1/2" Pipe Clamps...what are they worth

[Dwain Lambrigger]

I know that these days the nicer k body clamps are all the rage, but I was wondering how much value there is in 1/2" pipe clamps. I have a chance to buy several for $5.00 each. They are packaged as Shop Fox, but they are identical to the Jorgerson Pony clamps. I have a lot of 3/4" pipe clamps, but was curious if these were worth the purchase?

Thanks.

[Lee Schierer]

1/2" pipe clamps are a little light weight in my opinion. The pipe bows too much when pressure is applied. They might be okay for making boxes or other light work. 3/4" pipe clamps are much stiffer.

[Tom Veatch]

...I have a lot of 3/4" pipe clamps, but was curious if these were worth the purchase?...

I have some of both sizes and, personally, I like the 1/2" pipe clamps much better than the 3/4". Lighter, easier to handle, less expensive, do the job for me just as well as the 3/4". Will develop a little more bow sooner than the 3/4" clamps, but have never found that to be a problem.

If I needed more than I already have, I'd jump on Pony's for $5.00. But, be cautious. I know nothing about the Shop Fox clamps. They may look identical to the Pony clamps, but the devil is in the details, and looks can be deceiving.

[Tom Esh]

I'd grab 'em. 1/2" is all I ever use. Sure there's a bit more bow than with 3/4", but either way you have to deal with it. And of course they're clamps, so more is better. :D

[Chris Rosenberger]

That is a great price. I have several 40" long 1/2" clamps. They work great for light duty jobs.

[Steve Clardy]

1/2" is my preferred pipe clamp for door and panel glue ups.
Never had a problem with the pipe bowing.

$5.00 is a good price, as long as they have the spring clutch pack on the end, not the lever.

Harbor Freight has some decent ones on sale once in a while for less than $4.00. Again, just be sure they have the spring clutches.

[Alan Schwabacher]

$4 is the regular price for the HF 1/2" pipe clamps, #37056. They go down to about $2.50 occasionally. The 3/4" ones (#31255) are $5 usually, and go for $3 to $3.50 now and then.

As others have warned, HF also sells a different type of pipe clamp, said to be less good. Those don't have the three stacked metal plates.

The HF ones usually work fine.

[Mike Parzych]

In my experience 1/2" clamps are sufficient for almost all applications. Flexing clamp pipes is far more force than needed for a glue joint. I've never had a glue joint fail with 1/2" clamps.

[John Schreiber]

I had some 3/4" clamps which basically looked the same as the Pony's, but they weren't the same, and I ruined a glue up. Glue ups are stressful enough with dependable clamps - that's one place where I won't cheep out.

[Tim Put]

$5 isn't an unusual price for those (in the states). http://www.grizzly.com/products/Pipe-Clamps-For-1-2-Pipe/H2624

[Tom Veatch]

The photo's of the Shop Fox variety shown on the Grizzly site look like they have the same locking mechanism as some clamps I bought more years ago than I care to remember - a pivoting spring loaded toothed cam arrangement that wedges against/bites into the pipe. In my experience that design has been more prone to slippage than the angled plate design of the Pony style clamps. YMMV.

[Norman Pyles]

If the clamps you are looking at are the same as the ones in the link Tim provided, then I would pass.

[harry strasil]

I used pipe clamps in the blacksmith shop too, I bought some used ones in a pawn shop years ago for almost nothing because the clutches slipped. I just used my die grinder with a stone to re square the insides of the clutches and they worked like new.

Note - if you ponies or other pipe clamps with the 3 clutch plates start to slip because they are worn, you can make them good as new once by removing the clutch plates and flipping them over and putting them back in place.

I have both types of clutches and on old galvanized pipe I removed from this house when I bought it and replaced the whole system with copper, they do have a tendency to lock in place when used for a hard pull.

Many years ago Sears had a special on some pipe clamps and I got 8 of the ones for 1/4 inch pipe, real light and real handy for small projects.