To state the obvious, the vise is a basic bit of mill tooling and the accuracy of everything you hold in it will be a function of how good it is.
If you don't have a grinder and ability to fix them, its important to get a good one. I recently did a video (posted here somewhere) on surveying a "happy vise" and it once again showed the propensity for (some/ a lot/most) of the China made stuff to completely fabricate claims of accuracy. I've done this on another large Chinese vise once, and got the same results.
The Kurts are excellent. You can sometimes get greatly reduced prices by going to smaller industrial supply/tool dealers. There is HUGE mark up on this stuff.
Fortunately the angle lock patent is expired so that are many clones. Maybe look to the better ones? I'm leery of Accusize, they were basically a distributor of low end Chinese stuff then one day branded it all Accusize and trebled the price. Maybe its good, but I'd have to have a tour of their QC lab (rather doubting there is one, but maybe) in Richmond Hill before becoming a believer. While I suspect its getting better, the few pieces of Chinese tooling I've had my hands on, none was in spec to the claims or certs.
Because manufacturers claims can't be trusted with all these clones, imo its all BS and hearsay until someone does a survey of it. If anyone wants to bring me a new Accusize vise I'll survey it and post the results. Evidence vs claims.
Its a frustrating dilemma. Its a key tool, but the trusted brands want an arm and leg and we're home shop guys. otoh, if you don't buy a trusted brand, you need the grade A plate, tenths indicator, accurate square etc to be able survey them to know how accurate it is vs the fiction in the advertisement or on the certificate.
There was one clone maker that seem to get some good press, Glacern. I think they are made in China but they either assembled and inspected or finish ground in California. Not sure, and not saying they are any better, really don't know, but I remember a few years ago they put a bunch of effort into telling everyone they were lol. I'd survey a new one them as well if anyone wants to bring one by
PS: don't entirely pass up on the old but quality vises that aren't anglelocks. With a pair of hold downs, a good quality non anglelock vise can do as good or a better job...its just more of a pita to setup. For thin stuff that would have to be gripped at the very top of the jaws, I still go with hold downs despite having a Kurt.
