Great job Mark. Fortunately for me I was in the right place at the right time and went to Lowe’s on the same day that they were replacing the old style of BESSEY parallel clamps with the new ones. I spoke with the department manager who was doing the restocking and she asked me what I thought that the clearance price should be and if $9.99 was a good price for the 24” model? I said “Yup!”, and she marked all of them down accordingly, including the 50” ones for $19.99. I bought every one and have enjoyed using them for many years!
Mark- That was one of the best tool review videos I think I've ever seen. Realistic use cases, consideration of actual cost/benefits and an overall thoroughness made this excellent. Thanks.
@Harpo Marx Don't forget it's entertaining, too! (So you want to keep watching it even if you, somehow, don't care about parallel clamps). Hey, watsamatterwich you!
Thanks so much Marc. This is exactly the video I’ve been waiting for. I bought 4x 48”ers and 2x 24”ers a month ago and they’ve been great. Tired of watching people make videos saying they “aren’t square”. We all appreciate your time and input. Well maybe not all of us, but pretty much all of us.
Why would they need to be square anyway? I'm not even sure what that is meant to mean :-D Clamps delivery force through a contact area and squarity (this is my word for exclusive use by me) isn't necessary.
So true dat. I've seen several reviewers comparing parallel clamps who compare the out of tension square and I immediately clicked away because they highlighted their amateurishness and irrelevance.
This is so good. I love how I walked away from this feeling like I have a solid grasp on the pros and cons of this clamp and I don't feel at any point like I'm being sold on this or any brand. I wish all tool reviews were this thorough and unbiased.
Probably the most thorough parallel clamp forensic on UA-cam. I bought two 24” Bremens, one of which experienced the same gripping issue that was covered in the video. This happened after around 3 overnight glue ups. The good news is that Harbor Freight replaced the defective clamp, no questions. I have same issue with a Bora clamp (1 of 8) but haven’t yet been in touch with the company. I think the Bremen clamp is an excellent value, especially given the HF return/replacement policy. THANKS FOR A FANTASTIC REVIEW.
Good review Mark. I'm a Bessey user but what I actually found most interesting was that when you disassembled the clamp what you were left with was basically an F style clamp. So basically the parallel clamp was an F style with a few added relatively inexpensive parts which makes me think that the margins on parallel clamps are much better than the simpler styles.
This is exactly on point. The only thing parallel clamps bring to the game is built-in cauls and convenience of standing in place or off the workpiece.
With F-style clamps, at least the cheaper ones, you also have to sometimes help it bite the bar and actually clamp. Since you can't do this with parallel clamps (due to the clamp body), perhaps they do need a higher-quality bar and clamp to function properly.
Do you even know how many "we'll check back later" videos that actually NEVER do so that are out there? Man, this is the very best long-term review I've seen yet! That includes everything from "how did my tree trimming work out with my apple harvest" to "we'll see what the sourdough starter looks like a week from now," and all sorts of other "we'll check in later" videos. IMO this was an excellent review, being as fair as possible to both high-end and low-end products, and I've made my decision based on this. Sorry it's late... but I had to tell you because you asked LOL! I'll be going HF mostly because the amount of parallel clamping I need is very low compared to many others. Thanks again!
It's been a couple years since I saw you last time and am happy to say you have succeeded in being one of the best reviewers I have ever seen. Very informative and I surely consider you a professional in what you do. Your wood working is great and these little videos are also very nicely done and helpful, Thank you for your time.
Mark, I love your reviews. Not only do you get to the bottom of how the tool works, but I crack up a half a dozen times. I have a dozen Bessy parallel clamps that I've had for almost 30 years and they collect dust. Not a fan of parallel clamps...but I know people love them. It's still fun to watch a well crafted review of a new tool. Keep it up man! Thanks!
I have the Bremens and Besseys. I bought 5 of the Bremens and wondered how they grip the bar. Now I know! 2 just failed because of slipping after mild hobby use for a few months. HF refunded my money (without question) because they had no more stock on hand.
Thank you for this! Long term test reviews don't get nearly the love they deserve. They're every bit as valuable as head-to-head comparisons, if not more, especially when it comes to budget tools. A lot of HF tools are good enough for casual/diy/hobby/beginner use...and a lot are just not. It's super helpful to know which is which beforehand. And i really appreciate when professionals like you, with every justification to focus on what matters to you, make the effort to continue looking at things from other perspectives.
Thanks for a very informative comparison and review. I recently decided to splurge and treat myself to some parallel clamps after having used "pony" brand bar clamps on galvanized steel pipes, for about the last 30 years. I did look at the Bremen clamps from Harbour Freight and watched one review of them. But ultimately I decided to treat myself to four of the Bessey K-Body parallel clamps instead. I opted for the 31-inch size mostly because I was not sure 24 inches would be enough for some future projects, but also because I found a great price on the 31-inch Bessey at Home Depot online, with free next day Fed-X delivery. Most everyone charges about $60 for the 24 inch Bessey, but the 31-inch size was only $52.45. It's not stocked in the local stores and is only available online. Watching your review just now confirms at least in my mind, that I made a good choice. I'm not knocking the Bremen because it's a great price and may have worked just fine, but I feel a lot better about the long term reliability of the Bessey. The older I get, the more valuable my time is, and I don't like the thought of possibly having to return something that proves to be defective. Thanks again for a very thorough review.
I am a woodworking enthusiast, not even a hobbyist, and buy my tools based on recommendations like yours. Though, I've been lured many times to end up with higher quality tools like Woodpeckers type tools. I have been saving bucks to gear my garage with some medium size parallel clamps and I thought woodpeckers' Semble would make a good addition, but their pricing is pretty scary. Now, you just gave me a good reason to use my money elsewhere and buy a few of these Harbor Freight clamps man. Thanks. Your videos are very informative and enjoyable. Keep'em coming man, we watch them...
I did cabinet construction and better woodwork for years, and always used Bessey clamps, (you're correct, the Allen screw does provide a new 'bite' on the bar. just need to drive it through, not back it out because the messed up threads on the screw can easily mess up threads on the way out ) I have retired, and currently use Irwin clamps more often, simply because I don't use them as much anymore. It's the difference between a hobby and making a living, If I use something maybe once a month, instead of 3 to 4 times a week, I really don't need a top of the line product. That being said, I purchased many of my Bessey clamps before I was married, and we are celebrating our 35th anniversary and they are still going strong. (Giving me fewer headaches than my marriage has)
Harbor Freight appears to be attempting to take the place of Craftsman tools with their guaranteed product lines. Like Craftsman of old they're seldom the best tools available, but with most competition made in China as well they'll be the best solution for hobbyists and even professionals willing to price in the replacement legwork. Thanks for the review Marc, looks like these are worth giving a chance in the endless quest to own an infinite number of clamps...
The low price makes it worth a try. I got a 4 1/2” angle grinder there for $15 for a single project and now just use it for sharpening my mower blades. I figure if it lasts a year I only spent $15.00
I think my biggest takeaway from this is that parallel clamps looks like F style clamps with nice looking trim pieces! I’m not sure what I expected to be honest as I’ve never really thought about it
I've had the Bremen clamps for over a year,only has one fail and it was like that from the factory. I absolutely love these clamps for both function and price.
As someone who worked at a harbor freight store for a number of years, I can tell you that the lifetime warranty is EXACTLY that. No questions asked. They won't scrutinize the tool. They won't keep track as to how many you return. They don't care. They want you to tell your friends how badly you beat up a tool and HFT just took it back and gave you another one. That's how they do it.
Most of the times, having MORE clamps is better than only having a few high end clamps. So, the money adds up pretty quickly. As the saying goes, "Whoever dies with the most clamps wins!" It's not who has the most EXPENSIVE clamps... just the most. So, buy all the cheap clamps you can afford... because there will come a day where a project uses all of them, plus bricks, weights, scraps of metal, that old tire rim and a garden rock to hold things down.
I can honestly say that I have 2 Harbor Freight stores within a 20 minute drive of my front porch and I have literally NEVER seen those clamps at either store, they sell out so fast.
I've never seen such a thorough review. Great job. I was looking at these clamps the other day. I'm just a hobbyist but just knowing of this flaw would bother me.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the "medium" level Harbor Freight stuff as a beginner decently cheap.. and lifetime warranty with no questions I haven't had anything break yet (including the stuff I use for car repairs) and they're a steal when you realize some of their stuff is made in the same factory as the name brand stuff (just with worse quality control it seems) I sanded my entire project of hickory using the HF Bauer $20 sander and when I thought it would break it's still going strong even after dropping it a couple of times by accident!
I bought 4 got them home and found 2 wouldn't tighten so went back exchanged and so far they have worked fine. I'm a hobby wood worker and they are ok for what I do.
The issue is that the metal used on the bremen clamps is too soft. With lower cost, lower quality control and lower quality materials, this is the result. Bessey uses hardened steel bars, and the set screws are hardened as well. FYI, they use that same set screw design on their tradesman clamps. I've been using a bunch of those for over 10 years with no failures. Clamps are a buy once cry once purchase for me. I've been burned on harbor freight standard bar clamps (the handles kept popping off until I epoxied them in place). The only clamps I buy now are usually bessey parallels, tradesmans and ratcheting lever clamps, and dubuque aluminum bar clamps.
This is kinda where I got to, as well. It may be that the set screw is rated higher up the hardness scale than the bar, such that it can cut into the bar and make its own ‘track’ as the serrations on the bar wear over time.
Not tested here but… I got a deal on Prime Day for four Powertek 48-inch parallel clamps at a price of $35/each last year or the year before, and they’ve quickly become my go-to for parallel clamps. They’re much lighter weight than my Bessie’s-I have several K body and. The juniors.-which I only pull out at this point when I’ve run out of Powertec to use. And I do a veritable sh^t ton of glue-ups. No joke.
Thanks for the video...Very informative. I have been using similar clamps with cutting board glue ups and I started rubbing past wax on the bar for easy glue removal.
That was great. Felt complete and loved you did it over multiple months. Cudos on being thorough and patient. I've rarely seems someone do a review over time like that
Thanks for so much time & effort into this video! I happen to love the free sliding that you called finger crushing, lol. Easier to put the clamps away. Rockler's do that but the bar material is too soft and is all chewed up. My Bessey's are worth the extra money. I'll probably pick up a few of the HF 24's next time they have a sale.
Very thorough. I have a love-hate relationship with HF (an air tool failed first time use, of course after the 90 day mark). I do like their Pittsburgh line which have a lifetime warranty. Starting to switch to pipe clamps, bought a 3/4. Now to get a pipe.
I've had a couple of HF's Pittsburgh brand hand tools fail and had the exact same return experience "Go get one off the shelf... Scan... Scan... Have a nice day". I buy power tools from them for a single use and am excited if it lasts longer, but they have significantly upped their game on hand tools. I've even seen pro auto mechanics rate their toolboxes against Snap-On, Matco & others and say that they're 95% as good for < 50% of the price. Hard to argue with that!
The lifetime guarantee is good, but what happens if you are in the middle of a glue-up and it fails at that point. You need to ensure you have enough spares just in case that happens, which looks more likely than not.
Hey Marc. That first link is broken. I'm pretty sure it's the second parenthetical mark. That was exceptionally helpful and a deep cyclical explanatory! Very thorough! Very well done! Thanks a bunch! Hey, I can now replace my "Toe-In-Less" Ehoma's for a clamp so designed and do it on the cheap! 🤣 All the best!
For the Harbor Freight lifetime guarantee, they take your info so that when they look at the returned product, they can see if it was actually broken or if it was a "rental" (buy it, use it once, return it). I've never had them give me any resistance on returning actually bad products, but I know two people who were cheap and tried the rental thing when doing projects and they were bared from returns after that. The other thing about HF items, like these clamps, is that even if you are a pro, if you can get 10, ore even just 5 projects out of them you likely have paid for them and made some money to put towards better tools. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and you have to buy the best you can now, so you can afford to buy better tomorrow. I've had four of these clamps for a year and have not had any problems with them myself.
I was actually out of Harbor freight you're closing time when someone return something. Manager did the exchange, sent the customer on their way, called over an employee handed them the item, told him to break it to make it completely unusable and throw it in the dumpster. Nosey and curious as I am I asked why they did that and was told it's their policy....I suppose I get that but I figure that if your dumpster diving, you might be in more need than most so who cares if someone takes your trash? Likely it's because they don't want someone grabbing stuff and returning the same tool again since they don't require a receipt. Anyway...Back to my point. From what I experienced, they don't do any sort of investigation. They just exchange stuff, toss the broken stuff out and move on. My guess is they gather the exchange information to determine if they're making her losing money. If they're losing money they'll either rise the price or tweak the design.
@@genesishep They also destroy it so that someone can't take the broken or malfunctioning item, use it, get hurt, the sue the store. It's a liability issue. At least at my local store, they take it to the back and to a quick investigation/examination before disposing of it in pieces.
@@genesishep I work in retail, although not at Harbor Freight. What you saw is called DIF - "Destroy In Field"- and is standard practice in the industry . Large retailers have agreements with manufacturers to take in defective items from customers, charge the manufacturer the wholesale price for it, then destroy it so it can't be used. It's actually cheaper than having the product shipped back to them. We usually paint ours as well so they can't be fished out of the dumpster and returned again, although every once in a while some bozo tries it anyway. There are strict rules in place against NOT destroying items or employees taking them home. In my company, if you get caught doing that you will be fired.
How about a video on Jet bandsaws? Man, I just got the one that's around eleven hundred bucks and it's VERY sturdy, and seriously in that price range, I haven't seen anything that even comes close. And Jet is a very good, American family owned business. Very worthwhile.
What's happening is a low grade steel bar. Very typical of tools from Harbor Freight. This store is strictly for the once a year DIYer. No woodworker should purchase anything from HF.
My Bessy wore out on those threads, I turned that screw to expose new sharp threads and I was back in business. Didn't even need to replace the screw. Great design IMO.
This matches my experience with other semi-budget tools that initially seem to work as well as the expensive versions. Initially they work well, then at some point they break down. At least with these clamps you have the lifetime warranty.
When I first started to put together my basement shop, I realized I need a lot of clamps. I bought a bunch of Harbor Freight clamps. (Not the kind covered here, the cheap bar clamps) They work fine, and cost a lot less. Like, less than half of other clamps. Even though I try to buy quality tools, it doesn’t make any sense to spend a lot on the cheaper bar clamps( the non serrated type.)
I assume the screws are hardened steel But aren't the screw threads perpendicular to the bar serrations? I would think the screw should be on the end of the head so the screw threads match the direction of the bar serrations
@Len Conrad I dunno, I just had a problem with one flattening out and talked to Bessey about it. The support there is great but the solution was just to rotate the screw. They didn't qualify the rotation in any way, just to a threaded section that is fresh. I assume if there was something else to consider they would have mentioned it.
From what I can gather, the lower the rating, the better, because you want a coarse pitch threaded screw and a gentle pressure when clamping. If you have fine threads, and too much clamping pressure, it's obviously too much pressure for straight, flat boards that are meant to have moderate clamping pressure. In the 731 woodworks video I watched, it seemed like some of the clamps deformed really bad under load, but the load was not actually measured, meaning the thread pitch is the only thing that might determine how much actual pressure you apply--and that can be deceptive if you have a fine thread screw.
I think the driving difference between the Breman and Bessey is that on the latter, the "grub" screw is hardened, so it doesn't "smooth out" like the Breman (or even its own cast material would). This probably allows even its bar teeth to be soft, as it will just recut them. It'd be interesting to test the hardness of both brands' bars, clamp castings, and while you're at it, maybe even the screw (but that will definitely be very hard). I think that measurement would yield a much more detailed hypothesis on the differences. Great video - and excellent findings!
HF’s F-style clamps are a great investment, too. They will eventually break, and the handle grip might break loose (nothing a little epoxy won’t fix), and the longer bars flex a bit, but they work great for dozens of glueups. At 4-8 bucks a pop, you can’t beat it.
Glad I came across this review. I bought 2 of the 48" clamps a few months back, and are holding up fairly well. I'm very much in the "hobbyist" category, so these clamps are just right.
On and off again hobbyist...I have about 50 HFT clamps of varying shapes and sizes (none of which are the one you reviewed). I have had one of my 6" F-style clamps (of which I have 17) fail in the same way the one failed in this vid, and one of my 12" quick release/trigger style failed when clamping but works fine (for now) expanding. After everything I have seen on UA-cam, I kind of think this is par for the course. Of my nine HFT tools, I consider 3 fairly awesome (12" disc sander, 5 speed lathe, reciprocating saw), 3 adequate (miter saw, dust collector, smallest drill press, router table, smallest stationary disc/belt sander...okay, disc was pos but belt was awesome), and 1 a POS (the smallest bandsaw). After a few years, I upgraded to a bigger bandsaw and lathe...neither of which are HFT. What I learned, and what I mention as often as I can: is use the super cheap HFT stuff to see if you need better stuff. I don't need better clamps, a better miter saw, better drill press, or dust collector. While I upgraded my lathe, I still use my old lathe for really small stuff, and when everyone I know refused to accept a free bandsaw, I tossed a metal cutting blade on it and use it for small metal parts. Maybe I should have just posted "People buy too much expensive stuff when cheaper stuff would work just as well"...only replace "stuff" with an expletive.
Harbor Freight’s return policy truly depends on store-specific policies. I was a store manager for them for several years until recently (am now a carpenter), but even I was turned down at other locations for warranty replacements. Overall, they don’t care about how the damage happened, so that’s a plus. Good luck to everyone using the Bremen brand. Clamps seem just fine
The 48 in. Bremen clamps were just on sale for $32.99, had to get a pair to add to the parallel clamp collection, haha! Love your scietific approach to woodworking Marc and always enjoy your videos!
Now you can see the difference in design! The Jets have a hardened grip that is designed to aggressively grip a smooth soft beam. (thus the scars) The HF beam is apparently a little too soft or the grippers are not sharp and aggressive enough. 1 thing about HF, they will fix it and the clamps will last.
Thanks Marc! Now I'll never be able to touch one of my orange clamps without hearing "Yurgennin"! LMAO! 😂 I have two of the 48" Bremens which will be part of my Exec desk top glue-up. Haven't used them yet, but you didn't mention the best part... they're orange & blue. For a Gator, that matters. Cheers!
I've been on the fence about picking these up as my first set of parallel clamps. I appreciate how you break it down, this is just the info I was looking for and has convinced me to pull the trigger on buying these. Thanks!
I bought thousands of dollars in jet clamps……. Maybe ten work properly they rest are junk, I called jet and the guy told me interchange parts to see if they would work. Now a days when I buy clams I do my homework.
This is a great review! I know at the time it probably doesn't feel worth it to spends months messing with some clamps for one 20 minute video, but your efforts are so incredibly appreciated. I'd love to see teardowns on some of the other parallel clamps, especially cheaper ones like Rockler or Jorgenson, to see how their designs compare to the Bremen or the Bessey. It'd be nice to see where the price:performace ratio sweet spot is for a clamp that costs just enough that there's not a 25% chance you need to go to the store to exchange it. I don't know if even the good ones are actually hardened and are in the right range for it to work, but maybe something like hardness testing files could be used to check the bars and the head to see if they're too soft? Finding some way of testing hardness might let you get the same answers without doing a long term test.
I just got the 48" parallel clamp for $32.99 on a super sale. Can't beat just walking into the store and getting a brand new one free and easy vs shipping it back and paying for shipping.
5:28 omg as soon as you started talking about this problem my first thought was how much i hate my effing Jorgensons because of this. I have those, some Boras, and the Bremens. I prefer the Bremens.
I'm betting that the two piece "shoe" on the Bessy is so that the serrated piece can be made from a hardened material. Not for replacement. I'm also betting that you will find something similar on the other high end brands. Without the hardened steel you will eventually flatten those serrations especially if you are using a lot of clamping pressure. I really don't think the quality of the bar is an issue. My 2 cents worth.
I just returned a 7 year old rubber mallet that dried out, just gave me a new one. Have returned the cheap o F clamps to them after abusing hem, same thing, just give me a new one , no questions asked. Returns are not a problem.😊
I buy a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight. I like Harbor Freight. I do for sure buy their best to offer.. I have returned very little so far. may years ago i bought a cordless drill. The drill and battery were great. However, the charger was terrible.. I got so many free ones and I was just tired of the bother. That was one item.
I bought a couple 24" a year ago and they seem to be holding up. I always put packing tape on my bars (or pipes) in the areas that will be exposed to glue. This minimizes metal to wood problems and cleanup.
What value is there in a clamp that slips when you need it? If the glue is on and then the clamp slips you do not have time to go get a new one. That is why I buy better quality tools. The problem caused is not worth the savings.
Very interesting and useful video. Thanks. The low price of these clamps would not be sufficient for me to give up my Jet parallel clamps. I purchased my Jet clamps at least 10 years ago. I love the clutch design of the Jet clamps. I cover my Jet bars with masking tape to prevent glue getting on the bar. Dave.
Thanks Marc, I see cheap clamps that work great 👍. The nice design of all the clamps you mentioned makes it easy to setup the project into the clamps. You can use modest pressure without really cranking down on the clamps. If you need that super man clamp pressure (crush the wood) then add the never fail 3/4” pipe clamps to both sides of the project. Oh by the way are you sure you haven’t had way too much of the Dunkin’ coffee? Looks like a quart. LOL. I think you should do something really special with the nice piece of black walnut behind you.
I seriously wish there was a 30 or 36 inch in this product stack.......I bought 2 48s that I haven't used yet but for the project I bought them for 36 would have been good.
I have a number of the bessey clamps and one pair of the Jorgensen 24". Never had any of them slip. My guess is the grub screw on the Bessey clamps is hardened and wont wear through normal use. I feel there is a huge opportunity being missed from the consumer side and that would be selling the clamp heads seperate from the bars. I typically only use 6-8 clamps at a time but would prefer not to have 6-8 clamps of every size. I'd rather just have the heads with a stockpile of bars at the lengths I need. I do already dio this with my pipe clamps, just really wish I had the option to do it with my parallel clamps too.
Have had this issue with cheap F clamps as well (which is basically all a parallel clamp really is, they just add a few extra parts) and it seems to be due to using a steel alloy that is just too soft in both the head and bar. Given these rely on biting into each other and wear of either will result in slipping you have to use something reasonably hard for a long working life but the fundamental design means they're all going to fail eventually, using harder steel will just significantly extend the life.
Two things, I bought all my parallel clamps used, I have Bessey's and Jorgenson. I also found some 15" deep throat clamps at a discount store. I have never paid over $25 for a clamp, all looked almost unused. I have built a few projects that used every single clamp I had. A decade ago I built a reproduction of a 1948 Teardrop camper, used over 100 clamps at one point. I am a hobby woodworker and costs are critical, so I do buy less used tools at Harbor Freight. I am unsure on the HF guarantee, did they exchange like Sears used to do? When I bought a cordless chainsaw, I discovered the 2 year warrantee was only for the first saw, if I returned it, warrantee is done.
I think the sentiment of this is a great low cost option for hobbyist describes most of what HF sells and their return policy is great, like the old Craftsman's hand tool policy. In the cases of having the HF version or nothing at all it's nice that HF is available. As someone with a older teen who is getting into making stuff and working on his truck who isn't very gentle and sometimes absent minded with my tools, being able to get 2 decent (Bauer) angle grinders for the same price as a DeWalt makes a lot of sense. I think with the proliferation of ultra cheep import tools on Amazon the quality of stuff at HF has improved, their Quinn and Doyle lines are solid tools at 1/2 the cost. As always when shopping at HF, simpler the better and if it's suppose to be sharp it wont stay that way.
Harbor freight clamps are probably the best value purchase out there. I haven't gotten any of their parrallel clamps yet but own a ton of their f style clamps. The bars will bend if you put a ton of force on them but like you said, if you are putting that much force on the project you probably should rework your jointery. It would probably be worth having a few higher quality clamps for small projects and then just a bunch of harbor freight clamps for when you are doing larger projects. :)
Great job Mark. Fortunately for me I was in the right place at the right time and went to Lowe’s on the same day that they were replacing the old style of BESSEY parallel clamps with the new ones. I spoke with the department manager who was doing the restocking and she asked me what I thought that the clearance price should be and if $9.99 was a good price for the 24” model? I said “Yup!”, and she marked all of them down accordingly, including the 50” ones for $19.99. I bought every one and have enjoyed using them for many years!
"Grip is a very personal choice any way..." ~ Marc Spagnuolo, 2023
As I get older, the ability to use an allen key on the end of the Bessey clamp is becoming more and more my feature of choice
Marc with a C!!
Sooo personal
"Let's take a closer look at the head on this thing" - Mark Spagnuolo, 2023
9😅❤@@rootvalue
Mark- That was one of the best tool review videos I think I've ever seen. Realistic use cases, consideration of actual cost/benefits and an overall thoroughness made this excellent. Thanks.
u need to see more vids then there harp.
@Harpo Marx Don't forget it's entertaining, too! (So you want to keep watching it even if you, somehow, don't care about parallel clamps).
Hey, watsamatterwich you!
Thanks so much Marc. This is exactly the video I’ve been waiting for. I bought 4x 48”ers and 2x 24”ers a month ago and they’ve been great. Tired of watching people make videos saying they “aren’t square”. We all appreciate your time and input. Well maybe not all of us, but pretty much all of us.
Why would they need to be square anyway? I'm not even sure what that is meant to mean :-D Clamps delivery force through a contact area and squarity (this is my word for exclusive use by me) isn't necessary.
So true dat. I've seen several reviewers comparing parallel clamps who compare the out of tension square and I immediately clicked away because they highlighted their amateurishness and irrelevance.
This is so good. I love how I walked away from this feeling like I have a solid grasp on the pros and cons of this clamp and I don't feel at any point like I'm being sold on this or any brand. I wish all tool reviews were this thorough and unbiased.
Probably the most thorough parallel clamp forensic on UA-cam. I bought two 24” Bremens, one of which experienced the same gripping issue that was covered in the video. This happened after around 3 overnight glue ups. The good news is that Harbor Freight replaced the defective clamp, no questions. I have same issue with a Bora clamp (1 of 8) but haven’t yet been in touch with the company. I think the Bremen clamp is an excellent value, especially given the HF return/replacement policy. THANKS FOR A FANTASTIC REVIEW.
Good review Mark. I'm a Bessey user but what I actually found most interesting was that when you disassembled the clamp what you were left with was basically an F style clamp. So basically the parallel clamp was an F style with a few added relatively inexpensive parts which makes me think that the margins on parallel clamps are much better than the simpler styles.
This is exactly on point. The only thing parallel clamps bring to the game is built-in cauls and convenience of standing in place or off the workpiece.
With F-style clamps, at least the cheaper ones, you also have to sometimes help it bite the bar and actually clamp.
Since you can't do this with parallel clamps (due to the clamp body), perhaps they do need a higher-quality bar and clamp to function properly.
Do you even know how many "we'll check back later" videos that actually NEVER do so that are out there? Man, this is the very best long-term review I've seen yet! That includes everything from "how did my tree trimming work out with my apple harvest" to "we'll see what the sourdough starter looks like a week from now," and all sorts of other "we'll check in later" videos. IMO this was an excellent review, being as fair as possible to both high-end and low-end products, and I've made my decision based on this. Sorry it's late... but I had to tell you because you asked LOL! I'll be going HF mostly because the amount of parallel clamping I need is very low compared to many others. Thanks again!
It's been a couple years since I saw you last time and am happy to say you have succeeded in being one of the best reviewers I have ever seen. Very informative and I surely consider you a professional in what you do. Your wood working is great and these little videos are also very nicely done and helpful, Thank you for your time.
I appreciate it
Mark, I love your reviews. Not only do you get to the bottom of how the tool works, but I crack up a half a dozen times. I have a dozen Bessy parallel clamps that I've had for almost 30 years and they collect dust. Not a fan of parallel clamps...but I know people love them. It's still fun to watch a well crafted review of a new tool. Keep it up man! Thanks!
I have the Bremens and Besseys. I bought 5 of the Bremens and wondered how they grip the bar. Now I know! 2 just failed because of slipping after mild hobby use for a few months. HF refunded my money (without question) because they had no more stock on hand.
Thank you for this! Long term test reviews don't get nearly the love they deserve. They're every bit as valuable as head-to-head comparisons, if not more, especially when it comes to budget tools. A lot of HF tools are good enough for casual/diy/hobby/beginner use...and a lot are just not. It's super helpful to know which is which beforehand. And i really appreciate when professionals like you, with every justification to focus on what matters to you, make the effort to continue looking at things from other perspectives.
I'm sold! Going to grab 3 of the 48" ones today. Thanks for the solid review!
So glad you took us on the complete journey with you, and didn't post the video after less than a week of testing. 0% snobbery displayed.
Thanks for a very informative comparison and review.
I recently decided to splurge and treat myself to some parallel clamps after having used "pony" brand bar clamps on galvanized steel pipes, for about the last 30 years. I did look at the Bremen clamps from Harbour Freight and watched one review of them. But ultimately I decided to treat myself to four of the Bessey K-Body parallel clamps instead. I opted for the 31-inch size mostly because I was not sure 24 inches would be enough for some future projects, but also because I found a great price on the 31-inch Bessey at Home Depot online, with free next day Fed-X delivery. Most everyone charges about $60 for the 24 inch Bessey, but the 31-inch size was only $52.45. It's not stocked in the local stores and is only available online.
Watching your review just now confirms at least in my mind, that I made a good choice. I'm not knocking the Bremen because it's a great price and may have worked just fine, but I feel a lot better about the long term reliability of the Bessey. The older I get, the more valuable my time is, and I don't like the thought of possibly having to return something that proves to be defective.
Thanks again for a very thorough review.
I am a woodworking enthusiast, not even a hobbyist, and buy my tools based on recommendations like yours. Though, I've been lured many times to end up with higher quality tools like Woodpeckers type tools. I have been saving bucks to gear my garage with some medium size parallel clamps and I thought woodpeckers' Semble would make a good addition, but their pricing is pretty scary. Now, you just gave me a good reason to use my money elsewhere and buy a few of these Harbor Freight clamps man. Thanks.
Your videos are very informative and enjoyable. Keep'em coming man, we watch them...
I really appreciate the thorough nature and unbiased information that you provide in your comparison videos. Keep 'em coming.
Marc, this was an awesome review! Thanks Bud, do more of these please!
I did cabinet construction and better woodwork for years, and always used Bessey clamps, (you're correct, the Allen screw does provide a new 'bite' on the bar. just need to drive it through, not back it out because the messed up threads on the screw can easily mess up threads on the way out )
I have retired, and currently use Irwin clamps more often, simply because I don't use them as much anymore. It's the difference between a hobby and making a living,
If I use something maybe once a month, instead of 3 to 4 times a week, I really don't need a top of the line product.
That being said, I purchased many of my Bessey clamps before I was married, and we are celebrating our 35th anniversary and they are still going strong. (Giving me fewer headaches than my marriage has)
Harbor Freight appears to be attempting to take the place of Craftsman tools with their guaranteed product lines. Like Craftsman of old they're seldom the best tools available, but with most competition made in China as well they'll be the best solution for hobbyists and even professionals willing to price in the replacement legwork.
Thanks for the review Marc, looks like these are worth giving a chance in the endless quest to own an infinite number of clamps...
The low price makes it worth a try. I got a 4 1/2” angle grinder there for $15 for a single project and now just use it for sharpening my mower blades.
I figure if it lasts a year I only spent $15.00
@@CrazyManwich I'm on year 12 of my harbor freight grinder...and I put it through hell... certainly feel like I got my money's worth.
I think my biggest takeaway from this is that parallel clamps looks like F style clamps with nice looking trim pieces!
I’m not sure what I expected to be honest as I’ve never really thought about it
I've had the Bremen clamps for over a year,only has one fail and it was like that from the factory. I absolutely love these clamps for both function and price.
As someone who worked at a harbor freight store for a number of years, I can tell you that the lifetime warranty is EXACTLY that. No questions asked. They won't scrutinize the tool. They won't keep track as to how many you return. They don't care. They want you to tell your friends how badly you beat up a tool and HFT just took it back and gave you another one. That's how they do it.
Wow. What an in-depth review. It's always hard to tell which Harbor Freight things are surprisingly good or understandably bad.
Thanks!
Most of the times, having MORE clamps is better than only having a few high end clamps. So, the money adds up pretty quickly. As the saying goes, "Whoever dies with the most clamps wins!" It's not who has the most EXPENSIVE clamps... just the most. So, buy all the cheap clamps you can afford... because there will come a day where a project uses all of them, plus bricks, weights, scraps of metal, that old tire rim and a garden rock to hold things down.
Eco Mouse...Yep...precisely..!! Having too many clamps ?? Not possible...lol..!!
I can honestly say that I have 2 Harbor Freight stores within a 20 minute drive of my front porch and I have literally NEVER seen those clamps at either store, they sell out so fast.
must be all these other channels buying them up for their videos
I've never seen such a thorough review. Great job. I was looking at these clamps the other day. I'm just a hobbyist but just knowing of this flaw would bother me.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the "medium" level Harbor Freight stuff as a beginner
decently cheap.. and lifetime warranty with no questions
I haven't had anything break yet (including the stuff I use for car repairs) and they're a steal when you realize some of their stuff is made in the same factory as the name brand stuff (just with worse quality control it seems)
I sanded my entire project of hickory using the HF Bauer $20 sander and when I thought it would break it's still going strong even after dropping it a couple of times by accident!
I bought 4 got them home and found 2 wouldn't tighten so went back exchanged and so far they have worked fine. I'm a hobby wood worker and they are ok for what I do.
Been sub for a long time. Regardless of that, this is one of the VERY BEST reviews of ANYTHING I've seen during many years of YT browsing.
5:25 I'm sure someone in marketing is thinking, "Yeah, but look on the bright side, it doubles as a hammer."
The issue is that the metal used on the bremen clamps is too soft. With lower cost, lower quality control and lower quality materials, this is the result. Bessey uses hardened steel bars, and the set screws are hardened as well. FYI, they use that same set screw design on their tradesman clamps. I've been using a bunch of those for over 10 years with no failures. Clamps are a buy once cry once purchase for me. I've been burned on harbor freight standard bar clamps (the handles kept popping off until I epoxied them in place). The only clamps I buy now are usually bessey parallels, tradesmans and ratcheting lever clamps, and dubuque aluminum bar clamps.
This is kinda where I got to, as well. It may be that the set screw is rated higher up the hardness scale than the bar, such that it can cut into the bar and make its own ‘track’ as the serrations on the bar wear over time.
the hardness of the bar and clamp seems to be the key It is a materials selecton choice
excellent review
Not tested here but…
I got a deal on Prime Day for four Powertek 48-inch parallel clamps at a price of $35/each last year or the year before, and they’ve quickly become my go-to for parallel clamps.
They’re much lighter weight than my Bessie’s-I have several K body and. The juniors.-which I only pull out at this point when I’ve run out of Powertec to use.
And I do a veritable sh^t ton of glue-ups.
No joke.
Informative and entertaining, as usual Marc. I believe you meant "screw pitch" rather than "diameter" around 6 min Marc!
I have a lot of those sacrificial pads just fall off my Bessey clamps when they are in the rack. Having them lock in place would actually be useful.
Excellent videos. A very good and honest review. As a hobbyist, going to give them a try.
Thanks for the video...Very informative. I have been using similar clamps with cutting board glue ups and I started rubbing past wax on the bar for easy glue removal.
Loved the breakdown, the extended test and the tear-down to find the problem.
👍🏾😁👍🏾
That was great. Felt complete and loved you did it over multiple months. Cudos on being thorough and patient. I've rarely seems someone do a review over time like that
I got a bunch of the Jorgensens last Christmas and the finger crushing feature was something that I did not expect, being used to the Jet clamps.
Fair, honest review. Exactly what we've come to expect from your channel. Thanks for the time and effort, Marc.
Thanks for so much time & effort into this video! I happen to love the free sliding that you called finger crushing, lol. Easier to put the clamps away. Rockler's do that but the bar material is too soft and is all chewed up. My Bessey's are worth the extra money. I'll probably pick up a few of the HF 24's next time they have a sale.
Very thorough. I have a love-hate relationship with HF (an air tool failed first time use, of course after the 90 day mark). I do like their Pittsburgh line which have a lifetime warranty. Starting to switch to pipe clamps, bought a 3/4. Now to get a pipe.
I've had a couple of HF's Pittsburgh brand hand tools fail and had the exact same return experience "Go get one off the shelf... Scan... Scan... Have a nice day".
I buy power tools from them for a single use and am excited if it lasts longer, but they have significantly upped their game on hand tools.
I've even seen pro auto mechanics rate their toolboxes against Snap-On, Matco & others and say that they're 95% as good for < 50% of the price. Hard to argue with that!
The lifetime guarantee is good, but what happens if you are in the middle of a glue-up and it fails at that point. You need to ensure you have enough spares just in case that happens, which looks more likely than not.
Hey Marc. That first link is broken. I'm pretty sure it's the second parenthetical mark. That was exceptionally helpful and a deep cyclical explanatory! Very thorough! Very well done! Thanks a bunch! Hey, I can now replace my "Toe-In-Less" Ehoma's for a clamp so designed and do it on the cheap! 🤣 All the best!
For the Harbor Freight lifetime guarantee, they take your info so that when they look at the returned product, they can see if it was actually broken or if it was a "rental" (buy it, use it once, return it). I've never had them give me any resistance on returning actually bad products, but I know two people who were cheap and tried the rental thing when doing projects and they were bared from returns after that.
The other thing about HF items, like these clamps, is that even if you are a pro, if you can get 10, ore even just 5 projects out of them you likely have paid for them and made some money to put towards better tools. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and you have to buy the best you can now, so you can afford to buy better tomorrow. I've had four of these clamps for a year and have not had any problems with them myself.
I was actually out of Harbor freight you're closing time when someone return something. Manager did the exchange, sent the customer on their way, called over an employee handed them the item, told him to break it to make it completely unusable and throw it in the dumpster. Nosey and curious as I am I asked why they did that and was told it's their policy....I suppose I get that but I figure that if your dumpster diving, you might be in more need than most so who cares if someone takes your trash? Likely it's because they don't want someone grabbing stuff and returning the same tool again since they don't require a receipt. Anyway...Back to my point.
From what I experienced, they don't do any sort of investigation. They just exchange stuff, toss the broken stuff out and move on. My guess is they gather the exchange information to determine if they're making her losing money. If they're losing money they'll either rise the price or tweak the design.
@@genesishep They also destroy it so that someone can't take the broken or malfunctioning item, use it, get hurt, the sue the store. It's a liability issue. At least at my local store, they take it to the back and to a quick investigation/examination before disposing of it in pieces.
@@genesishep I work in retail, although not at Harbor Freight. What you saw is called DIF - "Destroy In Field"- and is standard practice in the industry . Large retailers have agreements with manufacturers to take in defective items from customers, charge the manufacturer the wholesale price for it, then destroy it so it can't be used. It's actually cheaper than having the product shipped back to them. We usually paint ours as well so they can't be fished out of the dumpster and returned again, although every once in a while some bozo tries it anyway. There are strict rules in place against NOT destroying items or employees taking them home. In my company, if you get caught doing that you will be fired.
Great review! I just finished filming a video where I refinish a painted mid-century table. Keep up the good work 🙏🏻
This seemed like a thorough and honest review. Thank you WW.
How about a video on Jet bandsaws? Man, I just got the one that's around eleven hundred bucks and it's VERY sturdy, and seriously in that price range, I haven't seen anything that even comes close. And Jet is a very good, American family owned business. Very worthwhile.
What's happening is a low grade steel bar. Very typical of tools from Harbor Freight. This store is strictly for the once a year DIYer. No woodworker should purchase anything from HF.
My Bessy wore out on those threads, I turned that screw to expose new sharp threads and I was back in business. Didn't even need to replace the screw. Great design IMO.
Jet clamps are made in China too. :) 0:09
This matches my experience with other semi-budget tools that initially seem to work as well as the expensive versions. Initially they work well, then at some point they break down. At least with these clamps you have the lifetime warranty.
When I first started to put together my basement shop, I realized I need a lot of clamps. I bought a bunch of Harbor Freight clamps. (Not the kind covered here, the cheap bar clamps) They work fine, and cost a lot less. Like, less than half of other clamps. Even though I try to buy quality tools, it doesn’t make any sense to spend a lot on the cheaper bar clamps( the non serrated type.)
Bessey does recommend to rotate the screw when it wears, I've had that issue myself.
Good to know!
I assume the screws are hardened steel
But aren't the screw threads perpendicular to the bar serrations?
I would think the screw should be on the end of the head so the screw threads match the direction of the bar serrations
@Len Conrad I dunno, I just had a problem with one flattening out and talked to Bessey about it. The support there is great but the solution was just to rotate the screw. They didn't qualify the rotation in any way, just to a threaded section that is fresh. I assume if there was something else to consider they would have mentioned it.
Excellent video! I've got a bunch of these and a few Jorgensons. The hand crushers are good, but annoying. I like these clamps and the price is right!
From what I can gather, the lower the rating, the better, because you want a coarse pitch threaded screw and a gentle pressure when clamping. If you have fine threads, and too much clamping pressure, it's obviously too much pressure for straight, flat boards that are meant to have moderate clamping pressure. In the 731 woodworks video I watched, it seemed like some of the clamps deformed really bad under load, but the load was not actually measured, meaning the thread pitch is the only thing that might determine how much actual pressure you apply--and that can be deceptive if you have a fine thread screw.
Paul Sellers takes the sash clamps and puts wood in them to boost strength another frugal option as well.
I think the driving difference between the Breman and Bessey is that on the latter, the "grub" screw is hardened, so it doesn't "smooth out" like the Breman (or even its own cast material would). This probably allows even its bar teeth to be soft, as it will just recut them.
It'd be interesting to test the hardness of both brands' bars, clamp castings, and while you're at it, maybe even the screw (but that will definitely be very hard). I think that measurement would yield a much more detailed hypothesis on the differences.
Great video - and excellent findings!
HF’s F-style clamps are a great investment, too. They will eventually break, and the handle grip might break loose (nothing a little epoxy won’t fix), and the longer bars flex a bit, but they work great for dozens of glueups. At 4-8 bucks a pop, you can’t beat it.
Glad I came across this review. I bought 2 of the 48" clamps a few months back, and are holding up fairly well. I'm very much in the "hobbyist" category, so these clamps are just right.
On and off again hobbyist...I have about 50 HFT clamps of varying shapes and sizes (none of which are the one you reviewed). I have had one of my 6" F-style clamps (of which I have 17) fail in the same way the one failed in this vid, and one of my 12" quick release/trigger style failed when clamping but works fine (for now) expanding. After everything I have seen on UA-cam, I kind of think this is par for the course. Of my nine HFT tools, I consider 3 fairly awesome (12" disc sander, 5 speed lathe, reciprocating saw), 3 adequate (miter saw, dust collector, smallest drill press, router table, smallest stationary disc/belt sander...okay, disc was pos but belt was awesome), and 1 a POS (the smallest bandsaw).
After a few years, I upgraded to a bigger bandsaw and lathe...neither of which are HFT. What I learned, and what I mention as often as I can: is use the super cheap HFT stuff to see if you need better stuff. I don't need better clamps, a better miter saw, better drill press, or dust collector. While I upgraded my lathe, I still use my old lathe for really small stuff, and when everyone I know refused to accept a free bandsaw, I tossed a metal cutting blade on it and use it for small metal parts.
Maybe I should have just posted "People buy too much expensive stuff when cheaper stuff would work just as well"...only replace "stuff" with an expletive.
Harbor Freight’s return policy truly depends on store-specific policies. I was a store manager for them for several years until recently (am now a carpenter), but even I was turned down at other locations for warranty replacements. Overall, they don’t care about how the damage happened, so that’s a plus. Good luck to everyone using the Bremen brand. Clamps seem just fine
The "backsaw boys" sign in the background... 😂😂😂
Thanks for the heads up Mark😊👍
The 48 in. Bremen clamps were just on sale for $32.99, had to get a pair to add to the parallel clamp collection, haha! Love your scietific approach to woodworking Marc and always enjoy your videos!
Now you can see the difference in design! The Jets have a hardened grip that is designed to aggressively grip a smooth soft beam. (thus the scars) The HF beam is apparently a little too soft or the grippers are not sharp and aggressive enough. 1 thing about HF, they will fix it and the clamps will last.
Thanks for the great content! I have a few Bessey’s and a few of the HF clamps and I find the HF’s actually easier to use.
Thanks Marc! Now I'll never be able to touch one of my orange clamps without hearing "Yurgennin"! LMAO! 😂
I have two of the 48" Bremens which will be part of my Exec desk top glue-up. Haven't used them yet, but you didn't mention the best part... they're orange & blue.
For a Gator, that matters. Cheers!
I've been on the fence about picking these up as my first set of parallel clamps. I appreciate how you break it down, this is just the info I was looking for and has convinced me to pull the trigger on buying these. Thanks!
That’s interesting that they asked for any information when you swap them out. My stores just ask what’s wrong and that’s it
Great review! It's always in the back of my mind whether HF tools are of decent quality, much less high quality. Thanks for clearing that up!
I bought thousands of dollars in jet clamps……. Maybe ten work properly they rest are junk, I called jet and the guy told me interchange parts to see if they would work. Now a days when I buy clams I do my homework.
This is a great review! I know at the time it probably doesn't feel worth it to spends months messing with some clamps for one 20 minute video, but your efforts are so incredibly appreciated. I'd love to see teardowns on some of the other parallel clamps, especially cheaper ones like Rockler or Jorgenson, to see how their designs compare to the Bremen or the Bessey. It'd be nice to see where the price:performace ratio sweet spot is for a clamp that costs just enough that there's not a 25% chance you need to go to the store to exchange it.
I don't know if even the good ones are actually hardened and are in the right range for it to work, but maybe something like hardness testing files could be used to check the bars and the head to see if they're too soft? Finding some way of testing hardness might let you get the same answers without doing a long term test.
I just got the 48" parallel clamp for $32.99 on a super sale. Can't beat just walking into the store and getting a brand new one free and easy vs shipping it back and paying for shipping.
5:28 omg as soon as you started talking about this problem my first thought was how much i hate my effing Jorgensons because of this. I have those, some Boras, and the Bremens. I prefer the Bremens.
Well done. Hoping you'll put the new Rockler clamps through their paces soon...
I'm betting that the two piece "shoe" on the Bessy is so that the serrated piece can be made from a hardened material. Not for replacement. I'm also betting that you will find something similar on the other high end brands. Without the hardened steel you will eventually flatten those serrations especially if you are using a lot of clamping pressure. I really don't think the quality of the bar is an issue. My 2 cents worth.
I just returned a 7 year old rubber mallet that dried out, just gave me a new one. Have returned the cheap o F clamps to them after abusing hem, same thing, just give me a new one , no questions asked. Returns are not a problem.😊
They were on sale for 27.99 a few weeks ago. I bought 6 (same price as 2 Besseys) and so far so good.
Marc shopping at Harbor Freight. I never thought I would see the day,.. .lol
I buy a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight. I like Harbor Freight. I do for sure buy their best to offer.. I have returned very little so far. may years ago i bought a cordless drill. The drill and battery were great. However, the charger was terrible.. I got so many free ones and I was just tired of the bother. That was one item.
I bought a couple 24" a year ago and they seem to be holding up. I always put packing tape on my bars (or pipes) in the areas that will be exposed to glue. This minimizes metal to wood problems and cleanup.
I see you have the Rockler Deluxe clamps, how about a review on them? I’m so in the market or just tell me now yes or no. Haha. Thanks!
I absolutely have to buy these Bremen clamps. Why? Because I was born in Bremen / Germany 😎👍🏻
What value is there in a clamp that slips when you need it? If the glue is on and then the clamp slips you do not have time to go get a new one. That is why I buy better quality tools. The problem caused is not worth the savings.
Very interesting and useful video. Thanks. The low price of these clamps would not be sufficient for me to give up my Jet parallel clamps. I purchased my Jet clamps at least 10 years ago. I love the clutch design of the Jet clamps. I cover my Jet bars with masking tape to prevent glue getting on the bar.
Dave.
The day Marc became Project Farm.
Try running it over with a straight piped Winnebago
Thanks Marc, I see cheap clamps that work great 👍. The nice design of all the clamps you mentioned makes it easy to setup the project into the clamps. You can use modest pressure without really cranking down on the clamps. If you need that super man clamp pressure (crush the wood) then add the never fail 3/4” pipe clamps to both sides of the project.
Oh by the way are you sure you haven’t had way too much of the Dunkin’ coffee? Looks like a quart. LOL. I think you should do something really special with the nice piece of black walnut behind you.
Their f clamps are a lifetime warranty as well. Ive swapped many out without any issue.
I seriously wish there was a 30 or 36 inch in this product stack.......I bought 2 48s that I haven't used yet but for the project I bought them for 36 would have been good.
I have a number of the bessey clamps and one pair of the Jorgensen 24". Never had any of them slip. My guess is the grub screw on the Bessey clamps is hardened and wont wear through normal use.
I feel there is a huge opportunity being missed from the consumer side and that would be selling the clamp heads seperate from the bars. I typically only use 6-8 clamps at a time but would prefer not to have 6-8 clamps of every size. I'd rather just have the heads with a stockpile of bars at the lengths I need. I do already dio this with my pipe clamps, just really wish I had the option to do it with my parallel clamps too.
Have had this issue with cheap F clamps as well (which is basically all a parallel clamp really is, they just add a few extra parts) and it seems to be due to using a steel alloy that is just too soft in both the head and bar.
Given these rely on biting into each other and wear of either will result in slipping you have to use something reasonably hard for a long working life but the fundamental design means they're all going to fail eventually, using harder steel will just significantly extend the life.
Two things, I bought all my parallel clamps used, I have Bessey's and Jorgenson. I also found some 15" deep throat clamps at a discount store. I have never paid over $25 for a clamp, all looked almost unused. I have built a few projects that used every single clamp I had. A decade ago I built a reproduction of a 1948 Teardrop camper, used over 100 clamps at one point. I am a hobby woodworker and costs are critical, so I do buy less used tools at Harbor Freight. I am unsure on the HF guarantee, did they exchange like Sears used to do? When I bought a cordless chainsaw, I discovered the 2 year warrantee was only for the first saw, if I returned it, warrantee is done.
I think the sentiment of this is a great low cost option for hobbyist describes most of what HF sells and their return policy is great, like the old Craftsman's hand tool policy. In the cases of having the HF version or nothing at all it's nice that HF is available. As someone with a older teen who is getting into making stuff and working on his truck who isn't very gentle and sometimes absent minded with my tools, being able to get 2 decent (Bauer) angle grinders for the same price as a DeWalt makes a lot of sense. I think with the proliferation of ultra cheep import tools on Amazon the quality of stuff at HF has improved, their Quinn and Doyle lines are solid tools at 1/2 the cost. As always when shopping at HF, simpler the better and if it's suppose to be sharp it wont stay that way.
I wonder what would happen if you drilled and tapped the head and put in your own set screws. Hmm!
Harbor freight clamps are probably the best value purchase out there. I haven't gotten any of their parrallel clamps yet but own a ton of their f style clamps. The bars will bend if you put a ton of force on them but like you said, if you are putting that much force on the project you probably should rework your jointery. It would probably be worth having a few higher quality clamps for small projects and then just a bunch of harbor freight clamps for when you are doing larger projects. :)
HF FTW. Gonna have to pick up a few of these next time I’m in there to see how it goes.