Bessy K-Body 50" $39.97 At Home Depot Buy'em and cut them off

[Eric Commarato]

Bessy K-Body clamps on the net are running about $60. Home Depot had them for $44.97 recently until they lowered the price to 39.97. So I bought 8 of the 50" model. Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy the 50's and just cut the bar to a suitable length, than to buy a 24" Bessy K-body in the $55-60 range? I know it sounds crazy, but I would love to know the deal Home Depot has cut with Bessey...

[Brian Nguyen]

.....but the Bessey K-Body 24" is $34.99 at Home Depot for months now (if you can actually find a HD that still stock them). Are you seeing hte $55-$60 prices online or something? Because it's hard for me to believe that HD has that weird price as I've always seen the shorter K-body at a lower price than the longer version.

[Eric Commarato]

.....but the Bessey K-Body 24" is $34.99 at Home Depot for months now (if you can actually find a HD that still stock them). Are you seeing hte $55-$60 prices online or something? Because it's hard for me to believe that HD has that weird price as I've always seen the shorter K-body at a lower price than the longer version.

Bought them yesterday...

385658

[Vijay Kumar]

Did I read somewhere that this clamp is about to be redesigned. If so does anybody know what the new features are and when will they be available?

[Patrick Irish]

Bought my first pair of 24's month ago at $36 each. Not really blown away with them. Using them for cutting board glue ups and they are cumbersome. I've been using two perpendicular pieces of PVC to lay pieces on and then clamp. The Bessey's work good but the glue gets on the bar, their expensive so I worry about ruining them.

I'm going to pick up a bunch of dubuque clamps in 25, 36, and 48 soon. seem much easily to for cutting boards. I can coat the bar in wax or wrap in wax paper before glue up.

[Nick Stokes]

Bought my first pair of 24's month ago at $36 each. Not really blown away with them. Using them for cutting board glue ups and they are cumbersome. I've been using two perpendicular pieces of PVC to lay pieces on and then clamp. The Bessey's work good but the glue gets on the bar, their expensive so I worry about ruining them.

I'm going to pick up a bunch of dubuque clamps in 25, 36, and 48 soon. seem much easily to for cutting boards. I can coat the bar in wax or wrap in wax paper before glue up.

Dubuque are the best thing going in my opinion. I like the short 12" and 24" Kbody style... but longer than that give me aluminum every time.

[Tim M Tuttle]

Did I read somewhere that this clamp is about to be redesigned. If so does anybody know what the new features are and when will they be available? They already redesigned them and the new designs are in my local HDs.

[Tim M Tuttle]

Bought my first pair of 24's month ago at $36 each. Not really blown away with them. Using them for cutting board glue ups and they are cumbersome. I've been using two perpendicular pieces of PVC to lay pieces on and then clamp. The Bessey's work good but the glue gets on the bar, their expensive so I worry about ruining them.

I'm going to pick up a bunch of dubuque clamps in 25, 36, and 48 soon. seem much easily to for cutting boards. I can coat the bar in wax or wrap in wax paper before glue up. Wax them up and the glue wont stick. If it's too late and glue is already on the bars, soak some paper towels in vinegar, wrap them around the bars, and then wrap plastic wrap around them and let them sit for a couple of hours. Then wax them up so you dont have to clean them again :D

[Brian Nguyen]

No what I meant was that I don't understand why you're seeing the 24" as being $59.99 when Home Depot sells them for $34.99. Maybe it's my region, but that's the price for 24" for awhile now.



Bought them yesterday...

385658

[Vijay Kumar]

How do you tell the difference between old and new/ And what are the differences?

[Ben Rivel]

Cool, was able to grab a couple more 24" K-Body REVOs at one of my local HDs for $35 a piece! They had a couple 50" ones too, but I already have six of those and rarely use them.

[Tim M Tuttle]

How do you tell the difference between old and new/ And what are the differences? The new ones arent quite as bulky, have more angles to the handles/body. Hard to explain but if you saw them side by side you could tell which one was newer.

[Carlos Alvarez]

I have to run out of Jet clamps before I'll reach for my Besseys. The Jets are SOOOO much better and easier to use.

[Mike Harkin]

The new clamps are on the left in the first two pics. The new clamp handles have the ability to use an Allen wrench to apply more torque to the handle. In the far right pic the new clamp is shown on top.

[Joe Jensen]

I have to run out of Jet clamps before I'll reach for my Besseys. The Jets are SOOOO much better and easier to use.

I've never used Jet clamps, what makes them SOOOO much better?

[Eric Commarato]

Yes the Bessey Clamps on the left are the ones I bought at HD, they are the newly designed models.

[Terry Kelly]

i have used them and don’t care for them....I have a variety of them Jorgensen,bessey,jet.....I find their slide mechanism isn’t the smoothest.....always last off the rack

[Mel Fulks]

Agree with Terry. First time I used any I had trouble adjusting them smoothly. Fellow worker was unable to explain the procedure. Eventually got better at it ,but when I have to use any I'm always afraid they are not going to work.

[Ted Phillips]

I've never had any complaints with my Besseys - except that I never have enough clamps in general... They always work dependably for me.

[Carlos Alvarez]

I've never used Jet clamps, what makes them SOOOO much better?

I guess one of the top things is that they instantly lock in place rather than sliding around. They have better markings. They have larger faces. They are smooth and quick to adjust then stay where you put them. There's something about their dimensions that makes them more stable when standing on end so you can lay something on them. I'd have to go grab a Bessey and use it to remember all the things it doesn't do as well. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've taken one off the rack in months at least.

EDIT: Should note that my Besseys are many years old, and new ones may be better. I guess I should test drive one in the store.

[Edwin Santos]

EDIT: Should note that my Besseys are many years old, and new ones may be better. I guess I should test drive one in the store.

Hi,
Yes, I think you should. Ignoring the Jet vs. Bessey question, I will say IMO the Bessey Revos are a big improvement over the old style Bessey K bodies. It's all a matter of preference. None of them are "bad", they all clamp.
Edwin

[Vijay Kumar]

The new clamps are on the left in the first two pics. The new clamp handles have the ability to use an Allen wrench to apply more torque to the handle. In the far right pic the new clamp is shown on top.

Thanks Mike that is quite helpful.:)

[Carlos Alvarez]

Hi,
Yes, I think you should ignoring the Jet vs. Bessey question

Why? The Jets are even older. So are you saying that Bessey has caught up to Jet quality?

[glenn bradley]

I've never used Jet clamps, what makes them SOOOO much better?

Its a personal thing. With many years of using both the Jets are not my go-to's. I do enjoy the longer jaw on occasions that is required. I really dislike the trigger mechanism and find it grabby and hard to hit the "sweet spot" on for free movement. Contrarily, others love the trigger and find Bessey K-bodys and Revos difficult to move smoothly. I assume it is like a pot-holed road; if you know where the pot holes are you can make a smooth drive of it. I've used k-body clamps for so long they are super simple and comfortable for me. Others love their Cabinet Masters, Jets or Yost.

[Carlos Alvarez]

I really dislike the trigger mechanism and find it grabby and hard to hit the "sweet spot" on for free movement.

I've sprayed all my clamps with dry lube. It makes all of them run smoother, especially the Jets. Between that and technique, they just never bind up. The lube also helps reject glue if you get some on the clamps.

[Edwin Santos]

Why? The Jets are even older. So are you saying that Bessey has caught up to Jet quality?

No, I'm just saying the newer Bessey Revos are a big improvement over the old K-Bodies that had the red wooden handles. So if your opinion on the Jet clamp being sooooo much better than the Bessey was based on the old Bessey, check out the new style and you might like it. Or you might just conclude that Jet still rules (for you).

Then again, there is a contingent of people who like the older Besseys better than the newer ones, but I can't for the life of me totally understand why. Occasionally I've had a Bessey Revo that didn't slide smoothly, and hitting the bar with a little Johnson's paste wax resolved it. The dry lube sounds good too but beware of any that contain silicone.
Edwin

[Frank Martin]

No, I'm just saying the newer Bessey Revos are a big improvement over the old K-Bodies that had the red wooden handles. So if your opinion on the Jet clamp being sooooo much better than the Bessey was based on the old Bessey, check out the new style and you might like it. Or you might just conclude that Jet still rules (for you).

Then again, there is a contingent of people who like the older Besseys better than the newer ones, but I can't for the life of me totally understand why. Occasionally I've had a Bessey Revo that didn't slide smoothly, and hitting the bar with a little Johnson's paste wax resolved it. The dry lube sounds good too but beware of any that contain silicone.
Edwin

I too really like the Revo or the K-Body's that had the same handle as the Revos. In fact, I came into decently priced Revos and replaced all my older K-Body's with the red wood handle. In my opinion single biggest improvement is the handle. Revos are also heavier than the older version, which could be the reason why some people still prefer the older version.

[Carlos Alvarez]

Sigh, one more way this site makes me spend money. I'm going to check out the new ones. I'll either buy those or more Jets, and get rid of the old Besseys. I don't need MORE clamps, I need clamps that don't suck.

[Ben Rivel]

Just picked up the two K-Body REVOs that my local HD had in stock and they turned out to be the newer version. Havent messed with them yet but they do seem a tad nicer. Just displeases the OCD a little that all my Bessey K-Body clamps won't match. :eek:

[Mike Harkin]

Thanks Mike that is quite helpful.:)

You're welcome.


Just picked up the two K-Body REVOs that my local HD had in stock and they turned out to be the newer version. Havent messed with them yet but they do seem a tad nicer. Just displeases the OCD a little that all my Bessey K-Body clamps won't match. :eek:

You'll just have to buy more, and keep them in separate racks.;)

[Mike Heidrick]

Ordered some after this thread came out from homedepot.com. They already arrived 3 days later vs jet deals taking a year lol.
They shipped direct from bessy and are the newest ones they make with allen capable handles. In the case as they ship from bessey. I did order in pairs and they come 2 in a box/case. Inside, the heads and feet are in foam and center wrapped in cardboard. Shipped UPS. Painless order.

[Ben Rivel]

You'll just have to buy more, and keep them in separate racks.;)
LOL which is exactly what I ended up doing! lol