Picked a cheap vise over a Wilton and now I'm kicking myself

I needed a bench vise for my garage projects and had to choose between a $45 Harbor Freight special and a used Wilton for $120 on Craigslist. I figured I'd save the money since I'm not a pro, just fixing stuff around the house. Well, after 3 months the cheap one has so much slop in the jaws that it won't even hold a 2x4 straight. Has anyone else regretted pinching pennies on a tool that you use all the time?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan63227d ago

Man that stings just reading it. I did the exact same thing with a lathe tool set. Grabbed a $30 set off Amazon instead of spending $90 on some real HSS blanks. First time I tried to turn some mild steel the tip just crumbled like a saltine cracker. Then the tool holder wouldn't even snug up tight because the set screw stripped out. Ended up spending the $90 anyway plus shipping and had to wait another week to get my project done. Cheap stuff just punishes you twice.

simon_sanchez5827d ago

Dude that's brutal. I can't believe the SET SCREW stripped out on you. That's the kind of hidden fail you don't see coming until you're already annoyed. @logan632 you got hit with the double whammy of bad steel AND bad hardware all in one package. It's like the universe was laughing at you for trying to save a few bucks. I swear those cheap sets are deliberately made to self destruct after a few uses so you have to buy another one. Your story is making me rethink every bargain tool I've got sitting in my drawer.