Best Portable Vices Tested

Need an extra pair of hands for a tricky DIY job? We pick from eight top portable vices.

Auto Express Car Reviews

August 2010

A vice allows you to keep both hands free yet retain a sturdy grip, and can make light work of even the trickiest tasks. Bench vices are ideal for heavy-duty use in a workshop or garage, but portable versions are more versatile.

Not only can they be set up wherever your car is parked, they can be fixed to anything from a folding workbench to a picnic table. There are two basic types – those with suction attachments and clamp-on versions. Suction designs are generally good, easy to use and fine for steel benches or even plastic-laminated tables – anywhere  as long as the surface is perfectly smooth.

The clamp-on variety is not suited to many metal tabletops, but is often cheaper and fine for the average wooden workbench. The more adjustability – up, down and round, even up to a full 360-degree turn – the better.

So, which of the latest vices is the one to give you a helping hand? We put eight products through a comprehensive test to find out which were the toughest, most versatile and best value for money.

The Test:

We used a metal workbench to test the vices with suction attachments and a 35mm-thick wooden-topped table for the clamp-on versions. A bolt was fitted into every product and a torque wrench used to apply the same amount of force to each, to see how well the vice held, up to 20Nm. Points were also awarded for build quality, features, ease of use, jaw range and price.

Contacts:

Clarke 01992 565333
www.clarkeinternational.com

Draper 023 8049 4333
www.drapertools.com

Dremel 01332 755799
www.dremel-direct.com

Just Off Base (Draper) 0800 756 9497
www.justoffbase.co.uk

Lawson HIS (Sealey) 023 8072 4775
www.lawson-his.co.uk

Machine Mart (Clarke) 0844 880 1250
www.machinemart.co.uk

Racey Spares (Wilton) 01634 867009
www.raceyspares.co.uk

Sealey 01284 757500
www.sealey.co.uk

Verdict

The Draper VAC 10/L wins, balancing strength, features and the ability to handle steel workpieces better than the versatile Dremel 3-in-1. Although less adaptable, the Sealey FV80 is great value.

1. Draper VAC 10/L
2. Dremel Multi-Vice 3-in-1
3. Sealey FV80