Wetzler Clamp Company

[Randy Walton]

:confused: Has anybody bought from this company? I placed an order on line with them on July 4, 2009 and have yet to get my order of clamps. They deposited my A.E. payment right away on 7/9/09 so they've got my money. After a month of trying to get in touch with someone I finally talked to their webmaster who evidently no longer works for them and he said he would also send a message off to them. I finally heard and they said they had been closed for vacation and my order would ship on 7/31/09. Still haven't received and after many attempts to get shipping info from them they just don't even respond.
Looks like the company has been in business since 1928 so they've been around quite a while.
Just curious is anyone has bought from this company and has had this type of problem. What really bothers me is the fact they won't even respond to my inquiries about my order.

[Jim McFarland]

Randy, you might look at this thread...
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=88884

This fellow ordered about the same time of the year and 8 weeks before delivery.

I've ordered in February and April with 2-3 weeks delivery from time of order.

They are not Lee Valley when it comes to customer service but clamps are worth waiting for IMO.

Good luck!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Randy,
I bought clamps from Wetzler last fall. I live near by and stopped in to visit a couple times. If you would see the "factory" you would understand the long lead time. The two owners, a husband and wife, are the only two employees with the exception of a part time assistant. They bought the company several years ago and decided to keep the business small. As a result, they work in batches and make clamps as they are ordered. They do keep some castings in stock but those need to be machined as part of the manufacturing process. When they do not work for any reason, no clamps get produced.
I am convinced they are very good people and will send you your clamps though they will take time. When you receive them you will be surprised by the lask of paint or finish. However, though you will find no grooves on the back side of the bar, the clamps will bite perfectly anywhere you slide and stop the lower fixture. These are no frills solid tools that will last your and a few more lifetimes, even with daily use. I hope they arrive soon.
butch

[Rick Lizek]

Relax, been dealing with them for over 30 years. Good solid folks.

[Randy Walton]

Thanks for the input! I'm older and can understand being slow. :) But I've never bought from this place before and just wanted to make sure I hadn't thrown my money away.
I don't mind waiting for anything that's good or well made. I just got very nervous when I couldn't get any response, either by phone or email.
Having been in business myself for most of my working life, it's just hard to understand a lack of customer service.
I'll try waiting some more.

[whit richardson]

Your post interested me so I checked their webpage too. Clamps look very well made but who here has ever broken a Bessey or even a Woodcraft China special?

So what is the attraction over a basic clamps function and working life? Really I'm curious why I would spend the extra money. In hand planes the difference is worlds apart until you start paying crazy $$$'s.

[Randy Walton]

Your post interested me so I checked their webpage too. Clamps look very well made but who here has ever broken a Bessey or even a Woodcraft China special?

So what is the attraction over a basic clamps function and working life? Really I'm curious why I would spend the extra money. In hand planes the difference is worlds apart until you start paying crazy $$$'s.

Whit, you're right, although I can't speak about the Woodcraft China specials the Bessey's certainly function well for most of my needs. What I wanted and ordered was the special cross clamps that Wetzler makes.

[Jim McFarland]

<snip>
So what is the attraction over a basic clamps function and working life? <snip>

I bought them for the 12" deep throat. I bought some 7" deep as well but Bessey makes a good one in that depth, too.

[Mike Heidrick]

A friend in my woodworking club has some. He has no idea even what they are really. When you see them in person you will know how much nicer they are than Bessies (I have a ton of tradesman clamps). They really are nice! The deep throat available on them is what makes them especially nice.

You really can balance them on their head!

[Wilbur Pan]

It looks like you got your problem resolved, but I'd also like to add that one time I ordered some Wetzler clamps in the summer months, and that it took a while for them to get to me. There have been many other times that I placed an order and it got to me within days.

As far as their quality, the best analogy that I can come up with is that using a Wetzler compared to, say, a Bessey Tradesman is a lot like using a Lie-Nielsen plane compared to a tuned vintage Stanley. Both will get the job done, but using the former is a nicer experience overall. The key attributes for me are:

1. The head design -- it allows you to balance the clamp on its head very well. You can't do that with a Bessey.

2. The moveable jaw design. The bar of the Wetzlers are smooth, and don't have the little notches like the Bessey's do. This makes sliding the moveable jaw quite easy, without it hanging up on the notches, and they still don't slip under pressure. Not having to fiddle with little clutch plates like on Jorgensen or the other Bessey F clamps is really nice as well.

[Nate Carey]

Although I have been familiar with Wetzler clamps and used the brand while working in various wood shops through the years, I have just recently become the owner of a few Wetzler clamps. An elderly friend of mine who has decided to "down-size" and "simplify" gave me twelve style #1218 clamps (along with some other woodworking tools)...I had no idea what these are worth 'til I just now checked out the Wetzler website. I'm going to have to make something very special for my elderly friend!

[whit richardson]

Okay I get it. As in other areas of woodworking, if you can afford a better made tool it will provide better utility and enjoyment when using it. Maybe someday another pair of hands will use it and appreciate your choice because it was built to last.

[John Rutherford]

Does anyone know the fate of Wetzler in 2011? I have not been able to get them on the phone or by email in the past 6 mos and my orders have gone unfulfilled.

At this point I'm looking for someone with some firsthand information before I turn to another brand...

[Randy Walton]

Does anyone know the fate of Wetzler in 2011? I have not been able to get them on the phone or by email in the past 6 mos and my orders have gone unfulfilled.

At this point I'm looking for someone with some firsthand information before I turn to another brand...

John,
I did finally receive my order. The clamps I ordered were of fine quality. No one ever responded to any of my emails and or phone calls. I was extremely disappointed with the customer service regardless of the size of the company. I would not reorder anything from them just because of the way they do business. Evidently they don't care because they haven't made any adjustments in the way they handle orders or customer service. They make some special sized clamps but if you can find another source I would not go through the agony of ordering from them.

[Christopher Koehn]

Does anyone know the fate of Wetzler in 2011? I have not been able to get them on the phone or by email in the past 6 mos and my orders have gone unfulfilled.

At this point I'm looking for someone with some firsthand information before I turn to another brand...

I found this web address after much consternation: <http://www.enter.net/~wetzler/index.html>
I am planning to try an order on deep throat clamps, over the phone. I will report back as to my experience ca. 2012.

[Curt Harms]

I found this web address after much consternation: I am planning to try an order on deep throat clamps, over the phone. I will report back as to my experience ca. 2012. I wonder if somebody bought the business? From their web site: Wetzler Clamp Company Inc. A Division of Treacy Industries P.O Box 175 2016 S. Delaware Drive Mt Bethel, PA 18343-0175