4-Inch Swivel Bench Vise

I have previously been quite snobby with my tool buying habits and tended to stay with certain red or blue (and sometimes green) brands because of the accolades that came with the large names behind them. And while I paid quite a bit more, they tended to last and it didn't really feel like a bad investment... until the last few years when new tools seemed to break effortlessly and quality had noticeably fallen to new levels. After that I started to spread my purchases around a little bit more and fell upon Tekton for a couple different tools now. I have purchased multiple torque wrenches, crowfoot wrenches, pry bars, and of course this vise as well, among other items. They have all held up very well against my somewhat active home garage use maintaining three cars regularly for all services and upgrades they receive. I am quite impressed with the quality, packaging, and general durability of these tools. And I really am appreciating the cost difference between these very capable tools and those big store brands I used to love. I'm not switching everything in my toolbox out just yet though, but Tekton is definitely earning my trust rather quickly. I find myself looking for their products first now when I have something to replace, or want to pick up one of the new tools on my list. Hoping to see many more years of quality use out of these tools!

I always do diy projects, metal working and 3d printing. This vise was exactly what I needed to step up my accuracy cutting metal and wood and just make life so much easier. The box came completely smashed up and ripped, and I heard the delivery guy forcibly drop the vise on my front step. However there was not a single scratch or crack on this vise. A little sharp on the edges but otherwise very well made and sturdy. Nothing a good metal file couldn't round over. I don't even have my vise bolted to the table but rather bolted to a large board and then clamped to the table with Irwin quick grips. Even driving a HSS punch into it on the anvil only leaves a very small dot, with no deformation or scratching. This vise easily presses nuts into brass tubes and bearings into aluminum. Definitely a good vise.

--- After exhausive deliberation I almost decided on the other #5409 Tekton 8" malleable steel vise for less money and it would likely have been stronger, but one thing Ive always liked in a vise is a large 5-1/2" x 6" anvil area, and this casting style of vise usually has the largest anvil area available. I realize this #54008 is just a medium duty cast iron model, but I bought a 5" vise of the same style casting (different brand) over 25 years ago, and it survived admitted hard use even by a neighbor that resulted in a bent screw from over extending the jaws - I had to straighten it when I repainted and gave it away not long ago still in good working order - so I feel with proper use these vises can serve well. With this in mind, ive always wanted to get a larger one just like it some day and Tekton actually backs theirs up with a decent warranty so even though I feel its a little over priced for a plain cast iron vise I know some of this is the high shipping cost of heavy items - and since ill be the only one using it where im at now it will not see any abuse -- Now on to the vise itself. --- First I regret to say I did not receive the heavy triple boxing described by some on Amazon, and THIS VISE NEEDS IT as the 8" model is exceptionally heavy at 77 pounds and my box showed up in very bad shape-- (see pics)-- fortunately there was no major damage to the vise itself. As expected it was thoroughly coated in protective grease that takes some time to clean up, but due to this coating it also had zero surface rust as intended. Myself I remove most of this grease, though manual says not to remove it all -- then I coat all machined surfaces with two coats of a good car wax to prevent rusting from condensation, followed by a thorough lube of the screw and all sliding surfaces with Teflon grease. --- The first thing I noticed was the main screw handle does not (appear) as long or as large in diameter as pictured in the Tekton photos, the handle on mine was 9" long and 1/2" diameter but this could be my own inaccurate perception from the pictures -- either way IMO a vise this large and heavy with an 8" jaw could have used a bit longer and beefier handle, I own a 6" vise very similar to this one and its also 9" but the bar is thicker at about 5/8" - (I feel) its possible this is being done by some cast vise manufacturers for two reasons - it limits the torque you can apply on the casting and thus limits warranty claims due to cracked castings from over tightening, and it also could make it easier to box and ship such a weighty item as the handles have a nasty habit of poking holes in the boxes - but this size handle also might be a temptation for those who don't know any better to apply a cheater bar negating any possible breakage protection the supplied bar size may provide -- I was disappointed to see the inside of the dynamic jaw is more hollow than a very similar 6" vise I have with a near identical casting, hopefully this is offset by the sheer mass of the jaw itself. In all fairness I was very familiar with this style casting and have had good luck with it in the past. Tekton if very straightforward in its specs regarding the PSI of its vises, and these are listed as 30,000 PSI so you know your looking at a pretty much a medium duty cast vise, no false claims here and I know what im getting ---- I will say this, the Tekton 54008 provides a nice finish they describe as powder coated, and a cleaner looking more consistent casting overall with no visible surface voids or obvious surface anomalies ive seen in others like it - jaw fit is good overall with little slop and the removable jaws are good quality and decently machined with good quality allen head screws recessed slightly into the jaw face - --some import vises come with low quality soft screws that aren't recessed at all but rather are even with the jaw surface, something I don't care for. For whatever reason the right side of the dynamic jaw on mine touches first on closing by a small amount, but the jaw lines up and closes flush in all directions so its not likely to affect jaw performance. Another plus for the vise is the base sits level on the bench and the fit is very good between the swivel base and the vise itself with good lockdown action and smooth movement in both directions, nothing warped or out of shape as in some lesser castings. That being said, id like to see a bit longer and thicker diamter rods on the lockdown bolts --- and when lubing threads I found the amount of thread engagement of the swivel base lockdown bolts to be minimal IMO with no more than three or four threads engaging the lockdown heads, this doesn't seem to affect lockdown performance - but I wonder about possible stripping of the threads down the road. Some will say im nitpicky, but we don't get as much for our money as we used to, especially in import vises - unlike many younger buyers I remember the US made quality one used to get in vises for this price and its not true any longer so I tend to be more critical than others might be -- but the points I labor over are all valid areas of importance in a bench vise so I don't feel im being unreasonable to expect decent performance even at whats now considered a lower price level. In short I expect it to work as designed, many products just don't deliver in this basic area. In all honesty though I must add that its a misconception that a vise is indestructible and can and should be treated as an anvil -- and some expect it to take the same punishment since it has a built in anvil area-- this is an incorrect assumption, at least with todays import vises anyway. the anvil area is for modest metal forming and other work within reason -- the anvil area is only about a 1/2" thick cast surface and can crack if beaten with too big a hammer. A bench vise is primarily a holding device, ITS NOT A BLACKSMITHS FORGING ANVIL and its NOT A PRESS - many like to do U-joint work in vises, and you might get away with it if careful -- but this is how my neighbor bent the screw in one of my vises so if you want to do press work,, get a press or don't complain when your cast iron import vise fails in this regard. It is fair to say at this point some import vises are all too well known for having weak castings and breaking under even minimal use, so choose your cast iron vise carefully, look for a company that will back the warranty and use the vise with common sense as outlined above - vises are not indestructible, even the high dollar ones can be broken if abused. If your one who uses a vise to the extreme it would be better to choose one of the newer welded steel vises, theyre malleable, ductile and more likely to bend rather than break - also you might be able to repair one by welding whereas a cast iron vise usually becomes your new door stop of it cracks from abuse. --- Also people, don't expect a new vise to come with mounting bolts - they never have-- this is because the manufacturer has no way of know what thickness your bench is or what your mounting conditions are. Also, regarding cast vises specifically, iron castings, especially imported castings are often hit and miss and inherently sketchy in regards to hidden flaws and quality -- while one vise may perform above and beyond for many years, another identical casting can have hidden voids or cracks that will result in premature failure -- this is a trait of import and production cast iron in general, strength varies and is dependant on carbon and alloy content as well as how accurate casting procedures are followed in manufacturing as well as final QC inspection. For this reason I believe the smart choice for most people going forward, especially for those on a budget who cant afford high end US made vises will almost always be the welded malleable steel vises, theyre stronger but not as heavy so shipping is cheaper for a given size often making them the better buy, and a decent welded vise could well outlive its buyer depending on purpose and treatment. ---- Back to my new Tekton 54008 - - im very displeased with the boxing and packing, but pleased overall with the vise itself and basically I got what I expected and wanted, so far it delivers as promised -- if I had any real complaint its the fact this vise does not have any type of pipe jaws built in, but I have a separate pipe vise and I knew this before buying so it was my choice. In the end only time will tell how well it holds up, but I feel pretty good about Tekton products, theyre tools are decent and a good value - using the reviews as a guide this vise should serve my home DIY needs just fine. If the Tekton 5409 steel vise had a larger anvil area I would have bought it instead as I still believe it's a stronger vise, especially since its less expensive to boot. The main thing true in a vise more so than many other products is you only get what you pay for - if youre lucky. Todays hit and miss offshore manufacturing quality really makes it difficult to find a good vise at an affordable price -- doing your research and reading reviews is a must, and not just with vises either - but especially with vises due to the nature of their intended purpose. Based on the example I received I would recommend the Tekton 54008 vise if you are looking specifically for a large affordable cast iron vise with a large anvil area, just remember the inherent limitations of a cast iron vise - I like my vise and chose it for reasons outlined above, but I still feel the Tekton 5409 vise is the better buy for its stronger construction material and lower cost. As always - READ THE REVIEWS-! Tekton is one of the safer bets from what ive seen.

Maybe it's because this is my first bench vise and I was looking for something simultaneously affordable and of sufficient durability to last more than a month of light use. The reviews of this Tekton were glowing and the price was just right. After a glitch in shipping that Amazon rapidly remedied (excellent work, guys), I received the vise with a few holes punched through both boxes containing it. This is a heavy SOB and needs some better packaging. Nevertheless, it arrived unhurt and swathed in a light oil. Quality is excellent so far. The action is exceedingly smooth and there is absolutely no slop anywhere. Just looking at the handle with the intent to turn it will result in at least one half-turn (just kidding, but it is that instant and smooth). I was successful with 5/16" mounting hardware, by the way. So that's quality and price. How about durability? Well I plan on using the vise for smaller, household work so I don't expect much and what I have seen so far has assured me that were I to continue using it in the way I'm planning, there's no reason to suspect it will fail anytime soon. 5 well-deserved stars.

Bought this for my shed just for cutting the odd bit of wood and holding bits and pieces steady and I've found it to be an extremely robust little vice for the money. Reassuringly heavy and bolts well to my bench, love the swivel on it extremely handy to have. Be aware you will have to buy separately some long bolts to fix it down but I got some on here that fit perfectly.

No es fácil encontrar un tornillo de calidad a este precio, muy práctico que se pueda girar, va muy suave.

Very good quality. I’m very happy with this purchase

Bei diesem Schraubstock ist für mich als Gelegenheitsbastler der Spagat zwischen Preis und Funktionalität absolut gelungen. Stabil und fest sitzend bei der Arbeit. Mehr brauch ich nicht!

Impressively sturdy for the price point. I have used this for a number of fairly heavy duty projects including one involving a breaker bar and extension rod and lifting with all my strength, and the table lifted off the ground but this vise didn't break. Not sure what the one other reviewer did to manage to break his. This is a fairly high quality vise that will do fine in your home workshop. It comes packed in a thin layer of grease but if you need a bench vise you shouldn't be frightened by that.