bar clamps

[softop41]

Good Morning All,
Are the bar clamps that Harbor Freight currently has on sale good enough clamps to use for project clamping or only good enough to fill-in when you don't have quite enough of the name brand clamps?

Thanks

[Black wallnut]

Others may disagree with my opinion and I have never purchased any bar clamps from HF. I have purchased bar clamps from other sources that were not name brand and they have worked just fine for me. When I compare the off brand ones to my Pony bar clamps there is no difference in usefullness. When any bar clamp is compared to my Bessey K-body clamps they all fall short.

That said Methinks you can never have too many bar clamps.

[Luckbox]

Well I am not the most experienced but I would say 95% of my clamps are the HF models and they have worked fine for me.

[LCHIEN]

I think you are talking about the so-called "F" clamps.
I have quite a few of these.
Basically they are OK, but usually what I seem to end up doing is for glue-ups I use several Quick grip clamps because they are so easy to use one-handed for the first clamps. Then I come back and fill in for more even pressure using the F-clamps. They take two or three hands, because you need to put a block of wood under the screw-clamp side (to prevent marks) and also you have to operate the clutch and the screw separately. Once installed they clamp fine, its just the convenience factor. Some glue-ups you need as many hands free as you can get since you are often holding together three or four parts in position.

[John Hunter]

I use HF Pittsburg bar clamps in 6,12,18,24,30 & 36" http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=31264 and they work fine. I also use their Aluminum Bar Clamps in 24, and 36" http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=5975 I have clamps I have paid a lot more for that are not any better.

[Pappy]

They work just fine. If you need more pressure than they will apply to a joint while the glue dries, the joint isn't cut right and is probably going to fail.

I have a number of both types john referenced. I use the aluminum bar clamps when I can simply because they are easier to tighten down.

[Brian G]

And very light!

In hindsight, I wish I would have used the approximate $60 I have spent on pipe and pipe clamps to buy the aluminum bar clamps. I use the aluminum bars first every time, and they can be easily extended.

No more pipe clamps for me.

[Knottscott]

Starting at under $2 on sale, I find the HF Pittsburg bar clamps to be one of the more lucrative bargains. I've probably got 15 of them...one had a bent bar and I exchanged it no problem.

[LarryG]

Most of my clamps are these Pittsburgh F-bodies, in 6", 12", 18", and 24" sizes. They all use the same heads and the same weight bars, with the length of the bars being the only difference.

For the money, the 6", 12", and 18" sizes can't be beat. The 24" is not bad but starting to get a little marginal on bar stiffness. I'm in the process of slowly replacing these with Bessey K-Body and Jorgensen HD F-body models.

[monte]

I have several of the Pittsburgh F clamps in sizes from 6 to 18". For 24" and longer I use Jorgies and Bessies.

[ejs1097]

Nice Rack Pappy

[FRT]

For the price they can't be beat IMHO. I use them all the time. I started out by building to a selection of 4 in each size then added to the the ones I found I used the most. If you do intend on buying some of these they go real fast when on sale! Get there early in the sale if possible and just keep trying to fill the sizes you need. It seems like the 6"-24" go first. Good Luck!
FRT

[LYU370]

I've noticed that the 18" ones are the hardest to find, they seem to go first.

[SHADOWFOX]

quote:Originally posted by Knuckles

And very light!

In hindsight, I wish I would have used the approximate $60 I have spent on pipe and pipe clamps to buy the aluminum bar clamps. I use the aluminum bars first every time, and they can be easily extended.

No more pipe clamps for me.

Brian, so are you saying it is more economical to go with aluminum bar clamps than to put together a pipe clamp collection? The reason I am asking is because I am new to the WW scene and have barely any clamps and was going to purchase the pittsburgh pipe clamps at HF because right now I only have two 12" IRWIN Quickgrip clamps and two IRWIN micro clamps. I am intrigue and now putting my purchase of these pipeclamps until I hear some opinions from experts like you.

Thanks,
Chris

[LCHIEN]

quote:Originally posted by SHADOWFOX

quote:Originally posted by Knuckles

And very light!

In hindsight, I wish I would have used the approximate $60 I have spent on pipe and pipe clamps to buy the aluminum bar clamps. I use the aluminum bars first every time, and they can be easily extended.

No more pipe clamps for me.

Brian, so are you saying it is more economical to go with aluminum bar clamps than to put together a pipe clamp collection? The reason I am asking is because I am new to the WW scene and have barely any clamps and was going to purchase the pittsburgh pipe clamps at HF because right now I only have two 12" IRWIN Quickgrip clamps and two IRWIN micro clamps. I am intrigue and now putting my purchase of these pipeclamps until I hear some opinions from experts like you.

Thanks,
Chris

I personally rank those pipe clamps very low.
Too heavy for the length, too flexible for the length with 1/2" pipe, the 3/4" ones are stiffer but also fexible at the longer lengths where you want to use them and even heavier still...
The only advantage I see is you can customize the length with cheap black pipe.

My faves sort of in order:
Quick Grips for most general work
Quick grip minis

F-clamps for massed work where you need a lot of cheap clamps

K-body Bessey or Jorgenson Cabinet masters for big glueups and panels

Wooden hand screw clamps

Aluminum bar clamps