We just released a new video putting our Fireball 510 Hardtail High Pressure Vise up against a Record No. 6 from England. Watch the new video here!
Now, let’s be clear right up front: this is an apples to blueberries comparison on purpose.
After taking a close look at how each vise is made, we put them head to head in a series of tests based on real shop work. So how did they do?
The 510 held up all the way to the end of our three destruction tests and stayed in good shape.
strenght
It passed the hammer test with, ease taking 25 hits, only breaking at the swivel base locking pin.
Then, we loaded nearly 50,000 pounds of force in between the 510’s jaws, and left it like that for 35 minutes. When we checked back in, the vise was still in one piece. No breaks, just a bend.
The Record Vise didn’t do as well. By the time we got to the final test, we had completely destroyed three Record Vises.
It should not surprise anyone that the Fireball 510 performed better.
The 510 is a modern, High Pressure, vise designed with very different priorities, much tighter tolerances, and a completely different standard for strength, rigidity, and overall performance. The Record No. 6 is a respected vintage vise, and there is a reason so many people still like them. But these two tools were never built to do the same job at the same level.
So why make this comparison at all?
Because this is the exact comparison a lot of people make when they look at the price of a new Hardtail. We hear it all the time: why spend that kind of money on a new vise when you can go buy an old used vise that seems to work just fine?
This wasn’t about pretending these vises belong in the same category. It was about showing
what the extra money actually gets you. More strength. More rigidity. More precision. A better user experience. And a tool built to perform at a much higher level, consistently, for people who actually need that performance.
Vintage vises absolutely have their place. If your needs are modest, or you enjoy restoring old tools, a used vise can still be a great option. But if you are comparing the price of a premium modern vise to an old secondhand one, then it is worth understanding that you are not comparing equal products just because both of them bolt to a bench and hold metal.
Watch the new video here, and you’ll see why the price difference exists.