We have been using a made in USA Milwaukee vise in our showroom for years. It's built like a tank, and the simple quick release mechanism has held up like a champ even with the abuse it gets in a constant demo situation. The castings are well machined, the rods are robust, and it's great to support a family owned American company that really knows what it's doing. What you will discover when using these vises is that they feel good with no slop, and the machining is clean and careful. The jaws of course have a slight cant so that when you tighten them up they clamp firmly. To tighten the vise just push it closed against your workpiece and then give the wooden handle a turn. To loosen just turn the handle the other way and when the vise lets go, slide the jaw open.
Both sizes include a retractable bench dog which is a great way of extending the capacity of the vise for clamping longer boards flat on your bench against a stop installed in the benchtop. The slot the dog rides in is vented at the bottom, so it won't fill with saw dust, dirt and prevent the dog from fully retracting.
We supply the vise with all the hardware needed to install the vise in a typical configuration, attach a riser block if your bench top is less than 2 1/4" thick, and affix a pair of jaw liners. The vise is attached to the bench using a couple of lag bolts from underneath and a few wood screws from the rear jaw into the bench. Oh, and we also include an extra couple cotter pins so you don't have to save the bent one you pull out to install the vise.
Instructions for a typical installation are included. We stock two sizes of quick release vise. The 7" which is nice, and the 10" which is more popular for larger workbenches.
Hardware kit includes:
(2) Zinc-plated Steel Machine Screws, Pan Head, Slotted, 1/4"-20 Thread, 3/4" Length
(4) Zinc-plated Steel Screws, Flat head, Phillips, No 10 Size, 5/8" Length
(2) Zinc-plated Steel Lag Bolts, 3/8" Diameter, 2-1/2" Length
(4) Zinc-plated Steel Washers, 15/16" ID, ⅞" OD, .010" Thick
(2) Zinc-plated Steel Screws, Round Head, Slotted, No 8 Size, 1" Length
(2) Zinc-plated Steel Screws, Flat Head, Phillips, No 12 Size, 1-1/2" Length
(1) Zinc-plated Steel Cotter Pin, 3/16" Diameter, 1-3/4" Length
Note: The vise is made in its entirety in Milwaukee USA. The hardware kit is not.
  | Small 7" | Large 10" |
Jaw width | 7" | 10" |
Max Jaw Opening | 9" | 12" |
Max extension under bench | 13 7/8" | 17 3/8" |
Back casting height | 2 1/4" |
Max dog height | 7/8" |
Max Clamping Depth | 4 1/8" |
Wooden handle length | 12 3/4" |