Clamp Tool Review - Trigger Clamps, Spreader Clamps for Woodworking and Furniture Restoration
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- Опубліковано 20 тра 2024
- Do cheap wood clamps work as well as brand-name clamps? Which clamp is the best buy? Which is the easiest to use? Which is the strongest? I review 6 clamps by testing them in my business and gets a second opinion from another furniture repair business owner, Trena Reynolds from @johnsfurniturerepair UA-cam channel.
I bought the two cheapest trigger clamps I could buy on Amazon. The major manufactures sent me a sample of their wood clamps; DeWalt, Irwin Quick-Grip, Bessey, and Jorgensen. I used the clamps and put them through tests to see how they perform. In the end I chose one clamp as the best value and one clamp as the best overall as my favourite.
The first test was the clamping pressure test. These tools are important because PVA glue (e.g., yellow glue or carpenter's glue) and hide glue won't work on wood without clamping pressure. I built a wood frame that holds a scale to measure the clamping force of each of the clamps.
The second test was to understand how well the pads work. Do they grip or slip off when used on uneven surfaces? I used a wooden chair where the legs were splayed, which is a common situation when I re-glue old chairs.
The third part of this tool review was subjective. To get some help to evaluate how easy it is to convert these clamps to spreader clamps, I brought the clamps to Trena's workshop, where she helped me look at each one. There were some differences that set some clamps apart from the rest.
LINKS:
If you choose to buy these clamps on Amazon, purchases made with these links help contribute to our video production work
Bessey EZS 65-8 24-Inch One Hand Clamp and Spreader - amzn.to/3DpETAY
🇨🇦 Canadian link - amzn.to/3snizlo
Pony Jorgensen 33424 ISD-3 24-Inch One-Handed Clamp - amzn.to/3TM11ej
🇨🇦 amzn.to/3z7suPO
IRWIN Quick-Grip Bar Clamp, One-Handed, Medium-Duty, 24-Inch - amzn.to/3VSSng1
🇨🇦 amzn.to/3F6aoRU
DEWALT DWHT83194 24” Large Trigger Bar Clamp - amzn.to/3gB9Kl9
🇨🇦 Not Available
TEKTON 39184 24-Inch by 2-1/2-Inch Ratchet Bar Clamp and Spreader - amzn.to/3Do5q1A
🇨🇦 amzn.to/3Tsq4U3
Home Handyman 24 inch(s) Reversible Adjustable Bar Clamp 🇨🇦 amzn.to/3MUl48h
RELATED VIDEOS:
CleanLATHE UA-cam Channel (my invention) - / cleanlathe
How to Repair Outdoor Furniture - • Repairing Outdoor Furn...
John's Furniture Repair (Trena's channel) - / @johnsfurniturerepair
VIDEO TOPICS:
00:00 Trigger Clamp Tool Review
01:07 Unboxing the Trigger Clamps
04:27 Wood Clamp Pressure Testing
15:08 Clamp Pad Testing
21:12 History of the Trigger Clamp Invention
21:42 Ease of Use Testing
28:24 Price Comparison
Fixing Furniture is not only a UA-cam channel but it's also a membership community. Get access to videos before they're published on UA-cam, watch all the videos without ads, get downloadable reference sheets, and participate in Fixing Furniture Live every two weeks. Learn more about membership at www.fixingfurniture.com
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See the tools we use in our workshop and the tools we recommend: www.amazon.com/shop/homeimpro...
🇨🇦 Canadian link - www.amazon.ca/shop/homeimprov...
Fixing Furniture is hosted by Scott Bennett, Owner of Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
#clamp #toolreview #wood - Навчання та стиль
Great video. I like the Bessey.
As a older female the amount of grip needed to exert pressure would have been good information. I haven’t had good luck with this style clamp I tried about five years ago.
Good information. I like the part with Trena too.
Thanks Jill! Scott
Great video with Trena! Glad to see you guys working together. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Glad you enjoyed the collaboration with Trena! Cheers
Accidentally found your rolltop video, learned a lot that I actually need this week and you mentioned this clamp video. Came to this video and learned something new about clamps I already own in the first 20 seconds.
I watch UA-cam videos of the homesteader/off grid people building things. It always amazes me when they have a $40k milling machine and are constantly struggling to install a small board on something alone. They fight and fight and all they need is a cheap clamp to hold the other end 😅
The classic “use the right tool for the job”
Nice video Scott, I enjoyed watching it. I call myself a clampaholic, I have over a 100 of them, from 4-inch F-style clamps to 8-ft pipe clamps. Luckily I have a very understanding wife and in my defense I can say that I never buy new ones. I get them at garage- and estate sales. And I do sell some too every now and then.
I may have missed it in the video but i didn't hear you mention that the Jorgensen's top jaw has dovetails that will bind to another clamp to combine their reach. It adds a ton of flex but in a pinch it's great
Yes, I did a close up shot of the Jorgensen end. It’s a pretty neat feature and the only clamp that can do that. Scott
@@FixingFurniture sorry i didn't catch that. I had the video on in the background at work and missed chunks of it
I just purchased new clamps at the local Lowes. I bought Jorgensen reversible clamps 450#, package of two for $44.00 on sale. Im going to use them when I glue my chair legs back together. Good to see their positive review. One thing, some of your clamps appeared to have plastic parts. My Jorgensen are very heavy steel! No plastic!
So cool to see you and Trena comparing views on the clamps! I have been subscribed to both of your channels for over two years now. Thanks for the reviews! Always look forward to both of your channels videos.
Awesome! Thank you!
Love your videos. They are so well made and super helpful. I like your honesty. We catch this test at the right one time before a sponsorship deal is signed.
Thank you!
I like the dovetail part of the jorgensen. I don't tend to need a really long clamp often (and they're more expensive) so if you can get them on sale, the Jorgensen add a lot of value allowing you to forego buying larger clamps and use two smaller ones in a pinch.
Yes, it is a cool innovation they put into it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that. Scott
The fact that you can use your pinkie on the grip of the Bessey is a greater advantage than you might think. Not using the pinkie causes extra stress in your upper arm and shoulder that can lead to injuries. Ask me how I know!
Interesting teat results on the clamps. Thanks for the video. Take care and God bless.
Very cool to see Trena on the video. I’ve been subscribed to both of y’all for a little over a year.
I have one Bessey and six Irwin’s. The Bessey is my favorite, so I agree with your findings. Great video
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Great to see you and Trena! Thanks forcthe thoroughness of the reviews.
Our pleasure!
Very informative and thanks the little history lesson as well.
You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. Scott
I have about twelve Irwin Quick Grip clamps In the 6 and 12" range. Had them a LONG time and some I bought at yard sales. Contacted Irwin about some of the internal gripper plates for them as they were worn out. They no longer make that version or parts, but they sent me Three new versions at no cost to me. Excellent customer service! Way to stand behind your product! But, they are much beefier that the older ones and I don't like them as well. I fixed the older ones by turning the plates around.
Wow, that’s great customer service!
Great video, I’m just starting out so this was very timely to me. In Australia we don’t have easy access to all of these but the Irwin is accessible. Good to see Trena too ❤
One feature that you pointed out but didn't test on the Irwin was the pivot on the clamping pad. I would like to know if it allows for better performance if your surfaces are just out of parallel. At least in the video it seemed easy for you to put on than lining up the cross marks on the others.
I have a few of various brands and I have found that the ones with the kick-up in the handle are the least comfortable to use. And in fact, when you have them in an awkward position and have to squeeze them from the opposite side, can push into your palm and can be quite painful.
Thanks for sharing that James
¡Congratulations Mr Scott! Buenos datos sobre las prensas para el trabajo. Es muy importante estos alcances para realizar buenos trabajos y no tener dificultades. Gran idea de invitar a otros colegas para dar sus opiniones, siempre es bueno la opinión de otros. Un gran abrazo y éxitos.
I had a couple of cheap clamps that looked just like your bargain models--down to the stupid plastic wingnut and bolt head-changing system. They failed after a few uses. The plastic pawl that engages the cam on the inside flexed, deformed and eventually broke off.
The groove in the pad is very helpful in allowing irregular surfaces to nestle into place. I no longer buy clamps without the grooved pad.
I love Trena's channel, too!
Hi Jo. That’s good to know. Thanks for sharing your experience. Scott
Very helpful video. I'm just upgrading from the almost prehistoric clamps I inherited from my late father and I watched quite a few videos on this.
In the end I decided to buy the Jorgenson, although I like the Bessey clamps too. But the price-difference is quite the opposite here in Germany with the Besseys almost twice as expensive as the Jorgensons. Also the option to combine two clamps is a nice plus for the Jorgensons, since I rarely need very long clamps and this way I don't have to purchase those for the rare occasions when I need them.
I'm not sure how much force the combined clamps can handle though, but I hope that it is at least suitable for glueing parts together.
Thanks for the test. Getting ready to buy some clamps during the sales event, but wanted to check out some reviews first.
Some tools on Amazon are made by the same manufacturing plant, just change the name plate or some of the materials. The Amazon Basic series #4 hand plane is an example
For the holding test, the clamps with the softer pads or grooves will allow more surface area contact and give a better hold. I did noticed the Jorgensen clamp flexed outwards on the left side
Thanks for doing the ease of use, some of us have arthritis. Would be interesting to see how much force is required to squeeze each one
Great info good video scott
Thanks Robert!
you rock - help me to make a decision on what to buy for a simple fix project.
Scott, great review, but there’s a few things I would like to see. One, being deflection of the jaw faces. It appeared in the video that the jaws would move far away from parallel. Second , is the deflection of the main beam. I did a “shootout” of the parallel clamps I have. I have Bessie Revos, Jet, Irwin, and Bremen (harbor freight) when doing glueups of cutting boards, table tops, etc., I always wondered why the boards would bow up if too much pressure was exerted. I looked carefully, and saw that the parallel jaws didn’t stay parallel! They opened up on top, just like your clamp video showed. That induced the flex that occurs, requiring clamps on both sides to equalize said flex.
Based on MY experience with the parallel face clamps, it was a bit different.
Cost: Bremen, Irwin, Besse, then Jet being most expensive.
Ease of use, goes to Jet, hands down. followed by Bremen, then Besse, Irwin leading the rear..
Best for clamping with least bar and face deflection? Hang on. Harbor Freights Bremen was the best, then Jet, Besse, and Last was Irwin.
Disclaimer: I don’t allow glue on my clamps, I tape them. I can not comment how tough it would be to clean off, or how it effects performance.
So, for Parallel clamps, I’d recommend H\F Bremen hands down. It’s hard for me to say that , because past experience with the Mother ship brand of knockoff junk. It seems they turned the corner with their tools, and now offer better tools.
Thanks for the trial, Scott. I've been watching both yours and Trena's channels for a while now and look forward to new posts. I've just watch your other collaboration on sharpening chisels and it reminded me to sort mine out as well.
I've had similar to those cheap ones before and it doesn't matter where you are in the world and what brand name they give them, they all look like they came out of the same factory. After a little while, the internal mechanism wears and they completely lose their grip. I've even snapped a few and I don't believe I was applying too much pressure. All my very cheap ones have long since been junked. I currently use the Irwins, mostly because that is what is readily available at our major hardware chain here in Australia. One thing that is useful and I don't know if the other tested brands also have them, is you can also buy alternative attachments for the Irwins. I've used the coupler a few times to turn two clamps into one that is double the length. Sure, you probably lose some clamping force, but not every job needs 300 lbs. It's an option for jobs where a pipe clamp might be too heavy and you just want it held in place, not heavily clamped. They also have a pad for clamping corners and another one to convert the clamp into an edge clamp.
Hi Len. Thanks for sharing that. Unfortunately, the accessories are not available in Canada for the Irwin clamps - I verified this with the manufacturer. Found a hack for extending clamps that I'll share in the next few weeks. Take care. Scott
Great video and actually quite timely. As far as the comfort factor goes, in my mind, I'm not going to kill something applying the full 300 lbs of force. Also, I can usually get something clamped in seconds. It takes longer to get everything lined up before applying the clamp/s. I do prefer the clamps with the cross grooves. That said I wonder if there are pads you can buy and switch out the flat or non gloved pads? Once again I think you did a wonderful job. I have the utmost respect for you & Trena. You both do mazing work. Do you by chance have a video on sharpening chisels? Thank you! See you in the next installment.
Nice test but recommend taking a lesson from Project Farm in setting up test fixturing - linear alignment of the strain gauge is a little wonky, affecting accuracy of readings.
Thanks for this. I’ve got the same clamps as you have plus some cheap ones. I am impressed with the results.👍🏻🇦🇺😁
Glad you enjoyed it Michael! Cheers. Scott 🇨🇦
A good review. One small note is that the side of the scale seemed to be dragging on the wooden column. Don't know if that affects the reading?
That's a good question Colin. It may have some impact, but given the force pulling on the scale, I don't think it's a material difference. If you have some information on that type of setup, I'd be happy to read it. Thanks. Scott
Definitely, would like you to review Harbor Freight's trigger clamp compared to these brands.
I have some Jorgensens and like them well enough, but have become much more of a default Bessey user. The EZ-S ones you tested are super, but I also like their DuoKlamps, which have a cool twist knob to go from clamp to spreader and back. Their grips are oriented differently to the axis of clamping so the may not appeal to everyone. The EZ-R come in sets of two and are great small clamps that can work with tracksaw rails.
I have a lot of DuoKlamps, all 24". Another plus with Bessey is that the length is the length they will clamp, unlike some other brands where it is the overall length of the clamp and the job capacity is several inches shorter.
I'm sure you are jealous of Trena's workshop! Thanks for the test
I think I could fit 5-6 of my workshops in Trena’s workshop. And she has a spray booth too! Scott
Great video, Scott. I have Irwin, Bessey, older Quick-Grips and Mastercraft clamps in my small shop and they all perform as expected. The Mastercraft are my go-to clamps ( in 18") because they have not only a handle for pumping closed, but also a second handle for pumping open so they are truly a single-handed operation. I bought them years ago and haven't been able to find them again or I would have bought more in different lengths.
Oh that's interesting. I bought two Mastercraft and they both broke in the first week. Only using Bessey now!
@@DesignerLisa this was probably 10 years ago. I should have bought more!
Glad you enjoyed it Kren. It's good to hear you've had a good experience with the Mastercraft clamps. I've had some tools fail from that brand so I don't buy them anymore. You've got a variety of clamps so you've got some experience to compare them. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
@@FixingFurniture I should clarify that I only have two mastercraft clamps and they have been great but like you, I don't buy "real" tools from Mastercraft as most of my power tools and had tools are better brands like Makita, Dewalt, Bosch, etc.
Such a useful and informative video. I am looking to buy a 24 inch clamp. The video came at the at just the time. Best wishes Alison
Perfect! Glad it was helpful Allison. Scott
Thanks for the testing. I’m on a tight budget for my woodworking hobby so I’m always looking for a good tool at a reasonable price.
Glad you found it helpful. Over my 30+ years buying tools, I've learned that the cheapest tools become the most expensive over time (they fail and have to purchase replacements or for repairs). Scott
TRENA!!!!! 😀
Scott - great comparison. I have just started using the quick grips and went with my brand favorite of Jorgensen. It is interesting to see that they are comparable to the Bessey and DEWALT. Keep up the great work. PJ
Thanks PJ!
Noticed on some of the "less expensive" clamps, more of the head and grip appears to be plastic or very "light" metal. Not as much staying power as needed. Curious about possibly cutting (filing) marks into the pads with nothing on it to improve the "remain in place" power for usage. Just thinking, you understand.
Oh. Interesting. I see what you mean. That might help. Thanks. Scott
im sure that when i had looked at the tekton clamps a few years ago that they had mentioned the reason for the reverse grip was to push rather than pull. (it could have been the other way around, it made sense in my mind back then) i had first looked at them when someone on a car channel was using it as a spreader and liked the grip faced the other way, but reviewers say its even weaker as a spreader than you experienced as a clamp.
Thanks for sharing that Brian! I hope that's helpful for other viewers as well. Cheers. Scott
For the splayed chair legs try a couple of rubber door stops to alleviate the angle
Great idea Jim! Thanks for sharing that #tip Scott
I saw you on Trena's channel and that's why I came here to subscribe and check it out.
That's great Ray. Thank you for your support! Scott
get wire wool on the bars or rough sandpaper, it prevents them from dropping back down and makes them have a lot more force. the bars are too smooth have found from new. but roughening them up a little with 80 grit sandpaper makes a big difference
Thanks for that tip! Cheers. Scott #tip
You went to the trouble of getting that fancy scale, yet you couldn't go to a hardware store to get a few threaded hooks? When you (correctly) rejected wire, I expected you to go with chain, but I guess that too would have required shopping.
The two Amazon cheap ones were described as identical, but preformed quite differently. I would put that down to different samples, rather than brand differences.
I liked the test of the pads. Very practical.
I would have expected the owner of John's Furniture Repair to be named, well, John. 8-)
OK, not paid, but didn't you get a bunch of free clamps?
Good conclusions, in my opinion.
Everyone knows the Langstrom 7 inch wrench can not be used with a Findley sprocket.
Jorgensen EZ Hold, 300 lb, 24" @ Lowe's is $ 29.98 USD
Thanks for sharing that Wesley. Scott
Personally, I prefer the screw type clamps. I think you can exert much more pressure with them, though the squeeze clamps have a place in the shop
I have about 6 different types of clamps in my shop. This style is my go-to, but F clamps work well in many cases too. Any brands you prefer? Scott
@@FixingFurniture well, most of mine are pony, but I really like the Bessy parallel jaw for longer clamp ups. I also have some squeeze clamps and spring clamps. They all have their use!
@@kencochrane8795 great!
you could have done all of this before testing the clamps. I just want you to tell me which one to get. way to technical for me
Just to be clear, you say this was not a sponsored video. Yet you got the clamps for free, inspected and selected by the manufacturer for you to test. The only impartial test is a clamp purchased through normal retail sources, which the manufacturer does not know you are testing. So if I understand correctly, except for the Amazon clamps, they really did pay for the test, in some cases by sending extra clamps for free.
Interpret it as you wish. I was not paid as a content creator to make this video for a company. Scott
Thanks for the review. I had some 1st gen Irwin clamps that were given to me but had seen some heavy use. I purchased some 2nd gen (these required you to take out the bolt to flip the head), but only in 6" and 12". In my opinion they didn't hold well and if placed on an odd surface would slide off.
I picked up a 4 pack (2 @ 6" and 12") of the Jorgensen on sale at Lowe's to see if they would fare any better. I first noticed how much longer the pad was on the Jorgensen. I appreciated this because it allowed for more contact area when clamping. The push button to flip the head was way better than a nut/bolt combo that was entirely too time intensive. The dovetail slot to extend the clamp actually works. I tried it just to see if it works, and it really functions well. Should you run out of the size you need, just throw two of these together for an extra clamp. I am partial to the Jorgensen squeeze clamps for these reasons. The only adjustment was in getting accustomed to the placement of the release lever.
I have loads of Bessey F-style clamps floating around my shop as well as some older k-body clamps I picked up for a steal. And I even have some Harbor Freight clamps in the pack because they are useful. Thanks for what you do Scott. It is always nice to have another opinion.
Thanks for sharing that Terry. Nice to hear your experience with them
fun
Glad you liked it! Scott
Did the manufactures sent the clamps to you for free or at a discount? If so did you return them after concluding the testing?
They were sent for free through a special relationship I have with lots of contacts. I get to keep them. Cheers. Scott
@@FixingFurniture thanks Scott that's what I thought based on the video intro. But in the outro you said the manufactures didn't pay to be part of the video. Some people might consider free tools as a form of payment.
Tekton ripped you off. I can not believe they would sell the exact junk as the home clamp at a inflated price. Shame on Tekton.
I have seen testing and testing and this test would not convince me in any way. In the first test, every clamp was losing pressure as anyone could see. On the rest to mark slippage, no one would use that type of clamp on splayed chair legs. That test wa 100 % invalid. Appreciate the time and effort but for me I will stick with name brand clamps and not waste money on cheaper ones , since the price is the primary flag to tell me they may not work. Unscientific I know but your test seemed unscientific as well. Thank you.
When you takk about a project how about heroing camera on the rool not your face
Scott, Please use the proper words, not merch, it is merchandize.
🙄