Bessey, Jorgensen, & Harbor Freight. F-clamp comparison and review!

Had to correct a wrong and go get some small F-clamps to replace the harbor freight mistake of last year. I show you what, why, and how the Harbor Freight budget clamps failed me so quickly. Plus the Bessey F-clamps I bought to replace them. A few words about some old Jorgensen clamps thrown in for good measure to give a bit of an f-clamp comparison and review.
I'm also adding a couple links to the new Bessey clamps that I review in this video, please check them out here:
Bessey 6" clamp, with 2 1/2" throat: amzn.to/2HGGViz
Bessey 6" gear clamp with 2 1/2" throat: amzn.to/37JLvYa
The heavier duty 3 1/2" throated Bessey clamps and the 12" Bessey gear clamps are available at Home Depot.
The 6" Harbor Freight POS specials are available in my trash can until next Monday

[@1st1shot]

For someone like me that rarely/occasionally does a woodworking project, the Harbor Freight tools do fine.

[@stevenhernandez3676]

I just got into woodworking and was wondering where to start for my first clamps. Bessey F-clamps it is, thanks my man!

[@lianium]

I made a heavy-duty F clamp with a creative gripping mechanism .Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3myqGeOfbGBkMk

[@michaelcummins5974]

The gearklamp is meant to be used for some specific applications, not to be sexy. The standard f clamp is the workhorse, the gear clamp purpose is for getting into tight spaces where the handle on an f clamp won't fit, or where your knuckles are jammed up against a panel and you can't really turn the handle. I wouldn't suggest using them for your everyday work, but they're a great design for certain situations.

[@brett328]

Sorry but, absolutely no excuse for the tool to be using a cheap piece of plastic as the clamping pad. The 400 lb limit is due to the fact that over tightening will drive the metal ball through the cheap plastic pad. It's a disgrace that a premier clamp manufacturer would mass produce a clamp with such an inferior component in a vitally important part of the clamp. All for cost cutting.

[@michaelcummins5974]

I have no horse in the game... In fact I don't even own these clamps add I have many other clamps of varying types that can handle most of the situations these would be useful for... But, it's a light-medium duty clamp. There are many light-medium duty components to keep the weight and cost down. All the connections from the handle to the gears, the gears themselves, etc are plastic too. If you're trying to put that much force on these clamps that you're worried about the pad, you're going to break all kinds of things on the clamp. You don't have to like the clamp, that's fine. It's just not reasonable to entirely dismiss a very useful design because you insist upon using it in a way it's not designed to be used. It's a specialty clamp, not a general purpose one. If that's not what you're looking for then it's not the clamp for you, but not automatically a bad clamp for being designed for a specific purpose and duty level.

[@brett328]

It's a clamp, I like the design, the materials are insufficient for the purpose of clamping. I call it like I see it. It's cheap, it's weak. If you want a clamp that's ok for "light clamping", You can still buy it, despite what I say. Doesn't change the fact that I never have owned or seen a clamp with a plastic foot pad, unless it was a toy. Sorry this review offends you on some level.

[@michaelcummins5974]

@@brett328 perhaps if you've never seen a specialty clamp with a plastic foot pad, nor understand the difference between heavy duty general purpose clamps and light-medium duty specialty clamps, you shouldn't be doing clamp reviews for the public. You are doing your viewers a disservice. Don't use the clamps or even recommend them if the plastic foot bothers you so much, but don't dismiss a very innovative and useful specialty clamp entirely because you want to use it incorrectly for what it's designed for.

[@brett328]

@@michaelcummins5974 Sorry, not sorry. Stand behind every word. Inferior clamp. Foot pad will fail on these clamps first, every time. Disagree if you like, But I won't stop giving my opinion on the quality of tools because you got butt hurt over it. Enjoy your toy clamps.

[@kennnva551]

Well, it seems my experience is at the other end of the spectrum. I prefer my HF F-clamps over the Bessey clamps I bought, and I've not been impressed with Bessey. The pads remain in place better with the HF clamps, and the Bessey wood hands provide next to no grip when tightening (added hockey-stick tape to improve grip). The Bessey clamps have heavier bars and do not flex as easily as the HF F-clamps, but if you're having to tighten so hard that you flex the clamps, then perhaps your wood fit-up for gluing needs improvement.

[@You-are-right-but]

Thank you. I was just looking for F clamps and had seen some cheap ones. After watching your video...i remembered the old saying. "Buy cheap, buy twice. Buy Qualitu, buy Once". No cheap and nasty clamps for me.

[@brett328]

Its true, and you're right. Buying quality only hurts once. Thanks for watching.

[@fightingamaish1017]

The older Harbor freight clamps were better. I 100 percent agree the newer F style clamps are crap. Great video. I bought 2 Bessey quick clamps and I like them. I also have 4 Bora parallel clamps that slip. Get bessey and you will pay yourself back with less aggravation.

[@retiredhappy466]

I agree with your summary of the Jorgensen clamp. I have four vintage Jorgensen clamps that are over 50 years old. They have been used extensively (originally used to hold concrete forms together) for a variety of projects. After 5+ decades, they each still work perfectly.

[@miketaicee8570]

We can’t tell your wife you bought two of those clamps 🗜 You’re anonymous lol 😂

[@brett328]

Got me there boss

[@gtaus1]

I have had good luck with my Harbor Freight F style clamps. I'm a typical DIYer and maybe use my clamps a few times a year. The HF clamps have a lifetime warranty, so I'm not too worried if one should fail. I can buy 6 HF clamps for the price on 1 Bessey clamp at current prices where I live. If I used clamps often, or made my living using these clamps, then I would invest in higher quality clamps. For me, these HF clamps are more than adequate.

[@NeverSuspects]

The HF qc isnt great so inspect them as you pick em at the store to make sure they are all in order but for light clamping and glue up where you don't have to fight the wood they work great. You don't need 600 lbs of clamping force for most woodworking, just clamp until glue is oozing out the joint and the pieces are flush with each other. Not for anchoring down something you could swing around on.. For the price it's hard to complain about the HF clamps if you understand the limits of the things. Get pipe clamps or something if you need it to force down twisted boards.

[@crux314]

Hello and thanks for sharing. Would you please considering making a review on heavy duty automatic clamps e.g. irwin, stanley fat max

[@fightingamaish1017]

The Irwin clamps are not as good as Bessey but not everyone needs to pay that much. I am not sorry I bought the cheap clamps but I don't think I will buy any more of them. As you grow as a woodworker so do your tools.

[@nickbillionis318]

I have 12 Harbor Freight clamps. I checked their function before leaving the store. 6 years and they work fine. I don't tighten them as tight as possible because its not needed. Just be smart and don't buy the ones that don't look or work right at the store. If your are inpatient and rich, go for the fancy ones. If not, just use the tools you have within their functional capacity.

[@brett328]

I bought 6, I think. I have none now and don't miss any of them. I am not rich, a quality clamp does not cost that much.

[@ptabz3112]

Hi, I recommend that if you are buying those Bessey clutch F clamps 600lbs capacity, you should buy the 4pc set which costs $19.99 at home depot. It contains two of the 6" and two 12" which if you buy individually costs $10 each. They used to sell a six pack of bessey clamps 6" at $15.00. Rockler has a promo for Jorgensen f clamps 6 pack for $39.99 but not in store and no free shipping so you have to buy a few to make it worth the shipping cost. The advantage of the jorgensen is the rubber grips on the plastic handle compared to the red wooden handles on the besseys. I bought a bunch of the besseys and put plasti dip on the wood handles. Really helps a lot

[@Netvyper]

Good tip and obviously popular, no longer available :( Amazon has a 4-pack of 2x 6" and 2x 12" at $40 which seems like a decent bet too.

[@trep53]

Nothing is more satisfying than using a good tool. I don’t understand how clamps that twist under clamping pressure make it to the shelf in any tool store. My worst Harbor Freight experience was purchasing a metric tap & die set, makes lousy threads. I keep it just to remind me that bitten once shame on them....

[@matthewgarcia1979]

That was awesome, thanx for sharing your knowledge

[@johnrice6793]

I just now subscribed. I appreciate your good use of the language. I too purchased a few (6-8-10?) years ago the Horror Fright clamps. I agree they’re pretty much junk. There are is however, a bar clamp they sell that can be retro fitted and be made usable. Good on ya!

[@jamielt55]

Really appreciate the review. I was looking for clamps at Harbor Freight today. Won’t be buying clamps from them.

[@germanshorthairdude]

Home Depot used to sell Bessey Tradesmen clamps. The Tradesmen line doesn’t use clutch plates, they have a hardened set screw set in the moveable part that engages a series of parallel grooves on the clamping bar. The clamping bar is more substantial (doesn’t flex much at all) than the Bessey GSCC clutch clamps I see at HD now. I’ve seen the Tradesmen clamps are available from Amazon, Acme, Woodcraft, and a few other places. The Tradesmen line has a variety of throat depths, and are available in a few different models from light duty to heavy duty. I’d avoid the light duty clamps as the clamping jaws are zinc and the acme screw feels pretty rough in the casting when trying to tighten the clamp. They work okay, but aren’t enjoyable to use. The main reason I prefer the Tradesmen to the models with the clutch plates is I don’t have to manipulate the clutch to move the handle part of the clamp. By slightly lifting the handle, the movable part can easily be slid in either direction on the bar, then pushing down slightly will engage the bar and a quick turn of the handle will get the clamp set. Anyway, you might want to scope them out and give them a try. As a side note, I rejected the Bessey GearKlamp for the same reason as you. That plastic pad was a non starter for me. Didn’t even consider buying them as soon as I saw what I consider a design fail. Had they changed that one part to metal, I would’ve bought a few and used them like I use Quick-Grip clamps now. I think the GearKlamp would be a winner if it weren’t for what appears to be its Achilles heel.

[@daveshort302]

Thanks for the time you took to review these! I’m considering buying some old Jorgensen clamps. He’s got (2) 2 and1/2” and (2) 5 and 1/2” clamps, asking $60. What do you think?

You can buy 2 12", 2 6" Bessey clamp kit for $20 if youre in the US. In Canada its $30, buy 2 of those sets and thats a real great start.

[@andrewbrimmer1797]

Harbor freight seems to have heard you their clamps are really upgraded

[@brett328]

Glad to hear it, and I'm not surprised. My old Pittsburgh clamps (Harbor Freight) were also better quality, admittedly not a whole lot better.

[@kellyklaask7su990]

Great review! I also have the older style HF clamps and the newer style. Both are crap but the older ones are less crap than the newer ones. I was looking around to find some good replacement clamps and thought I would check here on KZbin when I found your review. Very timely! I think I'm going to look for some Bessey F-clamps. Thanks again!

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

Just picked a 4pk 600lbs Bessey's for $25 at Hdepot (6" and 12"). Just started woodworking and I wanted to be in good company. Thanks.

[@brett328]

Good start. Have fun and be safe friend.

[@albatros1752]

You certanly dont understant what is that clamp for

[@brett328]

Maybe not. Still won't buy it. Overpriced junk.

[@albatros1752]

@@brett328 You pay for what you got

[@CG-cw3ps]

Why do people still go to Harbor Freight? There are a handful of things there that last and I'd rather spend more not having to go there.

[@jamesdeclan7538]

The main idea behind the gear clamp was to enable to get closer to the edge of the workbench without the handle being un able to spin.

[@brett328]

Doesn't explain the decision to use a plastic clamping foot. My main objection to a $25 clamp

[@PDBASS1]

New sub. and enjoyed the vid. I'm in the market for F clamps and considering/comparing Bessey and Jorgensen.

[@brett328]

Thanks, and thanks for watching. I do like the Bessey, but Jorgensen is a fine product too, can't go wrong either way.

[@IanG66]

I am somewhat new to woodworking, more of a DYI'er at home. Purchased a skillsaw - now I figure I need some clamps. Started looking around to see the type to buy for general use - almost bought the trigger clamps, but having touched them in the store - didn't really like the lack of precise adjustments. Looks like these F-Clamps may be a better way to go - and stronger too... Whadd'ya think?

The trigger clamps are useful for quick work, the F clamps are excellent for when you need a lot of pressure.

[@fightingamaish1017]

Get a few of both, you won't be sorry. The quick clamps are fast and you only need one hand. The F clamps have much more clamping force.

[@donwilburn2470]

I've got at least 7 or 8 of the 12 inch clamps and they are great. Use them a couple times a week and never had a problem

[@brett328]

Good to know, thanks

[@normanterry]

I returned the Bessey 12” F style clamp to Home Depot after less than a month of moderate use for the same reason you are dumping on the HF. Sure the HF may be the highest quality tool but for me it’s getting the job done.

[@shantellamend8986]

It's so simple, Just go to Stodoys page and enter woodworkers world.

[@lorimcquinn3966]

They're all made in China now, why bother? Just hit a yard/estate sale or two and buy something made in the USA.