Reason to avoid Harbor Freight Tools: A vice, like an anvil, is a honking big heavy tool that never breaks. This one lasted one month before breaking in half. never abused. casting is thin on right side. Cost $100 and Harbor Freight Tools says F.U. not our problem. Don't buy Harbor Freight Tools!
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When it comes to stuff like that I just pick one up at a flea market or garage sale, but nothing made in china and from here on out my valve shims will be all OE.
regards
mech
The only stuff i buy from harbor freight is their hand tools with the lifetime warranty.
HF has some decent tools for the money, like jacks and stands, but their vises are known to be garbage. If you're gonna get a cheap imported vise, the best bang for your buck is going to be the Craftsman Professional vise from Sears. It's essentially a rebranded Chinese Wilton.
Alternatively, you can always find old US-made high quality vises on Craigslist and at flea markets for pretty cheap.
Thanks for the vice advice:)
Didn't leave it clamped up tight in the freezing cold did you? :D
Find an old second-hand well used one cast from ductile iron that has a bit of give. It will be ugly and rusty but far better than a new cheap one cast from normal brittle low grade iron.
Interesting.. Ive had some good luck with Harbor freight junk. Even bought a $69.99 hyd floor jack and I'm actually quite impressed with it.
I'll be sure not to get a bench vice from there!
The Harbor Freight broken vise in foreground, it's replacement, a 100 year old Columbian vice made in Cleveland Ohio. It will be good for another 100 years. That's the difference between Asian and made in USA products. Be American Buy American.
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Nice vise. I've got a Yost myself.
In all fairness, Japan, Taiwan, and China are all capable of highly advanced manufacturing. China churns out plenty of cheap, crappy products because people pay them to. China can also put out some excellent products when people pay them to (iPhone anyone?).
I'll also be the first to point out that the GS500 is Japanese (or Spanish).
In any case, I'm all for buying American...I just think it might be a bit hypocritical preaching it on a Suzuki forum.
If you can't buy what you want from USA suppliers, you have to go to overseas manufacturers, like I did with this bike.
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My work bought a HF vice, and it broke the second use... I found one for my boss from craigslist for $15, probably 30 years old at least, they've been using it almost daily for three years now.
- Bboy