need to worry about that.
We just want to draw your attention to some characteristics of woodworking vises that would improve its overall quality.
A central support column should be made from steel, since there is a lot of force applied to this bar while you clamp.
The material from which the vice jaws are made can be wood, but if you want to get a durable and top-level clamping power, you should get the tool which has cast-iron or steel jaws.
How to determine which one is the right one for me?
Just as with any other tool it is important to know how much you should invest in a model that you will get a lot of benefit from and not to invest too much into something that you will not frequently use.
However, getting good value is not just spending as little money as possible, but getting the tool which will work well, have all the necessary features and that will not cost you too much money.
This cannot be generally determined, as what one person considers a good tool does not have to be is the best overall value for another person.
Firstly, you need to know what your needs are and what kind of projects you are going to do in the future and only then see which tool meets your needs.
If the tool has all the features necessary for the completion of those projects and if it even comes with not so high price tag, you will get the best deal.
Conclusion
All in all, we can just conclude that the Wilton 63144 is our top woodworking vise model and this is due to its big capacity, rapid release, and included mounting instructions.
The other models can be suitable for some users, just as the Eclipse EWWQR7-NA is good for those who want both a normal vise and tail vise in one tool.
The Yost M7WW Rapid is our choice for best for the money, with some minor quality control problems.
The Shop Fox D4026 gives you the opportunity to build your own vise, while the Groz 39006 Portable vise is inexpensive and portable, which is considered amazing, but when you realize how small jaws it has, you realize that it is not so wonderful.