double vises usa or taiwan

[BAD DOG]

looking for 5,, 6 inch double vises has anyone used the Taiwan imports,

Quite the difference in price.

Bad Dog

[mc-motorsports]

double vices? No, regular milling vice, yes. Import vices aren't always very flat, the rear jaw tends to flex when you clamp on a part and the floating jaw floats way too much, sometimes making it difficult to hold a part super flat for precision machining.

If your doing .005" tolerances or less, buy american for sure, if you need matched vices, buy american for sure.

[HuFlungDung]

I've got a couple of different cheap import double vises. I wish I had bought two of the same model at one go, because the width of the fixed center jaw is different, as well as the jaw plates themselves being different profile and hole spacing between the two vises.

The workmanship is not great: eccentric screw heads (Chinese allen caps suck bad) in too small counterbores = jaw plates that swim around and do not necessarily sit on the vise bed.

The vises I have did have a sort of angle-lock principle in the sliding jaws. Seemed to work well enough with a bit of polishing up and an application of grease to the swivel.

So you might save some money buying the cheap import, then turn and spend some time making them right. BTW, the bolt pattern in the jaws is typically much different than Kurt, so you cannot swap jaws with your Kurt vises.

[BAD DOG]

YEA,,,,,,,,,I THINK I WAS FOOLING MYSELF,,,, BUT IN THE LONG RUN I WILL BE BETTER OFF BUYING QUALITY.

BUT 6 NEW DOUBLE LOCKS ADD UP.

BAD DOG

[carbidecraters]

I bought a 4 and 6" double off ebay for $600 for the pair. I know it was a STEAL but the deals are out there. Check the auctions! At the auctions (online) I picked up 3 Kurt vises for $99 ea and one needed a little work but still a heck of a deal! i remember literally breaking a chinese vise in half trying to get good grip on a part

[Geof]

Originally Posted by BAD DOG .......BUT 6 NEW DOUBLE LOCKS ADD UP. BAD DOG

Tell me about it, the only thing worse than six is twelve .

But worth every penny in the long run; don't cheap-out get the best with a name beginning with K.