LV Quick Release Bench Vise

[Bob Johnson2]

Does anyone own one of these? I'm looking at the large one but have no experience with the 2 turn quick release, my record is a thumb lever. If you have one how's the fit and finish, first rate or just so so?

Thanks
Bob

[Chuck Nickerson]

at the woodworking show. LV fit and finish is always nice.

[John D Watson]

I have the large one Bob, and the fit and finish is fine. The vice does what it's supposed to do and it holds things really well too. You will need a couple pieces of hard maple for the faces as they come bare.

[Nate Rogers]

I agree with you John, good solid piece of steel..Works real nice..I have had mine about a year and a half, no problems.

Nate

[Gary Curtis]

When I got the newest LV catalog, I saw the quick release vice on the inside cover and thought "Darn". I bought their largest standard vise in March. It still sits in a box, unused, while I build the bench for it.

So I called LV to find out if I could exchange it. I got lucky, because the customer rep on the phone was the guy at Lee Valley who evaluated the new vise. After a few questions were answered I decided to keep my old one. As a hobby-dude, I wouldn't get that much advantage out of the quick release function. A production guy would feel differently, I'm sure. Cranking a vise in and ought 50 times a day could get real old.

The guy at lee valley said the finish on the QR model was not quite up to the standard vise finish. But it is solid, with no rattle or slop in the action. Both vises come with excellent instructions on installing this hardware. Including a template for drilling out the mounting holes. Both are made in Eastern Europe.

The standard vise weighs 25 lbs. A Record QR weighs 35 lbs. They are no longer available.

Gary Curtis