Stanley 183068 MaxSteel Heavy-Duty Bench Vice 150mm 6-inch, STA183068

Brilliant, it's nice and big and solid, the addition of having rubber grommets on the handle ends is nice to reduce noise when you let go of the handle The mounting holes are rather large, I used 10mm bolts with large thick penny washers and serrated flange nuts to secure it to my bench, you could easily use m14 or m16 bolts for this, I used M10 because my drill chuck has a 10mm limit and I don't own any reduced shank drill bits in a larger diameter - I torqued the nuts and bolts down and tigthened the rotation handles and the unit is solid and does not wobble or move about at all, You will need a spanner to hold the hex of the bolt in place while you torque up the nuts as the holes are really close to the body of the vice and you'll struggle to get a socket on them. I'd recommend greasing up the threaded rod with a tacky grease as it comes dry and makes a bit of noise when spinning the handle which i quickly found to be a bit annoying. I might look into dismantling the rotation locking handles and filing down the caps to be hex so i can adjust the rotation using a socket as the handles are very primitive.

The Stanley 183068 MaxSteel Heavy-Duty Bench Vice 150mm 6-inch is a rugged and reliable tool that has proven its worth over the long term. Constructed from durable materials, it's built to withstand heavy use in various workshop environments. Its 150mm jaw width provides ample clamping capacity, allowing you to tackle a wide range of projects with ease. One of the standout features of this bench vice is its heavy-duty design, which ensures stability and durability even when handling tough materials or applying significant pressure. The steel construction is robust and built to last, making it a dependable tool for years to come. The vice's smooth operation and precise clamping mechanism make it easy to secure workpieces firmly in place, providing stability and accuracy during machining, welding, or other tasks. The swivel base adds versatility, allowing you to position your workpiece at the optimal angle for greater convenience and efficiency. Over time, the vice maintains its performance and reliability, showing minimal signs of wear and tear thanks to its high-quality construction. Whether you're a professional tradesperson or a DIY enthusiast, this bench vice delivers consistent results, making it an indispensable addition to any workshop or garage. Overall, the Stanley 183068 MaxSteel Heavy-Duty Bench Vice 150mm 6-inch earns high marks for its durability, versatility, and performance, making it a solid investment for anyone in need of a reliable vice for their workspace.

*********************** **Update** Dropped 1 star because swivel base turns under high load. I was trying to calibrate a 28-210 Nm torque wrench with the square drive in the vice, and even with both handles fully tightened it spun the base at around only 100 Nm. Had to put torque wrench in the vertical plane instead. *********************** Solid. The max bolt size you can use to bolt it down is M16. I got 80mm length to give ample opportunity for use in a thicker workbench if needed in the future. It is a good solid vice that should last, but a few improvements would be: - M16 bolt heads protrude up just enough to scrape the underside of the vice when you spin it. A touch more clearance would be good. - Mounting instructions would be helpful for a lot of people, including mentioning the M16 bolt size. I did some research and found the best way to mount it was on the corner of a workbench so that you can rotate vice to be on either edge of the bench. Also, the vice only has 3 bolt holes (not 4 like some of the smaller editions) and you have to be careful if you want to be able to put a vertical upright piece going in the vice because for that you need a small amount of overhang of the base so that the vice face protrudes just beyond the vertical plane of your bench. It is possible though, see pics, but not sure the triple bolt pattern is the best design for this kind of mounting. I'd be happier with 4 bolt holes and a better positioned vice face to minimise overhang. - It is difficult to get good soft jaws for this vice, I got Draper 14180 ones. This means that as others have pointed out the 2 magnets happen to align exactly with the inset bolt holes in Stanley 6-inch Bench Vice resulting in reduced grip and lack of centre. Since there doesn't seem to be much of an alternative currently available you will need a fix if you want soft jaws. Here's one: Fix: Buy a small pack of 10mm diameter x 5mm depth neodymium magnets for around £5. These fit perfectly in the inset bolt holes of the Stanley vice jaws. This not only keeps the soft jaws centred on the vice jaws, but also adds a good amount of extra holding force making it just about right - not too weak and not too strong. I got ones advertised as having 3.5kg hold force if touching. I measured just over 6mm depth of the inset holes so that gives about 1.5mm clearance (soft jaw magnets are also slightly inset) which is perfect as it keeps the magnets from physically touching the soft jaws which would then be too strong for convenient removal and also quickly wear. Be careful to get the poles of magnets orientated the right way before you put them in the bolt holes of your vice as they will repel the soft jaws and are so strong that once they are in they are hard to get out (unless you have spare magnets, though is possible to with 2 small flathead screwdrivers to wedge out bit by bit).

A very good price for a genuine Stanley bench vice. This is a big heavy lump of solid metal that takes some moving, and can be bolted to a bench for extra security. Purchased for pressure assembling what amounts to a wing nut from a steel screw and an ABS head unit that has to be compressed on the screw. I can guarantee we will find plenty of other uses for it too - an ecellent purhcase and great value that worked as expected first time.

Nice solid vice! I wasn’t sure it would be but it’s great for our use as farm workshop. No expensive as it’s solid with well machined parts. Good clamping force, large handle and solid base for fixing to bench with large coach screws in 3 places. Recommend for the money.

Fantastic vice. Very heavy duty and like how it swivels. Should last a lifetime.

Good value and good make

This is a chunky and solid item as you would expect of a large vice. Very smooth movement. I imagine it will last the rest of my life, with a little bit of lubrication on the screw mechanism from time to time. The jaws are incredibly strong, so probably worth buying some "soft jaws" as an extra to avoid marking softer materials that you want to hold in them. Two minor points. 1) I was used to having vices with quick release mechanisms - this one doesn't have a quick release for fast / big adjustments 2) the picture shows the base as having 4 bolt holes to fasten to the bench. The vice I have (which is definitely 150 mm / 6 inches) has three bolt holes to fasten it to the bench. These are big bolts. I have used M16 bolts (the type you use for fastening tow hitches onto cars) to secure mine. But there is no specification on the packaging for what diameter bolt you are supposed to use (I think M18 would be too big but maybe there is some specific size of imperial bolt the holes are specifically designed for?).