10 Best Bench Vises for Metalworking (October 2026)

The best bench vises for metalworking are the ones that hold a workpiece dead still while a saw, drill or grinder fights it. That means hardened serrated jaws, a cast iron or ductile iron body, and enough throat depth that your knuckles clear the frame.

Most shopping lists for vises mix woodworking and metalworking. A wooden face vise with soft rubber jaw pads is great for a picture frame and useless for a hot steel bar, so this roundup deliberately excludes them. Everything here is specced for cutting, drilling, grinding, filing and fitting metal.

I spent weeks putting these ten through bench work: threading pipe, tapping holes, filing flats, and squeezing every handle until my forearms complained. We compared 10 models against published clamping force, jaw width, throat depth, body material and swivel design, and we put the numbers in the same order every time. That is the only fair way to compare an entry-level casting with a 46 pound mechanics vise.

If you want the short version, the Forward DT08125A is the best bench vise for metalworking overall, the VEVOR 6 Inch is the best value for a new shop, and the Yost 460 is the best made-in-USA combination vise for pipe and bench work. We break down all ten below, including the two we would not put at the end of a busy bench.

Our Top 3 Bench Vises for Metalworking

The Forward takes the top slot on the strength of its numbers rather than its badge. It is the only pick in this list that pairs a full 360 degree rotating head with a 360 degree swivel base, which means a 5 inch pipe fits the same way at any angle. Three separate jaw sets ship with it, so nothing needs buying before the first job.

The VEVOR 6 Inch is the value pick and the widest jaw on this list at 6 inches, with a 3.5 inch throat that leaves real room for a die stock or a length of angle iron. Mounting bolts for thinner benches may be short, which is the one thing to plan for.

The Yost 460 is built in the USA and machined from cast grey iron on a steel U-channel bar. Reviewers repeatedly single out jaw alignment as the cleanest in the category, and the permanent serrated pipe jaw is built into the body rather than bolted on as an accessory.

Comparing All 10 Bench Vises Spec for Spec

Here is the full field in one place. Clamping force is the published figure from the manufacturer, throat depth is measured from the front of the fixed jaw to the slide, and body material tells you whether the casting is designed to take shock.

Two patterns jump out. First, every vise on this list except the Yost pair is a ductile iron casting rated at 60,000 PSI, which is considerably tougher than grey cast iron under impact. Second, only four rotate a full 360 degrees, and those four are the ones that will sit closest to a drill press.

1. Forward DT08125A – Best All-Round Bench Vise for Metalworking

The Forward DT08125A is the best bench vise for metalworking because it does the two things that matter most, rotates fully and clamps hard, in a body light enough to move yourself. At 33 pounds it is one of the lighter 5 inch vises here, and that matters when the bench is against a wall.

The rotating head and swivel base work independently. The base swivels through a full turn with the fixed jaw, and the head then turns the movable jaw on its own axis. That is the arrangement that lets you bring a V-jaw to a 45 degree angle for cutting a miter without moving your shoulders.

Three jaw sets are the quiet story here. You get replaceable top jaws with a microgroove tooth pattern, a set of built-in pipe jaws covering 3/5 inch to 2 1/2 inch, and V-jaws for round or hex stock. Most vises at this level sell you the pipe jaws separately.

Clamping Force and Jaw Geometry

Published clamping force is at least 5,500 lbs, or 24 kN, and reviewers report smooth travel across the whole range. The 2.6 inch throat is the number to check against your work, and it is on the shallow side.

A 2.6 inch throat suits flat bar, small angle iron, and hardware. It gets tight when you clamp a 3 inch pipe, because the fixed jaw is close to the slide. If pipe work is your main event, look at the Yost 460 with a 4.375 inch throat instead.

Three Jaw Sets and the Anvil

The V-jaws are what separate this from a basic casting. They hold round tube and hex stock without crushing it, which matters when you are fitting a handle or a tube frame before welding. The serrated jaws are hardened and replaceable, so when they wear you swap caps rather than a whole vise.

The reinforced anvil is genuinely usable for flattening strap steel and light bending. It is not a substitute for a proper anvil, but it saves a trip for small tap work.

Who This Vise Suits

If you weld, grind, file and cut in one shop and want full rotation, this is the one. Reviewers on hand tool forums describe the smoothness of the screw as the reason they keep coming back to this size.

Where It Falls Short

Two things to plan around. Mounting hardware is not in the box, so budget a set of grade 8 bolts sized to your bench, and check jaw alignment with a straight edge on arrival, as a few owners reported slight misalignment.

2. VEVOR 6 Inch Bench Vise – Best Value for a New Metalworking Shop

The VEVOR 6 Inch is the best value option in this roundup and one of the few vises that ships with everything you need. Mounting template, bolts, nuts, and a set of magnetic soft jaw pads are all in the box, which removes the most common first-day trip to the hardware store.

At 6 inches of jaw width it is the widest here, and the 3.5 inch throat is the best of any swivel-base model in the test. That combination makes it the one to buy if you spend your time on pipe, structural channel and heavy plate.

Where the 4,496 lbs Clamping Force Sits

Published force is 20 kN, which is 4,496 lbs. It is under the Forward CR60A and well under the CR50A, and you can feel it on long lever pulls. For drilling, tapping and chop saw work that is ample. For hot bending a solid section, plan to use a lever extension with care.

The body is ductile iron at 60,000 PSI with a powder coat finish, which is the same material family as the more expensive Forward models. The resistance to shock is there; the machining tolerance is what varies.

Soft Jaw Pads and Jaw Condition

The magnetic soft jaw pads are the sleeper feature. They stick to the jaw faces and protect finished or painted surfaces, and they turn the vise into a decent wood clamping solution for trim and small parts. That is useful in a mixed shop where metal is not the only job.

The replaceable serrated jaw plates are carbon steel rather than hardened steel, which is the trade for the lower price. Expect a longer life from them if you keep the work inside the jaws and off the corners.

Who This Vise Suits

A first metalworking shop with a lot of pipe and plate, and a bench owner who does not want a second hardware run. Reviewers consistently call it strong value for what is in the box.

Where It Falls Short

The base is smaller than you would expect under a 6 inch vise, so give it four good bolts rather than two and work in the center of the opening. Several owners reported slight jaw misalignment, so check with a straight edge before you rely on it for square work.

3. Yost 460 – Best USA-Made Combination Vise for Pipe and Bench Work

The Yost 460 is the best bench vise for metalworking if your work is pipe, because the 4.375 inch throat is by far the deepest in this list. Nothing else here gives you that much room between the fixed jaw and the slide while the movable jaw is closed.

It is built in the USA from 30,000 PSI cast grey iron married to a steel U-channel bar. That combination is an older, heavier approach than the ductile iron used in the Forward models, and it is why this vise feels solid rather than springy when the handle is pushed hard.

Why the Throat Depth Matters for Pipe

Throat depth is the distance from the front of the fixed jaw back to the slide. On a 2.6 inch throat vise, a 3 inch pipe is gripped right at the front corner, and the handle fouls your knuckles. At 4.375 inches you can get your hand on a 3 inch pipe with the jaws closed and still turn the handle in a full arc.

The permanent pipe jaw is serrated and machined into the body, covering 1/8 inch to 3 inch. It is not a bolt-on accessory that can work loose under a chain wrench, and that is the difference between a vise you trust for a threaded joint and one you fight.

Swivel Base, Lockdowns and Jaw Fit

The base rotates 360 degrees with two lockdowns, so the vise holds position under side load. Owners on machinist forums repeatedly call out the jaw alignment on this model as square and staying square, which is the thing that ruins accurate tapping and filing.

The replaceable hardened steel serrated top jaws are the right call for a vise that sees steel. At 16 pounds it is not a heavy vise, so make sure the bench it bolts to is stiff enough not to flex.

Who This Vise Suits

Plumbers, HVAC techs, fitters and anyone building with tube who wants a made-in-USA tool with a big throat and permanent pipe grip. It also carries a one year limited warranty with lifetime tech support behind it.

Where It Falls Short

No mounting hardware is included, and 30,000 PSI grey iron is not the same toughness story as 60,000 PSI ductile iron under a hard sideways hit. Shop accordingly rather than treating it as a lightweight tool.

4. Forward CR60A – Best for High Clamping Force in a 6.5 Inch Body

The Forward CR60A is the pick for anyone who needs to squeeze hard rather than just hold well. Its published clamping force is 9,900 lbs, the highest figure on this list, and the 6.5 inch jaw is the widest body here.

At 40.6 pounds it is a proper bench vise, not a portable one. That weight is the point. It resists the moment you get when a saw blade binds in the cut and the stock tries to rotate out of the jaws.

What 9,900 lbs Feels Like on the Handle

Roughly twice the force of the VEVOR and about 1,700 lbs more than the Forward 5 inch. On a long lever pull you feel the screw reach the end of useful travel rather than stalling early. For straightening mild steel strap, cold fitting a pin, or holding a part for hot grinding, that headroom is the reason to buy this model.

The tradeoff is honest. Getting 40.6 pounds onto a bench needs a bench that can hold it, and the single hold-down bolt on the 210 degree swivel base can creep under heavy side loads. Owners recommend a second lockdown or a work stop if you routinely hit the base sideways.

Slot Jaws, Pipe Jaws and the Anvil

Two jaw sets ship with it. The flat jaws incorporate slot cuts, which are useful for gripping thin strap and shims without them shooting out, and the built-in pipe jaws cover 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 inch.

The 3.1 by 2.9 inch anvil is the largest on this list, and the greyish blue powder coat is a finish that wears well. Several owners note the vise arrives needing a grease on the screw before first use, so do that before you judge the feel.

Who This Vise Suits

Fabricators and shops doing heavy grinding, cutting structural stock or bending plate. Reviewers rate the fit and finish well above what the price suggests for this class.

Where It Falls Short

The 210 degree swivel is the main compromise, since the base does not come around to the back. If you need to place a workpiece behind the fixed jaw for in-line drilling, add a work stop or choose a full 360 degree model.

5. Yost 445 – Budget Pick for a First Metalworking Bench

The Yost 445 is the one to buy if you are setting up a first bench and want a made-in-USA tool without a large commitment. It shares the Yost construction approach with the 460, with the same steel U-channel bar and permanent pipe jaw, scaled down.

It is also a reminder of the forum consensus that a 4 inch bench vise serves general metalworking better than a 6 inch one. A 4.5 inch jaw handles most hardware, small angle, strap and round stock, and the smaller body is easier to move and to bolt to a lighter bench.

Force, Throat and Honest Limits

Clamping force is listed at 1,500 lbs, which is well under the 4,000 to 9,000 lb range the ductile iron models here reach. On light fabrication, tapping and filing that is adequate. On stock that resists the cut, the jaws can creep and the workpiece can move.

The 2.625 inch throat is the tightest here alongside the Forward 5 inch, so a 2 inch pipe is about the practical limit. Plan this vise for bench work on small parts rather than pipe fitting.

Made in USA Construction

Everything the 460 does well, this does at a smaller scale: replaceable hardened steel serrated top jaws, a 360 degree swivel base with two lockdowns, and a large anvil surface for tap and punch work.

It is made in the USA with lifetime tech support and a one year limited warranty. For a hobby shop buying one vise rather than a set, that provenance is worth more than a slightly higher force number on paper.

Who This Vise Suits

A hobbyist or a student shop doing electronics chassis work, small parts fitting, tapping and light grinding on a modest bench. The 4.5 inch jaw is genuinely useful for most of that.

Where It Falls Short

It is not a vise for heavy plate, and the missing mounting hardware means the same hardware run as the 460. If you regularly cut structural stock, the extra spend on a larger ductile iron model pays back faster.

6. IRWIN 5 Inch Multi-Purpose Vise – Best for Pipe Fitting Work

The IRWIN 5 Inch is the pipe vise specialist of this group. Its rotating pipe jaws are a different mechanism from the fixed serrated jaws on the Yost models, and that changes how you approach a fitting.

With rotating pipe jaws, the top jaw rotates as you turn the handle, wrapping the serrations around the pipe instead of pinching it on one face. On a threaded elbow or a nipple that needs a chain wrench, that wrap gives you a much better bite.

Durability Over Precision

This is a cast iron vise built for abuse, and owners on general tool forums report service lives of 10 years and more under heavy use. The fused steel handle will not bend in normal use, which matters because a slipping handle under load is how handles break.

It is not a precision machinist vise. Several reviewers describe the action as loose or sloppy while noting the jaws stay square. That is a fair trade if your work is fitting and welding rather than tapping to a tight tolerance.

Where the Pipe Jaw Design Breaks Down

The blue casting sits close to the jaw on deep pipe, so on a larger diameter work the casting can foul before the jaws fully engage. The rotating head partly compensates, since you can swing the pipe into a shallower section of the jaw.

A few owners also report units arriving with a damaged swivel lock. Check that on arrival, since it is the part that fails quietly and lets the base creep under load.

Who This Vise Suits

Anyone fitting pipe on a bench, from a plumbing shop to a garage doing motorcycle or exhaust work. It also handles general wood and metal clamping, which is handy in a mixed shop.

Where It Falls Short

Skip it if you need reference-grade squareness for precision tapping. Choose a 360 degree rotating model with a documented throat depth if you need to reach behind the fixed jaw for in-line work.

7. Wilton 675U – Best Warranty Coverage for Hobby Metalworking

The Wilton 675U is the value play in a branded vise. You get a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and replaceable hardened serrated jaws, which is warranty support that most of the imports in this roundup do not offer.

Several owners bought it specifically after a budget brand failed, and report the grip and swivel clamping force as a clear step up. The red powder coat is a visual reminder that this is the American-made Wilton line of vises, though this particular model is not made in the USA.

Jaw, Throat and Swivel Layout

The 5.5 inch jaw with a 5 inch opening and 3.25 inch throat is a sensible general purpose geometry. It clears more stock than the 5 inch models without swallowing a whole corner of the bench the way the 6.5 inch CR60A does.

The 360 degree swivel base has dual lockdowns, and the built-in pipe jaws remove the need for an accessory. The large anvil surface handles tap and punch work without complaint.

Quality Control Variance

The most common complaint is inconsistency between units. Some owners report a vise needing cleaning and greasing before first use, and some report Phillips head bolts holding the jaw caps where a hex head would be far more convenient for swaps.

Give it a straight edge check on the day it arrives. A few minutes of that avoids a frustrating afternoon later.

Who This Vise Suits

Hobby metalworkers and weekend fabricators who want brand backing without buying a mechanics-grade body. It handles grinding, filing, cutting and light bending comfortably.

Where It Falls Short

No published clamping force figure, and it is not American-made despite the brand. For heavy hot work, look at a ductile iron model with a stated force rating.

8. Wilton 745 – Best for Professional and Institutional Shops

The Wilton 745 is the professional shop pick. It is the heaviest vise in this roundup at 45.6 pounds, and the fully enclosed spindle and nut is the detail that matters most in a working metal shop.

An exposed acme rod collects swarf, grit and hardened oil, and once that happens the screw runs rough and the handle takes more effort with every pass. Enclosing it is the single biggest durability decision in this list for anyone who grinds steel at the bench.

Geometry and Swivel Base

Five inch jaw width, 5.25 inch opening and 3.75 inch throat is the most balanced geometry here for drilling, tapping and grinding without a 6 inch footprint. The ductile iron swivel base rotates 360 degrees with double lockdowns and holds under the side load that a drill press applies.

The replaceable hardened steel top and pipe jaws mean wear is a cap swap. The large anvil surface is useful for bending small sections and dressing punch work.

Quality Control: Check Before You Bolt It Down

This is where owners report problems: jaws out of parallel, debris in the threads, no grease supplied, and mounting hole diameters that do not always match the published figures. Inspect before mounting, and grease the screw yourself.

It is also the most expensive vise in the roundup, and the warranty is easier to work with on older US-made models that carry a stamped model number. Give it a heavy bench and a proper set of grade 8 bolts.

Who This Vise Suits

Production shops, trade schools and fabrication bays that grind and machine all day and need a vise that stays smooth under swarf. Owners describe the operation as smooth and the construction as industrial.

Where It Falls Short

The weight demands a bench that will not flex, and the cost is hard to justify for occasional use. If your work is intermittent, a lighter ductile iron model serves the same purpose at a lower outlay.

9. Forward CR50A – Best Mid-Size Vise for Home Garages

The Forward CR50A is the sweet spot pick for a garage shop that is outgrowing a small vise but does not need a 6.5 inch body. It is the most reviewed of the three Forward models in this roundup at 1,436 reviews, with a 4.7 rating.

Its 5.5 inch jaw with a 6 inch opening is an unusual and useful combination. You can open wider than the jaw is wide, which means clamping a long piece of flat or a length of angle without the corners hanging off the ends.

Force and What It Covers

Published clamping force is 7,700 lbs, or 35 kN, which is a step above the Forward 5 inch and a long way above the Yost 445. For a home shop doing chop saw cuts, angle grinding and hobby fabrication, it stops short of feeling like a compromise.

The body is 60,000 PSI ductile iron with a black powder coat, and the 3.1 inch throat suits flat bar, strap and modest pipe. The large reinforced anvil handles light bending.

The 210 Degree Limitation

The base swivels 210 degrees rather than a full turn, and a single hold-down bolt holds it. Under a heavy side load from a saw or a grinder, that bolt can creep, so re-tighten it if the base starts to move.

Owners often report needing a grease on the screw out of the box, and mounting hardware is not included. Both are five minute fixes before your first job.

Who This Vise Suits

Home fabricators and weekend builders moving from a 3 or 4 inch vise to something with real force. The rating and review volume give you more confidence here than with a lesser-known import.

Where It Falls Short

If you need a full 360 degree swivel, this is not it. If you need a heavy bench for a 40 pound vise, that is also not it, since the 6 inch opening on a 5.5 inch jaw is the point rather than a coincidence.

10. COGNATIVE 5 Inch Vise – Best With Positioning Scales

The COGNATIVE 5 Inch is the pick if you do repeat positioning work and want a dial rather than an eyeball. Straight and round scales on the base let you index the same hole or the same angle on a second part without measuring twice.

It is a 60,000 PSI ductile iron casting with a 360 degree swivel base, and the hardware is zinc plated rather than painted, which is a sensible detail for a tool that lives near a sink or a wet bench.

Reading the Clamping Force Claim

The listed figure is 4,000 kg, which converts to 8,800 lbs, and it sits near the top of this list. Treat it as a paper number: COGNATIVE is a lesser-established brand, and buyers report fewer long term durability reports than with Wilton, Yost or Forward.

The 2.6 inch throat is the narrowest in the group, so this is a bench vise for flat stock, fasteners and small components rather than pipe. At 27.8 pounds it moves easily between benches.

Multi-Material Capability

Owners use it across wood, aluminum alloy, steel and plastic, and the manufacturer rates it for all four. The alloy steel and aluminum internal parts are worth noting because aluminum internal components in a vise usually appear on positioners, not on a bench model.

For anyone restoring a vintage machine, the scales are the differentiator. For everyone else, the established brands in this roundup have a longer service record behind them.

Who This Vise Suits

Hobbyists and small shops doing repeated drilling or angular work where indexing matters. The scales turn a setup from a guess into a repeatable measurement.

Where It Falls Short

The narrow throat limits pipe work, and a shorter support history means you are trusting the spec sheet more than owner reports. Test the jaw alignment early if you plan to tap.

How to Choose a Bench Vise for Metalworking

Start with the work, not the brand. A fab shop that cuts 3 inch pipe and a hobbyist fitting brackets have completely different requirements, and the same vise will frustrate one of them.

Choosing the Right Jaw Size

For general-purpose bench work, 4 to 5 inch jaws cover almost everything. The recurring machinist consensus is that a 4 inch bench vise is far more useful than a 6 inch, because you can still reach the handle and the work stays in front of you. Go to 6 inch and 6.5 inch only when your work is structural plate, heavy channel or thick stock.

Jaw opening is a separate number from jaw width, and it is the one people misread. This roundup includes a 5.5 inch jaw with a 6 inch opening, which clamps a long piece without the corners hanging past the jaws.

Cast Iron vs Ductile Iron vs Forged Steel

Grey cast iron is heavy, cheap and rigid in compression, which is why the Yost vises are built that way. Ductile iron rated at 60,000 PSI is the more modern choice and resists impact far better, which is why most of the models in this list use it. Forged steel bodies are the premium tier, more expensive and harder to find at bench sizes.

The practical question is what happens when something binds. A cut that catches will try to twist the workpiece against the jaws, and a ductile iron body absorbs that shock without cracking the way grey iron can.

Swivel Base vs Rotating Head

A swivel base rotates the whole vise on the bench. A rotating head turns the movable jaw on its own axis, and the two together give you a workpiece at almost any angle. Only four of the ten models here have both a 360 degree base and a 360 degree head.

Forum users are consistent about this one. Machinists say that once you work with a swiveling vise you do not go back, because you stop re-clamping and re-squaring for every cut.

Enclosed vs Exposed Spindle

An exposed acme rod is cheaper to build and easier to service, but it collects swarf, grit and hardened oil. Once the thread is contaminated, the screw runs rough and takes more effort forever after. If you grind or weld steel at the same bench, an enclosed spindle is worth paying for.

Clamping Force: What Actually Matters

Clamping force is how hard the jaws squeeze, measured in pounds. The published figures in this roundup run from 1,500 lbs on the Yost 445 to 9,900 lbs on the Forward CR60A. That is the single biggest differentiator between a cheap casting and a forged or well-machined one.

Match force to the job rather than buying the biggest number. Light assembly, electronics and small fittings need a couple thousand pounds. Structural cutting, bending and grinding want 7,000 lbs or more. Very high numbers do not make a vise accurate, they just make it harder to move the workpiece.

Jaw Material and Replaceable Inserts

Hardened serrated jaws grip steel by biting into it. Replaceable jaw caps or soft jaws are the single best upgrade available, because a worn jaw is a cheap fix rather than a reason to buy a new vise. Aluminum soft jaws let you clamp finished or painted parts without marking them.

Be aware that one-piece forged jaws, common on vintage vises, cannot be replaced or re-ground. That is a long-term limitation when you eventually want smooth jaws for a precision job.

Metalworking vs Woodworking Vises

A woodworking vise has wide face jaws, often with a wood or plastic insert, and it is built to hold boards. A metalworking vise has narrow serrated jaws, a greater throat depth, higher force ratings, and usually pipe jaws and an anvil. Soft rubber pads on a woodworking vise will not hold a hot steel bar, and cross-cut teeth designed for end grain will tear soft metal.

Mounting a Bench Vise Properly

Four steps cover it. First, position the vise so the fixed jaw sits over solid bench material, not over a gap or a drawer. Second, mark and drill the mounting holes through the base with a bit slightly smaller than the bolt so the threads bite. Third, bolt down with grade 8 or better hardware, tightening in a diagonal sequence so the base seats evenly. Fourth, check that the swivel or handle clears the bench edge with the jaws fully open, and grease the acme screw before first use.

Keep the screw clear of the bench top. A fastener that bottoms out on the spindle will bend the screw and is one of the most common self-inflicted vise repairs.

New vs Used: What to Look For

A quality used vise is a genuinely good buy, and machinists regularly report finding used Kurt and similar vises for a fraction of new cost. The inspection list is short: turn the handle through full travel looking for a smooth screw, check the jaws for parallel alignment with a straight edge, look for rust pitting on the screw, and confirm the swivel lockdown holds under side pressure.

Walk away from a rusty vise listed at a new price. That is a long-standing complaint among buyers, and a seized screw costs more to fix than the price gap saves.

Why Vise Jaws Ride Up and How to Stop It

Jaw lift is the most common complaint in current machinist discussions and the one failure mode almost no editorial roundup covers. When you tighten the handle, the movable jaw can rise as it closes, lifting the workpiece off your parallels.

The cause is the screw angle. A conventional acme thread advances the jaw along the screw axis as it turns, so the jaw moves inward and upward at the same time. On a parallel or a hold-down setup, that upward component breaks the contact you established.

Three things help. Clamp with the head rotated so gravity helps rather than fights, and tighten firmly but fully rather than in short aggressive pulls. Add a hold-down clamp or a strap across the top of the workpiece so the upward travel is taken by something other than the workpiece. And on machines, look for a prismatic design that keeps the jaw path vertical instead of angled.

Prismatic vises are the answer for milling work specifically, and they are a different product from a bench vise, so check the path before you buy for a mill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Bench Vise Should You Buy

If you want one bench vise that handles cutting, grinding, filing and pipe without compromise, start with the Forward DT08125A. It is the best bench vise for metalworking in 2026 because it pairs a full rotating head and swivel base with three jaw sets and ductile iron at 60,000 PSI.

Building a first shop on a sensible budget, the VEVOR 6 Inch gives you the widest jaw, a deep throat and a full hardware kit. Doing pipe and fittings, the Yost 460 has the deepest throat here and is made in the USA. For the hardest clamping work, the Forward CR60A reaches 9,900 lbs. Welding shops that grind all day want the enclosed spindle on the Wilton 745.

Whichever you choose, bolt it to a stiff bench with grade 8 hardware, grease the screw before the first job, and check jaw alignment with a straight edge. A vise that is square, tight and clean will outlive several cheaper tools in a lifetime of shop work.