any Groz vise vices?

[rmeyer1]

I'm in the market for a Record type vice for my newly built low cost bench. The archives are somewhat old on vices (other than it seems everyone wants a Veritas twin screw , me too) and right now money is my limiting factor, must be under $80. A 7" quick release Record type will be fine. Have looked at Rockler (they have a neat Record type with a capstan and wooden handle in this price range), Grizzly Shop Fox (rated poorly by users on Amazon), Highland Hardware (they have the Groz vises and the Anant vises) and Woodcraft has the Groz (7" vise on sale for $59 including shipping) and several others.

anyone have experience - good or bad with the Groz vises? At $59 it seems a good deal. Any other recommendations?

[TEF]

Got the 9" in Groz from Highland Hardware about two years ago and it's fine. It grasps material as expected and the jaws seem to align as intended. Not sure what I would have gotten had I spent more on another brand of vise, but this one works for me.

[extiger]

I bought the $86 Lee Valley front vise just before summer. As I was bolting onto my new bench, I got a catalog from Lee Valley showing the recently introduced Quick Release model of the same vise. $125. It looks just like the Record. Since I'm a hobbyist, i didn't want to return my other vise and cough up an extra $40 for a feature that just isn't that important to me.

The single screw LV vises are made in Europe. It weighs 28 pounds, so compared to other brands out there, it has the mass and strength. Not sure if and how bad it racks.

Gary Curtis

[lwasserm]

Don't forget to check out Harbor Freight. They have a 9" Record 52 1/2 copy (item # 94386) for $59 and it likely will go on sale sometime within the next few months like most of their stuff does. I bought one from them many years ago (Doubt if from the same manufacturer as their current offering; mine was made in Tawian) and I really can't see how a genuine Record would work any better. Once you've decided to go with an Asian import, why pay more for essentially, if not exactly, the same merchandise?