On 1/20/18 8:58 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.

Except that they break when you *need* them, not when they're
hanging on the wall looking pretty. If I can't trust a tool, I
don't want it around.

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?

Bar clamps shouldn't be "light duty". They didn't bend. The
damned thins broke, with just moderate pressure. My Irwin Quick
Clamps will do 10x the clamping force. ...and they aren't designed
for such.

I hate to say this, but if your joints were made better, you would
not need so much force. If you have to jam them together, something
is wrong with the joint.

I always heard the rule of thumb for a mortise and tenon was that
they should fit so that you could knock them together with your hat.


I subscribe to that philosophy as well.
Doesn't mean those HF aluminum bar clamps aren't $h!tty. :-)


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-MIKE-

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