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The Wilton ATV features a wide opening for large fixes in the field.
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Words and photos by Bryan Irons
Wilton ATV is a field mechanics best friend.
We like multi-purpose tools here at 4WDrive. Not the “jack of all trades, master of none” type mind you, ones like Wilton Tools new All-Terrain Vice (ATV). Having a vice in the shop for pressing and bending parts, holding work pieces, or just using as an anvil to smash things together is invaluable, being able to have one on the trail could be a lifesaver.
Wilton Tool decided that it was about time to be able to bring one with you no matter the surroundings. A 2-in receiver hitch or a heavy-duty flat working space to bolt the included adapter down is all that’s needed. We fired the vice into the rear hitch of our trail rig and started bashing away and cranking on pieces just to see what abuse the thing could take. After a few hours of assault and battery, the jaws still close cleanly and the teeth in the replaceable 6-in jaws are still sharp and we didn’t even need to adjust the set screws to take any slop out of it in the receiver.
Because the vice is made to be left in the receiver if you chose to do so, the handle is clock-able as to not hang down and catch the ground in the depths of a good trail. This is also handy when trying to get the most torque you can on a project by moving it into a comfortable position. We liked the built in pipe jaws for grabbing mangled steering linkages and the wide opening of the main jaws were great for pressing out u-joints. The large flat anvil area was perfect for straightening out parts and also acts as a handle for packing the unit around. It’s too bad the unit weighs so much, but you really don’t want a “lightweight” vice do you, the more beef the better we say. Overall, we have to say we like the North American made ATV over our well used and beloved shop vice, so much so that we’re ordering another remote mounting bracket to be able to use it at home, at camp, and on the trail.
Wilton Tool