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What a 5 inch bench vice listing actually measures

Updated: 2026-10-21

You have typed 5 inch bench vice into amazon.co.uk and the size looks like a single number. It is not. On UK trade pages the inch size is the jaw width, about 125 mm, and the opening can be larger or smaller. The four listings in the [5 inch vice comparison](/hub/workshop/5-inch-vice) sit at £25.99 to £31.86 and 5 kg to 6.06 kg, and they do not all print both figures. This page is the order of reading: width, opening, throat, then weight. Sources were read on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have typed 5 inch bench vice into amazon.co.uk and the size looks like a single number. It is not. On UK trade pages the inch size is the jaw width, about 125 mm, and the opening can be larger or smaller.

Our top picks

HYCHIKA HYCHIKA 5 inch bench vice

Best overall

HYCHIKA HYCHIKA 5 inch bench vice
7.3/10about £31.86
View offer
DAYUAN DAYUAN 5 inch bench vice

Alternative

DAYUAN DAYUAN 5 inch bench vice
5.0/10about £25.99
View offer
Trident Trident 5 inch bench vice

Best value

Trident Trident 5 inch bench vice
2.2/10about £26.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What 5 inch measures
  2. 2.Opening and throat are not the width
  3. 3.Why the kilogram matters
  4. 4.What to read on a listing

What 5 inch measures

In UK shop language a 5 inch engineer's bench vice is named by the distance across the jaws, not by how far they open. Technology Student's workshop note puts it that way: the size is the jaw width. A listing that only prints 5 inch has not yet told you how much stock will fit. An Eclipse EMV-5 is 125 mm wide and opens 136 mm. Clarke's light-duty CVR125BL is also a 125 mm jaw and opens 100 mm. The same 5 inch name disagrees on opening by 36 mm. The four listings do not give you that pair. DAYUAN prints neither a width nor an opening. HYCHIKA and TOPWAY each claim a 125 mm opening and do not print a separate width. Trident prints a jaw width of 12.5 cm and no opening.

Opening and throat are not the width

Jaw opening is the gap when the screw is wound fully out. Throat is how far a wide plate can sit onto the slide. Neither figure is a synonym for 5 inch. None of the four listings prints a throat. Do not copy Eclipse's 73 mm or Clarke's 50 mm onto them. HYCHIKA and TOPWAY claim a 125 mm opening. That is a bullet, not Trident's 12.5 cm width. DAYUAN states neither. A swivel does not change the jaw width.
HYCHIKA HYCHIKA 5 inch bench vice

Testsieger

HYCHIKA HYCHIKA 5 inch bench vice
7.3/10about £31.86
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Why the kilogram matters

Weight is the check these four listings share. DAYUAN is 5.17 kg, HYCHIKA is 5 kg, TOPWAY is 5.2 kg, and Trident is 6.06 kg. Clarke's light-duty 125 mm is 7.5 kg. An Eclipse EMV-5 is 15.8 kg. A Frost page prints 18 kg. A Stanley 125 mm listing, not in this set, prints 11.34 kg. Heavy duty on a 5 kg title is a style field, not a British Standard. None of the four pages prints a grade of iron. About 5 kg is not the 15 kg class. Put the kilogram next to the jaw claim before you read the stars.

What to read on a listing

Read in this order. Jaw width first: only Trident prints one, 12.5 cm. Opening second: HYCHIKA and TOPWAY claim 125 mm, and DAYUAN has neither. Throat third: none of these four pages prints one. Weight fourth, set against 7.5 kg and 15.8 kg. Bolts fifth. Trident lists securing bolts. DAYUAN does not, and a UK review says they were missing. HYCHIKA's included line is one bench vice. Only then read the stars. A missing opening is not a reason to assume 125 mm. A 360-degree badge is not a reason to skip the width.

Common questions

Is a 5 inch vice 125 mm wide or 125 mm open?
The inch size is normally the jaw width, about 125 mm. Opening is a second figure. Eclipse's EMV-5 is 125 mm wide and opens 136 mm. Clarke's CVR125BL is 125 mm wide and opens 100 mm. HYCHIKA and TOPWAY claim a 125 mm opening and do not print a separate width. Trident prints 12.5 cm width and no opening. DAYUAN prints neither.
Why do two 5 inch vices have different openings?
Because the name is the width, not the screw travel. A trade 125 mm jaw can open more than 125 mm. A light-duty 125 mm jaw can open less. The body, the screw and the slide set the gap. You cannot read one listing's opening onto another that shares the same inch title.
What is throat depth, and why is it missing on these listings?
Throat is how far a wide workpiece can sit down onto the slide. Eclipse prints 73 mm on the EMV-5. Clarke prints 50 mm jaw depth on the CVR125BL. None of the four amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison prints a throat. Do not copy those trade millimetres onto DAYUAN, HYCHIKA, Trident or TOPWAY.
Does heavy duty mean anything if the vice weighs about 5 kg?
Not as a standard. The four listings weigh 5 kg to 6.06 kg. Clarke's light-duty 125 mm is 7.5 kg. An Eclipse EMV-5 is 15.8 kg. Heavy duty on these titles is a style word. Use the kilogram, not the badge.
Should I compare star ratings before I can see the opening?
No. Stars do not invent a missing millimetre. Read width, opening and weight first, then the star line. A 4.5 average on a stated 125 mm opening is more comparable than a 4.1 average on a listing that states neither width nor opening. The scores sit on the main comparison.
Is a swivel base part of the size?
No. A swivel changes how the vice faces on a short bench. It does not change jaw width, opening or throat. All four kept listings claim a 360-degree base. That is a feature after the measurements, not a substitute for them.
When is 5 inch the wrong size and 6 inch the right question?
When the stock you hold is already wider than a 125 mm claim, or when you want a heavier body than the 5 kg to 6 kg band. A 6 inch vice is a different width class. Daily metalwork on long bars is also a reason to leave this weight, even if 125 mm would physically fit.

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Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated October 2026.

  1. HSE: Inspection of work equipment (retrieved October 2026)
  2. PUWER 1998 regulation 6 (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 9 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. HSE: Using the right type of PPE (retrieved October 2026)
  5. C2 Safety: Vices (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Technology Student: Engineers vice (retrieved October 2026)
  7. UK Workbenches: Eclipse vice sizes (retrieved October 2026)
  8. RS: Irwin 125 mm quick-adjust vice (retrieved October 2026)