Parallel Clamps

[Jacob Atwell]

I know this has been covered before, but I didn’t have a lot of luck searching. I’m looking to buy my first parallel clamps in the ~30-36” range, and with the expense I would like to make a somewhat informed decision. The brands that I know of are bessey, jet, jorgenson, Irwin, and taylor tools (had not heard of these but were mentioned by a youtuber). I’m looking for best bang for the buck, and not just the cheapest. So is there a clear winner amongst them? I know everyone’s opinions will vary but I’d like some help. Also, looking for recommendations on where to buy. Thanks!

[Tom Bain]

You are going to get a wide array of answers on this. I personally have both Jorgensen and Bessey parallel clamps, and both work fine. I've a very slight preference for the Jorgensen's as they are a bit smoother, but I use both all the time.

[Frederick Skelly]

You'll gets lots of opinions here and it comes down to personal preference. I have both JETs and BESSEY REVOs in roughly the size range you are looking at.

I like that the JETs don't slide without pressing the lock lever. More than once, I've pinched my hand when picking up the Besseys and the jaw slid into me. (Dumb, I know.) Both the JETs and the Bessey's work just fine for me. Most times, I've just bought what's on sale.

Aside: I also have 18" Bessey REVO JRs. I really like them for narrower glue ups. Lighter-weight and effective. But I probably wouldn't go longer with the Juniors because of potential flex.

Fred

[Jim Becker]

Mine are all Bessy but I bought them a very long time ago, always taking advantage of sales. I'm not sure that brand matters all that much other than combining brands may sometimes require care in a particular glue up situation if the sizing of the clamp jaws vary.

[Ron Selzer]

I really like working with Universal Bar Clamps, light weight, have enough power for what I do. I do have heavy iron clamps and pipe clamps, however they only come out when all of the Universals are in use.
Have some Bessey's at work and don't really like working with them, same for the Jorgensen's I have at home. bought before I found the Universal's.
Tools for working wood has a nice blog on these
good luck
Ron

[Christopher Giles]

I reach for my Revo Jrs whenever I can. Not for the heaviest duty jobs, but they work fine for the vast majority.

[Brian Tymchak]

I have Bessey 31" Revos. The Jets and Jorgies have enough of a following that I doubt you can go wrong with any of these 3. I haven't shopped clamps lately but I wouldn't be surprised if they are about the same pricewise.

One feature that might distinguish one from another would be if the clamps can be joined for longer application. The Besseys can be with an adapter that can be purchased. I don't know about the others.

[Stan Calow]

I have both Jorgensens and Besseys, and slightly prefer the Besseys. But really I'd buy whichever of any of those brands I found the best sale on at the time.

[Jacob Mac]

I have Yost, Jet, Bessey, Jorgenson, and Stanley's. Aside from the Stanley's that I got on close out a decade ago, they all work about the same. I wait for sales and grab what I need. Not sure there is a lot of difference when comparing apples to apples.

[Doug Dawson]

I know this has been covered before, but I didn’t have a lot of luck searching. I’m looking to buy my first parallel clamps in the ~30-36” range, and with the expense I would like to make a somewhat informed decision. The brands that I know of are bessey, jet, jorgenson, Irwin, and taylor tools (had not heard of these but were mentioned by a youtuber). I’m looking for best bang for the buck, and not just the cheapest. So is there a clear winner amongst them? I know everyone’s opinions will vary but I’d like some help. Also, looking for recommendations on where to buy. Thanks!

I really like the Yost Heavy Duty parallel clamps, better IMO than the Besseys and (usually) a bit less expensive, you can get them on amazon of course.

If you really want maximum bang for the buck, try the Dubuque aluminum bar clamps from toolsforworkingwood.com, they are considerably lighter and perform almost as well. Unfortunately, they are less effective than the others as weapons to repel intruders, or as union organizers.

[Jacob Atwell]

Several of you have mentioned buying what’s on sale. Where do you all shop most of the time?

[Doug Dawson]

Several of you have mentioned buying what’s on sale. Where do you all shop most of the time?

Bring in the usual suspects! IOW, all of them. But in case you’re new to this, a google search for an item and clicking on the Shopping tab is often very helpful.

[Frederick Skelly]

If you really want maximum bang for the buck, try the Dubuque aluminum bar clamps from toolsforworkingwood.com, they are considerably lighter and perform almost as well.

I have the Dubuques as well and they are my absolutely favorite clamp. But there are plenty of times I reach for the parallel clamps instead of the Dubuques - it just depends on what I'm doing.

[Frederick Skelly]

Several of you have mentioned buying what’s on sale. Where do you all shop most of the time?

Coming into the Holidays, you can usually expect a JET sale. Otherwise, just watch rockler, woodcraft and other sites. You'll usually get a heads up on message boards like this, too.

[Jim Becker]

Believe it or not, Home Depot occasionally has sale prices on Bessey parallel clamps...

[Bob Hinden]

Believe it or not, Home Depot occasionally has sale prices on Bessey parallel clamps...

I agree. Their prices on the 50" and 24" K-Body REVOlution (KRE) are usually very good, and my local stores keep some in stock.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I bought the parallel clamps sold by Peachtree. You can buy 24" and 40" combo packs and save a few bucks.

[Matthew Curtis]

I have a bunch of the Bessy that I bought at the woodworking shows when PeachTree was there. They work great. I also have several Stanley parallel clamps that I think are great. Too bad you can't find them anymore.

[David Powell]

I have the old styles of both Jorgensen's cabinet master clamps and Bessey's k body; usually grab the Jorgensen first. Did pick up a couple of the new Chinese version of the cabinet master; they have a much smaller acme screw.

[johnny means]

I prefer the Jorgies. Meynards used to put these on sale every once in a while. I would always snatch up a dozen if I was in the area (we don't have Meynards near Delaware). My absolute faves were Gros Stabil, but they stopped being made long ago. I do wish Jorgensons came with a soft clamping pad like some of the others. I'm not fond of the rubberized grips, rubber seems to have a finite life, unlike wood.

[glenn bradley]

Several of you have mentioned buying what’s on sale. Where do you all shop most of the time?


Clamp sales that have been good for me come up at the places you may not expect. First you want to decide on what clamps you are going to go with. Despite my best efforts I have a smattering of Bailey, Jet and others polluting my Bessey parallel clamp herd. You've noticed that you get a lot of recommendations on these but, unless the person is recommending Bessey, they're wrong. Now that we have that settled . . . .:)

Seriously, the Bailey, Irwin. Jet and Yost all have too much flex once you get longer than about 24". If your parallel clamps aren't going to stay parallel then, get something else. People get pretty emotional about clamp brands; I just want them to work and work every time, not have the handles break if they get dropped and not have to fight fancy clutch doo-hickeys to slide the head. Here's where the problems begin . . .

Man was made in two versions, those who find Bessey K-Body clamps hard to adjust and those that don't. Seriously, I think it is genetic like sharpening or dovetailing. Some folks can free hand sharpen to beat the band, some of us can't. Some folks struggle with K-Bodys, the rest of us can't figure out what they are talking about.

Back to where to shop (understanding that what you want to buy will make the source different) I have found clamps at great prices at Lowe's, Home Depot, Rockler, Woodcraft, Acme Tool, all over the place; even Big Lots. The trick is to know what you are after and be prepared to strike when the bargain appears. Once upon a time I would buy Bessey K-Bodys whenever I could find them for a dollar an inch or better. You'll have to adjust that for today's prices on your format of preference.

[Jim Becker]

Man was made in two versions, those who find Bessey K-Body clamps hard to adjust and those that don't. Seriously, I think it is genetic like sharpening or dovetailing. Some folks can free hand sharpen to beat the band, some of us can't. Some folks struggle with K-Bodys, the rest of us can't figure out what they are talking about.

Cleaning off dried glue with acetone makes a big difference in this respect, no matter what the brand... ;)

[matt romanowski]

I have some Irwin, Bessey Revo, and Jet. The Jets are my favorite, the Bessey a close second and I don't like the Irwin. The Irwins seem a little different when you go to tighten them and just seem to annoy me. All were bought on sale and all get used.

[Doug Dawson]

Clamp sales that have been good for me come up at the places you may not expect. First you want to decide on what clamps you are going to go with. Despite my best efforts I have a smattering of Bailey, Jet and others polluting my Bessey parallel clamp herd. You've noticed that you get a lot of recommendations on these but, unless the person is recommending Bessey, they're wrong. Now that we have that settled . . . .:)

Seriously, the Bailey, Irwin. Jet and Yost all have too much flex once you get longer than about 24". If your parallel clamps aren't going to stay parallel then, get something else.

Differences in deflection with length are a function primarily of beam depth here. The Yost HD parallels have a greater beam depth than comparable Bessey K-bodies, so in fact are _less_ “flexy” than the Bessey’s. (The metal itself is otherwise similar.) So sayeth the moving finger of physics. :^)

[Alan Lightstone]

Cleaning off dried glue with acetone makes a big difference in this respect, no matter what the brand... ;)

Ooohhh!!!! Have to try that. Dried glue is an issue.

I have a plethora of Jets. I've had 3 clamp heads stop working on me (clutches slip). Supposedly they have a lifetime warranty, but I never seem to get around to pursuing it.

[Eugene Dixon]

Got a note from Grizzly today. Clamps on sale. YMMV.

[Jim Becker]

Alan, every once in a while I actually remember to do this kind of cleaning maintenance on clamps, steel rules, etc. It's sometimes amazing where glue gets to during projects! And once it's hardened it really can interfere with things. I find that a combination of acetone and a little scraping deals with it...even TB-III

[glenn bradley]

Got a note from Grizzly today. Clamps on sale. YMMV.

Yep, it's an omen. Bessey, Jorgie and others on sale. Browse thoroughly and choose wisely and you could solve a lot of clamp needs in a single blow. Here's a link (https://www.grizzly.com/search?q=(altcategory:%22June+Clamp+Sale%22)&trk_msg=52QCUQ3MR77K1DGUQPSNLROFMO&trk_contact=H4VQA7DCS18T7EIJIQR9NQLCSG&trk_sid=UT8UM27TQSCSBS9GMUE1K2UM44&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ALL+CLAMPS+ON+SALE&utm_campaign=Clamps+and+Jigs+Sale&utm_content=Clamps+and+Jigs+Sale+).

[glenn bradley]

@Jacob Atwel

I tried to send you a private message but, you have that feature blocked in your profile. I guess I will brave the public ;-)

Hi Jacob,

Eugene and I posted in your Parallel Clamp thread about the Grizzly clamp sale (https://www.grizzly.com/search?q=(altcategory:%22June+Clamp+Sale%22)&trk_msg=52QCUQ3MR77K1DGUQPSNLROFMO&trk_contact=H4VQA7DCS18T7EIJIQR9NQLCSG&trk_sid=UT8UM27TQSCSBS9GMUE1K2UM44&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ALL+CLAMPS+ON+SALE&utm_campaign=Clamps+and+Jigs+Sale&utm_content=Clamps+and+Jigs+Sale+) that just started. Although it does only seem to include Bessey as far as parallel clamps (https://www.grizzly.com/search?q=(altcategory:%22June+Clamp+Sale%22)+AND+( category:%22Parallel+Clamps%22)&trk_msg=52QCUQ3MR77K1DGUQPSNLROFMO&trk_contact=H4VQA7DCS18T7EIJIQR9NQLCSG&trk_sid=UT8UM27TQSCSBS9GMUE1K2UM44&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ALL+CLAMPS+ON+SALE&utm_campaign=Clamps+and+Jigs+Sale&utm_content=Clamps+and+Jigs+Sale+) go they have some good prices on other clamps as well. I made a half-joking remark about Besseys being the superior parallel clamp and didn't want you to get the wrong idea. The old Jorgensen Cabinet Master P-clamps were also very nice. They use a different mechanism (also used by Gross Stabil IIRC) but,w ere very reliable.

The new Bessey Revos are pretty tricked out and the price jumped pretty good when these replace the old K-Body design. I actually only have the old K-Body design and these are what I am comparing to other P-clamps. The problems I have with the other K-Body knock-offs is the bar. The Jet's biggest downfall is their mechanism. It's funny since that is their big selling point and it is their worst feature BUT, this falls back to the K-Body gene theory and some folks love them. A parallel clamp that does not remain parallel is a waste of money. Like a jointer that won't mill true, it is a non-tool. That is; it either does what it is supposed to or it isn't really worth much.

That being said, I have dozens of Bessey Uni-Klamps. These are a medium duty cabinet clamp and by far my most used parallel format clamp. They have head shells over what is rally a basic f-style clamp mechanism but, remain parallel within their operating range. I only mention this since they work well up to 18" and get reached for so often in my shop. Full size parallel clamps are something else and are priced accordingly. My point is that if you need parallel clamps, a half a dozen good ones is better than 2 dozen poor ones. They also don't have to be your only clamps and they don't have to be huge. 24" is my most often used P-clamp with the 31" coming in a close second. For longer stuff I reach for a pipe clamp ;-)

Hope this helps,

Glenn

P.s. Sometimes the shipping costs can kill a Grizzly deal so you will have to put stuff in your cart and go through a few steps of the purchase process to find that out for sure.

[Andy D Jones]

My most-used clamps are Universal bar clamps and Mirro-Moose hand screw clamps, both manufactured by Dubuque Clamp Works in Iowa.

I also use several older Jorgensen hand screws, that were made in USA, and a few Pony pipe clamps from that era, if needed.

Sad to hear the new Chinese-made Jorgensen parallel clamps have been dis-improved, but not surprised.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Mike Henderson]

I used Bessey K-Body for years but recently bought some of the Bessey Revo clamps. I really like the new Besseys.

Mike

[George Yetka]

I have mostly besseys and a couple jets I love the besseys(I dont often use the jets theyre 60s.)

I havent seen them mentioned but people seem to like the rockler beam clamps. At least I see them alot on youtube. May be paid advertizing, I dont know for sure but they seem to be priced right when you get them on sale.

https://www.rockler.com/surefoot-aluminum-bar-clamps Now its 24" ones

Also depending on the intended use pipe clamps are always a good option

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I like the Jets, mainly for the ruler that's marked on them. I am one of the stupid people that managed to smash my fingers with the Bessys that slide around. While the Jets are indeed finicky to move about, you get used to it.

[Jim Becker]

@Jacob Atwel

I tried to send you a pri
Only Contributors have access to private messaging.

Jim
Forum Moderator

[Mike Kees]

My happiest experience with parallel clamps was the day that someone paid me what I had spent to buy them and hauled them away. I had ten of the original Jorgesons and tried to like them and use them for about 8 years. Never happened. Now I have about 40 Pony pipe clamps with heavy black pipe that do what clamps are supposed to do without being bulky and expensive. Not trying to change the world here,just my experience. YMMV

[Jacob Atwell]

The grizzly sale looks pretty good. Now another completely subjective question. What size do you all find the be the most handy? I’m mostly looking for something for relatively small panel glue ups, and would like to get something I could use for a wide range of sizes but I don’t want to go so big that they are unwieldy for the smaller stuff.

[Jim Becker]

Jacob, I have a split of largely 24" and 40" with a few 60" and four 30". I actually want more of the 30", but they are hard to come by. I've been using that size more lately for certain kinds of projects. Yes, I can use the 40", but at the expense of a lot of extra clamp hanging off the bench. Many folks start off with the kits that have a couple of 24" and a couple of 40" which is good for general purposes. I believe those combinations are on sale, too.

[Matthew Curtis]

I am with Jim. 24" and 40". A few longer.

[glenn bradley]

Only Contributors have access to private messaging.

Jim
Forum Moderator

Thanks Jim. My bad.

As to sizes, this varies with your work. Although I've got some 50"-ish parallel clamps I tend to reach for pipe clamps for longer stuff. Pipe clamps don't get used much in my shop but, when that's what you need it is great to have them. For me longer clamping is few and far between; one stage of a dresser or table frame glue up for instance. The bulk of my parallel clamp requirement is 36" and under; carcass sub assemblies, shelves, tops, frames, etc..

When I was originally doing the hunter/gatherer thing on clamps I would run out of 24" parallel clamps most often. I just kept buying another pair here and there as they showed up on sale until I stopped running out. Doing it this way will help you meet your required levels without ending up with a pile of unused clamps in the corner. The 31" are my next most used during parallel clamp type work. The balance of my carcass and cabinet work is done with 6", 12" and 18" Uni-Klamps and I have a couple dozen Bessey Mighty Mini 4" bar clamps that get used for everything.

I also have all sorts of f-style, Quick-Grip, aluminum bar, spring and specialty clamps. All of those types of things will come as you need them. FWIW I bought the 2" spring clamps at Home Depot that go for about $1 each in 2 or 3 bursts and am still using them nearly 20 years later. Harbor Freight used to be good for all sorts of odd-ball clamps but, in the last decade or so have settled into a standard fare that doesn't meet much in the way of my needs.

[Mike Henderson]

For my clamps, the ones with the most glue residue on them are my 12" and 24" so I suppose those are the ones I use the most:)

Mike

[Jacob Atwell]

Looks like shipping from the grizzly sale is $15.99. Kind of makes me want to keep looking.

[Jeff Ranck]

I absolutely hate my Jorgensen cabinet master clamps. All my jorgensen clamps really. The cabinet master clamps are heavy and I always seem to have a hard time getting them positioned correctly. On the other hand, the mechanism is smooth. The plastic jorgensen uses can leave an oily mark that is pressed into the wood and impossible to get out (particularly on their f-style clamps), so I always have to use cauls, which defeats the whole purpose of a parallel clamp for me. So although they are really heavy duty, they are always my clamp of last resort. Seriously, if someone comes to my shop, they can haul all my jorgensen clamps away for free.

[Mike Kees]

Jeff the first sentence of your post sums up my feelings exactly.I would have given them away as well. However I placed them on Kijiji and sold them in about 2 hours for basically what I had paid for them . That was a seriously good day.

[Jeff Ranck]

Yah, once I get through a major shop overhaul and get things put back, I'm going to work on my clamp situation. All the Jorgensens are going to go and I'll replace them with others. I definitely am not looking forward to the cost of replacement, however.

[Izzy Camire]

I have Jets and I like them but I also have a few Ehoma sold by Woodcraft. You said you are looking for the best bang for a buck. I found these to be good clamps for less money than others. Just search on Woodcraft for them.

[glenn bradley]

Looks like shipping from the grizzly sale is $15.99. Kind of makes me want to keep looking.


You need to look at the total to get them in your hands and not be swayed by a shipping cost. The $16 may be a deal killer but, I have missed out on deals by not taking the total cost to my door into account as opposed to the individual price, tax or shipping as a barometer.

[Will Blick]

I think I have owned just about every brand parallel clamp.
The Yost heavy duty are superb clamps, by far the MOST pressure applied with hand use only, easy 1200 psi due to the pivoting handle! ONLY on the HDuty version.

But overall, the latest Bessey REvos have sooooo many benefits in this latest version, IMO, its the KING of parallel comps today...read their web site for features! Using the clamp extenders makes them more versatile, allowing the hobbyist to buy less clamps and yet still have some long clamps available by joining them when required. And, the REvos allow you to insert a 6mm allen socket into the rear of the handle to tighten after hand strength is exhausted. This is the cats meow. Allows fast and easy max tight without ripping the skin off your hands trying to tighten the handle. You can quickly get to 1500 psi with 1/2 turn with ratchet handle, super fast. AFter all day in the shop, handling wood, hand planning, etc, my hands and fingers can get a bit tired and sore... love the socket wrench to do the heavy lifting on the last bit of tightening.

Why does max psi matter? If your goal is a certain psi at the joint, say 100-200 psi, as Titebond recommends...well, you need half as many 1400 psi clamps vs 700 psi clamps. Not only might you need less clamps to buy, you often need less clamps for a glue up, and we all know, time matters when gluing up. Much of the other brands, including the wood handle K body Bessesy, at avg strength can only achieve about 500-700 psi. The only exception I found to this is the Yellow Stanley Bailey parallel clamps which are no longer made, they were exceptional for hand force, easy 1200 psi, luckily I found a few of those and consider them prized clamps. Most of the wood handled Jorgy parallel clamps could only achieve about 500psi max, very strange, as they make high quality clamps. Pls keep in mind, I dont test these every year, new models come out. I think a ww magazine did a similar test on these and published their results... they were similar to mine.

you got some other good input for other considerations for your decision... and yes, you can catch some sales even on the new Revos which make them more competitive... Of course, what you need in a clamp, depends much on the type of work you do. Heavy duty Parallel clamps are quite versatile, but might be overkill if you are working with very thin material, such as 1/2" thick or less. If you glue up 3/4" or more, than heavy duty parallel clamps are a great clamp...and, they are the jack of all trades, making easy work of more complex glue ups due to their long jaws vs. bar clamps. BTW, the small bar clamps, while they look ideal for panel glue ups achieve 300-500 psi.

Below is Stanley Bailey and Revo jr., both tightened to max by myself... slightly above avg. strength.

435786435787

[Jerry Olexa]

I have a mix of the brands you mentioned but my favorite for the past several years, has been the JETs..
I like the solid clamping mechanism compared to the competition...The Besseys are excellent as are the Jorgensens but I now choose a Jet whenever I can..

[Will Blick]

I had prob had 20 Jet clamps...
they weigh a ton, built like a tank...
but my two issues were...
the pressure they could achieve was poor, 500psi max.
this demonstrates how critical the design and finish of the acme screw n mating threads.
the plastic handles were hollow, many got damaged.
Could not get a good bite on the handles, same true with the older wooden handle K Body Revos...
wrapped both with tennis over grip which helped a lot.
If you are not really strong, and do a lot of glue ups, beware of the weight of the Jets!

[Alan Lightstone]

Cleaning off dried glue with acetone makes a big difference in this respect, no matter what the brand... ;)

Just cleaned them, Jim. Thanks.

The acetone didn't take off all the old glue (and I needed to do some scraping and rubbing with abrasive pads) but the clamps look (and hopefully work) much better now. Most of the glue came off, which I had never done before. Great tip.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, the acetone isn't a panacea, but it does help to dislodge the glue off the metal bars so scraping, etc., is more effective.

[Phil Mueller]

To throw another variable in, I was watching a Tom McLaughlin video and he was touting the virtues of Ibeam clamps vs parallel clamps. Wondering what opinions/experience folks have on those?

[Bill Carey]

My happiest experience with parallel clamps was the day that someone paid me what I had spent to buy them and hauled them away. I had ten of the original Jorgesons and tried to like them and use them for about 8 years. Never happened. Now I have about 40 Pony pipe clamps with heavy black pipe that do what clamps are supposed to do without being bulky and expensive. Not trying to change the world here,just my experience. YMMV


2nd that. I have one Jorgensen Cabinet Master left that was hiding behind a stack of wood when I got rid of the others. Hasn't moved in a couple of years. Just sayin...........

[Ryan Yeaglin]

To throw another variable in, I was watching a Tom McLaughlin video and he was touting the virtues of Ibeam clamps vs parallel clamps. Wondering what opinions/experience folks have on those?


I work in a custom metal fab shop. We use pipe clamps primarily, but have since got some I-beam clamps to try. Jorgenson, Bessey and wilton. The Besseys seem to have the least deflection (all are 96" clamps). In full disclosure, I work with animals that do DUMB stuff with clamps. A pipe clamp is used to draw something together or adjust corner to corner squareness. They are not to be used with a cheater bar to gain pressure, there are other tools suited better for that need.

[Erich Weidner]

I have mostly Jorgenson Cabinet Maker clamps. And a half dozen Bessys including one Revo Jr. The Revo Jr is nice and light and clamps good. I'm not a fan of the rubber handles though. Everything rubber seems to get sticky one day. (Maybe not these I hope).

So I note that the Jorgenson don't have the ribs/notches that the Bessys do, and they are definitely heavier. But what is it specifically about them that folks don't like? I have one that an interior "washer" kept popping out on. But otherwise I can't say I had complaints.

[Curt Harms]

As far as glue on the bars, I put masking tape on the bar wherever there are glue joints to the extent possible. To remove glue from anything metal I have a brass brush on a powered arbor, kind of like a grinder with a brush instead of a stone. Wearing glasses goes without saying.

[Jeff Ranck]

I had four (3 now-one broke) cabinet master clamps and several jorgensen f-style clamps. The biggest problem I have with jorgensen clamps is that if you tighten them to the upper end of their clamping power, the plastic they use leaves an oily spot pushed into the wood behind. It is impossible to get it out. All of my jorgensen clamps are on their way out of my shop. I hate every one of them.