Thank you for sharing your story. Discount code has been sent to your message inbox. Happy to help should you need assistance placing your order.
Patty ~ CS TEAM
7” Yost. Was holding a track link off of a John Deere 450D excavator in the vise and putting a pin in a link and the swivel base broke off. Being in the heavy equipment world it’s hard to find a vise that can withstand what we need to do. Having a vise is one of the biggest third hands we can have especially out in the field!
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This old Holland 447 vise spent decades in a shop being pushed past its limits. It started out strong, clamping down on heavy steel and pipe day after day. Over time, the lead screw inside took the brunt of the pressure. With constant over-tightening and years of grit grinding into the threads, the screw finally snapped off inside the body.
Once the screw went, the jaws were never the same. The faces got beaten down, overheated, and scarred from holding hot workpieces and stubborn stock, until they were so chewed up they couldn’t bite cleanly anymore.
To make matters worse, the main pivot pin seized solid from a mix of rust, old grease, and years without being broken down for service. What used to slide and turn freely is now locked tight.
Now the vise doesn’t open or close, the jaws are cooked, and the screw’s busted — the old workhorse finally gave out.
Thank you for sharing your story. Discount code has been sent to your message inbox. Happy to help should you need assistance placing your order.
Patty ~ CS TEAM
Thank you for sharing. Discount code has been sent to your message inbox. Happy to help should you need assistance placing your order.
Patty ~ CS TEAM
@Francis_Electric A code was sent in messenger for a discount code. Thanks for sharing.
Our son did not listen to me about how to use the vise and ruined the tightening screw. This vise was purchased by my Dad when he got back from WWII as his prize possession. I miss my Dad and I will miss this vise.
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Oh no! Thank you for sharing your heartfelt story. Please see your message for discount code. Let us know should you need assistance in placing your order, happy to help!
Not Much damage but ready to upgrade
Trying to install control arm bushings and the jaw snapped off.
@Berganson Thanks for sharing. We just messaged you a code for a vise discount.
I had to break a nut loose on a hydraulic cylinder so Chuck up the cylinder in the vise with my father holding the home made wrench he tugs on it a little I see that it had bowed so I tightened the Vise a little more no sooner than I take my hand off the handle snap that goes
the vise at 73 the guy is an absolute Brute I should have known better I was able to repair the vise as it is useful for various projects I have included photos of before and after I restored it and when it was broken
@DBO Discount code sent in messages. The vise always breaks when you need it the most.
The biggest vise on our farm is this Holland 129. Its non-replaceable jaw has been broken, and welded back on. It has been used and abused for two generations. My father built that bench out of R&R track, and we’ve had plenty of projects where the bench will move before the vise slips. This vise is far from retirement, but am in need of a vise for a new shop. I’ve never been impressed with any 21st century vise, so hopefully the fireball can truly stand up to its vintage predecessors.
@Jagerfarms Thanks for sharing, yeah it’s hard to find good old vises. The Hardtail is on another level. I sent a code in your messenger.
Hey guys,
Thanks so much for having me in the group! My name is Robert, and I run a small hydraulic repair shop here in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean.
We’re really rough on our vices — we use them every single day. Clamping down on stubborn hydraulic cylinders while we twist, hammer, and fight to get them apart puts a lot of stress on them.
Attached are photos of two of my vices, both of which have had their nuts fail. The first is an ACE vice — the nut (which was made from cast iron, surprisingly) broke, and I welded it back together. Now we only use that one for small, delicate jobs because we know it’ll likely fail again. The other is a no-name vice with another broken nut — that one ended up in the recycle bin.
I’d really love to test out a Fireball vice and see if it can handle the abuse we put ours through. I have no idea how I’d even get one shipped down here to the Caribbean — I can only imagine what the shipping cost would be!
Thanks for sharing your story. We’ve sent your discount code via direct message. In regards to shipping please send us a message to contact@fireballtool.com. We can assist with a quote if you have a broker you work with. If not we can share a 3rd party to provide you more information about shipping internationally to Trinidad. Patty CS Team
Inherited this vise from my girlfriends grandfather who worked in aviation, guess bending 3/16 steel with it wasnt a very good idea!
Oh no! Thanks for sharing. I’ve sent your code via messages. Let us know if we can be of further assistance in placing your order. Happy to help! Patty -CS Team
