I need a vise – what’s the best I can get for under $50? $100? $150? This question comes up a lot, and the answer can vary. What do you plan to use it for? How big of a vise are you looking for? Do you want new or used?

The popular opinion is that, for home use, a used American-made vise is best for a limited budget. As long as it is in good condition and you bring it back to smooth working order with a quick cleaning and lubing, a used vise will serve you better than any new vise you could buy for the money.

But used vises can be scarce. If you cannot find one locally via Craigslist, garage sales, or estate sales, you’re pretty much out of luck. Ebay is another option, but the shipping fees on a 40lb+ vise will hurt your wallet. Plus there are risks in buying a used vise sight unseen.

Then there are those of us who don’t have the time to trawl around looking for used tools that may need servicing or replacement parts before they can be put to use.

Our recommendation for a new vise in the $100-$120 price range is the Craftsman Professional 4-1/2″ vise. This 60,000 PSI vise is built for general purpose use and features 4-1/2″ jaws with 3-1/4″ depth and 4-inch travel. It also has a 360° swivel and pipe clamping jaws.

Except for being manufactured overseas, the Craftsman Professional vise appears identical to Wilton’s USA-made bullet-style 1745 tradesman vise. So you get a tried and true design but at less than a third of the price.

Its regular price is $130, but you can usually find it on sale for anywhere between $110 and $120. Free in-store pickup is usually available, but it’s also occasionally eligible for free shipping promotions.

Buy Now(via Sears)

All that said, if you do have the time and patience to shop around, you might be able to find a used more robust USA-made vise, perhaps even at a lower price.

If you have different thoughts about what to recommend at the under-$150 price range, let’s hear it!

I have never really been dissatisfied with the jig knobs I ordered from Rockler a while back. They feature long brass inserts, and a rounded and comfortable low-profile 5- point star-shaped grip. A recess at the top allows them to be used with bolts as a stem knob in a pinch with so-so results.

But, I have also seen some really, really badly designed knobs elsewhere and have heard a few horror stories as well. It seems that the engineering team at Woodpeckers have had a few bad experiences of their own, leading them to create their own Multi-Knobs.

The Woodpeckers Multi-Knobs look pretty robust, and also look to be quite large and comfortably sized. They are available in 1/4″ and 3/8″ standard hardware sizes, and can be used with either a nut or bolt that us seated before use.

Although it is not mentioned in the product page or preview video, I imagine that it should be possible to switch a knob from “stem” mode to “threaded” mode.

The best part? These knobs are made in the USA and are priced at less than $1.50 Each! They’re sold in packs of 4 or 12 and 1/4″ and 3/8″ sizes.

New Woodpeckers Multi-Knob Knobs via Woodpeckers

Bessey’s new automatic adjusting toggle clamps are designed to quickly adjust to workpieces of varying thicknesses while keeping the clamping force constant. These clamps can apply an adjustable clamping force of 25-550 pounds, and look to have nice sized handles for effortless operation.

There are three styles available – both high and low-profile horizontal clamps with 2-3/4″ and 2″ capacities respectively, and an inline clamp. Prices range from $20 to $22.

I came across these clamps while browsing Woodcraft’s catalog looking to buy an ordinary toggle clamp or two. These are interesting designs, so I ordered a low-profile horizontal and an inline toggle clamp for use and review.

Toggle clamps are typically used as with jigs, as hold-downs and as fixed-position workbench clamps.

Bessey Toggle Clamps via Woodcraft, or via Amazon
Technical Specs via Bessey (PDF)

Cam action hold downs, more accurately described as clamps (at least in my opinion) are extremely popular for use in woodworking jigs that are designed to be removed or adjusted quickly and easily. But, they can also be used in other situations that call for tool-less assembly and disassembly.

Now, cam clamps won’t provide the same holding strength as conventional hardware that has been properly tightened, but they’re plenty strong enough for non-critical applications. You can find them in several sizes from many woodworking brands and retailers.

1/4″-20 Cam Clamps via Amazon
5/16″-18 Cam Clamps via Amazon

Festool offers two types of clamps for the guide rail that comes bundled with the TS 55 EQ plunge circular saw/track saw I recently purchased. The more affordable ($36 for two) bar-style clamps are slow to adjust, and the quick-clamps are a bit too high priced for my drained budget ($39 each).

While clamps are not essential accessories for Festool’s guide rail, I thought they’d be handy, but not at nearly $40 a pop. I happened to come across Dewalt’s own tracksaw clamps over at Amazon, and wondered if they were compatible with Festool’s tracks.

Given Amazon’s great return policy, I figured I’d give Dewalt clamps, (~$40 via Amazon) a chance. As it turned out, yes, they ARE compatible with Festool’s system. They’re a perfect fit, and also work with Dewalt’s new work stands and standard 1/4″ t-tracks.

Dewalt TrackSaw Clamps via Amazon
Product Details via Dewalt

These forceps, also called hemostats, are incredibly versatile for work holding and positioning. I often use them to hold parts and wires for soldering, positioning jumpers and wires inside my computer case, and for many other such applications.

I ordered this pair of curved and straight tip forceps from Amazon for less than $3, and they arrived today. These made-in-Pakistan forceps have a so-so fit and finish, but for $3 that’s okay. It’s near impossible to find made-in-USA hobby-priced hemostats anymore, and many advertised as such are often based on outdated product listings.

In any case, the quality is okay, but becomes pretty darn decent when I consider the price. The hemostats are perfectly usable and feel pretty durable, but I would be hesitant to trust them with critical work.

Hemostats/Forceps 2-Pack via Amazon

Micro Mark, the “small tool specialists” offers these miniature right angle corner clamps for use on small models and precision structures. It looks like they’re actually “guides” instead of true “clamps”, but that doesn’t matter as long as they get the job done.

The clamps can hold square or rectangular stock as small as 1/2″ x 1/2″ and up to 4″ x 5″. They’re priced at $15.95 each and are eligible for a quantity discount.

Mini 4-Corner Clamp via Micro Mark

Woodcraft is currently offering a 15% discount on individual Bora Clamp-N-Cut Edge Guides, bringing them below average pricing. We have a set of these clamps, and they are more convenient than other straight-edges we’ve used before.

Orders over $25 receive free shipping to the 48 contiguous states. Coupon expires on 10/30/10.

Bora Clamp-N-Cut Edge Guides via Woodcraft
Price Comparison via Amazon
Product Info via Affinity Tool

These edge-guides (at least when we ordered them) are made in Israel.

Woodcraft has temporarily lowered the price on their WoodRiver parallel clamp set. Included in the set are two 24″ clamps, two 40″ clamps, and a set of 4 clamp blocks. The sale price on this set is $100 (previously $166), and the discount expires on June 26th or until supplies run out.

Here’s a relatively positive review by LumberJocks member Straightpiped.

WoodRiver Parallel Clamp Set via Woodcraft

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Woodpeckers Woodworking Precision Tools. Many of their tools and accessories are novel designs, and are extremely well made (here in the USA). To help inspire last minute entries to our $50 gift card giveaway, following are the five tools at the top of my own Woodpeckers wishlist.

1. Woodpeckers Drill Press Table (or separate track kit) – one of the best fence designs I have seen.
2. Universal Track Clamp – a great looking clamp that looks to be much easier to clean than other large-capacity hold-downs.
3. T-Track Flip Stop – this could be handy with the story stick, drill press table, or other fences and jigs.
4. 24″ T Square – well balanced and innovatively designed for precise layout and marking.
5. Shelf Pin Jig – as previously discussed, this jig looks great for drilling shelf pin holes and for creating small layout/clamping tables or jigs.

Don’t forget, you have two days left to enter our Woodpeckers Tools $50 Gift Card Giveaway. The response thus far has been great, and we wish everyone good luck.

PanaVise vises are great for electronics, hobby work, or any delicate task that requires more finesse or precision than a large bulky iron vise allows. The 301 standard PanaVise is reasonably sized and features a split ball design that allows 180° tilt, 360° turn, and 360° rotate positioning adjustments.

PanaVise’s 301 vise is suitable for many “third hand” and work holding tasks, and is a great general purpose or starter choice. PanaVise also offers a selection of additional vise components and vises for specialized work, such as for holding PCBs, micrometers, even smaller workpieces, large workpieces, and so forth. For the most part, unless noted otherwise, PanaVise’s various work holding components are interchangeable.

We’ve been periodically checking the price on the 301 standard vise, and it looks like it is typical priced at $35-42. The vise has recently dropped in price to  approximately $29 on Amazon, and if we hadn’t already spent our entire tool budget last week, we’d pick one up. If the price of the vise jumps back up, the 301′s head and base can be purchased separately from Amazon for ~35 or so.

PanaVise 301 Standard Vise via Amazon
All PanaVise Vises via Amazon (All PanaVise work holding products appear to be similarly discounted right now as well)
Product Info via PanaVise

We just noticed that the Rockwell Jawhorse  is now (possibly only temporarily) priced at $161.99 on Amazon, which is 10% off the normal price of $180. The Jawhorse is eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping.

It is unclear as to whether this is a permanent or short-lived price drop, but we will post an update if we are able to find this out. Up to now, the lowest price we could find was $166 shipped from Woodcraft.

Rockwell Jawhorse via Amazon

Edit: As of ~9pm today, the price jumped back up to full price to $179.

We have been waiting for a good price on the Rockwell Jawhorse for a few weeks now since seeing one in person, and are delighted to see that it is eligible for Woodcraft’s current 15%-off coupon. After the discount, the Sawhorse drops in price by $27 to $153. Shipping for our order comes up as $13, which brings the total price to $166.

While we would have enjoyed a free shipping offer as well, a net discount of $14 off the Jawhorse is $14 more than most other retailers have been offering.

if we do end up ordering the Jawhorse, we would likely add several other items to the order. You know that you’re a tool enthusiast when you buy more tools than originally intended to get the most out of shipping fees! We added half a dozen clamps to the order thus far and shipping only went up by $1. This does not bode well for our budget!

Buy the Rockwell Jawhorse via Woodcraft

The PortaMate PM7050 MEGAVISE is a portable clamping station that looks like it may be a contender to the Rockwell Jawhorse. With a clamping force of 1500lbs, a 34.5″ capacity, and three sets of interchangeable clutch plates, the MegaVise looks to be higly capable.

The MegaVise’s jaws are set to the approximate workpiece size by sliding the fixed jaw along its rail and then securing it with a snap-pin stop. The snap-pin design looks to be quite sturdy, and should not wear down with use. Final clamping is done by closing the screw vise in a typical manner.

Included with the MegaVise are 2 log jaw clutch plates, 2 pipe grooved clutch plates, and 2 single groove clutch plates. The MegaVise collapses into a (relatively) compact and storable size.

PortaMate’s MegaVise is priced at about $170.

PortaMate MegaVise via Amazon
Product info (HTC PortaMate)

There are quite a few decent deals going on at Woodcraft right now. First off, there’s a great looking 10-piece Bessey clamp set for $30, and the second hot deal is for a Kreg Bench Klamp with free Mini Jig for $20.

The Bessey clamp set includes a pair of pipe clamps, four mini 4″bar clamps, and four 4″ VarioClippix spring clamps. The Kreg ”Klamp” clamp set includes an aluminum mounting bracket, locking pliers, and a mini pocket hole jig that typically sells for ~$9-10 by itself.

Best of all, there’s a FREE SHIPPING promotion going on now, as well as a $10 off $20 coupon (code 12249).

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Note: We purchased and received the above Bessey set last week and are pretty happy with it. For the price we paid ($30), we figured that we were buying the pipe clamps and were getting the other pieces for free. We’re kicking ourselves a bit, though, because it’s now $20 after coupon and with free shipping. At that price we expect Woodcraft will sell out quickly.