Tools & DIY · Head-to-head
Wilton Tradesman 1755 Bench Vise vs Yost Model 855-D2 Multi-Purpose Reversible Combination Vise
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Bench Vises: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Wilton wins on documentation: a complete dimensional table, an explicit mounting specification with bolt diameter and grade, a full replaceable parts list, and a lifetime warranty with no end date. The Yost 855-D2 gives up the paperwork but publishes its casting grade, both throat depths and both jaw openings, which is more material data than the Wilton literature carries.
Wilton Tradesman 1755 Bench Vise
Buy itThe most completely documented vise here, with a mounting specification precise enough that you can size the bolts before the box arrives.
- The manual publishes jaw width, maximum opening, throat depth, pipe jaw capacity and weight in one table, and footnotes that the opening figure is based on lead screw engagement with half the nut thread length.
- Mounting is specified exactly: four 11/16 inch holes, four 5/8 inch cap bolts two inches longer than the benchtop, minimum Grade 5, secured with flat washers and nuts.
- Jaw inserts and pipe jaw inserts are listed as replacement parts with their own part numbers, as is the complete swivel base assembly.
- The Tradesman manual does not state the casting material or a grade, so a buyer comparing metallurgy on paper gets nothing from the document that ships with the tool.
- No clamping force or load rating appears anywhere in the manual.
- Wilton states in the same document that its published specifications are given as general information and are not binding.
Yost Model 855-D2 Multi-Purpose Reversible Combination Vise
Buy itA 60,000 PSI ductile iron combination vise whose reversible front jaw makes the opening-versus-throat trade visible as two published numbers instead of a marketing line.
- Yost publishes both configurations: 6 inch jaw opening with 3.75 inch throat depth normally, 9-3/4 inch opening with 2.75 inch throat when the front jaw is reversed.
- The casting grade is stated plainly as 60,000 PSI ductile iron, and the two anvil surfaces are given as measured areas rather than described as large.
- It is the only vise here whose listing names a specific standard clause and a national stock number, citing Fed. Spec. GGG-V-410B Type IV and NSN 5120-00-293-0110.
- The federal specification it cites was withdrawn, so the citation is a design reference rather than a live conformance claim.
- The product page describes serrated jaws and a reversible main jaw but does not state that the top jaws are replaceable, unlike the larger 880-D2 in the same family.
- The base has four mounting tabs and Yost states that mounting hardware is not included, with no bolt diameter given on the page.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Wilton Tradesman 1755 Bench Vise Our pick | Yost Model 855-D2 Multi-Purpose Reversible Combination Vise | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Someone building or drilling a bench who wants the hole size, bolt diameter and bolt grade in writing before they commit. | A home or maintenance bench that needs one vise to hold both wide assemblies and pipe without buying two. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
| Jaw width (published) | 5-1/2 in (140 mm) | 5-1/2 in |
| Jaw opening (published) | 5 in (127.5 mm), footnoted as half nut thread engagement | 6 in, or 9-3/4 in with the front jaw reversed |
| Throat depth (published) | 3-3/4 in (95.3 mm) | 3.75 in, or 2.75 in reversed |
| Casting material stated by maker | Not stated in the manual | 60,000 PSI ductile iron |
| Load or clamping figure published | None | None |
| Mounting specification published | Four 11/16 in holes, four 5/8 in Grade 5 cap bolts 2 in longer than the benchtop | Four mounting tabs, hardware not included, no bolt size given |
| Swivel base | 360 degrees, hand-tightened lockdown nuts only | 360 degrees, gear type lock with two lockdown bolts |
| Replaceable jaws stated | Jaw inserts and pipe jaw inserts, each with a part number | Serrated jaws and reversible main jaw; page does not state replaceable |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Wilton Tradesman 1755 Bench Vise if
someone building or drilling a bench who wants the hole size, bolt diameter and bolt grade in writing before they commit.
Know before buying: the Tradesman manual does not state the casting material or a grade, so a buyer comparing metallurgy on paper gets nothing from the document that ships with the tool.
Pick the Yost Model 855-D2 Multi-Purpose Reversible Combination Vise if
a home or maintenance bench that needs one vise to hold both wide assemblies and pipe without buying two.
Know before buying: the federal specification it cites was withdrawn, so the citation is a design reference rather than a live conformance claim.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Wilton Tradesman 1755 Bench Vise - The most completely documented vise here, with a mounting specification precise enough that you can size the bolts before the box arrives. Choose the Yost Model 855-D2 Multi-Purpose Reversible Combination Vise instead if a home or maintenance bench that needs one vise to hold both wide assemblies and pipe without buying two.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Bench Vises: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).