Tool Gone Bad: Defective Tool

Just thought I would share a short story that just happened a few minutes ago in the garage. I had my rear 40 ford wishbones up on the bench giving them a little pinch in on the vise w/some heat. I got the 1st one done and the second one was almost there when Bang!!! the vise split right in half my hand came crashing down into my forehead. I am alright the wishbone is fine too just half done! I can't say the same for my Vise. I was told when I bought this think at Menards it was cheap. I did get some use out of it but not near enough. A word to the wise. "Get A Wilton, Or Go Home"
Thanks

Dakota Kid

 

Oops, glad you are OK!

 

El K-Bong! Hope your melon's ok.Never saw one do that before. That's why you don't buy the one's that say Hecho en Chine.

 

Wow! Could it have been the torch heat and the vice tension/pressure?

 

Looks like it must be made out of cast iron to crack like that. The good vices are made out of forged steel. Forged steel might bend a little, but it won't crack into pieces like that. Glad you didn't get hurt. Thanks for the warning. I have a vice just like that one, but the one I use most of the time is an old forged steel made in USA one that's about 50 years old, but it works great still.

 

looks like pakastanee pot metal to me! looks like you were lucky it didn't cause any real damage like "what was i just saying?"

 

My wife is always fond of saying, "You get what you pay for!".

 

Tell your old lady the next time she busts your balls with that line....."Yeah, and for what I'm paying into this house I should be getting a better peice of *** too!"

-Bigchief.

 

Cast is cheaper than forged.

Now with the money you saved on the first one,you can buy another.

 

I gotta remember that one...probably wont ever use it, but cl***ic!

 

Most of us have learned the lesson of you get what you pay for,,,,off shore tools are not know for quality.


Remember,,,,the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.HRP

 

Thats cl***ic for sure.I will try to remember that one.Bet she will never use that line after that.

 

I just had a grinding wheel explode on a saw sharpener I bought from northern tool ( made in Mexico ) .
The blade never touched metal, I just turned the moter on.

The good news was that no one got hurt.

I returned it with no problem and sharpened the blade with a file like I have been doing for the last 40 years.

 

I broke a cheap one hand bending some steel plate without heat. I had one foot up against the bench and was pulling for all I was worth. The jaw broke and I went flying accross the garage and slammed into the wall. At least I didn't hit the wall where the nails were for hanging stuff.

 

I broke my cheap vise for the third time over 10 years of use, and decided it was time to buy a good one. I damn near had to reinforce my work bench to hold my new one up...lol

 

my vise is made in USA with a date of 1925 on it. it will still be here after we are all dead from the upcoming nuclear war ol dubya has planned for us...

 

so about the lifetime warrentee...... you have to call Gupta for technical support

 

my old *** hand me down vise broke when i was trying to press a shaft into a center steering link in a 49-52 chevy...trying to get the job done ona sunday rather than wait and have the machine shop do it on a monday...

 

Buy a Wilton and your grandkids will still be trying to break it. It's another of those "pay me now or pay me later", your choice. Make the wrong "choice" and you might be paying the doctor in the meantime.

Frank

 

Wilton vices are now labeled MADE IN CHINA. In your opinion are they still the same as their made in USA older versions?

 

Though I haven't seen the new Wilton vise or compared it's quality, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say "No, I don't think Wilton vises are the one thing made in China, with their cheap materials and cheap production methods, that is the same quality as something made in USA 40 years ago. or even 10 years ago."

-Brad

 

All the good vises are your pre 1950 stuff, mostly WWII aircraft plant surplus that you can only find at swap meets. I'd pay $100 for an old vise any day before buying the new ****

 

Dude, that ****s!
But I just gotta ask, how short are you that it came crashing down into your forehead?

 

Nothing much more to add.

 

Made in China is a mistranslation of the Chinese writing; the correct translation is Defective, Do Not Use....

 

big chief
thats a good one i must remember that

 

I have noticed you can buy them at more places now. I'm going to check them out and see most of the time the good stuff is not seen at the local ATD hardware store... They got WILTONS there hope they hold up. $100-120 for a 6''?

 

Nothing new with importers using well known names to sell their cheap products,,,,they ride the coat tails of established business giants on a regular basis,,,be it shoes,,,,automotive parts,,,or in this case a vices,,,

I'm not saying that the vice in this case is a knock off cheapie but we all know they are more than capable of making and using sub par parts and stamping it with American names,,,

I think this may help if you are looking for a high quality vice,,

BTW,,,Wilton is still made in the USA,,,,HRP

http://www.southern-tool.com/store/wilton_vises.html

 

Bought a limey Record vice a few years ago, Made in England. I use it and abuse the **** out of it and it's still going strong. Good vice.

 

I have posted this in the past,,,,but pictured below is a Harbor Freight POS sheet metal brake,,,that broke shortley after I bought it,,,,cheap casting HRP