Smaller Kurt Vises Are So Expensive!

[wildo]

What am I missing here? I can get on ebay and find Kurt D60 vises selling for $250 or so all day long. But when a random D50 (or D40 or D30 even) pop up, people want $350++ for them. Why are the smaller vises much more than the larger ones? I think a D60 (or A60) is just a bit too large for my Millrite machine and the 5" version would fit much better. But not when I can get a 6" for at least $100 less! I must be missing something...

 

[wrmiller]

D60s are a dime a dozen, you said so yourself. Supply and demand?

I manage to find a 5" a while back, and I paid a bit more than $250 for it, but it is in great shape.

 

[wildo]

D60s are a dime a dozen, you said so yourself. Supply and demand?

Right, but that's exactly my question. Is it simply that the D/A60s are so popular that they're cheaper to purchase than the smaller D/A50 units? Generally speaking, a slightly smaller item is a bit cheaper than the bigger brother, though I can think of exceptions (Wilton baby bullet, for example). But in the Wilton example, I think that the Baby Bullet is actually more rare and collectable. Are people collecting Kurt A50s?? I mean- I'm brand new to this, so I don't have any history to fall back on. I could see the D30, perhaps, being a bit novel and thus more expensive- but the 5" version just doesn't seem so interesting to me to command a much higher price than the bigger 6" versions. So I guess I was asking if the D/A50s are, in fact, kind of novel.

 

[wrmiller]

I wouldn't say 'novel', just harder to find in good condition and therefor worth more (to some). Same as some older, out-of-production quality machines commanding a higher than normal price (to some).

 

[wildo]

Got it; that makes sense. Thanks for the info!

 

[Charles Spencer]

I think that another thing may be the fact that hobby machinists tend to buy smaller sizes and then keep them. A lot of stuff on ebay is from commercial shops.

I know that a 6" vise would be too large for my Chinese mill/drill or my antique horizontal mill.

I know I can buy a South Bend 16" lathe almost any day for a much lower price than an SB 10.

 

[mikey]

I think its supply and demand, too. Most Kurt vises were/are sold to machine shops and from what I understand Kurt did not sell enough of the 5" to keep up production. Now that they are no longer made there are fewer of them on the used market. It turns out that the 5" and 4" versions fit our hobby class mills better so if we want them we have to pay the price.

I just bought a 4" Kurt on Amazon, for the same amount that a 6" cost. Stupid but there it is.

 

[wildo]

Thanks guys! Glad to hear that, while silly, at least the prices I'm seeing are reasonable then.

 

[wawoodman]

You might look at the 5" Glacern. I'm very happy with mine.

 

[DoogieB]

As other's have stated, on most hobby shop mills the table is too small for a 6" Kurt as you get too much overhang at the back so you will lose Y travel on the table. Usually a 5" vise is ideal, but Kurt hasn't made that one in years hence the high price. Many of the imported models are garbage, so you have to be careful when shopping. Just like the chuck on a lathe, your mill vise is usually your primary work holder and it's not a good place to cheap-out.

Conquest makes the 5" Mini-Mag vise and I believe it's the only 5" vise still made in the USA. I have one and I like it. Tormach also sells a company-branded version of the same vise.