I very much regret selling my 4" Glacern with my old mill as my Accusize 4" is just not that same.
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Vevor vises....quality?
- Thread starter Dan Dubeau
- Start date
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
I very much regret selling my 4" Glacern with my old mill as my Accusize 4" is just not that same.
Are we talking about grinder style 4" or Kurt style 4"?
Generally this: https://www.amazon.ca/VEVOR-Vise-10...mzn1.fos.71722c10-739d-471b-befb-3e4b9bf7d0d6
is much better than this:
From same manufacturer all else equal. Do not expect $100 thing to be as good as $500 thing, but some $500 are 90% as good as some $1000 things.
What a wonderful way to put it. I agree with you 90%! Lol!
I don't know that I'd trust any internet reviews; unless the guy either broke it or surveyed it carefully, what is the value of his opinion? I survey them so rely on that to form an opinion (don't buy a happy vise lol), but I'd guess few do so (or at least I haven't seen/heard of people doing so).
You know what you doing, buy them, get it on the plate, go to town and return it of not in tolerance.......i think that is the only way you will know for sure.
Vevor to me is a bit of a mystery. They went from being completely unknown to having entries in about every product category you could possibly imagine - machinist to kitchen appliances. wtf? how did that instantly happen? i speculate that they've taken the same old product and bundled it with a new strategy of providing much better customer service ..... which I think they do, quick to respond, local bricks and mortar etc. I had a good experience having to return something, but they really are a marketing company vs being a vise company
You know what you doing, buy them, get it on the plate, go to town and return it of not in tolerance.......i think that is the only way you will know for sure.
Vevor to me is a bit of a mystery. They went from being completely unknown to having entries in about every product category you could possibly imagine - machinist to kitchen appliances. wtf? how did that instantly happen? i speculate that they've taken the same old product and bundled it with a new strategy of providing much better customer service ..... which I think they do, quick to respond, local bricks and mortar etc. I had a good experience having to return something, but they really are a marketing company vs being a vise company
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
I have zero trust in you tube or internet reviews. Sure every body says they're impartial and will give an honest opinion, but nobody wants a reputation of giving negative reviews, because companies will stop sending free product to make clickbait videos about. Not to mention the competency of the reviewer and their knowledge of dimensional metrology..... The ones that I WOULD trust to give an honest and competent evaluation aren't the ones that are going to say yes to reviewing a Vevor vise. I went down that rabbit hole trying to find decent reviews of their dividing head and concluded that I trust no one lol. It's a bit more of a financial gamble than a vise though.
I know the only real answer is to buy one for myself and evaluate, but it's always hard to part with cash and most of all the time to properly evaluate it. I don't have an abundance of either. I'm always trying to break the good, fast, cheap triangle lol. I think I'm leaning towards the busy bee one now anyway, so this may all just be for naught. Whatever one I chose, I was fully expecting and prepared to regrind and refit all the important parts, I mainly just wanted a decent bed and moving jaw/screw to start from. I've been presently surprised by import tooling before. Never really been burned, but I don't take too many big gambles, and do a lot of digging first.
You're 100% right, Vevor is a marketing company and is tapping into the fact that north Americans buy brand names they can trust, and they're trying to create that. I've shied away from a few enticing products thus far but finally caved on a honey spinner that has yet to arrive. I figure they're the same as every other import tool/item, and I'm pretty sure that they don't even have a quality control dept behind that brand name, they're simply just banking on the fact that more people will be satisfied with the quality of goods, than people wanting to return them. I'm dubious there is any value added by Vevor whatsoever, besides the comfort in buying from a "brand" that so many crave.
I know the only real answer is to buy one for myself and evaluate, but it's always hard to part with cash and most of all the time to properly evaluate it. I don't have an abundance of either. I'm always trying to break the good, fast, cheap triangle lol. I think I'm leaning towards the busy bee one now anyway, so this may all just be for naught. Whatever one I chose, I was fully expecting and prepared to regrind and refit all the important parts, I mainly just wanted a decent bed and moving jaw/screw to start from. I've been presently surprised by import tooling before. Never really been burned, but I don't take too many big gambles, and do a lot of digging first.
You're 100% right, Vevor is a marketing company and is tapping into the fact that north Americans buy brand names they can trust, and they're trying to create that. I've shied away from a few enticing products thus far but finally caved on a honey spinner that has yet to arrive. I figure they're the same as every other import tool/item, and I'm pretty sure that they don't even have a quality control dept behind that brand name, they're simply just banking on the fact that more people will be satisfied with the quality of goods, than people wanting to return them. I'm dubious there is any value added by Vevor whatsoever, besides the comfort in buying from a "brand" that so many crave.
My Vevor experience has been very positive. The ER32 collets I have are very decent with runout measuring under .0005”. Hard to beat that for the money.
The mag drill I bought is also decent. Is it a Fein? No. But I wasn’t expecting that.
The mag drill I bought is also decent. Is it a Fein? No. But I wasn’t expecting that.
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
They have a few things that are tugging at the loose money in my wallet, but I unfortunately can't buy them all . A mag drill is one of them. When I get back on the sawmill project I'll probably spring for one, and could definitely justify the purchase for that. Until then, there are too many other projects that need funding lol.
. A mag drill is one of them. When I get back on the sawmill project I'll probably spring for one, and could definitely justify the purchase for that. Until then, there are too many other projects that need funding lol.
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
They are same as you get from Aliexpress - Vevor simply goes for the "cheapest you can buy" - sometimes "cheapest" is quite good. With vises so far experience has shown that you get what you pay for. With collets on the other hand, there does not seem to be any that are of poor quality that I got. Same with my super cheap 2-4-6 blocks - shockingly accurate.
I would also expect Mag drill to be decent - its not exactly "rocket science" to build one - for the money Vevor and others charge you should get excellent product. The prices of US brands is crazy and is totally not justifying what you are getting - i.e. that Milwaukee mag drill is not worth the price at all. Margins here must be in 100s of %.
I am not sure what is the problem with vises - but I do expect the issue be related to the casting, poor quality of actual cast, poor metal choice - weak, rather skimpy light weight design, not waiting for cast to stabilize. But honestly I am puzzled by it.
My vevor has been hit and miss - but for the "miss" I knew it would need to be ground by me and I was getting a "kit" or rough casting.
Based on my experience buying direct from Weiss vs Busy Bee. Yes absolutely, 100’s of %
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
That's exactly my approach to buying any import tooling or equipment. I've been really surprised by a lot of it though. Angle plates, vee blocks etc, have all been exceptionally good. I bought a bunch for work to make some special fixtures for in house production and found them all to be way more than exceptable. Good quality castings too.
I entered every purchase with the expectation that I was buying a casting kit. For things like vee blocks and angle plates one can live with a little supar casting quality though, but for something like a vise, it's a little more critical.
Import cutting tools and abrasives though, are still generally on my no buy list, unless it's specialty stuff that will only see sporadic use. Although I have been impressed with some of the import insert tooling I've bought for mill and lathe for home use.
Who was the vendor?
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
I can't honestly remember. I think we got a few from KBC, and some from amazon. Maybe accusize too? We did get some stuff from them back when they first started. It was about 10-12 years ago now.
At the time I thought you were nuts to pay that much for a vise, how times have changed.
About a year and a half ago I was in a position to buy a decent vise and the Glacern was on the list but by the time I paid exchange and shipping I could buy a Kurt (4") locally for about $100 more. I bought the Kurt and have absolutely no regrets.
Being able to clamp a 6" wide part in a 4" vise without rearranging the jaws,,,,,,, priceless. lol
If it's something you're going to use seldom then an inexpensive tool is probably the way to go. If it's something that will be used often the it's worth buying a decent tool that works well.
But, it comes down to buying what you can afford and be comfortable with.
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
Very well put!
Amazingly they have not gone up much in price.
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
I agree with that 100%. But honestly in this application I don't really "need" what a kurt provides. plus I would have a hard time poking all the fixturing holes in a Kurt that I'm going to with these without feeling bad.......These will become generic modular vise/fixture stations, that are going to allow me to clamp and hold 95% of whatever comes across my table and small work envelope without having to remove and replace them all the time. That's my intention anyway.... I might take a run over to busy bee today, or tomorrow to pick them up.
I like your chip shield on the back of the moving jaw. Nice touch!
Dabbler
ersatz engineer
I was trying to imply that if you shop well, the offshore vices can do very well. Be careful about cheaping out, and be ready to return anything that isn't what you want: i.e. test it thoroughly as soon as you get it.
You don't always get what you pay for in an offshore vise, but cheaping out is the best way to get an inferior tool.
I went back to the vendor John and I bought from; and they don't carry Autowell any more. I like Autowell, because it is a Taiwanese 'brand' - a group of companies that compete on quality and price that supply to the same exporter. Their products have always been first rate. I've seen their angle plates rival B&S at 1/3 the cost.
The BB vise could very well be a nice one; or it could be soft metal that resembles steel. Testing is still the way to assure you haven't thrown your money away.
You don't always get what you pay for in an offshore vise, but cheaping out is the best way to get an inferior tool.
I went back to the vendor John and I bought from; and they don't carry Autowell any more.
I like Autowell, because it is a Taiwanese 'brand' - a group of companies that compete on quality and price that supply to the same exporter. Their products have always been first rate. I've seen their angle plates rival B&S at 1/3 the cost. The BB vise could very well be a nice one; or it could be soft metal that resembles steel. Testing is still the way to assure you haven't thrown your money away.
Not saying the don't add value, they seem to have a local presence and seem to work hard to build and protect the brand. Maybe being a consistent vendor to them means you mustn't have excessive returns based on quality. But I also bet there is no one there indicating vises
Still, there has to be an interesting back story, to me they came out of no where and suddenly are everywhere....no small feat!
I've done that, time consuming. Often they might be good enough, but its the lying that gets under my skin. things 3x worse than the certificate or claimed tolerances..... Love returning those with comment quality, not within spec. It feels like a powerful direct communication channel to the decision makers. Better yet reveal the lie in a video...... no malice, just want better tools and this era gives unprecedented ways to give feedback
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