A few weeks ago I posted a scheme for extending the length of the Irwin Quick Grip clamps because I felt that charging $7+ for a 6" version and $29+ for a 36" version was way out of line. Yesterday, in my local hardware store I noticed that the store brand (Do It Best) of bar clamps, similar to Irwin, but heftier and (like the new Irwins) morphable into a spreader, was selling at $6 for 6" and $10 for 36". Much more reasonable and not much more than the cost of my home made modification.
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regards,
Charlie
A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.
Rudyard Kipling -
I like Wagoneers too. Hey...they've got wood
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I like the HF clamps. I own a bunch of them and I've owned two of the name brand. The HF's grip just as good as the Quick Grip. I've only ever broken one of these style clamps, and it was a Quick Grip. I've rusted shut an HF clamp, but that's because I left it out in the rain to hold a fence together until I could fix it. However, your mileage may vary.- Chris.Comment
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The HF clamps are OK for securing workpieces to a benchtop, but don't deliver the same clamping force as the Irwins for glueups.
I think the HF clamps are fine for what I use them for and what I paid for them, but YMMV.Comment
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I guess I spoke too soon. I've never used the quick-grip style clamps from HF, but have read nothing but bad reviews of them until today.Comment
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The Do It Best clamps have been accused of being the same as HF. Harbor Freight does not have an outlet in my area so I can't do a comparison. Notes above indicate the Irwin clamps are stronger than the HF, but my Irwin clamps use a 1/2" x 3/16" bar and the Do It Best Clamps use a 3/4" x 1/4" bar. As I said opening the thread; definitely heftier.regards,
Charlie
A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.
Rudyard KiplingComment
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Another thing I like about the HF clamps is the handle and trigger are upside down compared to the Quick Grips I've owned. I prefer to have the excess bar pointed down (when using in a vertical application) and the HF handle is designed to operate this way.- Chris.Comment
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HF clamps are ok. I have managed to shear off the plastic pivot pin off inside the handle, however you can repair it with a bolt and nut. They are just too cheap for my likes. Just my 2 cents.....Dino "Woodbin Pirate" Gutierrez
"The greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising up every time we fall.”Comment
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I have some of both brands, and definitely like the holding power of the Irwins better. The HF's are ok for a quick hold, but start to bend when applying a strong hold down.Joe
"All things are difficult before they are easy"Comment
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When I was shopping for clamps, I looked at the ratcheting style, and all of them, including the Irwins, had plastic clamp heads which made me wonder how much force they can actually take... I opted for traditional F-clamps instead. Not sure if that was 100% a good idea, but it was my choice. As far as the HF clamps are concerned, I looked them over at HF yesterday again, and they seemed to be no less beefy, and perhaps more so with a visibly thicker bar than the Irwins. I have certainly NOT been impressed with Irwin products for a while... I still like their saw blades for a good budget blade, and their Speed Bor and Speed Bor Max drill bits rock, but their clamping stuff is no better in my book than HF...
The major fault I see with the HF clamps is the plastic pivot pin. I have seen that fixed with a stainless pop rivet, problem solved.
jhart mentioned his HFs start to bend under pressure compared to the Irwins. Did Irwin, or HF change the design of their clamps? I am not doubting him, but it seems odd that a clamp with such a thick bar would flex before one with a thinner bar. I guess it might be the grade of the steel or something. I know my HF F bar clamps in the 36" size flex pretty wildly under pressure, but no worse than my Jorgensens.Last edited by dbhost; 06-13-2008, 09:03 AM.Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
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I can't speak to the quality of the Do-it-best clamps, but there is absolutely no comparison between the HF and original Quickgrip clamps. I broke both of the HF clamps I bought, probably on purpose since the jaws were no where near parallel.Comment
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Speaking of clamps, I saw tons of 24" and 8" Stanley Clutch Lock F Clamps for sale at Big Lots of $10 and $8, respectively. Same clamp as shown below from amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-83-028...4504047&sr=1-7
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