?s on Parallel clamps-K body style only/poll.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm starting to think toward getting some parallel clamps. I've mentioned in another thread the sizes I thought would be best for me (not the typical 24" and 40" thinking), and from what I've read in searches here and on other forums, it sounds like the Jets are regarded as slightly above the others.
So in the poll, pick what you would buy as what you think is the best unit overall (yes I know the pros have another brand they like best, but it is way out of my league). Then I hope you will answer with maybe ranking the 6 I've listed with pros/cons and whys, and even throw in those others I can't afford, or have not listed in my limited scope on what is available. :D Also list what you think is a really good price. (I realize the 2 - 50" Jets for 50.00 that some reported a year and a half ago will not likely be available again, so keep the pricing realistic please). I'm tracking Amazon and International Tool on the Jet prices since they both list free shipping, as well as one size on Ebay, though that is my least favorite place to shop.
I'm willing to part with some of the money I've set aside for the cabinet saw if I find prices that are good enough.
For my initial purchase, I will end up getting 4 of the 31" or 40", and 4 of the 50" or 60", with my preference being the 31s and 50s. It's just that Amazon history on Frozen Warrior shows better pricing on the 40s and 60s over the last 90 days. :confused: By quite a bit on the 2 larger sizes.
As always, thanks for you ideas and help. Jim.

[Don Bullock]

Jim, Jet is having a special sale on many tools including the parallel clamps. They are listed on page 19 of their Big 50 Anniversary Savings Event brochure that you can find at http://woodworking.jettools.com/Media.aspx?nav=Promotions While these prices may not be as good that some have found in the past, they look pretty good.

[Jim O'Dell]

Not sure what happened as I thought I typed in for the poll to close on 1/15/09. If a Moderator sees this, is there a way to change the polling date? If not, I'll recreate the poll and try again. Thanks! Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

Yes Don, I saw that last week on an email from them, but the pricing is not as good as the Amazon current pricing which also includes free shipping. I had hoped there would be some really good deals on them, or some rebates, maybe in the form of a free clamp if you purchase X number of clamps. ;) So I continue my search. :D Jim.

[Andrew Joiner]

Hi Jim,
What is the brand the pros like best? I'm mostly a pipe clamp guy,but I'm curious.

[Dewey Torres]

I voted for the Bessy because I have it and it is the best out of all I have. It may have been an unfair poll though because in my opinion you must own or have used all in the poll to be accurate.

I was surprised to see the Jet had so many votes. Interesting.

[Jim O'Dell]

I voted for the Bessy because I have it and it is the best out of all I have. It may have been an unfair poll though because in my opinion you must own or have used all in the poll to be accurate.

I was surprised to see the Jet had so many votes. Interesting.

Dewey, from what I've read, both of those brands clamping is superb, but the Jets have a couple of features that are nice, like if held vertically, the clamps don't smash you fingers, and 1" markings on the bar. I just remembered that Woodcraft is still blowing out 4 40" Besseys for 109.95 with free shipping, and there is a 10.00 off order someone reported about...got to go look that up. Might have to get those for the shorter size of the 2, then watch for the Jets in the larger size, then determine which ones I like best? :D
And your clarification of your choice doesn't negate it's place in the poll. Jim.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Never had any of them

[Dick Bringhurst]

I voted for the Bessy because I have it and it is the best out of all I have. It may have been an unfair poll though because in my opinion you must own or have used all in the poll to be accurate.

I was surprised to see the Jet had so many votes. Interesting.
Same here. I only own Bessys. I like the parallel clamp style. Dick B.

[Andrew Joiner]

Jim,
You said:
"(yes I know the pros have another brand they like best, but it is way out of my league)".

What brand is this?

[Peter Quinn]

I haven't used them all but I have looked at them all and it seems they will all get the job done. I own a handful (small bunch I guess) of the K-bodys, a purchase that was driven by price a few years ago, some crazy Amazon sale or other. I guess there are features on some that may offer a slight advantage depending on your preferences, but at a basic level they all seem to apply good pressure, have smooth mechanisms, and help keep things square. The new Bessey Revo's look good too.

Fact is I also like the bessey uni-clamps for many things where the k-bodys are a bit cumbersome. I wish they weren't so expensive or that their patent would run out and be copied for cheaper by another manufacturer.

In any event the k-bodies are a pleasure to use versus pipe clamps in many situations and I'd be happy to own any of the brands mentioned in your survey Jim. The one's I like best are those which are the cheapest at time of purchase in this case.

[Jim O'Dell]

Jim,
You said:
"(yes I know the pros have another brand they like best, but it is way out of my league)".

What brand is this?


Sorry, it took me a while to find it. From Tod Evans over at FWW. Wilton I Bar clamp. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LE9JZM?smid=AS0K3MKEU5H24&tag=yahoo-tools06-20&linkCode=asn 6000 lbs of clamping pressure!!! 78+ bucks and doesn't even say what length it is. :eek: Guess another of those items that if you have to ask, you can't afford it. :D

As an update, I found the Woodcraft link. Indeed 4 40" old style Bessey's for 109.99, free shipping, and the code 1351 in the coupon box gets you 10.00 off a 100.00 purchase. Good enough for me. I've got 4 of them coming. :eek: Wish I had some more money and I'd get 4 more. Also wish they had a similar deal on the 50" and/or 60" units. Then my Christmas shopping would be complete...oops, I'm supposed to be buying other people presents. :eek::eek: Hmmmm. :D The also have 4-24" for 89.99. Get something to go with it cheap and get the 10.00 off that. Or get 5.00 off as it is with code 1350. Jim.

[Andrew Joiner]

Thanks Jim,

I had a ton of http://www.castlewholesalers.com/JORGENSEN-7248-48-Steel-I-Bar-Clamp.html these when I was a full time cabinetmaker. Yes they are heavy and heavy duty. Much cheaper than the Wilton and available everywhere.

[Steve Clardy]

Current lineup is Jorgenson.
Bought a dozen Besseys and really didn't like them compared to Jorgenson.

And I really wished I would have not bought any parallel clamps at all and bought more I-beam clamps

[Jim Fox]

I voted for the Jorgies. I have both them and Bessies. Jorgies are so much easier to work with, don't to fight those stupid ribs on the bar like the Bessies have. Just slide away.........no fuss.

[Matt Ocel]

I got a set of Jorgenson and a set of Jets.

The Jorgenson performs much better.

They open and close with ease, I'm always fighting the Jets.

[Thomas Williams]

I bought Jorgensens first and was not really thrilled. Then I bought some of the original Besseys during one of the sales. I really like the way the Bessey clamp worked so I bought some more. Then, the Jorgensens started to break and as I upgraded with the replacement castings (great warranty service by the way) the clamps worked much better. If I were to be making a purchase today, I would look at the Jets or the new Bessey.

[Rusty Elam]

I have both the Bessies aned the Jets, I would say the Jets are the best clamp but I probably use the old style Bessies 4 to 1 over the Jets.
The Jets are just a lot heavier and I have alot of the 12" K-bodies which seem to be so handy.

[Chris Kennedy]

I have the old Bessey K-bodies and the JET's. I far prefer the JET's. The Bessey's can be a bit fussy. The quick adjust on the JET's is better, and I really like that I can screw bench dogs into the JET's to then secure them to my workbench.

Cheers,

Chris

[Roger Warford]

I got some of the 31" Jets free with a purchase early this year. They are really nice. They seem much beefier than the Bessey's. The handle is great, easy to grip and crank down. Overall they seem to be better than the old-style Bessey's, but they are heavy - which sometimes is a bit of a nuisance. The pricing on the Bessey's at Woodcraft is pretty darn attractive - I don't think you could go wrong there.

Played with the Revo's at the IWF this year - they seem more like the Jet.

Amazon has 24" Jet's listed @ $29 right now. I'm teetering on the edge of buying a few. Four would only be a little more than the Bessey's at Woodcraft.

I suppose I really should quit looking at clamps and starting searching for presents for the rest of the family! Oh well, I've still got 17 days. :D

[Jim O'Dell]

I really appreciate the comments that have been made. But there are a lot of you out there that voted but didn't elaborate on why you do or don't like what you have.;) I will admit that I am a little surprised by the voting. I thought the Jet's would have a heavier concentration from the searches I've done the past few days. Made me feel better about buying the Besseys today.
Anyone mix the Besseys and Jets using the blocks made for either one of them? Bessey103092 Jet 103093 Do they fit each other's blocks? Anyone using the Jets use the Bench dog pins, and if so are they actually useful, or just a gimmick?
Thanks! I hope this information is helping several out there. Jim.

[Bill Huber]

I have both Besseys and Jorgensens, I have on order 2 Jets so I can tell you better when they get here.

At this point I like the Jorgensens better, they have bigger handles and are they slide up and down better. The Besseys lock up at times and you have to work at getting them to move and then when you want them to hold they won't at time.

So if you want to wait a little while you can come by and try all 3 of them.

[Mike Heidrick]

As a clamp my favorite is still the Jorgensen Cabinet Master. They are an AWESOME company to deal with and this clamp is still US made. In my shop that is a rare item for sure based on the money I want to spend for the quality I seek. Scott from the adjustable clamp co is a member on many WW forums and is a GREAT guy to work with. Met Jim at IWF and he also is a very nice guy. CS from teh Adjustable Clamp co makes Jorgys my favorite.

I do own some Jets and I do own some Bessies and they all get used and I grab them for the features they provide. That Jet clamp trigger is killer. Also the bessies (old style) are smaller and slip between the Jorgys and the workpiece really easily if the work is resting on the Jorgys and I want to add more clamps. All seem to have their place in my shop. The work rests on the Jorgys first though it seems.

[Dave Bureau]

I have Jets and besseys. to be honest, besseys are not even close to the jets.

[Jim Becker]

Since what I have is Bessey, that's pretty much what I'd likely stick to if I acquired more clamps. They have been good to me. (only one has ever "stuck" and that was my fault for getting glue on the bar) That said, I certainly would consider price, too...virtually all of my K-bodies were purchased on sale or with a show-deal. If I chose to buy more parallel clamps, I'd do it in quantities of four so that it would be unlikely that I'd have to mix two brands in an inconvenient fashion. But at this point, my only need/desire is for some 12" which I don't own. The lighter duty Uniclamps have done well in that size, but there have been a few times that I would have liked a little more stiffness/clamping power that the heavier K-body or similar clamps afford.

[Frank Drew]

I came to Besseys late and they're the only parallel clamps I've used, but I found them, for my small custom furniture shop, a significant improvement over pipe clamps, Jorgensen I-beam, Record light and heavy-duty (t-beam), etc., all of which I had a lot of. It got so that I almost never used a pipe clamp if I could help it.

[Jim Fox]

To be honest, I am a little suprised on the numbers and how little have Jorgies. Although......I know I have more Bessies as I suspect so do a lot of people since there was a string of sales on the Bessies. I picked a lot of mine up on sales. I can't comment on the Jet's as I don't have any. The clean bars on the Jorgies are just so much better (IMO).

Just a little shocking in my eye.

[Brent Ring]

I have both and prefer the control of the Jets over the Bessey's - put I prefer either over pipe clamps.

[Lance Norris]

Anyone using the Jets use the Bench dog pins, and if so are they actually useful, or just a gimmick?

Yes... I have used the pins on the Jets and they work very well and are NOT a gimmick in my opinion. I have used them on my bench and on my B&D Workmates. They work great for clamping and beltsanding, outside on a Workmate.

[Jim O'Dell]

Thanks Lance!! Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

I have both Besseys and Jorgensens, I have on order 2 Jets so I can tell you better when they get here.

At this point I like the Jorgensens better, they have bigger handles and are they slide up and down better. The Besseys lock up at times and you have to work at getting them to move and then when you want them to hold they won't at time.

So if you want to wait a little while you can come by and try all 3 of them.

Bill, where did you order your Jets from? Really good price? or current decent deals? Jim.

[Dewey Torres]

Having read all this (one day) I will buy the Jets and Jorgs but only on "super" sales. The deals and discounts portion of this forum never fails to strain my wallet but also save my wallet in the process. I have learned more than once the lesson about buying crap tools.

Thanks again for putting this together Jim.

[Bill Huber]

From Amazon though Sawmill, I got free shipping on them so I just ordered them.

I got the 31 inchers, there is a guy on ebay that has them for $79 but I don't buy from Ebay if I can keep from it.

They are shipped and should be in this week.

[Jim O'Dell]

No problem Dewey. Glad you could tag along for the experience of others. That's why I posted this.
Bill, I will do mine through SMC when and if they drop the price again. I need 4 of probably the 60" ones. I'd love to get 2 for the 66.30 or so that they were back in September. That was a killer deal. Wish I had been looking then. Jim.

[Paul Kinneberg]

Have Bessey and Jet like them both but prefer the handles and other features of the Jet so they would be my preference. However recently I noticed that Bessey has changed their grip and also added the other features of the Jet I have not looked at them but my guess is were at a toss up.

[Robyn Horton]

Any body have the Gross Stabil's , I just got some at a reasonable price and they seem pretty good . 40" @ $29.99 and 24" @ $24.99.

[Jim O'Dell]

Robyn, where did you find them? I didn't include them in the poll on purpose because Bessey bought them out and I thought they disappeared. I didn't think they were still available. So spill the beans, where and how long ago? :D Jim.

[glenn bradley]

I voted Bessy due to the weight but, the Jets are very well thought out. I noticed you left Gross Stabil off but they are all functional.

[Benjamin Dahl]

Jim, I have besseys and jets. I voted for the jet but like the bessey just about the same. I started buying besseys when they had a sale and bought the jets when they had a really good price. I would like a few more small ones and will make my decision based on what deal I find. I still use pipe clamps occasionally but do prefer the parallels in general.
Ben

[Bill Huber]

The Jets came in and now I have a better answer to the post about clamps.

K-Body
Cons. They are hard to get to move some times and some times they move to easy and won't lock in. The handles are smaller then the other 2 and I can't get as good of a grip on them. They will slide down when you pick them up. The little thing on the end that you remove to change the head to a spreading type clamp is not very good.

Pros. You can get a part to connect 2 clamps together and make a longer one. There are other things you can get for them I don't know if they would would on the other 2 clamps

Cabinet Masters
Cons. They will slide down the bar when you pick them up and some times its hard to get them to move back out. They do stick some times and you have to pop the handle to get them to move. If you take the end off to turn the head around there is a little part that falls out and you have to put it back in. When you lock them down they will live a little notch on the bar.

Pros
The handles are bigger and much better to get a good clamp with. The end thing you take off to turn the head around is much better then the other 2 clamps.

Jet
Cons
Well I really have not found any yet. I have only played with them for a little while. Just clamped up some scrap. When turning it around for a spreader type clamp its not very easy getting the head back on.

Pros
The handles are nice and large for a good grip, they clamped every time I went to clamp them. They have a lever to lift to pull the clamp head back, you just push the head forward to clamp.
The head does not move when you pick it up, you can get it to move if you hit them on the floor.
The bar has a ruler on it so you can set the clamps up before you start. The little part you take off to turn the head around can be set as a stop, really nice. There are threaded holes on the head and the end that can be use for bench dogs.

So now I have to find someone to sell my old clamps to and start replacing them with the Jets, no question there. Clamping force I just can not see will be something to even thing about, they are all made just about the same.

[Dwain Lambrigger]

Sorry, it took me a while to find it. From Tod Evans over at FWW. Wilton I Bar clamp. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LE9JZM?smid=AS0K3MKEU5H24&tag=yahoo-tools06-20&linkCode=asn 6000 lbs of clamping pressure!!! 78+ bucks and doesn't even say what length it is. :eek: Guess another of those items that if you have to ask, you can't afford it. :D

As an update, I found the Woodcraft link. Indeed 4 40" old style Bessey's for 109.99, free shipping, and the code 1351 in the coupon box gets you 10.00 off a 100.00 purchase. Good enough for me. I've got 4 of them coming. :eek: Wish I had some more money and I'd get 4 more. Also wish they had a similar deal on the 50" and/or 60" units. Then my Christmas shopping would be complete...oops, I'm supposed to be buying other people presents. :eek::eek: Hmmmm. :D The also have 4-24" for 89.99. Get something to go with it cheap and get the 10.00 off that. Or get 5.00 off as it is with code 1350. Jim.


Anyone know what the 3/4 inch pipe clamping pressure is?

[Eric Gustafson]

I lucked and bought 12 used from a guy for $75 total. A steal, no doubt. They are my go-to clamp, as I like them best.


Any body have the Gross Stabil's , I just got some at a reasonable price and they seem pretty good . 40" @ $29.99 and 24" @ $24.99.

[Jim O'Dell]

ood information guys!!! I got my (4) 40"ers today that I ordered Sunday afternoon, delivered today at 9:00 am, according to my wife. Came in great shape. These have the Revo style handles, but not the new black clamping pads. When I bought mine, there was also a 10.00 off code, so I got all 4 shipped for 99.99!! They didn't even charge tax, which I thought was odd since I have a Woodcraft about 8 miles down the road from me.
I've thought about getting 8 more with some extenders and forgo the 60" I'm looking for. :D Here's the picture to prove it. 103291 Jim.

[Paul Johnstone]

IAnyone mix the Besseys and Jets using the blocks made for either one of them? .

Jets will fit in Bessey blocks. I don't know if the reverse is true.

[Paul Johnstone]

No problem Dewey. Glad you could tag along for the experience of others. That's why I posted this.
Bill, I will do mine through SMC when and if they drop the price again. I need 4 of probably the 60" ones. I'd love to get 2 for the 66.30 or so that they were back in September. That was a killer deal. Wish I had been looking then. Jim.

Jim, also consider getting the Bessey clamp extenders along with the 40" deal. Combining two 40" gives you six feet. I am not sure what a 40" + 24" gives you, but it is probably close to 60" of clamping length. I have 8 Bessey extenders and they work really well. I don't use long clamps that often. I know someone here posted about enlarging the hole on the Jet clamps, so that Jet Clamps could use the Bessey extender too.

[Jim O'Dell]

Paul, I'm sitting here thinking of doing just that. I even had another set in my cart. Decided to wait 'til I got home to check the tool fund. :D Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

And the decision is now harder. :eek: Woodcraft has dropped the price on the clamps some more! 4 pack of 24" now 79.96, 4 pack of 40" now 99.96, 4 pack of 24" with glue and clamp extender 99.99, and 4 pack of 40" with glue and clamp extender 124.99!!! The 5.00 off 50.00 purchase, and 20.00 off 100.00 purchase still applies, as does the free shipping!!! There is a small piece of maple in the clearance section for .99 that works to get the 40"ers above 100.00. But I'm going to wait. If I get a nice bonus at work, I may get some more if there are any left. But for now I'll wait and watch the Jet 60"ers to see if the price drops on them. I'll probably be pulling my Amazon cart up every 30 minutes at work tomorrow to see if they happen to go on a Friday 1 hour special.:rolleyes: Jim.

[Jim O'Dell]

Correction to the above, it is 10.00 off 100.00!!

We got our Christmas bonus at work yesterday...not as much as I hoped for, but with all the extensive remodeling that is being done at the dealership (totally gutting 2 buildings and redoing them!!) and the state of finances at the Big Three, it is probably an appropriate amount.
So, I decided that since the 60" old style Bessies I was watching went out of stock and there aren't any to replenish them, and the 60" Jets are out of stock at Amazon, that I better get in on the what has to be the last of the Bessies at Woodcraft! :rolleyes: ( I've read so many around the wood forums say they are purchasing them.) So last night I placed 2 orders so I could get 10.00 off of both of them. 4 more 40"ers are coming, as are 4 of the 24" units, along with 4 extenders. I'm guessing, from the feedback I've gotten here and from other forums, that this will be a more versatile arrangement than getting 4 60" units. It did cost about 30.00 more, including the extenders, so I hope it will prove to be so.
Thanks to the pollsters, both here and at FWW, I felt that going with the Bessies is still a good decision, and the Jets hadn't completely taken over the shops. I will still get some Jets in the future, as I've just started down this slippery slope, and I'm so far from the bottom still. :rolleyes: Hope you all have a good weekend! Jim.

[Jeff Duncan]

Well I'm one of the pro's and haven't used those Wilton clamps but I've used and own a bunch of others. The bulk of the clamps in my shop are Bessey's, they're just a good reliable easy to use clamp at a very reasonable price. I had 4 of the Jorgenson's some years back and broke the plastic casings on every one of them within a week:( I no longer have those.
I also have the heavy duty Jorgy I beam clamps, (not parallel but mentioned here earlier), and those are great clamps for certain applications. On a day to day basis though they're too heavy and cumbersome for my needs. Pretty much the same for Hatford and Wetzler's, I keep them for bigger solid wood glue-ups, but too bulky for doors and smaller things.
And of course you have to have a few pipe clamps, though again not parallel so....
So I guess for strictly parallel clamps I have to stick with the Bessey's, I don't think you can go wrong with them. I also haven't had any of the problems it seems some others are having with them. I'd have to guess maybe due more to inexperience using clamps than the clamp itself:confused:
good luck,
JeffD

[Jim O'Dell]

My second and third orders came today. 2 of the feet were broken off, so I've emailed Woodcraft CS to see what I need to do. I'm sure they will take care of it quickly. So I now have an even dozen. The rack I started cobbling together Sunday from scraps I had laying around holds....12!! :cool: Now to find a project to use these things on. It's obvious that I've ruined my money start on purchasing a cabinet saw. ;) But I can build with my contractor saw, but I can't assemble without the clamps. Jim.