Harbor Freight Bremen k-body parallel clamp review - compare to Bessey

[@kencross25]

I'm a new woodworker, retired Nurse. I recently purchased six of Harbor Freight Bremen K-Body Parallel Clamps, two 48" and four 24". I have enjoyed using them on my projects without any trouble. My fellow woodworker loaded me two of his Bessey K-Body Parallel Clamps to try and compare before I purchased the Bremen Clamps. I must admit that the Bessey clamps have a better finish than the Bremen Clamps which doesn't matter to me because I polish my rails with paste wax to keep the glue from sticking to the rails. Best of all is the Lifetime warranty on the Bremen Clamps. Just my opinion

[@DIYwithDennis]

Hi Ken! Agree, the method of fabrication used by Bessey results in a nicer rail finish - Thanks for the comment and enjoy your woodworking journey!

[@craigmonteforte1478]

I’m a retired Professional Woodworker and have been a fan of Bessey and jorgensen Clamps for over30 years i’ve also became kind of a Hoarder of Sense and i’m very Protective of my Clamps because of the amount of money i’ve invested in them i have to kind of Applaud Harbor Freight for stepping up their manufacturing on these Models. in the years past many of their Clamps were pure Junk compared to the Name brands but these combined with the Significant Cost savings appear to be a decent Value i respect your opinion on buying the ones you know you can trust and for many years that’s exactly how i felt paying the extra money onBesseyand Pony Brands but in the end most of us use these Clamps for GlueUps inWoodworking and you don’t need high Strength forces a lot. or you can build simple Clamping Jigs to do that fairly inexpensively when you have to so i feel that these Clamps are worth taking a chance on Purchasing and having in most Shops

[@DIYwithDennis]

Hi Craig! Between the low price and the Harbor Freight Lifetime Guarantee, it makes the decision to purchase pretty easy and risk free, so I can't disagree with you. And now I've got 4 in my shop. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@johnbesharian9965]

I don't have any of these, but I do have a dozen each of their F-Style [with the flat steel] Bar Clamps in 6", 12", 18", 24" and 36" (can't have too many, right?) that I bought between1995 and 2012 and never have had to take even one back due to failure. Maybe 7/8 years ago, someone visiting my room mate looked at them and said something derogatory about their clamping strength, etc.. I looked at him (a.k.a. "The Fool") and replied, "You don't need near as much if your joints are good, tight and true". Nary another peep out of him did I hear.

[@jcowboy123]

AT $35 bucks with a lifetime warranty, which is better then half the cost of brand name clamps you really can't go wrong. I bought 6 at $35 each $210 vs better then $600.for brand name . I love them

[@glencrandall7051]

Wood Wisperer recently tested the same clamps and had one of four fail. The failed clamp was replaced under the HF warentee.

[@NWGR]

Thanks for the comparison between the two. I have a bunch of the bessey revos and have been very happy with them. Excellent clamps.

[@SavageVoyageur]

I have both clamps. The Bremen are nice clamps too. You won’t be disappointed if you buy the Bremen clamps.

[@ThetaPower]

Thank you for sharing this. I suggest the use of feeler gauges for checking small gaps and digital calipers for deflection.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for that feedback! Wish I thought of that - I have both and that would have made a lot of the measurements a lot easier

[@ryanm2214]

Thank you for the comp! Great details! I am one of the budget folks so it's nice to see this product stack up.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Ryan! Glad it was helpful!

[@vinceagnes]

Based on the positive review from several Woodworkers on You Tube, I recently purchased four 24” Breman parallel clamps at Harbor Freight. I currently have about 10 Bessey clamps which are great except for the price. Three of the HF clamps have worked perfectly, very similar to Bessey. The fourth HF clamp failed. When I tighten the screw and put pressure on the workpiece, the clamping mechanism slips and is not able to apply, pressure on the workpiece. I am going to return the clamp to HF & get a new one. Your review was excellent, you pointed out the unknown factors of the Breman clamps. I was willing to take a quality chance based on the cost factor.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Fran! Exact same scenario happened to me. I purchased 4 and 1 of the 4 was not able to clamp fully as you describe. The other 3 are fine. Good thing HF has a good return policy! Thanks for sharing!

[@Shamustodd1]

Real good comparison video. I have 5 of the 48's that I use for large glue ups when I make interior gates and doors. I'm very happy with the performance of these Bremen clamps.

[@anthonyrivera7815]

I was considering the Bremen clamps and your video sealed the deal. Thanks!

[@garyknable1155]

Best review I've seen on them so far good job

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Gary! Much appreciated!

[@vinceagnes]

Great review, fair comparison. I have all Bessey’s now except for two Jets and have been very happy with all. I may grab a couple of HF clamps (you never have too many clamps…).

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Fran! Appreciate the comment!

[@GutGenug]

I bought 2 of the 48” Bremen clamps prior to seeing your review. They were $40 a piece at HF. The closest comparable for the price point is the Dewalt 48” running right about $48. After my first two glue ups, I have absolutely no complaints beyond how cumbersome they are (but so are all other 4’ clamps!). Even with more expensive Bessey clamps you could still have bowing in the wood after glue up. Wood has a mind of its own and does what it wants. I plan on buying 2 more of the 4’ and 4-8 of the 2’.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the feedback Nick! I'm looking to try the 48" as well

[@GutGenug]

@@DIYwithDennis I was skeptical due to the poor quality of Pittsburg clamps. But I was pleasantly surprised. I also got 2 of the Bremen 36” squeeze clamps for $20 each. They are pretty comparable to the Irwin clamps which normally run $30 per. If Bremen were to make clutch clamps, I’d take the chance on those too.

[@DIYwithDennis]

@@GutGenug I only became aware of the Bremen squeeze clamps recently so that's good to know - thanks!

[@csimet]

Same here... I've put off buying parallel clamps because of the cost. Looks like I found a good time to invest. I too plan on 4 of the 4' and at least 4-6 of the 2'... probably more. I'll wait to see if HF puts them on sale this holiday season... my hope is they will.

[@GutGenug]

@@csimet I figure Black Friday or start actually looking through the coupons they send every 4 hours.

[@rhuynh]

Thank you for the comparison. Very helpful! I just wished HF thought through their sizes. For example it really needs to be a 50" to work on 48" and I also wish they made a 60".

[@tapanddestroy]

From what I have heard from others is that they are the same size as the 50in clamps from other brands just labeled at 48. I heard they open somewhere around a 1/2 wider than 48in.

[@DIYwithDennis]

@@tapanddestroy That's true! I picked one up over the weekend and the jaw opening is just shy of 48-1/2"

[@flex_nyc9885]

I picked up the 48” clamps on sale for Labor Day. I liked them so much I went back and purchased the 24” clamps

[@ibitaRaptor]

Great information, I appreciate it. I also own the Bessey and looked at the Harbor Freight version in store this weekend. They seem to be good quality. Thinking about getting these as a back up pair.

[@JimHester]

I sort of like that the HF clamp closes when upside down. My Irwin parallel clamps do the same thing. When you take the clamp off of a glue-up and you want to stand them on the end on the floor, the movable handle going to the head makes it stand up with a little more stability. Standing the Bessey up on the head with the jaw open makes the clamp more top heavy and prone to tipping, especially on an out-of-level garage floor.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Good feedback! thanks! ( and i can certainly identify with the out of level garage floor LOL)

[@billywigs]

Thanks for the information Dennis . We can never have enough clamps and this will help fill the void at a more affordable price . Thanks again Bill

[@DIYwithDennis]

For sure! Thanks Bill!

[@railroad9000]

I have several Bessey and Jorgenson clamps, all K-body and like them both. I try the HF. Never have too many!

[@gerardbroussard6336]

Outstanding review! Thorough and balanced I own Bora clamps and have been very satisfied with them. But I plan to buy some 48” HF Bremens.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thank you Gerard! Appreciate the good words! I plan on doing the same with the 48" as well

[@giannisozo7928]

Very thorough comparison. Thank you.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Gianni!

[@roveriia6334]

If I were a clamp designer I would angle the faces toward each other (as the video shows) to influence the work pieces to stay along the rails but more importantly to not encourage the work pieces to move away from the rails and fly apart with considerable stored energy.

[@stewwolfe1]

Well thought out, and executed review. I have steered away from HF clamps since I have gained the financial ability to buy better ones, but may well give the Bessel clamps a try. BTW, great shirt!

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Stewart! Much appreciated! They're definitely worth a try. The shirt? Yes, big fan!

[@pryme2013]

Would a guy really need to buy the shorter ones? I picked up the 48” clamps and while they are a bit heavy, they can be adjusted down to zero so I think the 2 48’s would suffice right? I can see the only reason to go shorter is less weight? Good review thank you

[@tomroeder7348]

Great video! I am about to make a couple of 8/4 thick cutting boards and need some parallel clamps as my Harbor Freight F-clamps aren't going to cut it. It looks like these will be a good purchase, especially for a weekend warrior like myself.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment Tom! I think you'll be pleased with them - good luck with your project!

[@Cam-wi3tp]

50'' bessey at rockler 49.99 hf are 39.99, i'd still take bessey for the little bit of difference, great well informed review!

[@DIYwithDennis]

That's a great price from Rockler! I paid $62.50 for mine from Lee Valley about a 1-1/2 ago

[@josevelazquez7282]

Thanks for this review good information 👍

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Jose! Glad it was helpful! Appreciate the comment!

[@ksard4142]

Great comparison. Really appreciate it

[@DIYwithDennis]

You're welcome! Thanks!

[@rolandkuhn9066]

Good review and honest opinion. Thanks

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Roland! Much appreciated!

[@somebodypeculiar]

Trivial point. . . I find the terminology of upper and lower jaw confusing, as I see no reason for either one having either name. Fixed and movable are the terms I would use. I wonder about one thing with the test for squareness when clamped. The black plastic face is a separate piece of plastic, and it seems like there could be some very small freedom of movement or flex in relation to the supporting structure behind it. Just something I wonder about.

[@michaelmarsandaries]

Nantucket T-shirt. What's the story. Question. Will a 24" clamp work on a 24" cabinet?

[@DIYwithDennis]

Regarding the shirt - I think the person who commented either vacationed there or lived there - just my guess - the clamp: full extension is ~24-9/16"

[@michaelmarsandaries]

@@DIYwithDennis Nantucket; lived here since Jesus was a baby. Still here

[@mattheweller4463]

I've seen a couple review videos on these clamps, and was thinking of getting them but noticed they don't offer many size lengths...what are your thoughts on that

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment Matt! I don't know what drove that decision other than perhaps testing the marketplace for interest before pursuing different sizes. Whether or not they'll come out with different sizes is unknown. What sizes you get are really going to depend on the work that you do. In many cases you can use a 24" clamp in place of the 12" or 18", but again, that will depend on the clamping needs of the work, i.e., space, material configuration, etc. I heard that the 48" actually have extra capacity - but I haven't seen that first hand so I would want to check that in-person before purchasing to determine if they accept 48" stock. In the end, IMHO, it wouldn't do any harm to have a mix of brands (now that I purchased some HF 24", that is the situation I'll be in). So you can save a few $ on the HF and if you find you need others, you can purchase the specific sizes you need from other brands. If you think HF might be the right for you then one approach would be to go with the 24" and if the 48" does indeed have extra capacity, or you don't need the extra capacity, you may want to start with those 2 sizes and see how they serve your needs and purchase other brand sizes based on demand. Hope that helps - Dennis

[@csimet]

Tx! I've seen a few of these videos and the Bremen is getting pretty good reviews. I may have an excuse to shop at HF again... been a long time since I got my cheap f-clamps to use for knock around tasks (don't care if they break). I've been looking for some decent parallel clamps, but they are pricy.

[@greatgrandpaswoodworking]

Between the 7 minute and 8 min 40 seconds time mark you are measuring the gap under pressure. What I see is the soft pad being pushed thin by the wood making it just that much thinner where the wood touches but the part of the pad not compressed by the wood is still the normal thickness giving it that look of a very minor gap.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment - that's a very interesting observation and after reviewing that part of the video close up, I see what you're referring to - the part of the clamp that matters, the part that is in contact with the wood, may indeed still be parallel - good catch - I will take a closer look tomorrow and report back - thanks again!

[@DIYwithDennis]

Others have made the same observation. The pad is actually hard plastic so I was finding it difficult to see how that would bulge under pressure but went back into the shop, well, my garage, to take another look. So in the video, I showed how the upper jaw on both clamps had an inward cant. So I arranged the clamps with the maple slab as in the video and began to tighten up. As I was tightening, the upper jaw was moving to parallel. If i put a square on the backside of the clamp, the jaw registered parallel. The part of the jaw contacting the wood was parallel to the wood. BUT, there was still a slight gap in the lower jaw as in the video. What I found was when I put a square across the length of the lower pad on the upper jaw, there was a slight (very slight) hollow, so that the upper and lower tips were protruding ever so slightly beyond the mid portion and it's that tip that the square registered to in the video accounting for the gap. Really appreciate you, and others, pointing that out and getting me to take another look! BTW, as in the video, the gap was visible in both clamps and after my latest check, they both had a hollow, although, it seemed slightly less with the Bessey. These hollows were very, very slight.

[@renoholland7090]

Great work. Thank you.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Reno! Much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johnnyseely8473]

Harbor Freight has come along way with their tools.

[@Taylexwow]

I picked up a couple of 48 inch this weekend......I really feel the lack of a 36 inch is a glaring hole in the product stack.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Agree - they really need to expand their line of Bremen clamps

[@drewjohnson4673]

IMO, at the 8 min mark when checking the “square” on the clamped maple. The gap you measured is a result of compression on the plastic pad, not flex in the clamp. Just my 2 cents. Great video.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment Drew! You are one of a few people who made that observation, actually you and another within the last day. The pad is actually hard plastic so I was finding it difficult to see how that would bulge under pressure but went back into the shop, well, my garage, to take another look. So in the video, I showed how the upper jaw on both clamps had an inward cant. So I arranged the clamps with the maple slab as in the video and began to tighten up. As I was tightening, the upper jaw was moving to parallel. If i put a square on the backside of the clamp, the jaw registered parallel. The part of the jaw contacting the wood was parallel to the wood. BUT, there was still a slight gap in the lower jaw as in the video. What I found was when I put a square across the length of the lower pad on the upper jaw, there was a slight (very slight) hollow, so that the upper and lower tips were protruding ever so slightly beyond the mid portion and it's that tip that the square registered to in the video accounting for the gap. Really appreciate you, and others, pointing that out and getting me to take another look! BTW, as in the video, the gap was visible in both clamps and after my latest check, they both had a hollow, although, it seemed slightly less with the Bessey. These hollows were very, very slight.

[@drewjohnson4673]

@@DIYwithDennis Really impressed with your approach and presentation. Mike thanks for your response!

[@drewjohnson4673]

@@DIYwithDennis Thanks for your follow up.

[@mikesmith2102]

The head deflection is due to the pliability of the rubber padding being squeezed under a load.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment Mike! You are one of a few people who made that observation, 2 similar comments within the last day. The pad is actually hard plastic so I was finding it difficult to see how that would bulge under pressure but went back into the shop, well, my garage, to take another look. So in the video, I showed how the upper jaw on both clamps had an inward cant. So I arranged the clamps with the maple slab as in the video and began to tighten up. As I was tightening, the upper jaw was moving to parallel. If i put a square on the backside of the clamp, the jaw registered parallel. The part of the jaw contacting the wood was parallel to the wood. BUT, there was still a slight gap in the lower jaw as in the video. What I found was when I put a square across the length of the lower pad on the upper jaw, there was a slight (very slight) hollow, so that the upper and lower tips were protruding ever so slightly beyond the mid portion and it's that tip that the square registered to in the video accounting for the gap. Really appreciate you pointing that out and getting me to take another look! BTW, as in the video, the gap was visible in both clamps and after my latest check, they both had a hollow, although, it seemed slightly less with the Bessey. These hollows were very, very slight.

[@btrswt35]

Good information and presentation

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks David!

[@nobuckle40]

Did you say "less than a sheet of paper"? You must use some really thick paper because the average thickness of a piece of paper is about 0.004". A human hair averages about the same. I remember, years ago, that HF had some parallel clamps under their Pittsburgh brand, but I think they got in trouble for that. Anyway, thanks for the info.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Hi Doug, good catch!! I had to go back and listen to what I said - I probably should have just said roughly a 1/64" - Thanks for the comment!

[@nobuckle40]

@@DIYwithDennis Thank you for the review. I am much more informed as a result.

[@hawkenman.549]

Great review. Wish you would compared the price of each clamp. I have no idea of the cost. Thank you.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Good feedback! Can't believe I left that info out! As of this writing, the 24" Harbor Freight clamps are being sold here in the Northeast for $34.99. Prices for the Bessey are all over the map. The lowest I found was at Menards for $43.97 + there is a 11% mail in rebate offer good thru 9/18/22. The caveat is that you have to redeem the rebate in person, so you have to live near a Menards. With the rebate, that brings the cost down to $39.13 - that's a great deal! As you look at other outlets, I found various prices for the Bessey all the way up to $59 at Home Depot. So it pays to look around and compare pricing.

[@hawkenman.549]

Thank you Mr. Dennis . I wasn’t expecting a response but I and I’m sure everyone else certainly appreciates it. I might pick up a couple from HF. For what I do, they will certainly do the job. Thanks again. God Bless.

[@zapa1pnt]

Google is a wonderful thing.

[@Michael-Makes-Stuff]

Great honest and helpful review. Thanks!

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Patrick! Much appreciated!

[@MrJohnnyboyrebel]

Unless you put in strain gauges to measure the comparative forces that each clamp exerts, your tests may be inconclusive. Also, I have and use both Bessey and Bremen clamps and have not had any problems with the Bremen clamps. However, both of my Bessey clamps have very stubborn movable jaws. For the money, the Bremen clamps are just fine. If you need more than 1000 pounds of clamping force for a panel glue up, then your joint preparation needs to be improved.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Agree! It wasn’t meant to be a scientific test - just some initial comparisons, I.e., did the Bremen clamps bend twice as much as the Bessey under pressure, etc. With the exception of one issue, my Bremens are holding up just fine as well - thanks for the comment - Dennis

[@bobnicholas5994]

Ido high quality woodworking. I sell alot of woodworking projects. I have Dewalt and Bosch power tools. Harbor freight stands behind all there products. I have used harbor freight clamps. The motto is that you can never have enough clamps. With the cost of H.F. clamps you can have enough and more. You can apply anal measurements but the glued up boards come out without being able to tell which clamps u used.

[@DIYwithDennis]

That says it all! Thanks!

[@kperellie]

They are nowhere to be found on their website.

[@DIYwithDennis]

thanks kperellie! go to their site - harborfreight.com and do a search for 'bremen parallel clamps' and they should display

[@kperellie]

@@DIYwithDennis ok I’ll try that. Thanks

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

Can't you Just get to it? Are they any good, are they worth buying?

[@DIYwithDennis]

Yes and Yes - first I had to convince myself if they are any good and worth buying and others who are interested and that's where the comparison and testing comes in - context is important - otherwise, where' s the credibility when presenting final recommendations - which are discussed at the end of the video - thanks for the comment

[@DIYwithDennis]

Hi Folks, thanks for watching and let me know what you think of the video in the comments. below. If you liked what you saw, consider giving a 'thumbs up' and subscribing to the channel - Thanks! Dennis

[@DIYwithDennis]

Several people made the comment around the 8 min. mark of the video suggesting that the gap identified was a bulging of the lower pad. The pad is actually hard plastic so I was finding it difficult to see how that would bulge under pressure but went back into the shop, well, my garage, to take another look. So in the video, I showed how the upper jaw on both clamps had an inward cant. So I arranged the clamps with the maple slab as in the video and began to tighten up. As I was tightening, the upper jaw was moving to parallel. If i put a square on the backside of the clamp, the jaw registered parallel. The part of the jaw contacting the wood was parallel to the wood. BUT, there was still a slight gap in the lower jaw as in the video. What I found was when I put a square across the length of the lower pad on the upper jaw, there was a slight (very slight) hollow, so that the upper and lower tips were protruding ever so slightly beyond the mid portion and it's that tip that the square registered to in the video accounting for the gap. Really appreciate folks pointing that out and getting me to take another look! BTW, as in the video, the gap was visible in both clamps and after my latest check, they both had a hollow, although, it seemed slightly less with the Bessey. These hollows were very, very slight, but just enough to cause the gap identified in the video

[@HoosierGeorge]

You do know that if the Harbor Freight clamp fails just take back to Harbor Freight and relieve a replacement at no cost.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment George - I certainly do, and I talked about that at the end of the video - to recap what I covered, there is a risk associated with purchasing the product as it is a new product and has no track record - BUT - that risk is mitigated due to the fact that Harbor Freight offers a Lifetime Guarantee on the product

[@b3arwithm3]

Everything I got from HF don't last long. So I only buy things I plan to treat as disposable

[@bobbg9041]

All harbor freight tools including clamps have a lifetime warranty. Break it take it back get a new one. Thatz stright from harbor freight upper management becuse I had 2 stores fight me over broken tools, they were told to take them back and give me new one. All tools are covered even the cheep crap ecpte power tools. If I had the choice the orng, ive got some of the smaller clamps. As for big clamps ive got pipe clamps and pipes, the one thing I like about this style bar clamp is stading up, the pipe clamps can be a pain in the ass, but better then my antique furniture clamps from the eairly 1900s . Big bulky and hard to use.

[@goodtobehandy]

Loyalty to a brand is lost when they're all sending their manufacturing to the same place. If I find something else that works as well and is cheaper, I'll probably go cheaper.

[@patrickarchuleta9594]

Price is a lot different. Bottom line God bless

[@PTC61]

Virtually every woodworking channel now has a video proclaiming how great the harbor freight clamp is. Anybody wanna bet that these are all page shills?

[@thearmy88ify]

I have them and they are the real deal. Beefier and with coupon about 40% cheaper.

[@DIYwithDennis]

I do see video's popping up on these clamps but I suspect that's because it's a new product. Speaking for myself, i'm not sponsored by any companies and I don't collaborate with any other youtube creators to promote products - If I think a product might be useful in my shop and/or I'm curious about how a product performs, I purchase those products with my own money, give them a test drive and if I have time (I don't post often), I create a quick video to provide anything I've learned to those who might be thinking about a similar purchase.

[@blklightning21]

There was just a sell this past labor day so people probably bought a couple. I, myself, have a dining table build coming up and noticed these so I bought 4 because they looked like quality clamps. All this to say, I don't believe they are shilling as they actually feel like quality clamps for half the price.

[@markb3129]

@ Paul C Did you try a set of these clamps to see if they are actually good, and see if all these channels are blowing smoke???

[@johnnyseely8473]

Harbor Freight has come along way with their tools.