Jorgensen Cabinet master square jaw clamps.....do you like them?

[Peter Quinn]

I just ordered a handful of jorgy cabinet clamps, need them for upcoming job, went to look at k body's (mostly what I own for square jaw), was shocked at prices, have they gone up a lot recently? really wanted 36", bessey's seem to be either longer or shorter than I need, ordered the cabinet masters on impulse. Now I'm wondering do people like them? Seemed like the same thing on paper? I like the k bodes and the revos, but not enough to trade a kidney for them.

[glenn bradley]

I too was saddened by the discontinuation of the original K-body and the introduction of the heavier gadgety Revos. I'm sure they're nice but, the price is off-setting. Many people really like the Cabinet Masters. Those who don't usually express concerns over the weight but, with the Revo's fattened up this seems moot. I have heard people express complaints about Irwins, Jets and even the original K-bodys so, no one parallel clamp is right for everybody. I personally would not, however, feel bad about picking up any Jorgy Cabinet Masters even though I don't currently own any.

[Buck Williams]

I find them to work pretty well, I have 8 of them a couple of them seem to jam up occasionally and I have trouble sliding them up and down the bar. There was a thread on a solution to that problem that I haven't done anything about yet. I flip them over slip a screw driver in next to the where the cast iron meets the bar and wiggle it and it frees up. Sometimes a minor annoyance. You know how it is at a critical point in a glue up when you can't get a clamp to behave. Otherwise a very solid clamp and made in the USA.

[George Bokros]

I had problems with them not releasing and I contacted Jorgensen and made a point about it. They said just a gentle rap and they come free. I responded that I do not have to do that with my Besseys and they sent me new clamp heads.

[Paul McGaha]

I like them ok Peter. I have 30-40 of them. The movable part of the clamp doesn't lock in place correctly once in a while but you kind of train yourself to keep an eye on it. I agree the 36"clamp is a good size.

An online review for the clamps: http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/jorgensencabinetmaster.htm

PHM

[Raymond Fries]

I like mine and have not had any of the problems mentioned as of yet.

[George Bokros]

The issue with the sticking heads were only on some of the early production clamps. Now that mine have been replaced they work fine and I would buy again. The only thing I do not like about them is they do not fit into the Bessey K-P blocks for gluing up doors.

[Bill Orbine]

I like mine. One clamp out of the 16 returned and exchanged for stuck head. However, I believe there has been a change in the design....more specifically, the material used. The metal heads on mine are cast iron. Lately, I been seeing pictures of the head appearing to be aluminum. Going on the cheap? I might be wrong, but I have not seen the CabinetMaster in the Borg lately. Seems as if most BORG store phased out the Jorgensen.

[Jim Andrew]

I was at Menards yesterday, and they had the cabinet masters on sale. They stock 24", 36", and 48". I've been buying some every time they were on sale, and my clamp rack is full. I have about 30. The latest I have bought were the I beam clamps, you can't bend them like you can a pipe clamp. And lately I have been watching for the Harbor freight tent sales. They always have some C clamps marked down, and they are fine for me. Need to find another bar to add to the clamp rack as it is full of those.

[Peter Quinn]

Thanks guys, sounds like the consensus is positive. I have a pile of Jorgensen I-beams for when I need serious clamping power, I've always been impressed with their build quality, I'm not looking for that kind of power in a square jaw. Glenn's comments hit it on the head for me, I liked the k-body's better than the revos, I don't need the additional clamping force for case work, I didn't need the additional weight, and frankly I liked the old wood handles better too. I have a handful of revos, probably would have bought more....but the best price I could achieve on 4 was almost $60/ea, the cabinet masters are $38 off the shelf. There in lies the tipping point for me. My local Borg stocks jorgensons, but not 36" in the cabinet masters, so I had to order them. Then I started double guessing the decision, looks like it's fine.

[Paul McGaha]

Peter,

I think they really are comparable to a K body. Just a little bigger and heavier. I think you'll like them ok.

We don't have Menard stores near us but i've seen creekers commenting on killer sales Menard's has on the cabinet master clamps on occasion.

PHM

[Steve Peterson]

I might be wrong, but I have not seen the CabinetMaster in the Borg lately. Seems as if most BORG store phased out the Jorgensen.

HD phased out the Cabinet Masters in favor of an Irwin "equivalent" made outside the US and selling for the same price. I did notice that Orchard Supply Hardware has 24" and 36" Cabinet Masters in stock. The east coast always seems to have CMs available at great prices at Menard's. I wish that was an option on the west coast. I like the Jorgensens.

Steve

[Peter Quinn]

HD phased out the Cabinet Masters in favor of an Irwin "equivalent" made outside the US and selling for the same price. I did notice that Orchard Supply Hardware has 24" and 36" Cabinet Masters in stock. The east coast always seems to have CMs available at great prices at Menard's. I wish that was an option on the west coast. I like the Jorgensens.

Steve

My local HD still stocks the cabinet masters, or at least they still have stock, but not in the 36" size I wanted. Maybe thats about to change, maybe its regional? We don't have Menards here in CT. My local building yard dumped bessey's in favor of Irwins, and their list price is actually MORE than the the besseys. Not sure who the brain surgeon was behind that decision, maybe the store makes a higher premium on those? Of course 5% of nothing is still nothing, and thats what I'm spending on Irwins. The last time I bought Irwin clamps will be the last time I buy Irwin clamps. Bought the irwin "F" clamps...they suffer from suck....big time suck. They looked like real clamps, but they don't clamp like real clamps. Something about the handles and the screws...you give it all you have to twist and they don't make any pressure, they seems to want to wander around as they snug up, just an over all poor experience. Heavy, rugged looking junk. They are the last clamps I go to after every other clamp in the shop is on an assembly. Rubbish. I don't know how their cabinet clamps are and have no intentions of finding out.

[Michael W. Clark]

Tell us how you really feel about Irwin clamps!:)

I have the Jorgy cabinet masters and really like them. Woodcraft had a four-pack for sale a couple of years ago and I bought 2 packs. I haven't used any other brands, so can't compare. I have not had the head sticking issue except when the bar is covered with dried glue. They do seem to exert a lot of force, but not as much as Pony pipe clamps. Of course, you have the I-beam clamps which I think are stronger than the pipe clamps when you need some persuasion.

I do use the 6" Irwin quick grips for work holding, rarely use them for much else, the pads slip off too easily.

Mike

[Peter Quinn]

Tell us how you really feel about Irwin clamps!:)

I have the Jorgy cabinet masters and really like them. Woodcraft had a four-pack for sale a couple of years ago and I bought 2 packs. I haven't used any other brands, so can't compare. I have not had the head sticking issue except when the bar is covered with dried glue. They do seem to exert a lot of force, but not as much as Pony pipe clamps. Of course, you have the I-beam clamps which I think are stronger than the pipe clamps when you need some persuasion.

I do use the 6" Irwin quick grips for work holding, rarely use them for much else, the pads slip off too easily.

Mike


I do like the little quick squeezy clamps, the blue ones that are mostly plastic. You can be standing on one foot, holding some trim on 30' in the air and still get one of those little guys on enough to hold something until you tap it into final position and nail it off. They should have stopped while they were ahead. Jorgy F clamps are just about the most perfect version for my needs, besseys , the older not ratcheting kind of tradesman line IIR, are a pretty close second but harder to get started one handed when that is required, but a bit more clamping pressure. Why is it so hard for others to get the formula right? Me being a cheep skate...errr....frugal wood worker, am always looking for a value. Or something I can afford. But I can't afford clamps that drive me crazy...and its a short trip to begin with! Sorry to come on so strong...but if I can spare just one woodworker front the disappointment I've experienced, its worth it....


I received the cabinet masters today. They seem a little "loose" compared to the bessey square jaws, the heads I mean, sort of bumble down the bar meandering left and right. But when you give em the big squeeze it all tightens up, can be tightened mostly one handed, and seems to apply plenty of pressure. Also on the plus side I can see them getting glue bound like the besseys. The heads on a K bodies get frozen up if the slightest glue ball hardens on the ratchet serrations. Can be a pain when you are in the middle of an assembly and pull one off the rack only to find its frozen up, you have to stop an beat the glue off....I can't see that happening with these. Michael, are you saying these can get glue bound too? It only takes the slightest bit of glue on a k body or revo the freeze things up, it can always be beaten off but its not always convenient.

Overall for the price I'm pretty pleased, can't wait to see them in action.

[Michael W. Clark]

Most of the time glue gets on the bars, the head seems to go past it if you try it a couple of times. I think I have taken a putty knife to the bars a couple of times if it was really bad.

I agree on the Jorgy F clamps. I like the heavy duty version, the 12" are my favorite/ most used. I've gotten some of the medium duty versions as well for smaller projects. If you have an Ollies, they sometimes have them.

[Russ Marcum]

On the Jorgy Cabinet Master front:

Cripe Distributing on Ebay has:

36" - $24

24" - $20

Makes a bit easier of a purchase

[daniel lane]

Have a handful of Jorgy CMs, got them really cheap from an Ace Hardware internet buy about 3 years ago. Like them quite a bit, haven't had much of an issue with them. Occasionally the head jams closed, but that's usually if I'm silly enough to let the heads meet with nothing between them and the screw is mostly out. When the...cross bar?...whatever you call the thing the screw goes through...when it is jammed forward and there's no way to move the head forward to release it, it's tough to separate the heads, but that's a pretty rare problem for me. Once I figured out what the problem was, I've never seen it happen again.

Used 8 for an ATC build last year and was very pleased with the experience.

Just my $0.02.


daniel

[Dale Murray]

You may want to check your local Menards.
I just bought some 24" @$22.99 each and 48" @29.99 each

[Bill Huber]

I have CMs and have really no problems with them, I do wax them well so the glue just pops right off so that is not a problem.

I got most of my CMs at HD, but the last time I went in to get a set they were all removed and Irwin were in their place. I was in HD last week and noticed that all the Irwin were now replaced with Besseys and Dewalt Quick Clamps. I guess HD just can not figure out what they want to sell.

Kind of OT, but I have noticed that HD is changing a lot of their stuff, name brands and going and the HD brand is replacing them.