# GS Tooling milling vise reviews?



## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

Tormenting myself again on which vise to buy for my mill. Actually found Canadianhobby metal workers site while searching the milling machine vise thread on here. A neighbour has a machine shop and his foreman recommended this GS Tooling vise. Any input appreciated. Sorry, cant post links yet.


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## David_R8 (Aug 29, 2022)

For $700 (not sure if that USD or CDN) you have a few options. Sometime you can get a Kurt Scratch & Dent or a Glacern.


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## Darren (Aug 29, 2022)

Hard to beat the Kurt DX6.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

Would like the Kurt, can't afford the $1200+ usd and $$$ shipping plus sales tax based on usd. Will keep an eye out for Glacern.

This vise is towards upper end of my current budget and on sale for $524 before taxes, stock locally. 

I would like to get something and use machine, but don't know what I'm doing and fear getting burned on mega dollar chinese vice that is rebadged lower dollar chinese vice.


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## Darren (Aug 29, 2022)

Check out Ebay. Search for Kurt Vise, Kurt Vice, Kurt DX6, etc. Sort the listing by newly listed. Refresh often.

 I got mine in new condition, for a very reasonable price. They had it listed as a Kurt clamp.


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## YotaBota (Aug 29, 2022)

Did you try Thomas Skinner? When I was looking last March I believe the 6" Kurt was in the $800 range. 
$524 sounds like a good price for that vice but I haven't seen any reviews.
Kurt scratch/dent has 6" and 4" vises available, both reduced by about $200cdn.


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## Tom Kitta (Aug 29, 2022)

Sowa is importer of Chinese and other Asian tooling. They own few brands such as GS tooling. AFAIK GS tooling is premium China. 

As other said, for $700 you can do WAY better. I would add little bit of $$$ and get quality vise. I would consider GS tooling vise to be a good deal for say 350 plus taxes, max 400 (CAD). 

Its a "better" Chinese vise and may be OK for most purposes but price here is not exactly "low". 

You should be able to get DX6 for around $800 CAD, maybe a bit less if lucky. New, non scratch / dent.


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## Dabbler (Aug 29, 2022)

Skinner has Autowell, and I can verify it is very good.  As good as a Kurt.  I paid 500$ for my 6" Autowell, a few years back.


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## jcdammeyer (Aug 29, 2022)

I bought something like this back when I first got the mill because the 6" that came with it is huge and gets used rarely although handy to have sometimes.
I don't use the swivel part.  Took that off and it's still sitting on a bottom shelf somewhere.  Partly because my mill table will also swivel if I want.








						4" Milling Machine Lockdown Vise With 360 Degree Swiveling Base High Precision  | VEVOR CA
					

Buy 4" Milling Machine Lockdown Vise With 360 Degree Swiveling Base High Precision at cheap price online, with Youtube reviews and FAQs, we generally offer free shipping to Europe, US, etc.




					www.vevor.ca


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## PeterT (Aug 29, 2022)

Tom Kitta said:


> Sowa is importer of Chinese and other Asian tooling. They own few brands such as GS tooling. AFAIK GS tooling is premium China.


From what I've heard, the Sowa name could be put on a tool from almost anywhere. I know that some of their rotating tools come from Taiwan because is said so on my box. The same or comparable vise says made in Italy according to a USA distributer. Some other tools Sowa come from eastern Europe. They are a middle distribution company. Some things are overpriced by a lot (Bison tooling for example).

Beware of Kurt on Ebay, might be real, might not be real. Fake Mitutoyo calipers isn't the only magician trick. 

Kurt style is well respected. It comes on sale often through dealers. You also gave access to lots of options when it comes to replacement jaws, different jaw styles, stops, accessories. If you have an oops on a less well known vise, sourcing replacements can be more challenging & more $$. If you are challenged with vertical real estate (from table to spindle) there are other vises I would suggest have a look at. Same or more jaw opening but gives 2" or more of workable depth. Do a search on the forum, lots has been written.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

Darren said:


> Check out Ebay. Search for Kurt Vise, Kurt Vice, Kurt DX6, etc. Sort the listing by newly listed. Refresh often.
> 
> I got mine in new condition, for a very reasonable price. They had it listed as a Kurt clamp.


Thanks will keep do that. I did see a couple used out of the US for around $800 plus $250 shipping even before getting to border and they were missing pieces. Also multiple drill holes. The one you picked up sounds ideal.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

YotaBota said:


> Did you try Thomas Skinner? When I was looking last March I believe the 6" Kurt was in the $800 range.
> $524 sounds like a good price for that vice but I haven't seen any reviews.
> Kurt scratch/dent has 6" and 4" vises available, both reduced by about $200cdn.


I hadn't tried Thomas Skinner. I could live with that price range for that vise. Will have a look. Thanks.


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## Degen (Aug 29, 2022)

Consider some of Accusize's 6" offerings, I have one and am pleased with its function and accuracy for the price. I've created about 50lbs of Aluminium shaving on it.

Currently I'm using two 4" version from BB (production set up and better functionality on the CNC), also very functional and accurate.  Already created 60lbs on these 2 vises in less than 4 months.  By mod Sept expect to create about 20lbs more.  They get worked, tested and abused.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

Tom Kitta said:


> Sowa is importer of Chinese and other Asian tooling. They own few brands such as GS tooling. AFAIK GS tooling is premium China.
> 
> As other said, for $700 you can do WAY better. I would add little bit of $$$ and get quality vise. I would consider GS tooling vise to be a good deal for say 350 plus taxes, max 400 (CAD).
> 
> ...


Thanks. I hadn't come across GS in my searches, and was concerned about overpaying. Good to see a ballpark figure for them thrown out there. I saw the big number on Kurt web site in US dollars plus shipping and had kind of given up on getting one.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

Dabbler said:


> Skinner has Autowell, and I can verify it is very good.  As good as a Kurt.  I paid 500$ for my 6" Autowell, a few years back.


I'll have a look on T.S. website at them. Glad I posted here before buying/regretting. Thanks for reply.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

PeterT said:


> From what I've heard, the Sowa name could be put on a tool from almost anywhere. I know that some of their rotating tools come from Taiwan because is said so on my box. The same or comparable vise says made in Italy according to a USA distributer. Some other tools Sowa come from eastern Europe. They are a middle distribution company. Some things are overpriced by a lot (Bison tooling for example).
> 
> Beware of Kurt on Ebay, might be real, might not be real. Fake Mitutoyo calipers isn't the only magician trick.
> 
> Kurt style is well respected. It comes on sale often through dealers. You also gave access to lots of options when it comes to replacement jaws, different jaw styles, stops, accessories. If you have an oops on a less well known vise, sourcing replacements can be more challenging & more $$. If you are challenged with vertical real estate (from table to spindle) there are other vises I would suggest have a look at. Same or more jaw opening but gives 2" or more of workable depth. Do a search on the forum, lots has been written.


Ah I see. I had heard of the Sowa brand, but companies get bought and sold, make econo batch orders etc. Was wondering which scenario this was. (I assumed Chinese but hadn't asked)

I should have thought about counterfeit but hadn't. I see it in auto parts all the time as well.

Leaning towards Kurt if possible, for reasons you mentioned above, plus tighter tolerances on my projects, resale etc. Their website price had scared me off. The mill is zay 45 clone, seemed to have a fair bit of clearance compared to a friend's older Busy Bee but all relative I guess.

I had searched archives, didn't seen anything about the GS Tooling. The neighbor who told me about it was going to be asking if I had bought one yet. Have learned a lot from this thread. Thanks for reply and info.


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## WilliamR (Aug 29, 2022)

Degen said:


> Consider some of Accusize's 6" offerings, I have one and am pleased with its function and accuracy for the price. I've created about 50lbs of Aluminium shaving on it.
> 
> Currently I'm using two 4" version from BB (production set up and better functionality on the CNC), also very functional and accurate.  Already created 60lbs on these 2 vises in less than 4 months.  By mod Sept expect to create about 20lbs more.  They get worked, tested and abused.


Thanks, Accusize was actually my first choice. Decent enty point, free shipping and fast delivery were major selling points. Thought they were manufactured by upstart Canadian company then found out imported, that kind of cooled the jets. Read the reviews and came away with mixed feelings. Good to hear first hand you are satisfied, also hearing good things about their customer service. It certainly could be ideal for me. Oh man more sleepless nights haha.


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## Xyphota (Sep 3, 2022)

I just bought a Kurt DX6 from thomas skinner this past week. They price matched it down to $950 CAD delivered and said it was the best they could do. I thought the price was fair considering a scratch and dent model would be about the same price with shipping and possible duties


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## LenVW (Sep 3, 2022)

jcdammeyer said:


> I bought something like this back when I first got the mill because the 6" that came with it is huge and gets used rarely although handy to have sometimes.
> I don't use the swivel part.  Took that off and it's still sitting on a bottom shelf somewhere.  Partly because my mill table will also swivel if I want.
> 
> 
> ...


Purchased the same VEVOR style swivel vise (Mine is the 3” size - $95) very good Chinese product. Hardened Jaws are removable and about 75 RC. Solid castings and lubrication ports on the jaw screw anchor.
I had limited tooling last year and milled a 120 degree Arc groove in 1/4” mild steel using the swivel vise to pivot the workpiece. The swivel radius matched the requirements very closely.


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## WilliamR (Sep 4, 2022)

Xyphota said:


> I just bought a Kurt DX6 from thomas skinner this past week. They price matched it down to $950 CAD delivered and said it was the best they could do. I thought the price was fair considering a scratch and dent model would be about the same price with shipping and possible duties


Thanks, I called T.S. Richmond BC and was quoted $1000 over the phone. Said no future sales on it. I think they had 41 units in stock? Was in shock and forgot to ask about Autowell, will call next week. KBC briefly showed $810, then page refreshed to $1150. T.S. definitely a lot better price than KBC.

Just checked current scratch and dent $623.20, free shipping, plus ~$40 Washington sales tax, ~$15 handling fee. No duty. Credit card adds their gouge to exchange rate and pretty much exact price you got it for. That's an investment, guaranteed price is going up.


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## Dabbler (Sep 4, 2022)

One strategy with TS:  search the web for the best advertised Kurt price you can find.  They will always meet the price - or my case that price + 30$...  The markup on a kurt is something like 400$  so they have room to wiggle.


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## WilliamR (Sep 4, 2022)

Dabbler said:


> One strategy with TS:  search the web for the best advertised Kurt price you can find.  They will always meet the price - or my case that price + 30$...  The markup on a kurt is something like 400$  so they have room to wiggle.


Thanks, that's good info to know. I told rep I had no account with them, that might have helped a bit. That is a massive mark up. Wow. 

Starting to think I should be making a shopping list for Black Friday, or boxing day/week. Never paid attention to see if that stuff goes on sale? Maybe something used will come up, not counting on it though haha. Still going to get T.S. quote on the Autowell.  

Also thinking about about vice @jcdammeyer and @LenVW mentioned. May well be perfectly adequate for me. At very least would prevent panic buying overpriced offshore product during overheated post covid market. Would be a huge upgrade for my drill press.


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## Dabbler (Sep 4, 2022)

@WilliamR   I've mentioned before that this is how I got my kurt.  I found a blowout price in the US that had a Vancouver branch.  I called them and asked about the ad, and they said they'd give me that price in *Canadian* dollars.  I got them to quote.  But the shipping from Vancouver was $250.  So on a lark I called my local TS, and told them the story.  they told me to pick it up the next morning.  $700 + GST.  My guess is that they made 50$ on the deal, but stole the business from the other guys.


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## WilliamR (Sep 4, 2022)

@Dabbler That is very interesting. Same price in Canadian$ wow. Any hints 

That is a great policy by TS. 

Curious if this group ever organized large volume buys on tooling etc?


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## YYCHM (Sep 4, 2022)

WilliamR said:


> Curious if this group ever organized large volume buys on tooling etc?



The Calgary area members have organized a few group metal purchases in the past.


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## WilliamR (Sep 4, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> The Calgary area members have organized a few group metal purchases in the past.


Seems like a strong contingent in Calgary area. Shipping would kill me or I would be trying to get in queue.


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## Susquatch (Sep 5, 2022)

WilliamR said:


> Curious if this group ever organized large volume buys on tooling etc?



As I understand it, KMS Tools maintains a member list and will provide a discount. You have to ask for it. I've never used it. 





WilliamR said:


> Seems like a strong contingent in Calgary area. Shipping would kill me or I would be trying to get in queue.



As I understand it, the forum was originally started to provide a way for all those Cowboys to help each other overcome their middle of nowhere handicap. They did pretty well I'd say! They do like to complain about how lucky we Ontarians are when it comes to the availability of used machines. Of course, the folks from BC complain about how lucky the Cowboys are. And I would LOVE to have their humidity! The grass is always greener.......


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## 140mower (Sep 5, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> As I understand it, KMS Tools maintains a member list and will provide a discount. You have to ask for it. I've never used it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Perhaps a little bit closer to the coast, here it's more sage brush and cactus. I have found that in life, the grass is only greenest over the septic field....


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## Xyphota (Sep 5, 2022)

The KMS in Calgary has all the prices in store listed like this:
Price: $39.99
Member Price: $36.99

When they ring you up they always ask if you are a member, you give them your phone number, then you automatically get the cheaper price. Its just that the member prices are not listed on their website, but usually its like 5-10% discount.


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## WilliamR (Sep 5, 2022)

@Susquatch With all that oil field activity I drool over the equipment liquidations. Been to Nisku a few times and never disappointed. (except by taste of water. Yuk haha)

I guess you being close to the centre of the universe has it's perks 

Milder winters and 2 miles from border are only benefits I can think of to this particular slice of Bring Cash.

@Xyphota Same policy here. At checkout they ask for phone # and member discount applied. A buddy with commercial account basically gets their flyer sale prices all the time. Rarely any cheaper.


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## Dabbler (Sep 6, 2022)

@WilliamR after much thought, I think I should ask:  are you interested in the best, multipurpose, fastest, most rigid vise?  If you can compromise speed and multipurpose - just a little-  I have another suggestion for you to consider.  [those in the know will tell you the I love to complicate every decision ]

Consider a 5" or 6" screwless vise.  Even the very cheap ones will be a lot better than middle-of-the-road milling vises... 

This is NOT an endorsement, but an example of one:









						6" x 13" TOOL MAKER'S PRECISION SCREWLESS VISE #705-06 - NEW  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 6" x 13" TOOL MAKER'S PRECISION SCREWLESS VISE #705-06 - NEW at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




They stick out way less on the column side of the table, and are very rigid and repeatable.  A Kurt, they are not.  But a workable solution on a budget that are a little slower to use, they are.

[update]

Some forums have strongly discouraged the use of screwless vises for milling,  You should read them, but one misconception:  they can grip just as strong as any milling vise, if used correctly.  Thye grip properly if the screw angle is used correctly.  Many guys aren't careful.

I use my Autowell and my Kurt for day-to-day.  I could have gone screwless, but I like the speed and convenience.


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## David_R8 (Sep 7, 2022)

If a screwless vise works for Stefan Gotteswinter then...


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## WilliamR (Sep 7, 2022)

@Dabbler Thanks, fully open to suggestions. Curious how they work, off to check out your link. 

Currently leaning to maybe 5" offshore vice and not paying premium price. Will give me better understanding what I need, and can use it on drill press if not happy.

I bet with sinking dollar $1k kurt from TS will soon be a bargain. 

Meant to get price on Autowell but exhausted after donating organ this morning. (Wurlitzer haha)


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## Crosche (Sep 8, 2022)

Just stumble upon this on Kijiji: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-busin...cnc-milling-machine-vice-model-689/1569902123


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## WilliamR (Sep 8, 2022)

Thanks @Crosche  that would be ideal. Will see if seller will ship.


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## kevinwantstoshred (Dec 6, 2022)

Hey @WilliamR what did you end up going with? I've been hunting on and off for a vise for my bridgeport clone for a couple months and am having more trouble deciding than I expected!


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## Dabbler (Dec 6, 2022)

Crosche said:


> Just stumble upon this on Kijiji: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-busin...cnc-milling-machine-vice-model-689/1569902123


-That is very close to the Taiwanese clone of a Kurt 633 I own.  I think mine is about 90% as good as a Kurt at 1/2 the price.  

P.S. I also own a Kurt DX6 to compare against.


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## kevinwantstoshred (Dec 7, 2022)

Dabbler said:


> -That is very close to the Taiwanese clone of a Kurt 633 I own.  I think mine is about 90% as good as a Kurt at 1/2 the price.
> 
> P.S. I also own a Kurt DX6 to compare against.


Which Taiwanese clone do you have? I've never used a Kurt, but judging by their reputation, 90% as good sounds more than good enough for my needs.


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## Dabbler (Dec 7, 2022)

Mine is also an Autowell, purchased from Thomas Skinner.  I'm just not sure about the model number, but it is probably the exact model.  I've had it for about 5 years.

@Janger has the exact same model as I do - we bought them at the same time.   He also has a Kurt, so he can give you his opinion of the comparison.


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## WilliamR (Dec 7, 2022)

@kevinwantstoshred Wish I had an answer for you. Thought I would wait to see if kurt came on sale this black friday, but didn't happen. My last purchase in $USD had $1.42 exchange rate. Still searching at least once a day just to torment myself... Will be following to see what you get


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## TorontoBuilder (Dec 7, 2022)

WilliamR said:


> @kevinwantstoshred Wish I had an answer for you. Thought I would wait to see if kurt came on sale this black friday, but didn't happen. My last purchase in $USD had $1.42 exchange rate. Still searching at least once a day just to torment myself... Will be following to see what you get


Okay just gunna toss this out there since you haven't bought yet and must be as price sensitive as I am (yeah that is a euphemism for frugal) 

At auction a decent Kurt 6" vise can be had for 300 to 400 bucks. At least in Ontario...


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## Darren (Dec 7, 2022)

I have a very nice Rohm 6" vise with swivel base that I would sell. I've been saving it it for another project that never happened. These are around 2k new. I'll take 800 Plus shipping.

The jaws are reversible, smooth on one side, grooved on the other. Very smooth and accurate vise that opens up bigger than most.


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## Janger (Dec 7, 2022)

Dabbler said:


> Mine is also an Autowell, purchased from Thomas Skinner.  I'm just not sure about the model number, but it is probably the exact model.  I've had it for about 5 years.
> 
> @Janger has the exact same model as I do - we bought them at the same time.   He also has a Kurt, so he can give you his opinion of the comparison.


Lunch time! Yes I have the two. The auto well vise is very good like dabbler said 90% of the Kurt. hot chips stick more in the paint on autowell. The autowell did not come with the small vise stop and the slot for it in the rear jaw. But at half the price the autowell is very nice. Solid and accurate. No regrets and I use it constantly.


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## WilliamR (Dec 7, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> Okay just gunna toss this out there since you haven't bought yet and must be as price sensitive as I am (yeah that is a euphemism for frugal)
> 
> At auction a decent Kurt 6" vise can be had for 300 to 400 bucks. At least in Ontario...


Thanks, seems like the prices of everything used for sale in Greater Vancouver area are highest in North America? A lot of it worn out junk with same price as new. Basically save the tax. If the word rare appears in ad just forget it. Better deal to buy new. Ag or construction equipment is right off the scale.


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## Rauce (Dec 7, 2022)

I have a GS Kurt style vise I got used for I think $250. It’s the one with a smaller max opening (just shy of 6”). 

It’s the best vise I’ve had in my home shop, way better than the busy bee or ACS ones I had in the past. Not as nice as the GS branded Gerardi vises I’ve used at work but those are considerably more expensive.


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## TorontoBuilder (Dec 7, 2022)

My brother passed up literal dozens of Kurt vices at two auctions to go after a 6x18 Forza


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## WilliamR (Dec 7, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> My brother passed up literal dozens of Kurt vices at two auctions to go after a 6x18 Forza


Current kbc sale price...


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## PeterT (Dec 7, 2022)

That's an interesting vise base I haven't seen before. I assume that's to accommodate variable spacing table T-slots? Beats flipping a coin to be in too far or out too far.


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## Darren (Dec 7, 2022)

The vise itself also has multiple hold downs, including on the ends. Its very versatile. German engineering eh.


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## Susquatch (Dec 7, 2022)

Rauce said:


> I have a GS Kurt style vise I got used for I think $250. It’s the one with a smaller max opening (just shy of 6”).
> 
> It’s the best vise I’ve had in my home shop, way better than the busy bee or ACS ones I had in the past. Not as nice as the GS branded Gerardi vises I’ve used at work but those are considerably more expensive.



This is gunna sound dumb but......


I have a Gerardi SPA on my mill. I love it. It came with my Hartford Mill. I'm certain that the seller had no idea what a GS vise was worth. Neither did I at the time. I sure do now though. For one thing, a hammer is not required with a Gerardi Vise.

So my dumb questions are:  What exactly is a GS Kurt vise? What makes it different than a regular Kurt? Does the GS stand for Gerardi Spa?


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## TorontoBuilder (Dec 7, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> This is gunna sound dumb but......
> 
> 
> I have a Gerardi SPA on my mill. I love it. It came with my Hartford Mill. I'm certain that the seller had no idea what a GS vise was worth. Neither did I at the time. I sure do now though. For one thing, a hammer is not required with a Gerardi Vise.
> ...


gold star? IDK but I see several companies all selling GS vises but I dont think it is a type.

Ours and yours are both very similar IIRC, both name in Mediterranean countries, huh


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## Susquatch (Dec 7, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> Ours and yours are both very similar IIRC, both name in Mediterranean countries, huh



Yes, GS stands for Gerardi SPA. They are an Italian company. Basically SPA is somewhat equivalent to Corp.

Some have said the S stands for Sowa since Sowa has partnered with Gerardi. You can even find them labelled that way, and I can say that I ordered new jaws for mine from Sowa and they fit perfectly. 

I believe both are correct and the company is quite happy not to have to laser etch them differently.


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## TorontoBuilder (Dec 7, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Yes, GS stands for Gerardi SPA. They are an Italian company. Basically SPA is somewhat equivalent to Corp.
> 
> Some have said the S stands for Sowa since Sowa has partnered with Gerardi. You can even find them labelled that way, and I can say that I ordered new jaws for mine from Sowa and they fit perfectly.
> 
> I believe both are correct and the company is quite happy not to have to laser etch them differently.


Ah well I learned something new. 

At that auction we passed up a bunch of GS vices too to opt for the spanish Forza. I can't say we have any complaints as it is a great vide and the price was okay, although a fair bit more than we could have gotten a Kurt


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## kevinwantstoshred (Dec 7, 2022)

That's really helpful having 2 people with Autowell vises that can compare them against Kurt. I was sceptical as I couldn't find much for reviews of them but now I'm seriously considering them. Too bad I didn't get my mill sooner as I have an old KAR flyer that expired April 1 this year which lists the 6"x8.9" for $606 and now it's around $780. I called them to see if they have any sales coming up but they said there's nothing they're aware of. 

I'm tempted to just pay the $200-$300 extra for a Kurt DX6 but milling is brand new to me and I don't even know how precise my machine is yet so I think I'm better off saving the $200 and spending it on the other tools I still need/want (collets, surface plate, indicators, rotary table.....)

Anyone have any experience with GS Tools' GS890 or GS160G? The GS890 looks like Kurt's old D688 and the GS160G looks almost identical to the DX6 and both are 6"x9"


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## Rauce (Dec 8, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> This is gunna sound dumb but......
> 
> 
> I have a Gerardi SPA on my mill. I love it. It came with my Hartford Mill. I'm certain that the seller had no idea what a GS vise was worth. Neither did I at the time. I sure do now though. For one thing, a hammer is not required with a Gerardi Vise.
> ...



I should’ve been more clear, it’s a GS branded vise that looks like a Kurt.


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## kevinwantstoshred (Dec 8, 2022)

Has anyone ever had to make a warranty claim for a vise? Autowells have 1 year warranty but the GS160G I mentioned in my last post has 10 year and Kurts have lifetime warranty, but I'm not sure how much I should factor all that in to my decision making.


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## Dabbler (Dec 8, 2022)

I've owned 6 milling vises over the years - I've never had any sort of failure.  The two that I have sold worked well, but I've managed to upgrade to a Kurt and Autowell as my primary vises for mills.  The other ones are for the horizontal mill and as spare for setups.

Given my experience, start with the best vise you can afford/feel comfortable buying, so upgrading is less of a thing.  I lost money in selling the other two vises.


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## PeterT (Dec 8, 2022)

kevinwantstoshred said:


> Anyone have any experience with GS Tools' GS890 or GS160G? The GS890 looks like Kurt's old D688 and the GS160G looks almost identical to the DX6 and both are 6"x9"


Pretty sure they are made in Taiwan, I want to say comparable to Vertex type equipment. Hopefully 'up there' but never owned or seen one though.
One thing to keep in mind is their spare parts / jaw dimensions. Sometimes they look like a Kurt from a distance but they have their own (metric) bolt pattern. Not that you will wear them out with good care but things happen. Also different kinds of jaws can be beneficial, stepped or vee. Also check the casting thickness relative to your overhead room because some can get pretty thick.



			GS Precision Milling Machine Vises


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## John Conroy (Dec 8, 2022)

Seems like there may be more than one supplier using the GS Tooling name. These guys say they are made in Italy.


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## TorontoBuilder (Dec 8, 2022)

John Conroy said:


> Seems like there may be more than one supplier using the GS Tooling name. These guys say they are made in Italy.
> 
> View attachment 28705


That's what I'd thought. 

I've seen GS vices with different yet similar logo. 

Maybe GS has a lesser line made for them in Taiwan?


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## PeterT (Dec 8, 2022)

Interesting. The Ajax GS link shows both cast & modular styles on this main link. The modular sure look like 'Italy' GS I've seen elsewhere. They don't state country of origin like Penn though




__





						GS Vises
					





					www.ajaxtoolsupply.com
				




And now we have a 'Sowa' casting style mill vise, COO = Taiwan








						6
					






					www.suncoasttools.com
				




The distributers & their branding is often ambiguous that's for sure.


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## Susquatch (Dec 9, 2022)

John Conroy said:


> Seems like there may be more than one supplier using the GS Tooling name. These guys say they are made in Italy.
> 
> View attachment 28705



To repeat a little of what I said earlier. GS stands for Gerardi SPA. SPA is Italian for Corporation. Italy is a funny place. I LOVE my Gerardi Vise, but I wouldn't put it past an Italian company to claim made in Italy when all they really did was affix a label.

The GS logo on my vise is laser etched into the base. Once the etching process is setup, it has to be cheaper than riveting on a label. As others have implied, that suggests the vise is a lower price line made elsewhere. That said, Gerardi put their name on it. Given their reputation, I'd bet it's a great vise that would make almost any machinist very happy.

I say go for it!


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## Rauce (Dec 9, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> To repeat a little of what I said earlier. GS stands for Gerardi SPA. SPA is Italian for Corporation. Italy is a funny place. I LOVE my Gerardi Vise, but I wouldn't put it past an Italian company to claim made in Italy when all they really did was affix a label.
> 
> The GS logo on my vise is laser etched into the base. Once the etching process is setup, it has to be cheaper than riveting on a label. As others have implied, that suggests the vise is a lower price line made elsewhere. That said, Gerardi put their name on it. Given their reputation, I'd bet it's a great vise that would make almost any machinist very happy.
> 
> I say go for it!


This is not true, GS does not stand for Gerardi SPA in this case. 

GS Tooling is a brand used by Sowa on all sorts of items from manufacturers all over the place. For some reason they also import gerardi vises with the GS tooling brand. 

If go on the Sowa site and look under the GS tooling brand you’ll see thousands of items that are most definitely not made by Gerardi in Italy and have nothing to do with Gerardi.


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## TorontoBuilder (Dec 9, 2022)

Rauce said:


> This is not true, GS does not stand for Gerardi SPA in this case.
> 
> GS Tooling is a brand used by Sowa on all sorts of items from manufacturers all over the place. For some reason they also import gerardi vises with the GS tooling brand.
> 
> If go on the Sowa site and look under the GS tooling brand you’ll see thousands of items that are most definitely not made by Gerardi in Italy and have nothing to do with Gerardi.



This is the problem with initials, they're too ambiguous. Unless the company has a word mark where the initials have a distinctive look and logo.


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## Canadium (Dec 9, 2022)

Now I'm quite confused. Over the past few months I acquired a made in Taiwan "GS" 6 inch vise. It looks almost identical to my Kurt D675. So is my GS 6 a Gerardi or just a Chinese clone??? I had assumed before just a Chinese clone of something and had no idea it might have any connection to Girardi.


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## Susquatch (Dec 9, 2022)

Rauce said:


> This is not true, GS does not stand for Gerardi SPA in this case.



If you mean Sowa when you say "in this case", you are quite correct. But I meant in the case of the Gerardi products made in Italy. Not a big deal either way. Good clarification. Especially for other readers. 

Question - what *DOES* GS stand for in the case of all those other products?


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## Susquatch (Dec 9, 2022)

Canadium said:


> Now I'm quite confused. Over the past few months I acquired a made in Taiwan "GS" 6 inch vise. It looks almost identical to my Kurt D675. So is my GS 6 a Gerardi or just a Chinese clone??? I had assumed before just a Chinese clone of something and had no idea it might have any connection to Girardi.



Join the club. But for what it's worth, I doubt it's any connection to Gerardi. They are pretty proud of their stuff. 

More likely it's a Chinese outfit capitalizing on the name. Sort of like a Mitutoya micrometer hoping you won't notice its spelled wrong.


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## Dabbler (Dec 9, 2022)

_Now I'm quite confused. Over the past few months I acquired a made in Taiwan "GS" 6 inch vise. It looks almost identical to my Kurt D675. So is my GS 6 a Gerardi or just a Chinese clone??? I had assumed before just a Chinese clone of something and had no idea it might have any connection to Girardi._

well... a Taiwanese clone of a K657, but that's probably quite good anyway...


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## Rauce (Dec 9, 2022)

That’s the same vise I have. A Kurt clone made in Taiwan and sold under the GS brand by Sowa.


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## Dabbler (Dec 9, 2022)

I just looked up my clone vise and it is a Autowell ARW-689 FWIW.


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