Review on Wilton 78A Woodworkers Opening Capacity by Jeff Islam

I installed vise 63144 on a maple bench I built over 30 years ago. It bolts directly to the underside of the 3" thick bench. Since my bench is only 2" thick, I cut out a 1" piece of maple and glued it to the bottom. I decided to turn my bench upside down for installation and installation was a breeze. The vise is made in China so the fit and finish isn't as good as the old US made version, and it's also a bit looser. USA-made vises had an embossed WILTON logo and metal sticker on the front. It doesn't look that cool, but it's a vise, not a Rembrandt! The quick release mechanism works great and the vise is very strong. The removable swivel jaw is sometimes useful when clamping corner work pieces. The bench dog is a bit difficult to grip and difficult to adjust. Mine came with maple cheek inserts covered on one side with a sheet of weakly magnetic material. 4 rare earth magnets would be the best choice. The threaded rod is housed in a thick steel channel that protects it from dirt and debris. I like this function very much. Despite some flaws, I think this is the best 7 inch vise on the market. My wealth of experience is 40 years as a professional and amateur woodworker.