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Cast iron or forged steel vice: read the weight first

Updated: 2026-10-21

You have seen a cheap 5 inch vice snap, or you are about to slide a scaffold tube over the handle, and you want to know whether cast iron or forged steel is the difference. The same size name covers a 5 kg listing and a guide's 22 kg drop-forged body. The four listings in the [5 inch vice comparison](/hub/workshop/5-inch-vice) weigh 5 kg to 6.06 kg. This page is what those listings print, what UK reviewers reported, and when a heavier body is the honest answer. Sources were read on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have seen a cheap 5 inch vice snap, or you are about to slide a scaffold tube over the handle, and you want to know whether cast iron or forged steel is the difference.

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 the listings are actually made of
  2. 2.What UK reviewers reported
  3. 3.Forged, heavy cast, and a cheater bar
  4. 4.If it is already cracked

What the listings are actually made of

DAYUAN titles the vice as forged. The material field says cast steel and steel. That is a wording clash, not a grade. HYCHIKA prints cast iron in the field and cast steel in the bullets, plus 5,000 pounds per square inch. That line is not described as clamping force, and this comparison did not test it. The listing prints both. TOPWAY says alloy steel cast iron, and calls the jaws replaceable hardened forged steel. Forged on a jaw plate is not a forged body. Trident says cast iron. None of the four names a British Standard grade. The weights are 5.17 kg, 5 kg, 5.2 kg and 6.06 kg. A Stanley 125 mm listing not in this set prints 11.34 kg. An Eclipse EMV-5 is 15.8 kg. MLC's Record No.5 table says drop-forged and 22 kg. Grey cast iron can clamp a static job and is brittle under a long lever.

What UK reviewers reported

DAYUAN reviews describe a body that snapped on the first job, a base that cracked within an hour, and a casting that sheared after about eight months of light use. One buyer called it the third vice in 14 months to snap. TOPWAY is 4.3 from 263 and still has a break after a month, a crack within five minutes, a snap after two weeks, and a rusty arrival. HYCHIKA is 4.5 from 230, and no UK review describes a snap. That is not a load test. One UK review says the swivel lock does not grip. Trident has no review line, which is not evidence the iron is sound. The anvil on these light bodies is for a tap or a mark, not a forging block.
HYCHIKA HYCHIKA 5 inch bench vice

Testsieger

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

Forged, heavy cast, and a cheater bar

A drop-forged or known ductile body is the answer when you will apply leverage. Retailer pages for a Record No.5 describe grey iron at £157.96 and £203.94 including VAT. MLC's guide calls that vice drop-forged and 22 kg, in a price band those pages did not match. Use the weight: 15 kg to 22 kg is the other shop. A heavier cast-iron vice can still crack with a cheater bar. A MIG Welding Forum thread describes an old Record cracked by a scaffold tube, and replies say a weld will not match the original. C2 Safety forbids a pipe on the handle. Stay with a light casting for a bracket or a short bar. Leave it for bending and for weekly fitting on long stock.

If it is already cracked

Stop using it. C2 Safety says do not weld a crack and do not keep a cracked vice in service. A weld on grey iron will not restore the original section. If it arrived broken or snapped in the first 30 days, Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 22 is the short reject right for a faulty good. Section 9 is the satisfactory-quality duty, including safety and durability. A 30-day seller warranty in a DAYUAN review is not that statute. The retailer is the first route. Past that window, replace the vice rather than the bench.

Common questions

Why do light vices snap through the middle?
Grey cast iron is brittle under shock and under a long lever. A 5 kg body has less section than a 15 kg trade vice. UK reviews on DAYUAN and TOPWAY describe snaps in light or first use, which is that limit showing up, not a lab rate.
Is cast steel on a listing the same as drop-forged?
No. DAYUAN's title says forged and the field says cast steel. HYCHIKA prints both cast iron and cast steel. Cast steel is still a casting. Drop-forged is a different process and, on the Record table in MLC's guide, a much heavier body.
What does 5,000 psi on the HYCHIKA listing mean?
The material field prints 5,000 pounds per square inch. It is not described as clamping force, and this comparison did not measure it. Do not treat it as a tested hold, and do not copy an Eclipse clamping figure onto it either.
Will a heavier cast-iron vice still crack if I use a cheater bar?
Yes, it can. The scaffold-tube story on an old Record, from a MIG Welding Forum thread, is the example. C2 Safety forbids a pipe on the handle for that reason, on a good vice as well as a cheap one.
Should I weld a cracked vice?
No. C2 Safety says do not weld a crack. A weld on grey iron will not match the original section, and the next load finds the same place. Take the vice out of service.
What can I do if it arrives broken or snaps in the first month?
Stop using it. The 30-day reject right in section 22 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the statutory route for a faulty good. Section 9 covers satisfactory quality, including safety. A seller warranty line is separate. Contact the retailer.
Does a high star rating mean the casting is sound?
No. HYCHIKA's 4.5 from 230 is the cleanest UK sample here and still not a load test. TOPWAY's 4.3 from 263 sits on snap reviews. Trident has no star line to read at all.

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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)