Best Bench Vises: Improve Your Workshop’s Functionality

Improve your workflow with these top bench vises

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Dorian Smith-Garcia

/ LAST UPDATED ON August 12, 2020

A quality bench vise stabilizes wood or metal while you’re working on it, providing a sturdy surface. It can even hold parts steady while you’re attempting to join them together. If you’re ready to streamline your projects, we have recommendations for the best bench vises, taking into account both quality and price.

Best Overall

Grizzly Multi-Purpose 5-Inch Bench Vise

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Summary

This premium bench vise offers a wide jaw that can rotate a full 360 degrees for easier access on difficult projects. You’ll also appreciate the swivel base, which makes it easier to access tight spots on your project.

Pros

The sturdy construction and three-inch-wide anvil offer ample space for hammering. Best of all, the jaws are solidly made and securely hold whatever is placed inside of them without the risk of items slipping out or the teeth damaging the work surface.

Cons

In some cases, you may experience operational issues with the swivel base. There have been times when the swivel option only worked when the bench vise wasn’t securely clamped down to a surface.

Best Value

Yost LV-4 Home Vise 4-1/2"

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Summary

If you’re an occasional bench vise user or are just limited by budget, this wallet-friendly yet powerful option is a must have. Yost’s home vise features a swivel base and a jaw width of 4-½ inches—ideal for pipes and tubes.

Pros

The Yost bench vise is ideal for light home-based projects. It features an anvil that is thick enough to stand up to consistent hammering yet won’t impede access to the bench vise’s jaws.

Cons

While the Yost bench vise is ideal for lightweight and small projects, it’s not rated for heavy-duty work. Even though it can be chalked up to user error, if you attempt to use this vise to hold heavier projects it can fall apart.

Honorable Mention

TEKTON 4-Inch Swivel Bench Vise

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Summary

You’ll appreciate this modestly-priced, versatile bench vise. It has a sturdy construction, and you have the ability to choose between a range of jaw sizes from four, six, and eighth-inch widths. It’s also competitively priced.

Pros

You’ll appreciate the cast iron construction and swivel base, both designed for heavy-duty use. This bench is designed to be mounted and features three mounting holes for the task. Tekton’s model also comes standard with an anvil.

Cons

There may be issues with the vise’s casting and construction, causing it to be inconsistent between uses — snapping when used with plastic yet working fine with metal-based projects. Also, the bench vise may be shipped damaged or broken, making it inoperable.

Best Bench Vises: Improve Your Workshop’s Functionality

Best Overall

Grizzly Multi-Purpose 5-Inch Bench Vise

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All things considered, this Grizzly Multi-Purpose Bench Vise is basically a can’t-miss purchase. For starters, it features versatile 360-degree rotation and built-in pipe jaws. This way, you can hold both flat and round stock, which makes for what is basically unlimited workpiece positioning. Another great feature is the base flexibility — it can swivel and contains an anvil face for maximum versatility. And with a maximum weight capacity of 50 pounds, it’s also durable enough to hold a variety of items. For comparison purposes, most vises hold what is basically half the amount of weight. All things considered, this is a highly-useful — not to mention strong — tool for any workshop.

Honorable Mention

TEKTON 4-Inch Swivel Bench Vise

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Last but not least, we have the TEKTON Swivel Bench Vise. This four-inch vise is certainly amongst the most durable, thanks to its powerful cast-iron construction. It’s also one of the easiest to use vises on the market too, as it features a convenient acme-threaded screw that glides with ease and won’t get stuck. The steel anvil is polished and allows for easy, smooth work every time. Where it excels in durability and strength, however, it lacks in fluidity and general flexibility. This vise only contains a 120-Degree swivel base. However, with dual lock-down nuts, it’s certainly amongst the sturdiest — not to mention reliable.

Tips

When selecting a vise, the two most important factors are the size and style of the jaws. The size refers to how wide the jaws can be opened. Flat jaws are designed for work with flat surfaces like sheets of wood. V-jaws can be used with rounded materials. Replaceable jaws are ideal if you use a bench vise frequently and wear out jaws fairly quickly. The jaws will extend the life of your bench vise and ensure that you won’t need to purchase a total replacement.
A bench vise that offers a quick-release feature is a great investment. This style of bench vise will allow you to instantly release whatever materials are in the jaw without the need to manually twist the spindle.
Never use a bench vise’s jaws like an anvil. You’ll end up damaging the jaws, and you will need to either replace the jaws or the entire unit. Many bench vises come standard with an anvil. Look for this type of bench vise so that you can prolong its life span.

FAQs

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Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.

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Q: How do I know which size bench vise I need?

A: A bench vise is a versatile piece of equipment, but the version you select is going to depend on your project scope. If you work with very small parts, such as soldering wires, then a mini vise is a smarter option as it can securely hold tiny pieces without marring the surface. For larger items, a larger heavy-duty vise is preferred.

Q: What’s the best way to attach my bench vise to my work station?

A: There are two main ways to attach a bench vise. Many vices come standard with a clamp that allows you to reposition your bench vise or store it when not in use. However, many people feel that this offers the least sturdy solution. Alternatively, you can opt for a permanent placement using nuts and bolts for a more secure installation.

Q: Which type of bench vise is best for my needs?

A: Bench vises come in two styles—woodworking and engineering. Woodworking bench vises are designed for wood-based projects and have wooden jaws. An engineering bench vise is designed for metalwork and features metal jaws. A woodworking bench vise isn’t strong enough to securely hold metal, and conversely, an engineering bench vise is too strong for use with softer materials.

Final Thoughts

If you work on projects of various sizes, then our best overall pick, the Grizzly Multi-Purpose 5-Inch Bench Vise, is a smart option because of its fully rotating jaws that allow you to securely hold a project regardless of which angle you need.

However, if you only tackle occasional small projects, you may not need a heavy-duty or expensive bench vise. In that case, our best value option, the Yost LV-4 Home Vise 4-1/2 is ideal.