ToolGuyd

Tool Reviews, New Tool Previews, Best Tool Guides, Tool Deals, and More!

  • New Tools
  • Reviews
  • Guides
    • Best Cordless Power Tool Brand
    • Tool Brands: Who Owns What?
    • Best Cordless Drills (2021)
    • Dewalt UWO Explained
    • Where to Buy Tools
    • Best Tool Kit Upgrades
    • Best Extension Cord Size
    • Best Tape Measure
    • Best Safety Gear
    • Best Precision Screwdrivers
    • Best Tool Brands in Every Category
    • Ultimate Tool Gift Guide
    • More Buying Guides
  • Hand Tools
    • Bit Holders & Drivers
    • EDC, Pocket, & Multitools
    • Electrical Tools
    • Flashlights & Worklights
    • Knives
    • Mechanics’ Tools
    • Pliers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Sockets & Drive Tools
    • Wrenches
    • All Hand Tools
  • Power Tools
    • Accessories
    • Cordless
    • Drills & Drivers
    • Oscillating Tools
    • Saws
    • Woodworking Tools
    • All Power Tools
  • Brands
    • Bosch
    • Craftsman
    • Dewalt
    • Makita
    • Milwaukee
    • Ryobi
    • All Brands
  • USA-Made
  • Deals
ToolGuyd > Made in USA > Yost Clamp-on Vise Review

Yost Clamp-on Vise Review

Oct 2, 2012 Stuart 9 Comments

If you buy something through our links, ToolGuyd might earn an affiliate commission.

Yost Clamp-on Vise Flat

If you haven’t heard of Yost before, there are two things you need to know about them – they make great quality vises, and all but a few of their vises are made in the USA.

Mechanics, machinists, DIYers, and pro users will benefit from using large and sturdy bench vises, but what if you don’t have room on your bench? Or what if you work in a number of spots but don’t have the budget for multiple vises? Or need a small vise for on-the-go clamping needs?

Advertisement

Yost’s clamp-on vise (model 250) is a small vise that can be secured to the edge of your workbench, tool cart, work station, and even dimensional lumber. Don’t let its small size fool you – there’s plenty of strength packed into this compact and portable vise.

  • 2.5″ jaws (width)
  • 2.25″ maximum jaw opening
  • 1.25″ throat depth
  • sliding bar T-style screw handle
  • small anvil
  • v-jaws for gripping pipe and round stock
  • made from gray iron
  • MSRP $77
Yost Clamp-on Vise Metrocard
Some vises have trouble securely gripping finer objects – not this one!

I have used the vise to grip a variety of materials over the past few months and found it to be quite more versatile than anticipated. It holds a objects up to ~2-1/2″ thick, and even provides a gentle but firm grip when holding finer materials. I wouldn’t use it to hold very easily scratched or delicate materials, at least not without non-marring pads or aluminum jaw caps.

Yost Clamp-on Vise on Stool
Clamped to a small wooden stool

The USA-made Yost clamp-on vise is several times the price of other clamp-on vises. I went back and forth between the Yost and a name-brand imported clamp-on vise for a couple of months to tell if there are any functional differences. There are.

Most notably, the Yost is smoother to operate, the finish is more durable, and the jaws are straighter, better machined, and perfectly aligned from day one. It’s hard to judge whether the Yost is worth the price premium over other brands’ imported vises, but it’s definitely a superior product.

The vise was not without its flaws – there was a bit of blue paint coating part of the inner jaws and the (optional) aluminum jaw caps required cleaning before they could be used.

Ultimately I can say that I’m fairly impressed with the Yost clamp-on vise. No, it’s not mind-blowingly stupendous, but it is built to a satisfyingly high level of quality. I definitely recommend Yost’s clamp-on vise, and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase any of Yost’s vises in the future.

Buy Now(via Amazon)

More Info (via Yost)

Thank you to Yost for providing the review sample unconditionally. Review samples are typically given away, donated, or retained for benchmark and comparison purposes.

Related posts:

Woodpeckers Dovetail Marking Gauge at an AngleWoodpeckers Dovetail Marking Gauges Hands-on Review Empire Level 6-inch Combination SquareI’m Buying Another Empire Combination Square (2020 Gift Guide)

Sections: Made in USA, Shop Essentials, Tool Reviews, Workholding & Vises Tags: clamp-on viseMore from: Yost

« Craftsman Bolt-On Saves the Justice League Ad-Comic
Black & Decker Gyro Screwdriver Video Demo »

9 Comments

  1. Joe 'the Pro' Sainz

    Oct 3, 2012

    Looks pretty good. I can think of 3+ places that I could use one of those… but I don’t think my wife would like a vise in the kitchen. Shame.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Oct 3, 2012

      I have been pretty good about keeping tools out of the kitchen. All of the other rooms and closets are a different story, but I hope to have everything wrangled out by mid-month.

      Reply
      • Mrs. ToolGuyd

        Oct 5, 2012

        *insert annoyed wife face here*

        Reply
    • dar

      Oct 8, 2012

      funny you should say that, Joe :
      when ‘she- who -must- be-obeyed’ left,
      the first thing to be secured to the kitchen counter was the el cheapo 5 ” busy bee swivel…

      Reply
  2. fred

    Oct 3, 2012

    I’n not sure if Wilton still produces their corrosion-resitant vise – but we have both Wilton (AW45) and some Yost Stainless Steel vises mounted on some of our trucks. The Yost is only 4 inch – and not as convenient as the Wilton – but gets the job done. Someone told me that Yost may have been the OEM for the monster 8 inch Starrett Athol vise that is a mainsty in one of our shops.

    Reply
  3. Aaron

    Apr 11, 2013

    I think ive seen these at harbor freight for less then half that price.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Apr 11, 2013

      But not Yost-branded I presume.

      Reply
    • Bob

      Mar 26, 2015

      HF sells chinese junk

      Reply
  4. Hayden

    Aug 12, 2015

    Ordered off amazon crazy fast shipping. The jaws are not very tough gouged them up with a stainless washer. The jaws do not close very parallel I notice this because I use the vice for polishing small fasteners and fittings I don’t want to hold up to a big stationary grinder and buffer. I line up bolts with the top up. The bolts on the right are held tight the ones on the left not so much. If I did it again I would buy a $15 Chinese one. I hope this vice is not indicative of Yost other vises quality.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Newsletter

Sign up to receive the latest tool news.

ToolGuyd Forum

Recent Comments

  • Stuart on Olight has New Flashlights on Sale (ends 2/9/23): “What kind of update? I’ve been testing the Streamlight Wedge (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XMG5TMW/?tag=toolguyd-20) , and am still not sure how I feel…”
  • Stuart on Olight has New Flashlights on Sale (ends 2/9/23): “You are correct, it comes with a rechargeable battery with built-in USB-C charging, but the body does not have a…”
  • James+C on Olight has New Flashlights on Sale (ends 2/9/23): “The I5r is not rechargeable. The battery it comes with is rechargeable via USB C.”
  • Nathan on Olight has New Flashlights on Sale (ends 2/9/23): “I was meaning to send a note asking about an edc flashlight update. There is a lot about the arklight…”
  • Stuart on New Black & Decker LED Snake Light: “Roughly: 2700K = warm white 4400K (or thereabouts) = neutral white 6000K = cool white Warm is more yellow-tinted, cool…”
  • Bonnie on New Black & Decker LED Snake Light: “Higher temperatures give off bluer/whiter light, which we describe as looking “cold”, while lower temperatures give of more red/yellow light,…”

Recent Posts

  • Olight has New Flashlights on Sale (ends 2/9/23)
  • New Black & Decker LED Snake Light
  • New Leatherman EUROPE75 - Garage Series 004
  • This Dewalt Tough Tape Lights up Your Measurements
  • Surprise, Klein has a New Tool Box System
  • Are Pros Using Ryobi Tool Boxes Yet?
  • New Tool Deals of the Day (2/6/23) - Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch
  • I'm in a Bad Mood About USA-Made Tool Boxes
ToolGuyd New Tool Reviews Image

New Tool Reviews

Buying Guides

  • Best Cordless Drills
  • Best Euro Hand Tool Brands
  • Best Tool Brands
  • Best Cordless Power Tool Brands
  • Tools for New Parents
  • Ultimate Tool Gift & Upgrade Guide
ToolGuyd Knife Reviews Image

Knife Reviews

ToolGuyd Multi-Tool Reviews Image

Multi-Tool Reviews

ToolGuyd LED Flashlight and Worklight Reviews Image

LED Light Reviews

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Stores
  • Videos
  • Gear
  • AMZN Deal Finder
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure