After about 3 weeks of use I noticed something between the vice jaws when they wouldnt close. There is a steel helicoil inside the aluminum vice jaw that the bolt screws in to and it had come out the back. I tried to get it back in but it deformed. WE is sending me a new vice no probs but I was curious if anyone had this problem or heard of this.
Welcome to the Wicked Edge Forum, Travis Johnson. I’m sorry your first Forum encounter is to report a vice defect. This is the first and only time I’ve ever heard a situation like this described. It sounds like a steel female threaded insert pulled out of the black anodized aluminum vice. Would you try to post photographs to illustrate your issue. This might be helpful to the WE Forum Community.
I’m glad you called WE. They are very responsive to all customer issues, particularly manufacturing and quality complaints. I have never read reports of nothing less than prompt and complete resolution and total satisfaction to any product issues. Their customer service is unbeatable.
the person I talked to said he had only heard of maybe 3 instances of this happening
Hi Travis,
Welcome of course! Interesting issue and I have a question but I wanted to make a comment before I get to that. I think one of the reasons I was willing to “invest” in a Wicked Edge system is the support quality I kept reading about. Second to none made it much easier to push that “compete transaction” button. Obviously I’m very happy to read yet another account in support of that statement.
My question is an easy one: Of the two bolts holes on the WE120 jaws which bolt location’s helicoil backed out? I’m assuming both are helicoiled (to provide threading strength in the much softer aluminum) Top or bottom? Purely a matter of curiosity.
Just the bottom hole has a helicoil. The load on the top threading isn’t as much since it functions more as an adjustment device and a pivot.
same thing just happened to me.
Welcome to the WE Forum, Wes. We’re sorry to see you had a part failure. WE will warranty it for systems purchased from them or their authorized dealers. Call them for a replacement.
Thanks Marc, Customer service is taking great care of me at the moment.
I wish I would have asked them for a credit and upgraded to the 130 style vice. I just havent been able to pull the 285 dollar trigger to make that upgrade yet.
Travis I sent you a Private Message.