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[email protected] krw@notreal.com is offline
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Default Harbor Freight Bar Clamp #60539 Review

On Thu, 18 Jan 2018 14:53:14 -0500, "dadiOH" wrote:


"-MIKE-" wrote in message
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On 1/18/18 10:13 AM, Dr. Deb wrote:
On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 8:46:35 PM UTC-6, DerbyDad03 wrote:
They suck.

I look at HF bar clamps as exactly what they are, inexpensive clamping
tools. I could get frosted if I paid $20+ ea for them.
But they are around a quarter of that. If one breaks, I can still
buy two more for the cost of a "Name" brand and be ahead.

Then there is the fact I have a LOT of them and have had no
problems. Could it be that those who are having the problems are
simply over stressing what should be a light duty clamp?


What's alight duty clamp, though.


Beats me, I see little to no difference between the HF quick release clamps
and equivalent ones from Jorgenson et al. If anything, I'd say the the hf
ones - those sold now - are heftier. I use them to clamp all manner of
things.


Not sure what a "quick release" clamp is (that's what the HF bar
clamps do when the casting breaks ;-) but the HF clamps like the Irwin
Quick Clamps aren't worth spit, either. It's not that they're light
duty. They wouldn't work as paper clips.

And shouldn't the jaws of even a light duty clamp stay at 90 degrees to
the bar.


IME, no clamps like this do that because the bar flexes as pressure is
applied. That's no problem as long as the clamp is properly positioned on
the work piece; i.e., if you don't try to make the clamp head perpendicular
to the work.


Bessey K-Body clamps are pretty good. Even my Irwin Heaavy Duty Quick
Clamps are a *lot* better. In fact the Irwins are the go-to setup
clamps.

Even if you're only edge banding plywood shelves, if the jaw faces don't
stay straight, they will try to pull the banding off the edge of the
plywood or at least put uneven pressure (more pressure on the bottom).


See above.

They just aren't worth the money to me anymore. Not with the hassles
that come with using them. About all I can use them for is
supplementary clamping after real parallel clamps are in place.


Your money, of course, but at 1/3 the cost or less of others, I'll stick
with HF.


I once thought so. If they were worth the shipping, I'd send the lot
to you. I'l never use them again.