K-Body Knockoffs

[Matt Meiser]

Got a Harbor Freight store ad in the mail today and noticed that they now have what appears to be a knock-off of the K-Body clamp in at least a 24" size. I couldn't find them online, but they look very similar, with black plastic parts. The ad even shows two balls clamped like the K-Body ads. On sale for $19.99. Given HF's track record, these could be junk, or they could be a good deal. I'm planning to at least check them out next time I'm near HF.

[Steve Clardy]

Yea. Report back Matt

[Greg Hairston]

I was at my local HF yesterday. I did not see anything that resembled a K-body. All they had were some cheap alum. Clamps

Greg

[Gary McKown]

I remember from another forum, during a past Bessey orgy, many cases of clamps with faces too far out of parallel. Could these be the returns?

I wouldn't pay $20 for it, in either case.

[Julio Navarro]

IMVHO I would not buy anything from HF

[Bart Leetch]

Clamps from Harbor Freight can be a good thing. Just don't buy the over the internet or by phone. If you have a store near by you can do very well with the clutch style 3/4" pipe clamps & the light duty bar clamps & aluminum bar style clamps. Just make sure the they function properly. The light duty bar clamp faces on the fixed end are sometimes not cast square but tweeked off to the right or left a little bit. The above reasons are why I recommend buying your clamps at the store. I have all the above clamps & have had no problems with them. HF is a place where you have to decide how you'll use the item & how much you'll use the item. I have used these clamps a whole lot with no problem.


BUY THEM AT THE STORE NOT ON THE INTERNET OR BY PHONE.

[Mark Pruitt]

I bought several aluminum bar clamps from HF when they opened a store here. Glad they were on sale because two of them have already jammed on me. By jammed, I mean that I tightened the clamp for a glue-up, and when I loosened the clamp the next day the threads were screwed up, no pun intended. It now takes serious leverage to screw/unscrew the clamp head.

[Bart Leetch]

I have 4 3' & 2 48" aluminum bar clamps they are light duty clamps. Not made to be hurked down on. I have used mine for light duty face frame clamping. For heavier duty large face frames I use pipe clamps.

I learned a long time ago if you really have to hurk down on a clamp to get a joint to close up somethings wrong. Back it off & check it out. Most all my clamping can be done with a medium clamping pressure. Dry fit & clamp then glue & clamp.

I'll be buying more of these aluminum bar clamps because they are light. Easy does it.

Is the clamp that you refering to Mark?

[Art Davis]

Don't know about the clamps, but will be reading this thread with interest. Just wanted to respond to Julio's indictment of Harbor Fright! Though a lot is junk, you can get some real good tools there. You just have to be considered in what you buy. I have a Harbor Freight lathe and am delighted with it---particularly considering the cost. Just purchased a hyrdaulic lift table that I got for 160 bucks by combining sale and coupons to get (its normally something like 280 bucks). There was another thread on this forum a few days ago about this tool. I will use it to build a nice variable height outfeed table and also use it to unload things from my truck. Will post later on how it turns out, but I'm betting it will be great---based on the other thread!

[Don Baer]

I have 4 3' & 2 48" aluminum bar clamps they are light duty clamps. Not made to be hurked down on. I have used mine for light duty face frame clamping. For heavier duty large face frames I use pipe clamps.

I learned a long time ago if you really have to hurk down on a clamp to get a joint to close up somethings wrong. Back it off & check it out. Most all my clamping can be done with a medium clamping pressure. Dry fit & clamp then glue & clamp.

I'll be buying more of these aluminum bar clamps because they are light. Easy does it.

Is the clamp that you refering to Mark?

I bought a pair of those a year ago and they work great.

[Charlie Hans]

I agree with Bart, I have some of their light duty bar clamps and they work fine for small glue ups and face frame applications. like he said the joint needs to fit properly before glueing. just my $.02
Charlie

[Matt Meiser]

Stopped by a store today--not my usual store since I'm in training this week--they didn't have the clamps. Since these are a different color than the Bessey's, I'm guessing they are not Bessey seconds. I'll keep and eye out for them and will update this thread when I find them.

I've generally had pretty good luck with HF. In general, if something looks well made, it ends up being good. I have one of the 4" angle grinders and a right angle drill that are both great. I can buy three of the 4" angle grinders for less than one Makita like my dads. I like mine better than the Makita too as far as ergonomics. The right angle drill was $20 on sale with a 20% coupon and seems to be very well made. I also have various precision measuring tools, a brad nailer that shoots very short brads that I can't shoot with my PC brad nailer, and a small compressor (one of the oil-lubed twin tank hot dog models) which are all good. I buy disposable "chip" brushes and nitrile gloves there. I have quite a few other items too that I'm completely satisfied with.

I have bought some duds. Most notably a cheap ($15) 12V drill which broke when I dropped it. My dad bought the same one and still uses his, with an extra charger and batteries from mine. If he charges all four batteries, it will just keep up for homeowner projects. I wouldn't buy sight unseen from them, but I will continue to look for good deals there when I can inspect the item.

[Sam Shank]

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/tabviewer/startBrowseBook.do?bookid=137&preview=&type=RET&simple=

Here's the ad page. When you type in the product number you get when you mouseover the clamp, it's not available.

[Mark Pruitt]

Is the clamp that you refering to Mark?
They look something like that but not exactly. I tightened them as much as needed for a good fit. I was face-joining some hard maple. They're not much good if you can't tighten 'em down, eh?

(Not complaining about HF! You get what you pay for--I paid pennies and pennies is what I got. Lesson learned.)

[Brad Townsend]

I find this a great tool!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/40100-40199/40122.gif

[nic obie]

I find this a great tool!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/40100-40199/40122.gif

Hahahahahahahahaaa

I used mine for the first time yesterday.

It really worked.

:D :D :D