JAK Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 Picked up this vise as part of a lot. Old look, feel and weight. 6" and has a Jet metal tag on it. I can't find anything about Jet vises from Japan... Please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 I started to reply then thought I'd check to see if what I thought was accurate. Seems there are more companies named "Jet" than I realized. Jet tool probably, maybe started in a farmer's barn in 1952 and a few years later a hail storm forced him to go pro and Jet Tool was launched and going. What I recall is Jet tools and equipment being made in Japan but I didn't start paying attention to Jet until I looked at a Jet anvil maybe 35 years ago and it was an ASO cast in Japan. I started paying more attention to where things were made and at that time Jet was made in Japan. I'm thinking Jet Tools may have gotten large enough to outsource manufacture to Japan, then Taiwan and not China. I have a Jet, 7" x 12" (IIRC) Horizontal Vertical band saw made in Japan. It's one of the first largish pieces of equipment I bought for my shop about 35 years ago. If I look at the same model and size Jet saw at the local Industrial hardware it's made in China. So if I had to guess I'd say your vise was made sometime from mid-60s to mid-late 70s. She looks like a good one, does it work smoothly? Close and hold tight? Swivel work smoothly and hold without moving? I'd be more than pleased to mount her to my bench though she could never be the deal I got on a 7" Wilton for $40. from a guy at work who was cleaning out his Father's shop to prevent him from injuring himself further. We had to do that for my Father and he still managed to injure himself badly changing a light bulb on a kitchen chair. <sigh> Anyway, great score! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 It's confusing these days. "Swiss conglomerate Walter Meier AG has agreed to sell the subsidiary that produces and markets Jet, Powermatic, and Wilton tools. The buyer is Tenex Capital Management, a New York based private equity firm." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Scott, any date on that? It has been my experience that when private equity firms end up buying companies they ship production over seas and quality suffers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 BillyBones, the article I got that from didn't say but I dug around some more and believe it was 2013 so they probably didn't even have to move anything, unless they since found even more profitable countries to go to.... And I do believe you are right about production and quality. https://www.jlconline.com/tools/fastening-tools/power-tools/jet-powermatic-and-wilton-change-hands_o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 28, 2022 Share Posted October 28, 2022 I have a JET drillpress I bought around 1981 used and it was made in Taiwan IIRC. Chuck goes to 3/4" and then taper bits can be used, 2 HP Dayton motor; currently wired for 220 VAC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted October 28, 2022 Share Posted October 28, 2022 Maybe I should have said "I believe in general" as to quality. Everybody has a tale to tell. I personally have an Enco horizontal bandsaw that was made in Taiwan that won't give up the ghost. But then again, I bought a 1/2 hand drill at Harbor Freight that couldn't make a 1/4" hole in same size plate before it had that "burning motor" smell emanating from it right out of the box. I was commenting on the confusion on what's made where and by who, mainly. I'm no expert on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted October 29, 2022 Share Posted October 29, 2022 I have an old Cummings drill press that was made in Taiwan myself. I believe '79 is the date on it. I do like it. Those were sold out the backs of trailers in parking lots, the precursor to Harbor Freight. I as well should have said "in general" i have bought many quality products from overseas as well as many products that are crap made here in the USA. No country has a monopoly on quality. About that vice, it looks a lot like a Rock Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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