New K-Body Clamps

[richard poitras]

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Where+Oh+Where+Are+The+KBodies+Going.aspx (http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Where+Oh+Where+Are+The+KBodies+Going.aspx)

New Bessey K-Body clamps coming soon..take a look! What do you think?

[Bruce Page]

Richard, your link didn't work for me.

I love my "older" Bessey's

[Joe Jensen]

I have lots of bessey clamps. 8-10 of the 12,24, and 32". 6 each of the 40, 50, and of the 60. I'd like a few of the really long ones for when I do larger case work. I just can't stomach the shipping charges. Any suggestions on how to get some 96" ones? I'd like 6 cheap. Nearly all of mine are 15 years old. The old style is fine for me...joe

[John Keeton]

Joe, what about using the clamp extenders - $16. You could use the 50" and 60" to make up long ones. http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=20157

[Dana Vogel]

Looks very similar to the old Sta-Bil clamps. I heard Bessey had bought out Sta-Bil and closed them out but only to reemerge as a Bessey/Sta-Bil hybrid That seems like a weird marketing scheme.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Reminds me of the time Coca-Cola introduced "New" Coke.

But... I'm willing to give them a look, but in the meantime take better care of my 'classic' K-bodies.

[Gary Herrmann]

Hm. Hopefully someone will have a huge closeout sale on the old style. The 25% off at WC didn't tempt me enough...

[Greg Cole]

[quote=richard poitras] I shied away from earlier-model K Bodies due to their slippery wooden handles; it felt like I couldn't tighten them enough to get adequate pressure with my glue-ups. [quote]

A problem easily solved by drilling a hole in the handle and use the shaft of a long screw driver or something similar & use that as a lever through the handle.
Works for me.

Greg

[Peter Quadarella]

I saw an article where someone chiseled long gouges up and down the length of the handles for better grip also.

[Brent Smith]

I'm not impressed with the new clamps. As far as I'm concerned there was nothing wrong with the old ones. The wooden handles were fine for torquing. If you need more pressure than that there's something wrong with the joint.

[Gary Herrmann]

Reminds me of the time Coca-Cola introduced "New" Coke.

But... I'm willing to give them a look, but in the meantime take better care of my 'classic' K-bodies.

I worked at Publix as a stockboy when that happened. You would have thought that the original Coke was liquid plutoneum the way those cases and 12 paks flew off the shelves. I remember one woman screaming at a manager about being out of stock...

[Dar Lounsbury]

The last batch of classic Besseys I got off the web has the new handles. Nice, comfortable and can be tightened without hands slipping. That said, I still love my old style wood handled Besseys. I have no complaints except I would like to have a bunch more. I need 4 of the 96" but $$$$.

I am with Gary. Waiting and watching. Someone will want to bail out of their old style stock and have a really good price. Time will tell.

Dar:)

[Ron Kanter]

It's already happening.
Hartville Tools has the 24" for $24 as one of today's deals at the Woodnet forum.
Woodcraft, not usually your bargain center, has the 24" for $27, the 40" for $33.74, and the 50", that they usually sell for $47.99, at a close out price of $47.99. Hmmm, not much of a discount on the 50" ers.
HTH,
Ron

[jason lambert]

Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind.

[jason lambert]

Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind.

[Robin Cruz]

i dont care for the small wooden handles on the bessey clamps. hard to get a grip especially in tight places and if you need to grab them with pliers to get some torq you tear up the handles. The Harbor Freight versions have metal knurled handles which are easier to grip and wont damage if pliers are needed in a tight spot. I see Harbor Freight doesnt carry the 2'ers any more though.

[Joe Jensen]

Joe, what about using the clamp extenders - $16. You could use the 50" and 60" to make up long ones. http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=20157

All my clamps were made before the removeable end. The bar on the ends of mine are stamped to prevent the jaw from coming off. To use the extenders I'd need to grind off the end of the clamp and then find some plastic ends like the newer clamps use. I assume I'd get rust, so I haven't done it. Maybe...joe

[Pat Germain]

I think the new K-Body clamps look pretty spiffy. I'd have to lay hands on one for a good comparison to the JET clamps I currently use (wish I had more!).

If the new Bessey clamps are priced right, I will likely spring for at least a few. If they're priced competitively, I'll spring for a whole wall of them. I'd sure like to have a clamp collection to rival The Wood Whisperer. ;)

[James Carmichael]

So I wonder if they'll do like Coke and bring back the old clamps as "K-body-classic" to calm the angry masses.

The one's I bought at Woodcraft are k-bodies, but with the neoprene handles. Wonder if these are hybrids, new handles fitted to the old clamps to clear them out.

[Dan Lautner]

"Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind."


The ability to move both ends of the clamp is not a "minor nice improvment" in my book. I think it may be jet that has fallen behind here. I own some jets and will try the new bessies and then decide which to buy in the future.

Dan

[jason lambert]

Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind.

[Pat Germain]

So I wonder if they'll do like Coke and bring back the old clamps as "K-body-classic" to calm the angry masses.


I don't think there will be any angry masses for this situation. If people liked the old clamps, I see no reason why they wouldn't like the new clamps enough to protest.

Obviously, Bessey had a reason for rolling out a new design. I suspect competition from JET was a major factor.

*Fun fact: When Coca-Cola surveyed focus groups about the "New Coke", prior to its release, 11% were angry and dead-set against the change. This 11% would often influence others in the focus groups to feel the same way. Coca-Cola ignored this 11% and rolled out the new formula anyway.

When New Coke was launched, early on there was a very angry and vocal contigent of Coca-Cola fans who eventually started to influence other consumers to feel the same way. That early, angry and vocal contigent was 11% of Coke drinkers.

[Gary Herrmann]

I have lots of bessey clamps. 8-10 of the 12,24, and 32". 6 each of the 40, 50, and of the 60. I'd like a few of the really long ones for when I do larger case work. I just can't stomach the shipping charges. Any suggestions on how to get some 96" ones? I'd like 6 cheap. Nearly all of mine are 15 years old. The old style is fine for me...joe


Joe, keep an eye on Tyler Tool. The last big sale they had on the 96inchers, they were selling them for $21 each and free shipping.

[Dave Tinley]

"Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind."


The ability to move both ends of the clamp is not a "minor nice improvment" in my book. I think it may be jet that has fallen behind here. I own some jets and will try the new bessies and then decide which to buy in the future.

Dan

The new Bessy's have a spiffy color scheme, and I can see where the added pad size can come in handy. IMHO the ability to move both ends is not that big of a deal. Only area I can think of that would be handy is if you needed to balance it.
I use pipe clamps for all my edge glue ups and mainly use my Bessy's for case work.
All in all, the new ones would be attracitive if I didnt already have a bunch of the old style. But depending on priceing I would still concider the Jet models.
Besides my Bessy's are already paid for- :D

[glenn bradley]

What do you think?

I think it's great. I've been picking up the older model Besseys at blow-out prices every chance I get.

[Dan Lautner]

"But depending on priceing I would still concider the Jet models."


I think the price is the key. I have some of the Jets and the old Bessies and they perform very similar. If I see another blow out on Amazon I would grab a bunch of Jets in a second. I do see the moveable head as an advantage when long clamps must be used (do to lack of enough shorter ones) to clamp shorter spans.

Dan

[Dan Lautner]

Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind.

Care to elaborate on the "better cam" statement?


Dan

[Greg Cole]

[quote=Pat Germain;890155] Fun fact:[quote]

The other fun fact about the new coke is that was the manufacturers attempt to get away from real sugar as a sweetener to use cheap man made crap.....

Seriously about the old style wood handles of your Bessy's... drill a hole in the handle and shove a screw driver in it for added "traction". Just don't be he-man or you will be testing the structural integrity of the wooden handle... DAMKHIT.:rolleyes:

Greg

[Dennis Lopeman]

"Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind."


The ability to move both ends of the clamp is not a "minor nice improvment" in my book. I think it may be jet that has fallen behind here. I own some jets and will try the new bessies and then decide which to buy in the future.

Dan


I have quick grip type clamps that allow me to move both sides of the clamp... this is not really a new concept... more like bessey is "catching up!!!" IMO

[Paul Johnstone]

Not impressed. Yes some minor nice improvnment but the jets are still nicer. Intergrated ruler better cam, these are things bessey should of done I think they are falling behind.

I have both brands (more besseys though). I have to say that I have always wondered what the benefit of the ruler is though. Has anyone come up with a clever idea to leverage the ruler? I can't think of one. :confused:

IMO, the adjustment of the clamp head is just a matter of preference. Both are fine with me.

The Jet used to have a better handle than Bessey, although maybe that's even now. I do agree with the other poster though. When I have struggled to tighten down a bessey, I have made a goof which made the glue up a lot more difficult than it should be.. Remember, it's not supposed to be necessary to tighten down a clamp to 1000000 tons of torque..

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm not impressed with the new clamps. As far as I'm concerned there was nothing wrong with the old ones. The wooden handles were fine for torquing. If you need more pressure than that there's something wrong with the joint.


My take exactly. It's not a hydraulic press, it's a wood working clamp. The trick is to make sure that your work actually fits properly, you're not suposed to crush it into compliance.

regards, Rod.

[Neal Clayton]

I don't think there will be any angry masses for this situation. If people liked the old clamps, I see no reason why they wouldn't like the new clamps enough to protest.

Obviously, Bessey had a reason for rolling out a new design. I suspect competition from JET was a major factor.

*Fun fact: When Coca-Cola surveyed focus groups about the "New Coke", prior to its release, 11% were angry and dead-set against the change. This 11% would often influence others in the focus groups to feel the same way. Coca-Cola ignored this 11% and rolled out the new formula anyway.

When New Coke was launched, early on there was a very angry and vocal contigent of Coca-Cola fans who eventually started to influence other consumers to feel the same way. That early, angry and vocal contigent was 11% of Coke drinkers.

11 percent or not, new coke sucked :p.

i was mad when it was the only thing available at that time.

[jason lambert]

Sorry not sure why I posted several times and I can't edit or delete. Somethign is odd, anyhow I only ment to post once.

I didn't see the moveabel ends on both sides that is quite nice on the bessey. The jet has a cam that is nicer in that it is alwas enguaged so the clamp head won't move and slam into the ends like the besseys. I guess they both have there strong points and are both nice. I was hoping for more from bessey after seeing the jets.