Buy Vices Online in Australia
Vice Selection — Quick Reference
Vices are workshop clamping tools holding a workpiece securely while you CUT + DRILL + FILE + WELD + ASSEMBLE. Right vice depends on what you're holding + how hard you'll work it.
| Vice Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| Bench Vice (Standard) | General workshop + engineering + fitting — workshop standard |
| Bench Vice (Swivel Base) | Rotation for awkward-angle work |
| Bench Vice (Anvil Top) | Light striking + bending work integrated |
| Machining Vice (Milling) | Milling machine + drill press — precision parallel jaws |
| Drill Press Vice | Drill press table mounting — secured workpiece |
| Cross-Slide Vice | X-Y positioning under drill |
| Pin Vice (Precision) | Watchmaking + electronics + fine work — small bits + small parts |
| Pipe Vice (Yoke / Chain) | Round pipe holding — plumbing + threading |
| Welding Vice | Heat-tolerant — workpiece during welding |
| Soft Jaws (Aluminium / Brass) | Soft material clamp without marking |
| Jaw Sizes (75mm-200mm+) | Match to workpiece — larger = heavier + stronger |
Critical: Bench vice typically 100-200mm jaws for general workshop; 150mm = workshop standard. Cast iron body = robust; ductile iron = higher impact resistance. NEVER use vice as anvil unless designed as anvil-top — cracks body. NEVER over-tighten — strips screw + cracks jaws. Brands: Dawn, Mack, Wilton, Maxigear. Companion: clamps, workbenches, hand tools, bench vice guide.
Vices are workshop clamping tools that hold a workpiece securely while you cut, drill, file, weld or assemble. The right vice depends on what you're holding (and how hard you'll work it): a bench vice for general-purpose engineering and fitting, a machining vice for milling and drill-press work, a pin vice for fine precision and watchmaking.
Types of vices
- Bench vices — the workshop standard. Jaws sized from 100 mm to 200 mm+, with optional swivel base for angled work. Cast iron or forged steel body for shock load and long life.
- Machining vices (mill / drill-press vices) — precision-ground jaws and bases, designed to bolt to a milling machine table or drill-press table. Lower profile, much tighter jaw parallelism than a bench vice.
- Pin vices — small hand-held chucks for gripping wire, drill bits and small parts in fine assembly, watchmaking, jewellery and electronics work.
- Pipe vices & chain vices — chain or roller-jaw vices that grip round pipe without crushing. The plumber's and pipefitter's standard.
What to check before you buy
- Jaw width — size to the work you actually hold. 125 mm is the workshop default; 150 mm and 200 mm for heavier engineering.
- Body material — cast iron is the standard for general bench work; forged steel takes harder shock loading without cracking.
- Swivel base — lets you angle the work without moving it in the jaws. Worth having on a bench vice you'll use for varied work.
- Anvil & pipe jaws — built into many bench vices for striking work and gripping round stock without crushing.
For deep-detail product picks across each type, browse the sub-collections: Bench Vices, Machining Vices and Pin Vises.
Companion ranges: Clamps · Hand Tools · Machining