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They can be moved around a workshop and clamped to most bench tops. They can be unclamped and removed, leaving a completely flat surface, unimpeded by vices. Vice bench clamps are cheaper than the traditional, heavy duty, fixed vices.
It is not designed for heavy work, such as repetitive hammering. The clamp can loosen and the vice become unstable, after it has been used for a while, so it should be checked for tightness regularly. Storage room is required when the vice is not in use / not clamped to a bench. This type of vice can be difficult to adjust and set up. The distance between the fixed and sliding jaws is relatively small, which restricts the size of material that can be held between them. Care must be taken when the vice is being transported and set up - if dropped the cast body / frame can break ( it could land on the operators foot / feet).
The vice is less stable, because the swivel mechanism tends to loosen over time. It should be checked and re-tightened regularly. The swivel type vice fits to regular bench tops, which are thinner than workshop benches.
