Customer Reviews

Shop Fox D3125 Parrot Vise

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was searching for a vise that could hold string instruments during construction. I also wanted a vise that could swivel. This product took care of both my needs. I also purchased a set of soft jaws for the vise. In hindsight I would have simply made that piece. When the vise arrived it was covered with a protective grease/oil coating, so I removed that with some thinner, then I took a file to round off some of the sharp edges. They are sharp enough to cut skin in my opinion. I then bolted it to my workbench and it hasn't failed me yet. The final result was a very functional vise at a reasonable cost. I may in the future purchase another vise to mount vertically to the workbench leg to handle even more applications.

I am a luthier and was wanting a Stew Mac guitar repair vise but $123 before shipping just was too steep for me. I was in need of an alternative and I found it with the Parrot Vise. It's easy to mount and easy to operate. With the rocking protective pads (sold seperately), it will hold tapered objects like guitar necks. It rotates and locks in place when the jaws are tightened. You can take it off it's base and turn the vise sideways to hold objects vertically. It would be great for woodworkers, luthiers, and hobbyists.

One of the 3 "petals" of the base was snapped off on arrival. This is probably mostly due to bad packaging, but should give you an idea of the quality of the cast-metal that this product is constructed from.

I'm not rating this a single star out of anger, lol, but three stars to remind everyone that this may not be as perfect as the high ratings indicate. That being said, I've chosen to request a replacement instead of a refund. This is a cheap, average vise that is probably just what I want for my light use.

PS: Some reviewers have a big problem with rating a product lower because it arrived damaged.

I don't. Amazon accepts my money, and I expect what they promise. Amazon was the seller, and Amazon was the packager. I don't like spending my time repackaging items to return that should have been packed properly in the first place.

Enjoy :-)

UPDATE 2011-01-25:
1. Amazon return process is as easy and direct as it could be, although it's still an unnecessary pain - original packaging was ridiculous.

2. Was able to put a small ding in the jaws on day one by clamping a small metal part I was working on, so be aware of hardness. (I ordered some metal jaw pads, or whatever they're called, immediately)

3. As of now, I'm still glad I bought it.

This is a very well designed vise. I have not had it long, but it works well as a gunsmithing vise, which is what I use it for. I'm sure that if I was abusive that I could break it, but I don't like to abuse or neglect my tools.

** I've had this thing only a few days (arriving on time, as usual from Amazon) and it hasn't broken or failed in any way; but that's not enough time for me to comment on its durability.
** I have one quibble, which is why I rated it at a 4 instead of a 5: I feel that it's all too easy to misinterpret what you're seeing when you look at the item photo on Amazon. From the photo, I thought the vise rotated left or right AND could be pivoted up or down a bit. Reason: There is a machined (unpainted) circular area on the vertical face of the vise body near the base. I thought it was the end of a tube around which you could pivot the vise up or down. Such flexibility in positioning a work-piece was exactly what I wanted for wood-carving.
** Well,it doesn't work that way, although you CAN rotate the vise in more than one fashion. With the base (that little three-toed foot it stands on) fastened down, you can pick the vise up off the base, turn it on its side, then set it back down onto the base. Then that unpainted, machined circular face that looks like a pivot tube IS a pivot -- just another left-to-right pivot instead of an up-or-down one.
** But what does this second kind of left-right rotation do for you, given that you could already rotate the vise left or right in its upright position? For one thing, with the vise laying on its side AND located where the clamping faces hang out beyond the edge of a workbench, you can clamp a lengthy piece of something in a vertical position with part of it extending down below the workbench surface and the other end extending upwards. Often if you're clamping a long narrow piece vertically, this would come in handy. (Since originally posting this review, I have uploaded some photos, including view(s) of the vise mounted on its side holding a work-piece vertically.)
** So I didn't get exactly what I expected. But having made myself a base that enables me to work with the vise in either orientation, I'm still way better off than before I had this vise. I thought I was getting a great bargain, and maybe I didn't, but it's still a pretty decent one (to me).

If something makes me change my mind on the rating, I'll come back and update this. Meanwhile, I hope this helps somebody who would otherwise have misinterpreted the picture like I did.

I guess most people would use a drill press cross vice for their drill press. I decided to buy the parrot vice and adapt it to my drill press because my press is radical and has many ways to make adjustments. The parrot vice is somewhat unique and I bolted to my drill table and turned it on its side to get more room between the bit and the vice. I would recommed this as a vice I don't think you should hammer on the jaws but it is a good lighter duty vice and it would be good to also use for woodworking.

This is the vise I needed for my garage work table. It's very good quality and versatile - just what I was looking for.

I was looking for a small vise for my hobby bench, the parrot vise is perfect. I was a bit concerned because of the low price... thought it might be cheap and flimsy. Not the case at all. I especially like the unique locking feature. The vise pivots on it's base, but once you tighten up on whatever material you have in the jaws... the vise locks and cannot be moved.
I built the small work bench the vise was intended for at work. Once my co-workers saw the parrot vise, more than a few wanted to know where I bought it.

I make knives for a hobby and needed a vise that could hold my blades in all positions. This vise does just that, is well made, and it's capacity is much more than I require. I highly recommend this product.

I bought this vise after comparing it to the Brownells Multi-Vise. This vise was significantly cheaper, but has the same features as the Brownells vise.

I was initially disappointed when I opened the package. The box did not include any manuals or mounting hardware. While I was able to mount the vise on my workbench using a combination of screws and bolts I had around the garage, it would have been nice if the vise had included them.

After installing the vise, I am impressed with the quality. It appears quite strong and the gripping strength is sufficient for my gunsmithing needs. I particularly liked the ability to flip the vise on its side to hold items vertically.

For those who care, the vise is made in China. I found the workmanship to be just fine, but this is not for those who are buying American.

All in all, I like the vise and the price I paid for it.