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Field reports

It is a tool, but with a soul!

Is Heuer vice really the best?

Yes, I think so. When I felt the need for a good parallel vice, I was got information from different sources, including the internet. Given that I like the technique of manufacturing machine elements, I paid special attention to that segment. Very quickly, my attention was drawn to a vise, an unique design made of forged steel.

Yes, this was Heuer vice and very quickly I made an effort to learn everything about it, from the production history to the different models.

Since I am a collector and love old things, it is only logical that I first acquired the base model Heuer Primus DRP vice (Size 5) that was produced from 1927 to 1938.

The copy I bought online was stuck and immobile. and the first thing I had to do was start it up and take it apart to give it a proper clean and then restore it.

This was nothing new for me, considering that I worked in a museum for 25 years as a conservator and restorer. With that in mind, I decided to apply my many years of experience and restore this vice to museum standards. Because after all, this specimen, which is about 90 years old, is also a museum specimen.

So, after abundant sprinkling with rust remover spray (I was use W5 from Lidl) I finally got the vice to work.

After disassembling the vice, I decided not to use any aggressive cleaning methods. No chemicals or sandblasting were used for cleaning, especially due to sliding surfaces of the jaws. Other than that, I wanted to keep the authentic dimensions of all the parts. I did the cleaning mostly on the hard way - by hand with metal wire and wool, with spraying WD40 between tretmans. I sanded the upper and side surfaces of the jaws very carefully and with a small grain size.

Unfortunately, a couple of deeper scratches remained, but as I said, I didn't want to insist on removing them in order not to spoil the authenticity.

After removing old paint, corrosion and grease residues, I painted the vice with an anti-corrosion paint as a primer and then a special paint for tools (Link to the paint) in two layers. I choose light blue because I think most tools at the time were painted with this color, although I'm not sure, but I think the color shade is very close to the original from that period?

You can see the final result in the photos and I hope you like it?
Heuer Primus vice work now almost like new! Outstanding quality!
Some will say - it's just a tool. I would say - It is a tool, but with a soul!
Now I decided to make a whole collection of different models of Heuer vices!

Best regards,
Branislav V. Stankovic

Vice like new - thanks to spare parts delivery

Thank you very much for your supply of spare parts. I was truly delighted to receive these parts. :-)

The new compression springs and the new pressure disc have restored the whole thing to optimal strength. Assembly was quite tricky though, because everything sits considerably "tighter".

But what can I say? The vice now works as precisely and smoothly as if it were new. Which it certainly is not, as you can see from the attached photos. ;-)

I had considered restoring the appearance to the factory condition, but decided to leave the now nearly 20-year-old RAL 3000 alone. For one thing, the red goes better with my workshop, and the other thing is I think my vice is entitled to have some visible "battle scars".   

H. S.
 

The old days of the apprentice workshop

When I started my apprenticeship in 1985, virtually all the vices in the workshop were green, and the brand was unknown. We metalworkers spent around 3 months completing our basic training on them to produce a truck.

When some workspaces were added, they had light-blue vices with the words "Heuer Front" on the front. These were actually there to provide sufficient space for external students who were, for example, completing a placement with us. 
Each student had his own fixed workspace, so these light-blue vices often remained unoccupied. 

At some point, I had a job to do at a "light-blue vice bench". I was rather sceptical at first because they were a bit smaller, but once i got to work, I can still remember how surprised I was by this precision. It was somehow better and more enjoyable for to work on this light-blue vice. But I could never get my head around the word "Front". Perhaps it’s something to do with the direction it opens in? Hmmm, no idea.

In the decades that followed, as is usually the case, everything revolved around things other than vices, and so i had to make do with a hardware store vice for a long time, but I was never really happy with it.

A few months ago, I started to replace things in my small workshop at home, and thanks to the internet, I had known for some years which vice it was about and which one would be coming next at some point.

So, I now finally have a 120 and a 160, exactly right for the work I do, and the thing I noticed immediately, and I suddenly remembered after more than 30 years, and that was just the same when I was an apprentice:

the Heuer Front open faster than others, you only need a quarter turn to unclamp the work piece, which is great and makes frequent clamping much easier.

I always had to turn my old vice back a turn before it realised what I was intending, and then turn it back another half-turn. :-)

Andre Zeisberg
 

Garage vice find

Having found a vice in a garage, I wanted to clean it up and restore it for use. The word HEUER and the abbreviation D.P.R. Meant nothing to me at first, and I started to research them online. That’s how I came across Brockhaus Heuer in Plettenberg/Sauerland, and was amazed to see the company still produces vices. And there was plenty of information about the machine I had found. I sent an email to Brockhaus and soon received a reply from the managing director, Mr Grabinski, with information about my vice - manufactured in around 1927. Following further email exchange with Mr Grabinski he offered to restore my old Primus vice – and wouldn’t even charge me. I was bowled over… where else would you get such service these days?

I happily accepted the offer and wondered if I could take the vice to Brockhaus myself, and take the opportunity to have a look at the production set-up in operation. This was no problem either, and having quickly arranged an appointment with Mr Grabinski, my friend and I set off for the Sauerland. We received a very warm welcome from Mr Grabinski when we got there. He explained the company’s historical development and products. Finally, he gave us a guided tour of the production facility. We will remember this very interesting tour for a long time to come.

After around 3 weeks, the restored HEUER Primus was returned to me, and my expectations were exceeded. Freshly painted (powder-coated) and lubricated, the vice can now be returned to its intended use. An old gem in the workshop.

Once again, a big thank you to Mr Grabinski and Brockhaus Heuer.

We found this service to be unique and unparalleled in this day and age.

A big thumbs up, and all the best for the future!

E. Stricker
Much/Rhein-Sieg district
 

Outstanding quality and even better service

As the new (third) owner of a 47-year-old Heuer Front vice, size 100, I came across the customer experiences on the website while looking for the right accessories. A quick glance, and I realised my vice had also done a lot and deserved a rejuvenation treatment.

Even before the rejuvenation, it was clear this was a tool of outstanding quality. Why? You can see that from the pictures of the condition of my vice before the restoration. It had a hard life, the spindle cover had been wrongly used as an anvil, the front jaw had a deep cut, and the spindle key and spindle adjusting screw were no longer original. Quality is when a product lives up to its intended use. The Heuer vice had actually withstood far more, hence the quality rating: outstanding.

I was initially unsure what reaction my heirloom piece would receive from the team at Heuer. People with so much love for their own product might not want to see the results of decades of hard labour. Right up to the last minute, I was convinced the answer when the team saw the condition of my vice would be to refer me to a dealer, with the advice to buy a new model. Following a brief exchange of communication, I sent a package off to the Sauerland without much hope. I received a response from the managing director just a few days later, which clearly demonstrated the joy the company takes in working on its own products. My vice was stripped of paint, welded, sanded, measured and powder coated. The missing original parts were replaced and new stickers applied. Freshly adjusted and lubricated, the package from Plettenberg arrived a few weeks before Christmas, and the timing of this gift could not have been better. Disbelievingly, I examined the fine piece from all sides, thinking there must have been a mix-up. In the end, though, the year on the guide was clear proof that it was not a new vice. The team at Brockhaus Heuer had done a great job and restored my 47-year-old hopeless case to an almost new condition.

The result leaves me in no doubt that I will also bequeath this vice one day. It is rare for a company today to demonstrate such love for their product, attention to detail and customer-focus. I would like to express my praise for the team at Brockhaus Heuer and my unequivocal recommendation for anyone looking for high quality and good service.
 

 

First-class service

Following two phone calls, I decided to send my ageing Heuer Front vice to Plettenberg for an overhaul.

What I received back exactly a week later exceeded all my expectations. I unpacked a very carefully packaged vice: it was virtually indistinguishable from a new vice. Brilliant appearance, new paint, new stickers, and in perfect working order of course.

Such first-class service is more the exception than the rule these days. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this project.

Jörg Haeder
 

 

Third-generation vice

I recently inherited an old HEUER vice from my grandfather. He used it after the war to refurbish old cars, and to repair and rebuild gates, doors, cupboards and locks. It accompanied him throughout his entire time as a craftsman.

After some brief research, I discovered that it was a model manufactured by yourselves. Since we live in the former GDR, and your products were unfortunately not available to us, I assume that this is a pre-1945 model that even my great-grandfather must have used. I would like to continue this tradition and enjoy this beautiful piece for as long as possible. What other manufacturer can claim to produce tools that last for several generations of craftsmen?

Please could you let me have some more information about this old vice. 

Martin Stiller

_______________________

Response from Brockhaus Heuer:

Dear Mr Stiller,

We were delighted to receive your communication. It is always a delight to see "old treasures" that have been uncovered or that are still in use. And it’s even more wonderful that heirloom from your grandfather that can continue to do its job for you.

The vice you have sent us photographs of is a HEUER PRIMUS that was produced from 1927 to around 1938. The model was then superseded by the front-opening HEUER FRONT vice.

We enclose a brochure from 1938 in which you will find further information. You can also watch a historical film on Youtube.

We wish you continued enjoyment from your HEUER vice!
 

Best vice manufacturer in the world

I own a Heuer Primus vice with a jaw width of 175 mm. According to my research, this was produced between 1927 and 1938. It has acquired some signs of use during its long life; it probably got a lot of use in the past. The vice has now been lying around unused for some time and has become quite rusty. I needed a vice for the workbench I have built myself, and I was desperate to use this fine old example. Because I believe in repairing rather than throwing away. So, I ask Brockhaus Heuer if they could restore it. They said they would be very happy to do that. A friend of mine took care of getting it to and from Plettenberg. When I handed the vice over, it was rusty, you could just scrape off the dirt on the guide rail and there was no paint left on it.

The vice was ready for collection in less than two weeks of being worked on. When I got it back, I was completely excited; it looked brand-new. It was only from the very deep defects that you could see it was a used vice. Heuer actually cleaned the vice with a sandblaster, polished it, and completely powder-coated it again. The spindle works brilliantly again with new oil and lubrication. The before and after pictures say it all. As a comparison, I have a smaller and new vice from a different company, but even in its rusted state before the renovation, the Heuer vice ran much easier than the small one.

I recommend anyone looking to buy a vice and use it for a long time should purchase a Heuer vice. This level of quality pays off and it is simply more fun to work with good tools.

And such fantastic service is quite exceptional these days. Once again, many thanks to the team at Brockhaus Heuer for renovating my vice so beautifully!

Michel Brokamp
 

Priceless individuality & timeless love for the product

My grandparents’ household was dissolved some time ago: there were no great treasures to distribute. In the end, I took my grandfather’s rusty old vice because I was looking for a vice to use in my own cellar.

My grandfather, who was a mechanical engineer responsible for training apprentices for a medium-sized company, bought this vice in 1973 and as a small child I spent many hours "hammering away" at it in his cellar. He always used to say “Whack yourself on the finger, and you’ll get another whack!”. Even though approaches like that to raising children no longer seem appropriate today, the force of his words always meant our fingers remained intact (at least officially).

As well as a rather damp cellar, a total of 10 of these hammering grandchildren meant the vice had come to show certain signs of wear and tear over the years.

The internet and coincidence led me to the customer experiences on this website, and I sent an email to Brockhaus Heuer. They didn’t make any big promises initially, they mentioned it was the holiday period, but they wanted to take a look at the vice. So, I took a heavy package to the post office and they got it to theSauerland. I then went on holiday myself, and wondered whether the recipient had quietly disposed of the vice with a scrap metal dealer because it was a hopeless case.

Several pages of an email from the company’s managing director was to prove me wrong! He began with a detailed description of the assessments that had been carried out, how the vice had been measured and what work was required. I was informed that all the work had already been done and vice was now on its way back to me. Two days later, it was a massive surprise when I opened the package. The vice looks like new, and works as if it’s new as well. New paint, new trapezoid thread, new stickers - it’s simply incredible what the Brockhaus Heuer team has conjured up!

Impressed and amazed, I have to wonder how a German industrial company can afford this priceless individuality despite what must be a tough day-to-day business. The answer is probably implicit, because it is precisely this that differentiates you from cheap Far Eastern products, and exactly that is part of the success strategy.

For my part, what remains is a heartfelt thank you for the effort of first-class craftsmanship and the apparently literally timeless love for your products. Even today, the company offered me another service in 43 years by their and for my descendants.

Michael Bragard
 

Quality workmanship was very important to my grandfather

I was lucky to learn a lot from my grandfather, and first and foremost was the appreciation of quality. As a thrifty person, he said he could not afford to buy inferior things and then end up pay twice for them.

This principle was presumably very much front of his mind when he purchased his Brockhaus HEUER vice.

I didn’t really warm to the subject of vices before my training. And even during my apprenticeship, I used and took care of the vice entrusted to me only out of necessity. One or two metal erasers were used up during this time. Which probably made the vice a few grams lighter as well.

I later created a workshop in my cellar. It would have been totally incomplete without a suitable vice. This is where my grandfather’s Brockhaus HEUER comes in.

It was still sitting in a cupboard where it had spent years waiting to be put to a new use.

It soon became indispensable for all the little and bigger jobs in my workshop. I learned to include the only slight deficiency, the lateral play of the movable jaw, in my clamping tasks, and thus partially compensate for it.

These days, you can find advice and solutions for virtually all life’s problems on the internet. With this in mind, I searched online for how to solve the problem of “lateral play vice HEUER”.

The first search engine entry took me straight to the “customer experiences” page of the Brockhaus HEUER website, and I was delighted to read that there was indeed a way to restore my beloved vice to new glory and “tracking stability”.

A short phone call and a few emails later (many thanks to Mr Kloska for his friendly support), I sent my vice to Plettenberg for assessment.

You only learn to appreciate things when they are suddenly no longer there!

Three days after the vice had been sent for repair, I stood in front of my admittedly not really empty, but vice-free workbench, with a square iron that needed to be sawn a little shorter. The emergency solution, a small manual vice from the bench drill, was far from satisfactory.

In this moment, it hit me just how often I use this vice. Not just for heavy work, but for fixing smaller, more delicate things.

Today, I got to unpack my renovated vice. I am excited at what can be achieved in Plettenberg. My vice has been technically and optically overhauled with great love for the product. You could almost feel you are holding a new vice in your hands. The gap in my workbench was quickly filled with my vice once again.

I am sure it will faithfully serve not just me, but my grandchildren as well.

I am very pleased that in this day and age, there are still manufacturers with such a degree of responsibility and identification with the manufactured product.

Brockhaus HEUER clearly stands out from the crowd of run-of-the-mill manufacturers and offers a product whose lifespan is not measured in 24 months but in generations.

Quality workmanship was very important to my grandfather. The Brockhaus HEUER vice is a shining example of this attitude.

Many thanks for your support,

Patrick Haase
 

Perfect - like new

Dear Sirs,

When a vice from a hardware store in China broke for the second time last year, it was clear that I needed a real vice, and not some irritating toy.

Having reviewed all the German manufacturers in terms of price and performance, I settled on a Wabeco vice. Because of the good price. Once I’d taken a look at the Wabeco, I realised it wasn’t for me. Sharp edges everywhere, just two lateral guides at the top, two grub screws simply screwed into position.  At the bottom, it simply grinds over a steel plate. The swivel has a quarter turn of play before the vice moves. This is nothing from Wabeco. Which only left a Heuer. The quality seemed to be exceptional, and even vices decades old were selling on eBay as very good. That is my perception. Expensive as well, unfortunately, but never mind, I need quality now.

So, I purchased a new Heuer Front 140 in early 2015. I wanted to go as big as possible, but didn’t want to spend more than absolutely necessary. I don’t use it that often. It’s just as a hobby. I am impressed - everything else is simply not as good as the Heuer.

As luck would have it, a short while later I inherited an old Heuer Front 150 vice from an ancestor. At first, I thought I would have to repaint it. The thing was just black and filthy.

After a whole day spent cleaning it, cleaning it again, and then cleaning it once more, a blue vice emerged. I had tested that it worked before I started cleaning - everything was brilliant and like new. After reassembling it, all according to the Heuer video - it was as perfect as a new vice.

Even some of stickers are still legible. So, dirt is a preservative after all. Please note the top of the clamping jaws. I have noticed slight crossed lines and suspect that jaw protectors were always used there.

Thank you!

Kind regards,

Alfred Bauer
 

With heart and soul and a passion for perfection

Very many thanks for the free repair of my ancient Heuer Primus which has come back to me looking like new! I can imagine what loving attention you must have paid to your product of tradition, it really was done with heart and soul and a passion for perfection. I will cherish this tool and speak with glowing praise about your company and its products!

Once again, many thanks for the extraordinary efforts you have gone to!
K. Linhard

Service and love of the product

My professional work allowed me to enjoy the experience of Brockhaus Heuer's exceptional service. Old Brockhaus Heuer vice 'treasures are renovated so that they are virtually new. There was just such a TREASURE sitting unnoticed in my father's workshop.

During a visit to the company, I handed the '125-series Heuer Front. They immediately tried to find out what type of vice it was and when it was made. It emerged that it dated back to 1973 and was also an interesting version which is very rare in this form and design!

The general condition of our  vice was almost catastrophic: the spindle was worn, the spindle wrench was deformed and large weld ridges were immortalised on both sides of the clamping jaw as the result of electro-welding, the screw used to adjust the direction was completely missing. The fact that the vice had more than a few bits of rust because the paint had worn off was the least of the problems. Unfortunately I omitted to take any photos of it in this desolate condition before passing it on.

Just two weeks later (and with detailed accompanying e-mail documentation from Brockhaus Heuer in the meantime) I received a package containing a thing of beauty I simply didn't recognise!

It had new powder coating, a new spindle, new spindle wrench, the weld ridges removed and an adjusting screw had been fitted.

I would very much like to thank Brockhaus Heuer and everyone there who worked on my old '125-series' for their exceptional commitment!

THAT is what I call service and love of the product!

Chris Schiffer, Krefeld

Four generations

Dear Sirs,

I have noticed that you continue your tradition on your website with customer reports, and I have story for you too.

My great-grandfather died 35 years ago and it was finally time to clear his garage because the house was being sold. The garage had not been used for years and was jam-packed with junk. Among the contents of the garage was this old vice. It was just a pile of rust absolutely covered in dirt. The guide track swung like a cow's tail  and at first I didn't imagine the thing could ever be used again.

Then I thought maybe I could use it to adorn my vintage car garage. While I was working on it I noticed a drill hole at the bottom that could be used to screw the two sides of the guide track together so may it could be saved (the screw was missing of course).

So, I had the drill hole sandblasted and it came up as clean as a whistle. I had already bought a dark red colour for it. I was amazed to find that some writing had appeared at the bottom of the vice. It had been hidden by all the dirt. Then I found out from your website that it was an original series model, the Primus, that was sold from 1927 and would probably have been blue originally. After the missing screw had been fitted, I could even use the Primus once again and it looks great as a decorative object. I wouldn't really have used it because I have another large vice in my small garage, but because it is to hand in the garage it does get used now and then. It also has a very wide clamping range that my other vice can't beat.

And it's somehow nice to know that my great-grandfather and my grandfather both used this vice and I am continuing the tradition.

Kind regards
Markus Zindl

Quality and service

Quality and service beyond doubt

Today, I am delighted to be writing a review where the usual set phrases about 'great contact, would use again' don't even scratch the surface.

At the beginning of this year, I was about to renovate my small, old workshop. My self-imposed target was: retain the old charm and with it as much as possible that was worth keeping.

One of these things was without a doubt my old vice. Slight scratching to the spindle and visually not brand spanking new, but it looked simply indestructible because of being made from one piece of forged material opulence and its sheer size. And so I began to take it apart. I noticed slight damage to the spindle nut and a broken spindle seal. While on the hunt for any available spare parts (I didn't hold out much hope, I assume the vice is 60-plus years old?) I came across the manufacturer, Brockhaus Heuer.

Following brief e-mail contact and confirmation that no spare parts were available because the vice was so old, to my delight they offered to overhaul the vice as far as possible.

A friend took it to Brockhaus Heuer for me because he was going that way.

Not even 4 weeks later, the vice was returned to me by courier (it weighed too much be sent by normal parcel post).

My first thought when I unpacked it was: it must be a new one. I really hadn't expected such a result. It had been completely renovated both technically and visually and looked as if it had just been manufactured. There was no play in the movable jaw, none in the spindle head and as for the slight scratching on the spindle, it was gone. The surface is resplendent in a perfectly appropriate dark grey. The vice is now absolutely the highlight in my 'new, old' workshop.

There is only one more thing for me to say: the quality of a Brockhaus Heuer vice is beyond doubt, but it is also combined with a level of service I have never experienced before.

To offer such a service rather than simply preferring to sell a new vice, you really have to value and love your craft and your product, and be firmly rooted in what you do.

My full praise and a heartfelt thank you to Brockhaus Heuer, to Mr Kloska for the great communication and the person whose name I unfortunately don't know who evidently took a lot of trouble with new/old vice.

Stephan Beinhauer

The oasis in the service desert

Excellent for its age

Over the past decades, first my grandfather, then my father and finally I have used our now aged vice.

I was actually ready to condemn it to the scrap heap and take it out of use. It had noticeably gained a lot of play over the years.

I had asked the specialists at Leiwema in 04416 Markkleeberg about an equally high quality vice.  They told me that Brockhaus Heuer is the 'Mercedes'. They may be expensive but they last a lifetime.

My father wanted to keep his old familiar vice at all costs.  So I asked around the specialist retailers. Somehow they knew just what I was talking about and pointed me to the Brockhaus-Heuer website. I sent an e-mail to the manufacturer and they offered to collect the old vice by DPD, overhaul it and send it back. And that is what happened.

Just less than a month later, I got the old vice back. I felt like I had got a new vice. There was no noticeable play and it was freshly painted in the manufacturer's colour. Even my father could scarcely believe his good fortune .
The old vice is back on the workbench (see photo), together with its new counterpart from current production.

We hardly dare use them because they look so good.
I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks once again to Brockhaus-Heuer for their cooperation.

It is an oasis in Germany's oft-cited service desert.

Maik Hermsdorf

Quality always pays off - even after 40 years!

Last year I finally fulfilled my enduring dream of having my own workshop with the target that everything had to be 'Made in Germany' or 'Made in Japan'. There would be no cheap DIY store equipment in my new workshop.

It was all almost complete apart from the vice that I still needed. I remembered that there was a vice somewhere in the more than 100-year-old cellar but it was so old and rusty, and also had bent spindle, that getting it into a usable condition was completely inconceivable at first. But nevertheless it seemed to be indestructible and built to last for ever - Made in Germany as I said.

After doing some research I found out that the vice had first belonged to my grandfather who worked at Krupp as a metalworker.

The manufacturer's logo was still perfectly visible and so I sent an e-mail to Brockhaus Heuer, which to my delight was still in business. It wasn't long before I got a response and after I had given them some details about the model and year of manufacture, they offered to overhaul the more than 40-year-old vice for me.

When, around 3 weeks later, I opened the package with the old 'new' vice,  I thought at first that I had been sent a completely new model because this new tool seemed to be too perfect - the paint was new, the spindle had been replaced and the mechanics worked with no resistance. But it was indeed the original dating back to the 1970s.

I would like to thank Brockhaus Heuer for the fantastic and speedy service - I am sure it will be my grandson sending the next e-mail requesting an overhaul.

Of course there are cheaper alternatives but buying cheap generally means buying twice.

Sebastian Drüen, Duisburg

'Heuer Front means the finest quality and a lifetime guarantee'

"I have finally got an old Heuer Front no. 5. Heuer Front means the finest quality and a lifetime guarantee right through to old age.
I am proud to have found this Brockhauser-Heuer Front. It reminds me of the good old days when people made high quality products with few tools, but a lot of manual labour and precision."

Theo Lansink, Lansink Systeembouw, Saasveld, The Netherlands

Brockhaus Heuer's response:

Your vice was probably manufactured in 1938. It is a HEUER PRIMUS which cost 58 Reichsmarks at the time. That would be EUR 256 in today's money. The average monthly income in 1938 was around 250-300 Reichsmarks.

Very satisfied!

First impression after opening the package: High quality Germany workmanship made as a single solid piece! The whole thing was very cleanly done with no ridges or sharp edges that might cause injury, if you slip for example. The spindle runs smoothly and the movable jaw displays no play at all which gives it a solid impression. The blue hammered paint finish gives it an impressive finish.

Possible vice uses:
Tensioning work pieces between the 2 jaws
Tensioning round parts between the pipe jaws
Working on the rear *anvil

Assessment of how I used the vice on this project

I first of all cut the materials to length. The rough/deep jaws ensured the materials did not slip while cutting and trimming and they held well. Having marked out the drill holes, I pricked in the holes. I tensioned the material between the jaws and behind the anvil of the vice, both of which actions went well.

I now needed to bend the round bar by 90° degrees.
I also tensioned the shorter piece in order to use the longer piece as a lever. I drew the steel out in the direction of the fixed jaw. After 4 round bars some paint came off but there was no visible surface degradation.

In summary
All-in-all I am very happy with the test product and am looking forward to using the vice in lots of different ways in the future.
One thing that could be improved would be to increase the size of the *anvil because it is not quite big enough for larger items. Another good thing is that the spindle thread does not start/is visible only from around 70 mm. This is thanks to the *nut in the back of the vice. This has the advantage that for example during threading activities, no shavings are carried along the thread to potentially cause damage. The vice is also equipped with cover plates to the front and to the back.

Source:
http://werkzeuge.info/2013/08/testbericht1-brockhausschraubstock/

Website operator:
www.svh24.de

Replacements parts for than 40 years later

It really is great to still be able to get replacement parts for a tool that's more than 40 years old! And it was done so quickly and bureaucratically!

To know you can still get that today…

Many thanks!!!

Regards,
T. Sulzbeck

I would recommend this vice to everyone.

Test report
When the postman brought the package, I was surprised by how heavy it was. My first thought that was that it was a really solid item, which proved to be the case when I opened it. The vice is a single piece and very cleanly made. A first initial inspection showed that the spindle hub was well made and that the jaws close perfectly. I was positively surprised to see that the vice has pipe jaws.

Tasks I completed in the following days:
After I had installed the vice on my workbench, I first tested the tubular clamping jaws. I tensioned various tubes and cut threads for a connection for fittings and curved parts. I then sealed and screwed on the connecting parts. The pipe jaws held very well.

 My next job involved taking the vice to my son's construction site where I installed it on my Workmate. I needed to install a gutter measuring 5 metres. I needed to bend the brackets for the gutter into shape. I tensioned them in the vice to bend them into the right shape.
I used a rubber hammer to knock them into the right angle. The vice jaws held very well. So did the flat bars, even though I was only able to tension them on one side.

The vice has good clearance for working and the spindle moves smoothly and is well protected which prevents any shavings from hitting the nut.

The blue hammer finish paint has survived all the work I have done without flaking.

In summary:
I can recommend this vice to everyone..

Karlheinz D.



Source:
http://werkzeuge.info/2013/08/brockhausschraubstocktestbericht2/

Website operator:
www.svh24.de

Best vice

For me, Heuer is the best forged vice on the market. It is much imitated but nothing else comes close.

It is robust and precise with full adjustment and impact-resistant. I have had several models such as the Heuer D.R.P. , Heuer Primus and Heuer Front in various sizes and designs from 1935 up to the present day, all are still in top condition as you would expect from this quality. Made in Germany still applies. Heuer also offers a unique service, even for these old treasures. You only buy a Heuer once in a lifetime and you can bequeath it to someone. Thank you for the super service.

Kind regards, C. Fassbender

'First-class customer service'

Dear Mr Kloska,

I received the case this week and wanted to send you my heartfelt thanks once again for the first-class and speedy customer service! I wish you and your colleagues an enjoyable weekend.

Kind regards
Dipl.-Ing. Patrick Wolter
Varese, Italy

 

A clear recommendation to buy!

The first impression: Wow, really great, sound work. It's obvious even from the weight of the package.

I initially bought M12 x 45 DIN 931 screws + M10 nuts and washers to secure the vice properly, anything else would have been madness because it needed to sit really tightly, you could also put washer rings underneath it.
After choosing the position carefully, this is what the vice looks like when installed:

Make sure there is sufficient space and that the mounting surface is clean, dry and stable to allow you to work reasonably.
Starting to work with the Brockhaus Heuer 120 vice:
For this, you need the vice to set really firmly. I tried to loosen a very old and tight return valve from a screw connection on a groundwater pump for which I needed a lot of leverage.

The tubular clamping jaws sat perfectly secure as seen here

The end result: 

The firmly stuck valve was easy to remove using the vice, which was a great help.

In summary: The  Brockhaus Heuer 120 vice has become an essential tool and I would very much recommend buying it!!!

Here are some general features and a product description of this truly great tool
Brockhaus Heuer 120 with forged tubular clamping jaws:

• forged steel
• indestructible
• large clamping depth
• protected precision spindle bearing and protected spindle with double action trapezoid thread
• easily adjustable centrally located guide
• large guide surfaces worked on all sides
• powder coating ensures scratch and impact resistance

Product descriptions:

• with forged steel pipe jaws
• forged steel
• indestructible
 • large clamping depth
• protected precision spindle bearing and protected spindle and double action trapezoid thread
• easily adjustable centrally located guide
• large guide surfaces worked on all sides


Source:
http://werkzeuge.info/2013/08/schraubstocktestbericht-saschaoldiges/

Website operator:
www.svh24.de

Heuer collapsible lift(s)

After 30 years of daily use in the workshop, I needed new springs for my collapsible lift.

Since a different type of attachment is now used for the springs, the lift needed to be altered. Mr Kloska offered me this alteration. So I packed the lift up, and just a week later I got it back. 

In summary: very friendly, fast and first-class work.

I am truly impressed by this service, I don't often experience anything like this!!!

Many greetings from Berlin and very best wishes

Christian Mücke

High quality German workmanship

When I unpacked the vice, I was immediately impressed by the quality of the German workmanship. The pipe jaws are fully upright and nicely made. The guide track works without jerking.

The only disadvantage: with larger items the screw thread is exposed and depending on the job it could dirty the items. This could mean that the guide track becoming stiff.

My tip: clean it with a paintbrush or brush.

My project: restoring a vintage car

I first tensioned the posts of a headlamp cover in order to flex the base because I will screw it into a ground anchor next spring.

I then clamped my vintage car's indicator pipes. 
The Heuer has amazing hold even with light pressure. The chrome parts were not crushed or scratched. This meant that I could flatten out the dents in the pipes.

In summary:
The vice is really worth the money, 'high quality German workmanship'. I would recommend it to anyone who loves workshop tools.

 

Source:
http://werkzeuge.info/2013/09/brockhaus-heuer-schraubstock-testbericht-nr-4/

Website operator:
www.svh24.de

A glow-worm in the gloom

Many thanks to you and your colleagues who restored this aged treasure to its former glory!

Anyone who thinks they can find a company in our Milky Way that can compete in any small way in terms of service must be a real optimist.

The excellent repair was topped by them sending me the original vice brochure from 1938(!). I have dealt with some companies that couldn't even find documentation from the day before yesterday.

Fortunately, your company is the glow-worm in the gloominess of a throwaway society.

So I give you 12 out of 10!

Kind regards and keep up the good work!

Ralf Müller

A tool for life!

Every time I had pottered about with my old 'Heuer vice' which I guess must have been 40 years old, I would think about how much we had done together. It may not have been a thing of beauty anymore, but it still worked even though the spindle was a bit stiff. I was just about to give it away and buy a new vice. When I started searching on the internet for information, I first realised what a 'treasure' I had.

And so I e-mailed Brockhaus Heuer and asked whether it could perhaps be overhauled. I attached a photo of the condition the vice was in. Shortly afterwards I received a prompt response that they would be happy to look at my vice. At this point I would like to thank Mr Grabinski and Mr Kloska at Brockhaus Heuer for the smooth communication, their excellent work and the exceptional service!

Today, around 2 weeks later, I got it back from Brockhaus Heuer! It is now resplendent in its new blue hammered powder coating and looks like it has just been produced. THAT is what I call quality! I am really excited and very happy that I held on to it. It really is a tool for life! May it will be sent back for an overhaul in another 40 years ….

Elmar Kotzam

HEUER Front and Primus vices

For many years, I had to use a dreadful 'no name' vice. The jaws were so inexact, and because of the play, they did not fit together and the direction could not be adjusted. It jammed in every position.

This year it was finally time for some new tools in my workshop and I chose the HEUER Front vice with the 120 mm replaceable jaws. I also treated myself to the corresponding rotary table to make my new tool even better. It is a joy to work with. It just fits.

After some back and forth, I wanted some more tools for my workshop and it occurred to me to integrate something old. I looked for something suitable in the local newspapers and the internet and I came across the Heuer 100 mm Primus vice. It made a really good impression on me, see the photo. After some research, I found out that the tool had been around for some years and was known by the abbreviation DRP which stands for 'Deutsches Reich-Patent', the tool's German patent. I assume that my vintage tool must have been manufactured in around 1940.

This was the neglected condition the vintage tool was in when I got it. I consulted Brockhaus HEUER GmbH and asked whether I could pay them to do it up. I soon received a reply saying that I should send it in for them to take a look at and they would work on it or do it up if they could.








This is it in its restored condition - a Heuer Primus vice that is simply unrecognisable. Brockhaus HEUER GmbH did a fantastic job of doing it up.
I just need to find the right place to use it. It is a shame to use really though.

According to Mr Grabinski this beautiful tool was manufactured between 1925-1938 when it cost 27 Reichsmarks, which equates to €113 today. It weighs around 8.7 kg.

I found a suitable place next to the 'new' tool. The pictures also show how the technology has changed over more than 75 years. Many thanks to Brockhaus HEUER GmbH, in particular to Mr Grabinski and his employees who so wonderfully refurbished my vintage tool.
Best wishes from East Friesland and all the best for the future.

Friedhelm Eberlei

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