A sturdy 5-inch vice, but the current price makes it a harder buy

Is the Record Irwin 4935505E Multipurpose Vice worth buying? At £147.95, it is a capable 5-inch bench vice with a 4.5/5 rating from 663 reviews, but the current price is not the best time to buy because it sits 9.2% above its £135.48 average and well above the £103.56 lowest recorded price. For a hobby workshop or light semi-pro bench, the core spec is sensible: a 12 cm jaw width, 12 cm jaw capacity, 7 cm throat depth, a 360-degree swivel base, and an incorporated anvil.

First impressions

The specification reads like a proper general-purpose bench vice rather than a decorative add-on. A 5-inch jaw width is a practical size for common UK workshop jobs: holding softwood for planing, gripping hardwood for chopping mortises, or clamping small metal parts for filing and drilling. The 360-degree swivel base is especially useful when you are working around awkward grain direction or need to reposition a workpiece without constantly unclamping and re-clamping. The incorporated anvil also adds versatility for light shaping and tapping tasks.

How do the key features perform in real workshop use?

The 4.9-inch jaw capacity is enough for many day-to-day jobs, but it is not a substitute for a larger engineering vice if you regularly work on chunky timber or metal sections. The 3-inch throat depth is modest, so you should expect the vice to grip near the front of the jaws rather than deep into a workpiece. That is fine for most bench tasks, but it limits how confidently it can hold wider components. The fused steel handle is a practical detail: a vice lives or dies by how smoothly it tightens and releases, and a solid handle matters when you are applying real pressure.

The swivel base is a genuine workshop advantage. On a crowded bench, especially in a UK garage or shed setup where space is tight, being able to rotate the vice 360 degrees saves time and reduces awkward body positioning. The incorporated anvil is not a replacement for a proper blacksmith’s anvil, but it does make sense for light hammering, flattening, and dressing small parts.

Build quality and durability

IRWIN has a strong reputation, and the 4.5-star average across 663 reviews suggests the build is generally meeting expectations. The data provided does not include castings, jaw insert material, or clamping force figures, so it would be wrong to overclaim. What can be said is that this is positioned as a multipurpose vice with a steel handle, swivel base, and anvil, which points to a design intended for repeated workshop use rather than occasional DIY only.

Is it good value for money?

At £147.95, value depends on how urgently you need it. Compared with the average price of £135.48, it is currently expensive by 9.2%, and the all-time low of £103.56 shows there has been a much better entry point. Against alternatives, the picture is mixed: the WORX Pegasus WX051 costs £109.99 and has a higher 4.8-star rating, but it is a folding work table and sawhorse rather than a vice; the PONY 2-in-1 Folding Workbench is £159.99 with a 4.7-star rating, again a different kind of workholding platform; and the Pony POJ27091 9" Woodworker's Vise is only £39.03, but it is a narrower specialist woodworker’s vice, not the same multipurpose tool.

How does it compare to alternatives?

If you need a true bench-mounted vice with a swivel base and anvil, the Record Irwin is more directly comparable to the Pony POJ27091 than to the folding workbenches. The Pony is far cheaper at £39.03, but it is a 9-inch woodworker’s vice and lacks the broader multipurpose positioning of the Record Irwin. If your priority is portable clamping and bench support rather than a fixed vice, the WORX Pegasus at £109.99 and the PONY 2-in-1 at £159.99 may be better value because they offer workbench flexibility, but they do not replace a metal-bodied vice for precise jaw clamping.

Final assessment

This is a well-rated, sensibly specified vice that should suit a mixed DIY or hobby workshop, especially where a swivel base and anvil will actually get used. The main drawback is price: at £147.95, it is not at its best value, and the historical low of £103.56 shows patience could pay off. If you need a dependable multipurpose vice now, it is a credible buy; if you can wait for a better price, that would be the smarter move.