Vevor vises....quality?

[Dan Dubeau]

Does anybody out there have a Vevor milling vise. Specifically a 3" or 4"? I'm looking at picking up a pair of them for the Tormach so I can free my 6" glacern for use on the Excello, as it's really just too big for the Tormach. For the price, I'm not expecting greatness, and even expecting a full teardown, and refitting/match grinding to bring them up to where I'd need them, but if the baseline quality in casting and all the other components is just not there, then it's simply not worth the money and effort it to start with. I suspect I already know the answer, but sometimes this import stuff can be surprising.

https://www.vevor.ca/mill-vise-c_10...lock-vise-precision-non-swivel-p_010622699236
https://www.vevor.ca/mill-vise-c_10...-19kn-lock-vise-hardened-metal-p_010469698655

For $80-100 it's not bad to take a punt on it, but I want to buy two $160-$200 is bit more money to light on fire. I already have enough anchors for my boats, and a few other old milling vises holding down the shop floor. I'm going to do some modeling to find which one would be a better fit in the tormach work envelope and parts, but I'm leaning towards the 4".

I thought I'd toss the question out there and get some feedback from anyone who has one.

Thanks, Dan.

 

[terry_g]

This vice has good reviews and is in the same price range.

4IN. PRECISION MACHINE VISE CRAFTEX CX

Busy Bee Tools is Canada's largest Woodworking & Metalworking retailer. Find power tools, woodworking tools & metalworking tools at factory direct prices.

www.busybeetools.com

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Thanks, That's another interesting option. That style presents a few more mounting options too.

 

[slow-poke]

I watched a video, where a guy reworked a cheap vise, and he claimed that the cast iron used is not stable like that used on say a Kurt, so over time it just slowly drifts back to not so good even after all the effort.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I watched a video, where a guy reworked a cheap vise, and he claimed that the cast iron used is not stable like that used on say a Kurt, so over time it just slowly drifts back to not so good even after all the effort.

I have heard the same thing for many years on various forums about import vises. I know the quality has improved a lot over the years, but I have no direct hands on experience with them to actually gauge whether that's still true or not. I did have issues with our glacern vises many years ago. I think we got #44 and 45. The tapped holes in the jaw bodies would mushroom out over time and the hardened jaw would bow to suit the surface. I fixed it by adding a big chamfer, but it came back again. So I added a BIGGER chamfer, and it's been fine ever since, but I've never had a Kurt do that. Material problem? Probably, but not a huge show stopper. I did have to grind the mating faces flat and square again too.

At the end of the day I'm not expecting Kurt quality, and TBH they're going on a Tormach, where my intended use is for mild production. I'd have talon grips in one, and soft jaws on the other. So I could run both sides of a part in one cycle. I simply don't have room for another 6", and need/want something smaller. 4" kurt vise is a non starter, and I'd hate to pay decent money for a name brand import, if the vevor one is the same quality. We have a bunch of mixed vises at work from kurts to gs to glacern and a few other odds, and they're all good. Some better, but all workable. I've just never put hands on a lower rung import of any size to gauge for myself.

I've honestly never been a fan of those CNC style square side vises, I've never really liked needing an extra side clamps, but the more I think about it the more I like that one from busy bee, and it might be(e) just perfect for my needs. I might take a run over there this weekend to have a look in person, I hope the sale is still on. One of the benefits of a brick and mortar store.

 

[Former Member]

This vice has good reviews and is in the same price range.

4IN. PRECISION MACHINE VISE CRAFTEX CX

Busy Bee Tools is Canada's largest Woodworking & Metalworking retailer. Find power tools, woodworking tools & metalworking tools at factory direct prices.

www.busybeetools.com

I have 3 of these on my and use them daily. So far so good.

I created a common fixed jaw that all pieces going in align to the same Y and the spacing remains the same.

 

[LenVW]

Does anybody out there have a Vevor milling vise. Specifically a 3" or 4"? I'm looking at picking up a pair of them for the Tormach so I can free my 6" glacern for use on the Excello, as it's really just too big for the Tormach. For the price, I'm not expecting greatness, and even expecting a full teardown, and refitting/match grinding to bring them up to where I'd need them, but if the baseline quality in casting and all the other components is just not there, then it's simply not worth the money and effort it to start with. I suspect I already know the answer, but sometimes this import stuff can be surprising.

https://www.vevor.ca/mill-vise-c_10...lock-vise-precision-non-swivel-p_010622699236
https://www.vevor.ca/mill-vise-c_10...-19kn-lock-vise-hardened-metal-p_010469698655

For $80-100 it's not bad to take a punt on it, but I want to buy two $160-$200 is bit more money to light on fire. I already have enough anchors for my boats, and a few other old milling vises holding down the shop floor. I'm going to do some modeling to find which one would be a better fit in the tormach work envelope and parts, but I'm leaning towards the 4".

I thought I'd toss the question out there and get some feedback from anyone who has one.

Thanks, Dan.

I bought a 3” Vevor Vise for my KING 3/4 hp mini mill a few years ago.
Good little vise with removable jaws and sturdy build.
I have had it apart a few times and it is well built. See the photos.

 

[Tom Kitta]

Generally cheap Kurt style vises are of poor quality. I.e. for drilling OK, maybe very rough milling operations. Not really suitable for anything precise.

 

[Dabbler]

I think that there is a pretty high probability you will replace Vevor vises after a while. You haven't mentioned how wide an opening you need, and if they should be matched for height. These two things might help guide your decision...

 

[6.5 Fan]

a few other old milling vises holding down the shop floor.

Sell those floor weights on Kijijijij or Face Plant for an inflated price, free up some funds for new purchase.

 

[LenVW]

If I had an unlimited budget ($1500+) and enough production requirement . . . Then I would consider a KURT or similar.
Of course you are going to need a HAAS or TOSHIBA mill to go with it.

If you ‘setup’ your work properly and make ‘indicating’ your reference surfaces a consistent practice of your machining process, an inexpensive piece of tooling or work holding will result in quality pieces.
BUT . . . It probably will not last as long.

We are hobbyists . . . not high volume machine shops.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I think that there is a pretty high probability you will replace Vevor vises after a while. You haven't mentioned how wide an opening you need, and if they should be matched for height. These two things might help guide your decision...

The Tormach has a limited work envelope. With removable jaw vises I can reverse the jaws to maximize that. with a 6" vise, half of it hangs off the bed out the front and is wasted space. It's simply too big for the mill. Plus, the way the work envelop is, I lose a good portion of it simply due to how wide the fixed jaw is. If I push it back as far as possible, I lose ability to flip the jaws to gain that space back, without having to move the vise. I'm simply trying to maximize the available clamping ability within the work envelope without having to teardown all the time. I'm trying to create a one size fits most clamping station to maximize my productivity by implementing a bunch of ideas I've come up with over the years.

Height matched is a priority, but not a show stopper if they're not out of the box. Whatever I get will get tickled all over with an indicator on a surface plate and mapped out, and any discrepancies between the two will be addressed with the surface grinder. I have a few other modifications I want to make from the start anyway, so I'm not worried about having to machine them a bit to correct any geometry issues. I fully anticipate there being issues, I just don't want to have to put in all the work if the castings, and screw and all the other components are made from hard cheese....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Sell those floor weights on Kijijijij or Face Plant for an inflated price, free up some funds for new purchase.

Then the shop might blow away.... One is a rusty old boat anchor, and the other an old style milling vise that I doubt anybody would want. I use it as a welding fixture on the welding table from time to time, and the rest of the time is sits on the floor underneath. In my mind, They're really not worth much, and for the aggravation of trying to sell them I'd rather just keep them and find uses other than milling. There's been a few on marketplace for almost a year now that nobody is interested in for peanuts, so a pretty limited market anyway.

The rusty one might become a bending jig of some sort in the blacksmith shop at some point in the near future.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Generally cheap Kurt style vises are of poor quality. I.e. for drilling OK, maybe very rough milling operations. Not really suitable for anything precise.

I generally agree with your statement, but I have a few GS (4) and glacern (2) clones in full daily commercial use at work, and they are everybit as precise and accurate as the kurts. There are minor differences in fit and finish, but accuracy and ability to do the job they're intended for there is zero practical difference aside from the clones cost about half what a kurt does. Oddly enough, they are all from different manufacturers and different times over the years, but all the beds are matched withing a couple tenths. Really handy for the stuff I do, where you're always tearing down and setting up for oddball stuff, and being able to mix and match whatever is currently available to the setup required. I do one off Tooling, not production so my accuracy requirements are a bit more stringent. But without the budget to match.

Would I love a pile of matched kurts to go with every machine? Actually no, I'd rather have some oranges, or chicks. .

 

[Dan Dubeau]

If I had an unlimited budget ($1500+) and enough production requirement . . . Then I would consider a KURT or similar.
Of course you are going to need a HAAS or TOSHIBA mill to go with it.

If you ‘setup’ your work properly and make ‘indicating’ your reference surfaces a consistent practice of your machining process, an inexpensive piece of tooling or work holding will result in quality pieces.
BUT . . . It probably will not last as long.

We are hobbyists . . . not high volume machine shops.

Ya, unlimited budgets would be nice. I've never experienced that though. Neither at home, or work, and have always had to learn how to punch above my weight class with whatever I've got and make it work to make every dollar count. It stings when you spend money on something that doesn't do what you need it to. BUT there are always low cost gems out that that help stretch those budgets.

That was kinda the point of this thread, are those little import vises hidden gems that with a little work, can provide excellent value for dollar, or are they complete garbage not worthy of the investment. Low cost is not always an indicator of low quality.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I have 3 of these on my and use them daily. So far so good.

I created a common fixed jaw that all pieces going in align to the same Y and the spacing remains the same.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I am going to go this route. I'm going to model one up later today (this week) and see how it fits within the Tormach work envelop and see if it'll provide what I'm looking for, or if a 3" might be better suited.

My baseline setup at work is a pair of vises with common Y setup off to one side, freeing up the table on the other side for plate work, or an angle plate. If needed I can always strip one vise off quickly to toss a plate on, or add another vise or two for long work. Over the years I've found this arrangement to provide the best starting point to accomplish 80% of what I need to do. Of course at home, my machine is much smaller, and my projects and needs not the same, but I want to approach the work at home with a similar mindset, so that's what I'm trying to accomplish. Yes, the products will be different, but the process, one that I've honed over 16 years, will be familiar and productive.

 

[Crosche]

I have heard the same thing for many years on various forums about import vises. I know the quality has improved a lot over the years, but I have no direct hands on experience with them to actually gauge whether that's still true or not. I did have issues with our glacern vises many years ago. I think we got #44 and 45. The tapped holes in the jaw bodies would mushroom out over time and the hardened jaw would bow to suit the surface. I fixed it by adding a big chamfer, but it came back again. So I added a BIGGER chamfer, and it's been fine ever since, but I've never had a Kurt do that. Material problem? Probably, but not a huge show stopper. I did have to grind the mating faces flat and square again too.

At the end of the day I'm not expecting Kurt quality, and TBH they're going on a Tormach, where my intended use is for mild production. I'd have talon grips in one, and soft jaws on the other. So I could run both sides of a part in one cycle. I simply don't have room for another 6", and need/want something smaller. 4" kurt vise is a non starter, and I'd hate to pay decent money for a name brand import, if the vevor one is the same quality. We have a bunch of mixed vises at work from kurts to gs to glacern and a few other odds, and they're all good. Some better, but all workable. I've just never put hands on a lower rung import of any size to gauge for myself.

I've honestly never been a fan of those CNC style square side vises, I've never really liked needing an extra side clamps, but the more I think about it the more I like that one from busy bee, and it might be(e) just perfect for my needs. I might take a run over there this weekend to have a look in person, I hope the sale is still on. One of the benefits of a brick and mortar store.

Hi Dan,

I purchased one of these vises and it seems to be a pretty solid little vice so far; not a Kurt by any means, but it meets my needs just fine. This little vise is head and shoulders better than the boat anchor I purchased from Busy bee which had a bow in the jaws of 0.003".

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09N9XRSFX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[slow-poke]

I think for the most part, vise quality is similar to mill quality, Taiwan vs. China, you can get good and bad from either but most everything I have from Taiwan is a definite step up. From what I have read Glacern seem to have a good reputation.

 

[Tom Kitta]

I generally agree with your statement, but I have a few GS (4) and glacern (2) clones in full daily commercial use at work, and they are everybit as precise and accurate as the kurts. There are minor differences in fit and finish, but accuracy and ability to do the job they're intended for there is zero practical difference aside from the clones cost about half what a kurt does. Oddly enough, they are all from different manufacturers and different times over the years, but all the beds are matched withing a couple tenths. Really handy for the stuff I do, where you're always tearing down and setting up for oddball stuff, and being able to mix and match whatever is currently available to the setup required. I do one off Tooling, not production so my accuracy requirements are a bit more stringent. But without the budget to match.

Would I love a pile of matched kurts to go with every machine? Actually no, I'd rather have some oranges, or chicks. .

But neither GS nor Glacern are cheap Chinese copies of Kurt

Depending on which GS you are talking about they may be made in Italy. They are not "cheap" by any stretch, and I am not even sure they are cheaper then actual similar Kurt. Note I own 2.

We are talking here about Vevor not GS

I owned Vevor style vises and I assure you they are neither matched within 0.001 to each other nor do they have beds ground to within 0.001. In some you can visually see jaw lift and almost all do not even have the jaws close evenly.

Comparing this to GS is like comparing BMW to a Yugo.
Kurt would be say Mercedes and Glacern a Nissan.

 

[Dabbler]

The best bang for the buck depends on how much bang you need. I have an Autowell ARW-689 from Taiwan as does Janger that is about 90% of a Kurt a lower price. When it comes on sale, it is a bargain. These vises are every bit as accurate as a genuine Kurt.

I don't know what you can get away with in terms of deflection of the jaws and accurate grinding.

My love is the Kurt DX6, but now they cost idiotic prices.

To do a double vise setup, those Accusize ones look promising...