Evan caught sight of a new Dewalt bench vise and asked if we know more about them. (Thanks for the tip!)
There’s not a lot of information out there on these new Dewalt vises, but perhaps enough for a quick discussion.
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The new Dewalt 5″ vise, shown above, model DXCMWSV5, has a clamping force of 4,000 lbs, a 210° swivel base, pipe jaws, an anvil work surface, and replaceable grooved jaws.
There’s also a new Dewalt 6″ vise, model DXCMBV6. It has different jaws than the 5″ vise, max clamping force of 6,600 lbs, a 120° swivel base, and user-replaceable grooved jaws. I’m sorry, “micro-grooved” jaws.
Both Dewalt vises are made from 30,000 PSI cast iron. The 5″ vise is said to have a weight of 28.7 lbs, and the 6″ vise weighs 32 lbs.
Here are side profiles of the 5″ and 6″ vises:
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As mentioned, the 5″ vise has pipe jaws.
The 6″ vise seems to have much greater clamping capacity. But why does it have a much smaller swivel range?
Pricing: ~$85 to ~$100 for the 5″ and 6″ vises
Buy Now(5″ Vise via Amazon)
Buy Now(6″ Vise via Amazon)
There are more sizes at Home Depot – a 4.5″ vise (DXCMWSV4) and a 6″ multi-jaw vise (DXCMWSV6) like the 5-incher shown above.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
First Thoughts
They’re not bright yellow! Instead, both vises have a more discrete black finish.
So… Dewalt is making bench vises now. While initially tempted to wonder aloud what they’re doing in this market, I then thought about how limited the options are, in the mid-price range category.
Who else makes vises in this price range? Yost, Wilton, and Irwin come to mind, all offering imported vises. Ah – Irwin! You know, that other company that Stanley Black & Decker recently acquired.
With a closer look, these vises do look much like Irwin’s heavy duty workshop vises, available on Amazon, and I’m sure elsewhere (I didn’t check).
Okay, so let’s say these are adapted from Irwin bench vises. Does anyone here have any experience with Irwin bench vises? But can we even draw anything from that, though? Looking at product photos, there are strong resemblances, but enough differences to suggest new castings. They might not even made at the same factory, although I would guess that they probably are. Wouldn’t Dewalt want to take advantage of existing Irwin know-how or OEM arrangements?
Side note: This is where things often get complicated. How are users supposed to treat products like this? Should one be hesitant about being an early adopter? Or are the designs more or less tried and true despite being new to the brand? Milwaukee’s new ratcheting wrenches, for example, seem to be produced by a 3rd party OEM.
I’ve been disappointed with Wilton vise quality in the past. But boy is my Craftsman Professional bench vise a gem- too bad they discontinued it. My Craftsman Pro vise, with 60,000 PSI cast iron construction, 360° swivel range, and 4-1/2″ jaws, weighs around 40 pounds, maybe a little more.
As mentioned, according to Amazon, the Dewalt 5″ bench vise has a weight of 28.7 pounds. Wilton’s 5-1/2″ Tradesman vise ($469 at Amazon) is said to weigh 52 pounds.
While I have no doubt that these Dewalt heavy duty vises are heavier duty than the many entry-price point vises out there, it’s not at the top of the food chain.
As alternative to these Dewalt vises, I would also look at Yost, and probably more favorably too. Their 5.5″ utility vise, with multi-functional jaws, is $90 at Amazon. It has a 360° swivel range and weighs 29 pounds.
Overall, these look to be competitive new entries by Dewalt, but it’s unclear what advantages they have over competing models (such as by Yost), or existing Irwin models.
What do you think – if you were shopping for a new bench vise, would these hit your shortlist?
fred
With one of those “six degrees of separation” thoughts in my mind, I recalled that Irwin (I think when part of Newell-Rubbermaid) had acquired the Record Tool Company of Sheffield England. Record was the maker of planes and vises (aka vices in the UK). Irwin was a company that started its business based on making auger bits to compete with Russell-Jennings (a company acquired by Stanley) Stanley (now SBD after the acquisition of B&D)) made a lot of the bits in the UK and competed with (more like dominated) Record in the manufacture of planes. Coming full circle. Irwin gets vise-making from its acquisition of Record, Irwin gets sold to SBD – and Irwin (possibly Record design) vises get rebranded or modified slightly as Dewalt (a brand acquired by Stanley when they morphed into SBD). Some of this is of course pure speculation.
Sco
In looking at the PDF from the Irwin set, the closest models are the following. The 5 inch is probably the Irwin Record 5 inch heavy-duty workshop vice (26.4 lbs) item #226305ZR. The 6 inch is the 6 inch heavy-duty workship vice (30.6 lbs) item # 226306ZR. There is also an Irwin Record 6 inch mechanics vise (30 lbs) item # 4935506.
Max power
Stanley acquired DeWalt in 1960
The yeti
Picked up a second hand vise last night. Just a cheap imported one. Paid 25 dollars.
I was holding out for a nice one. 25 bucks though i couldnt pass it up.
Nathan
Contrary to popular mythos I wouldn’t go so far as to say that weight of a vise is a direct correlation to it’s strength and usefulness. (not saying you stated this stuart but the comparison is there for the picking)
I hate vises with notchy or rough screw drives. which is often why I buy/bought wiltons but neither here nor there. I’d be curious as to how well these will hold up and I suspect well.
I also suspect it might be marketed to a different group – IE the non workshop group. This is exactly the type of thing I’d have bolted to a roll around in the hangar. Because I have to move it if I could get away from a 40+ lbs vise it would help. Almost makes me wonder if there is a MAC tool version of this also – or pending.
anyway – that said I sort of wish it had been in yellow – easier to see. But I still sort of wish they wouldn’t put the dewalt name on everything. This could just have been marketed as an Irwin – like you said.
Stuart
Not necessarily, but if you have to pound on something, or take a heavy duty to a part, you want more rigidity and weight behind the holding power.
A good vise could last a lifetime.
Back in the early 2000’s, when I started building my own PCs, higher quality computer power supplies weighed more than cheaper less capable ones, due to beefier components, and so the feel or weight of a power supply could be an indicator of its quality. Taking them apart, you could see huge differences between quality and unreliable brands’ power supplies of the same advertised wattage rating.
When I bought a cheap vise years ago, I didn’t know why vises of the same jaw width cost so much more. A few uses with that vise and I learned why.
Sight unseen, these Dewalt vises seem usable. On paper and in product images, they do look like good options in the $75-$100 price range. Certainly a lot better than anything in the $15-30 price range.
fred
About 50 years ago when I was setting up a home shop, the prevailing wisdom was heavier meant better in a vise. There was also some talk that ductile iron was a better material for vise construction compared to cast iron. No Internet then – so you could not Google it to get a second opinion – or tap into the wisdom of the crowd. I had no idea what was right – but knew that a smooth acting screw and well fitting jaws were desirable features. I thought that the weight thing might have been a holdover to the blacksmithing days when folks used to “whale on” a piece of iron being held in their vise.
I bought a Starrett-Athol Machinists vise, then over the years added woodworking vises (2 Wilton and 2 Columbian), Pipe vises (Reed and Ridgid) and some specialty vises from Panavise, Veritas, Wilton and Yost. For the business we had a variety – but the guys really liked the Wilton AW45’s we had welded onto the back of our step vans.
Joe Smith
I can’t really justify the cost of a domestic vise for the stuff I do but I have had good experience with Yost’s imported stuff for the money.
Sco
The two Mac vises on their website are linked. The are 4.5 and 5.5 inches priced at $121 and $153 respectively. Say they swivel 180 degrees.
https://www.mactools.com/en-us/Shop-Equipment/Vises/fdee921f-3b4f-44b1-b963-a5280156e063/Utility-Vise
Stuart
Interesting – the parts break-down document has some french words. Maybe it is or was a Facom product?
Facom makes a couple of vises with 360° swivels.
https://catalogue.facom.com/uk-en/categorie/personal-equipment-maintenance/vices-presses-g-clamps/vices/produit/1224-worksite-maintenance-360-swivel-vices
pete
Those look like some nice vices for the price! I wonder if they’ll have interchangable jaws or if they can use another brands jaws.
Charles
You can find that exact same vise on Northern Tool’s website. I don’t recall the exact branding but the vise is a dead ringer.
We had a couple at work and they are pure trash. We replaced them in less than a year
Lance
What do these offer that others don’t? They say DeWalt on them. That’ll be enough to get brand loyal sheep to buy them.
Personally, I don’t understand why someone would buy a DeWalt vise or a Milwaukee level etc. This seems to be a case of these companies fighting for shelf space supremacy. I hope they fail, lest the tool section at Home Depot turn into two aisles: one red and one yellow.
Marvin McConoughey
One reason to buy the 5″ DeWalt vise is that it is a) quick release, and b) the more convenient side-mount quick release lever. This vise looks to be as much quality as my much more expensive Ridgid 4-3/4″ quick release vise. plus, the DeWalt in question has removable vise jaws, which my small Ridgid does not. Note, though, that Ridgid now has both their 4-3/4″ and next larger vise available with the quick release feature.
I may be like many in that I have my vises mounted on work tables in my woodworking shop. A great many users don’t need industrial strength vises.
Matt
The 5.5″ vise is almost certainly made by Wilton for Dewalt as I have a Mac Tools vise that looks identical to the new Dewalt vise, which was made my Wilton. Check out the Wilton 655 and you’ll see they are at least very closely related. As far as the other vise, it’s most certainly an imported/rebranded Irwin vise that was made off the original designs of the Record-type vise from pre-Irwin owned English descent.
Jim Felt
I’ve got several US made Craftsman, Wilton and Columbian(?) vises. All purchased locally from machine tool vendors. No shipping damage possible. And parts are available through an actual dealer. (Okay. No idea about Craftsman any longer).
But like anything sometimes the convenience of Amazon or B&H or anyone similar is outweighed by seeing and touching the thing before paying for it. No?
Diamond Dave
I have a 4.5” Craftsman Vise that is about 15+ years old. About 10 years ago while walking through Sears I noticed their vises on a great sale and I picked up another Craftsman Vise but a 5” for my other Bench. Was using a hack saw and cut a little too deep and noticed it cut quickly into the jaws grips. Surprised so I went and looked at my older Craftsman Vise that looked still looked great and had been used a lot more. Both vises looked identical except I noticed the older Vise was stamped “Made in USA!” Sold the newer Vise and kept the older. Still works great!
DC
I bought 2 Wiltons within the last 5 years. A 4″ 1964 Made in USA Wilton and a 1980’s Made in USA Tradesman from Ebay. Each was less than $100 plus about $60 for shipping.
Diplomatic Immunity
Seems as though a vise is one of those buy once cry once sorta things that you should just spend good money on for good quality iron (even if it’s ancient made in the USA) especially if you’re going to use it often.
JoeM
I’m honestly not sold on this new line of Vices. I know, I’m usually the “OMG DeWALT BRANDED AWESOME!!!” guy… but frankly… I’ve read all your comments and none of you have met some basic criteria I’d be looking for:
One: Very importantly, no one has said that these obvious re-branding items copy a brand that actually got rave reviews from anyone’s personal experience. Yes, you’ve identified them as the same shape/feature set as Irwin vices. Yes, you’ve all listed the history, taxonomy, and vaccination records of the history of Vices… but never said “The Irwin version is Awesome!” at any point. So, I’m not sold.
Two: I’m not sold on the fact that, despite being an obvious rebrand… the swivel is less than all the other vices that you have compared it to, including the Irwin ones. Are there no reasons or answers as to why it can’t swivel more?
Three: Considering the weight of the vices they’re being compared to, these DeWALT ones are… well… too light. Same models from Irwin and Wilton are at least 20 pounds heavier. That doesn’t bode well for me wanting one. It’s not a discount if it’s the other brands’ version, but if it were its mentally challenged baby brother. There’s something wrong there.
Four: I was looking into a more permanent bench vise for myself, because I have 2 Dremel Multi-Vises and the plastic and rubber construction of them just doesn’t hold up to some of my projects. So… when I saw this little one posted, I got kinda excited that I might be able to supplement them with a work vise. Now I’m not entirely sure I want a bench vise at all, considering all that has been said about them.
So… I’m not sold… to be honest, I’m even more confused now than when I started reading this thread.
Sco
If you are using a Dremel multi vise, you will be happy with a real vise like one of these or the comparable Irwin’s. The Dremel product is really a glorified C clamp, not a vise. I wouldn’t give the “lite” weight of these a second thought. Compared to the Dremel it’s 10 times heavier and more solid. These would be fine for most home/hobby use.
The vise snobs will say if it’s not a 4 ton piece of 1950s American Iron that you bought from a former machinist off Craigslist for a nickel a pound it’s not a real vise. Those are the same people using a Wright 1 inch drive impact to take the hard top off their Jeep.
You will be pleased with a vise in the $70-$100 range.
JoeM
I’ve only ever used my Dremel Multi-Vises to hold a project vaguely in place to be cut or held still. I would extend the Vise-Snob attitude to them, and say they’re really flexible C-Clamps, and nothing more. They’re only NAMED Multi-Vise. They’re not actually qualified to call themselves a “Vise” in any stretch of the term. Hence why I’d actually considered buying a solid hunk of metal REAL Bench Vise for myself.
I use Wood, Dowels, and thin-walled steel or aluminum for the vast majority of my projects. That said… Honestly, I don’t make money off my work, so I have to invest in whatever I buy. Which means I also can’t afford to be wrong.
Aside from all that… the DeWALT vises do look quite a bit more stylish than the others mentioned in the thread here. The Black/Polished Metal combo is very classy. But I need the specs, too. I can’t go off pure aesthetics or brand loyalty here. And… I think I might have to go looking for one in a store. From the sounds of things, this is something you don’t buy online, because the weight of the shipping alone would double the price.
So… Not sold on the DeWALT ones just yet. But I’m glad to hear someone still thinks highly of the Irwin ones. That’s very comforting.
B. Student, CFA
Not bright yellow? Deal killer.
Even if it’s the best bargain going, I’m gonna take a pass just to send DeWalt a message.
Details matter.
Joe
Wilton , is there any better ? 60000 ductile Steel…smooth operation, built like a tank in America….I have an older Wilton (25yrs) and a newer 1755 tradesmen. Love it , I had craftsman, HF …broke….every heavy machine repair truck I know has a Wilton bolted down on the rear platform.
Dewalt spends Too much time trying to get a hand in everything, instead of focusing on new tools, rounding out their tool line, development is always slow, no 12v line, but I digress……don’t think many would buy a Dewalt vise… plenty of mid price vises and HF for inexpensive and of course Wilton…..
river1
Quality new vices are BIG dollars. Rather then buy new soso quality, a little time spent on Craigslist will get you an quality older vise for about the same money. I was a little obsessed a while back and currently have 16, none of which i spent more then $100
river1
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44782
you like vises check that link out
Altan
Would be nice to have it in 2″ and 3″ as well!