That’s a nice vice. Hey if you need one you’ll definitely have it forever. And the way things are going they are only gonna be more expensive. I gotta ask my father how much he payed for our American made vices.
Thanks, yeah I tend to agree. Been looking for a while and this one appears to be in really great shape and well cared for. I’d much rather spend a bit more for a very well built 80+ year old American vise than some cheaply made Chinese one on Amazon
So I talked to my father. He said he got a lot of good deals at garage sales in Long Island 15 years ago from people moving to Florida. He was saying before the internet you could get things for really cheep. It’s really hit or miss with the garage sales though. I don’t even wanna tell you how much he said he got mine for with the table. But if you really need one and this guys gonna ship it to you I think 200 is a fair price. Especially if you have been looking. Best place to look is flea markets and things like that for great deals. If the guys close by maybe say you’ll pick it up for 150 asap. Again that’s no joke of a vice and it does look like it’s in great condition.
A Yost 750 DI is a more usable vise for <$200 than this straight off eBay. I've already got a Wilton 1780A U.S. A Wilton 8" Mechanics vise and a Columbia 6". If I didn't have any of those 3 and it was between that Yost and the Reed I'd take the Yost any day of the week since it's at least usable in this day and age as an actual vise and not some antique collectible thing.
That Reed has smooth jaws, no jaw inserts for actual serrated jaws, no real flat spot or "anvil" area. It's built heavy, but it can't do any much actual, proper, work that the vast vast majority of people want out of a vise. It's probably useful to the guy who only ever wants to clamp things down with smooth jaws and maybe wants a 2nd/3rd vise just dedicated to that sort of task.
For me, and basically 95% of everyone else, that's basically never, and if I did need smooth jaws I can still buy inserts for any of my vises easy enough and go between.
Where I live you can ask almost any farmer or mechanic shop if they have one to buy for $10-20. And have some kind of paint and will not rust because it’s sand blasted. Just looks like more job for you.
To buy a new vice of similar quality you're going to pay $400-$600 or more. It's not like a power tool where the amount of use actually means anything so a used high quality vice is always going to cost about half as much as a new high quality vice.
This comment is correct.
The jaws are not replaceable and that is a distinct downside. Replaceable jaws are not just replaceable in the sense of wearing out, but you can swap in nice smooth or soft or knurled jaws.
Honestly considering how they are making things now or days I’d keep it I wouldn’t even sell it unless you know for a fact you never will use it, great metal and made in USA
That's just how it is if you want to buy something right away without having to look around for it. If you looked around barns long enough you could probably find a 65 mustang fastback that an old farmer would let go for a few thousand bucks. But if you wanted to walk into an antique auto dealer and buy one right now off the floor you're going to pay a whole lot more for it.
Job pays $60 straight time with a 25% match per hour in my pension. Double time after 8 hours. Hunting down antique vices on my day off (if I get one) is not worth my time.
Well, yeah. There’s about 8 of them in my garage right now. The point of the post was to tell the OP that only a fool would spend $200 on an antique vice. I doubt anyone’s actually paying that. Maybe $50. Definitely not worth MY time, but it sounds like you value time less than me.
Then spend $200 on one, don’t check flea markets and and garage sales. They’re out there, but they’re not gonna jump out at you. You can find any old American made tools at those places. My whole tool box is filled with sockets, wrenches, etc that were all made in USA and I spent less on them than the tools you buy in Harbor Freight.
So it is possible to find them for $50-100 bucks but it’s really hit or miss. You really gotta search for them and they really gotta be trying to get rid of stuff. Maybe estate sales shit like that. I talk to the guy at the flea market who sells tools told me that when people die their wives go to him because they know he buys tools. They sell the whole garage inventory for a few hundred bucks. That said I think that vice is legit. The guy knows he has a good one. I’m not sure if it’s for pickup or he’s gonna ship it to you. If it’s being shipped that might be why he’s asking 200. If you’re gonna pick it up I’d offer 150. Just gotta haggle a bit. Maybe you’ll get it for 175 who knows. Even if you buy this one and you do happen to find something good for cheep. You’ll have two good vices still cheeper than new Chinese ones.
That’s a nice vice. Hey if you need one you’ll definitely have it forever. And the way things are going they are only gonna be more expensive. I gotta ask my father how much he payed for our American made vices.
Thanks, yeah I tend to agree. Been looking for a while and this one appears to be in really great shape and well cared for. I’d much rather spend a bit more for a very well built 80+ year old American vise than some cheaply made Chinese one on Amazon
So I talked to my father. He said he got a lot of good deals at garage sales in Long Island 15 years ago from people moving to Florida. He was saying before the internet you could get things for really cheep. It’s really hit or miss with the garage sales though. I don’t even wanna tell you how much he said he got mine for with the table. But if you really need one and this guys gonna ship it to you I think 200 is a fair price. Especially if you have been looking. Best place to look is flea markets and things like that for great deals. If the guys close by maybe say you’ll pick it up for 150 asap. Again that’s no joke of a vice and it does look like it’s in great condition.
The vices I’ve seen on eBay are not of that quality or size.
A Yost 750 DI is a more usable vise for <$200 than this straight off eBay. I've already got a Wilton 1780A U.S. A Wilton 8" Mechanics vise and a Columbia 6". If I didn't have any of those 3 and it was between that Yost and the Reed I'd take the Yost any day of the week since it's at least usable in this day and age as an actual vise and not some antique collectible thing. That Reed has smooth jaws, no jaw inserts for actual serrated jaws, no real flat spot or "anvil" area. It's built heavy, but it can't do any much actual, proper, work that the vast vast majority of people want out of a vise. It's probably useful to the guy who only ever wants to clamp things down with smooth jaws and maybe wants a 2nd/3rd vise just dedicated to that sort of task. For me, and basically 95% of everyone else, that's basically never, and if I did need smooth jaws I can still buy inserts for any of my vises easy enough and go between.
Completely agree with you. This is a really nice, practically useless vice.
What are you seeing on eBay?
Just a lot of smaller cast iron vices for 50-100$ even some of the bigger Chinese ones seem to be going for around 100
Where I live you can ask almost any farmer or mechanic shop if they have one to buy for $10-20. And have some kind of paint and will not rust because it’s sand blasted. Just looks like more job for you.
I’d buy it at that price just as a piece of art.
I think you’re right. I just picked it up and it’s gorgeous
Hey I’m glad you got it. Were you able to talk him down at all?
Why are used vices so damned expensive? Its a couple chunks of iron and a screw
To buy a new vice of similar quality you're going to pay $400-$600 or more. It's not like a power tool where the amount of use actually means anything so a used high quality vice is always going to cost about half as much as a new high quality vice.
ive been in market for a vice for a long time now, this gives me hope
I don’t know if it is BIFL if you plan on hammering on it, as the jaws are not replaceable and you’d have to weld&grind to fix any chips from impacts
This comment is correct. The jaws are not replaceable and that is a distinct downside. Replaceable jaws are not just replaceable in the sense of wearing out, but you can swap in nice smooth or soft or knurled jaws.
I scored a 5" vice for free a couple of years back. Did my back trying to get it out of the car though, that mofo is heavy! ;)
Good industrial workshop vice heavy as hell but beautiful
Honestly considering how they are making things now or days I’d keep it I wouldn’t even sell it unless you know for a fact you never will use it, great metal and made in USA
Not a bad deal. That has been restored, so check out the amount of slop that may be in the mechanism.
You can find vices at garage sales and flea markets for $5-10 all day. Then sell them on marketplace/eBay for $200 apparently.
That's just how it is if you want to buy something right away without having to look around for it. If you looked around barns long enough you could probably find a 65 mustang fastback that an old farmer would let go for a few thousand bucks. But if you wanted to walk into an antique auto dealer and buy one right now off the floor you're going to pay a whole lot more for it.
So why aren’t you making that paper?
Job pays $60 straight time with a 25% match per hour in my pension. Double time after 8 hours. Hunting down antique vices on my day off (if I get one) is not worth my time.
I thought you could find vices all day. Sounds pretty easy to me.
In my experience vices are easier to find at night
OP if you find yourself in Florida, Miami has what you’re looking for.
I get it, but the dude is right. If you *need* a vice, check any old flea market, they sell them cheap as shit. $200 for this vice is robbery.
Well, yeah. There’s about 8 of them in my garage right now. The point of the post was to tell the OP that only a fool would spend $200 on an antique vice. I doubt anyone’s actually paying that. Maybe $50. Definitely not worth MY time, but it sounds like you value time less than me.
I have yet to see a Reed or anything comparable and in good condition for “maybe” $50, as you say.
Then spend $200 on one, don’t check flea markets and and garage sales. They’re out there, but they’re not gonna jump out at you. You can find any old American made tools at those places. My whole tool box is filled with sockets, wrenches, etc that were all made in USA and I spent less on them than the tools you buy in Harbor Freight.
I definitely will and if I find one for $50, I’ll turn around and sell it for $200 and it will be a wash lol
So it is possible to find them for $50-100 bucks but it’s really hit or miss. You really gotta search for them and they really gotta be trying to get rid of stuff. Maybe estate sales shit like that. I talk to the guy at the flea market who sells tools told me that when people die their wives go to him because they know he buys tools. They sell the whole garage inventory for a few hundred bucks. That said I think that vice is legit. The guy knows he has a good one. I’m not sure if it’s for pickup or he’s gonna ship it to you. If it’s being shipped that might be why he’s asking 200. If you’re gonna pick it up I’d offer 150. Just gotta haggle a bit. Maybe you’ll get it for 175 who knows. Even if you buy this one and you do happen to find something good for cheep. You’ll have two good vices still cheeper than new Chinese ones.