Burned $80 on a cheap anvil from Amazon. Big mistake.

I figured I'd save some cash two months ago and grabbed a 66lb cast iron anvil for $80 shipped. Looked fine in the pics but the first time I hit a hot piece of 1/2 inch round on it, the face chipped right near the edge. Like a whole chunk flew off and nearly hit my leg. The rebound was terrible too, basically zero. I ended up buying a used Fisher anvil off a guy on Craigslist for $200 and it's night and day difference. That cheap anvil is now holding my garage door open. Has anyone else had bad luck with those budget anvils or did I just get a dud?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilyg836d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I tried the same thing last year with a cheap cast iron anvil off some deal site and ended up with a chipped face and a cracked horn on my very first project. What worked for me was actually finding an old railroad track anvil at a scrap yard for like 40 bucks. It's not fancy but the steel is super tough and I've been using it for months without a single issue. Those cheap cast iron ones are just not worth the risk no matter how good the price looks. Glad you got a Fisher though, those are solid as a rock.

skyler_smith856d ago

66 pounds is actually pretty light for an anvil, most blacksmiths recommend at least 100 pounds for general work. Those cast iron ones are usually made in China and they're brittle as heck, so the chipping isn't surprising. The Fisher was a solid buy, that thing will last forever with proper care.