Hovarter Wagon Vise?

[Don Bullock]

I'm designing a new workbench. Today I just discovered the Hovarter wagon vise. Does anyone have any experience with this vise?

[David Eisenhauer]

I seem to remember a few folks talking up the Hovarter vise a few years ago when Ruobo benches started turning up on the popular build internet scene. Perhaps a search of past posts will turn up some info. I do not recall any bad info concerning the Hovarterand wonder if a hazily remembered upgrade or version 2 on a vise applies to the Hovarter.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

It is a great vise, and I nearly opted for the Hovarter twin rod vise. The issue I had was that the vise needs to clamp along the center of the rod. For my application, I was going to have to put the dog holes outboard of the center line of the rod. For the wagon vise, this is not an issue, and were I to go with a wagon vise, it would be my choice- simple to use since it slides on the rod to where you want and then clamps.

[Mike Brady]

The Hovarter vise has never "caught on" with hand tool woodworkers, from what I have read over the years since it was introduced about ten years ago.. I have never seen one at any trade show or even read about them since. The inventor is from Michigan, and he engineered several different configurations. Pricing was about the same as other quality vises from Lie-Nielsen and Bench-Crafted. Whether they found acceptance with power-tool oriented woodworkers I can't say. The lack of an effective marketing plan seems to be what has kept them from becoming popular.

[Jason Baker IX]

I retrofitted the Hovarter leg vise on my Nicholson bench this past spring. It works great and is very well engineered. I really like how quickly and effortlessly I can move the vise to work different pieces of wood. I considered the Bench-Crafted model at the time, but the Hovarter vise was a little easier to retrofit to my particular bench. Highly recommended.

[Mike Brady]

Good to hear. Maybe others will look at them too.

[Jim Ritter]

I have the Hovarter leg vise and it works great.
Jim

[William Fretwell]

I'm curious; can you post a picture?

[Mike Brady]

Here: https://www.hovartercustomvise.com/gallery/hovarter-custom-vise-vx-20-introduction/

[William Fretwell]

Thanks, it looks well made. It looks like it should be configurable as a solid vise, within the constraints of leg vise.

[Don Bullock]

Thanks for all the replies. Your input is geatly appreciated. If I have money in my budget I plan to get one.