PanaVise® Model 201 PV Jr.

When I got my PanaVise® Model 315 PCB Holder I figured I had everything I ever needed to work on all my PCB projects. Enter the PanaVise Model 201 PV Jr. and I realized there’s something to be said for a quality, compact vise. This versatile PCB holder / Mini-Vise is quick, convenient and takes up less space on your bench when you’re just working on small boards, connectors or switches. And while the bottom is compatible with most of the base mounts from PanaVise, I find that the PV Jr. stands just fine on its own, minimizing the space it occupies on my bench.

Details

The specifications for the Model 201 can be found here on the product page on the PanaVise website. The base has three degrees of freedom and can position in any way that I have needed to so far. The jaws open to 2.875″ which is sufficient for most small PCB or component jobs. My PV Jr. has the PanaVise Model 239 Speed Control Handle. It’s a cool optional accessory that allows you to open / close the jaws much faster or precisely, depending on how you use it. It just snaps on to the existing knob. One was given to me to evaluate and I purchased another for my other PV Jr.

Used At Work

We use the PanaVise Model 201 at Parallax Inc! That’s right, shortly after I showed my PV Jr. at Parallax we ordered up a bunch of these and mounted them on custom laser-cut bases, complete with soldering instructions to use for kit building at expos and other events.

I still prefer mine without a base though to minimize the amount of real-estate taken up. PanaVise does have some very good base mounts for all different ways to mount of hold the vise, so check out their website for more details.

Final Thoughts

As usual, another winner for me. The Model 201 averages $25.00 at most retail outlets and that’s a great deal to put something like this on your bench. Because I do mostly small board soldering, I find that I use this one now slightly more than my Model 315.

There is one small thing that I don’t understand in the design and that I find puzzling. The left jaw has two sets of grooves for holding a PCB, however the right jaw only has one set. I’m not sure why this is but the only issue it has caused me is that when I use my PV Jr. at Parallax where it is on the custom base the jaws are on the right side relative to the base. In this manner I have to use the lower grooves which makes the PCB sit deeper in the jaws. I wish both sets of grooves were on both sides, then when you flip the jaws you can still clamp the PCB on the top side.

This isn’t an issue on my home bench as I have the jaws off the the left (knob on the left side) so the grooves are on the top for me. Another thing you can do is have the jaws more upward and use the grooves perpendicular to the jaws. There’s less jaw hanging onto your PCB this way as well which is sometimes necessary if you have a lot of connectors along the edge of the board.

Assessment

Resources

PanaVise Website

Model 201 Product Page

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