Harbor Freight Bar Clamps

I have also bought these and used them extensively. Many I took with me to Cambodia, because they just couldn’t be found in the market place except in ones or twos at prices twice what we pay at HF and used!

Anyway, on a recent return trip, about 1/3 of these were rendered useless because the threaded handles were slipping in the threads and would not hold. However, I know these guys overtighten EVERYTHING and am sure that it contributed to their demise. I have not had the same experiences with mine, both these and the ones with the extruded aluminum bars and blue clamp ends. I don’t go anywhere else for my wood clamps.

-- Tim S, WA

I agree, I can’t afford to buy the major brand clamps and I also have exclusively clamps from HF and they have not failed me. They do everything I want them to do. Good review.

-- Doug, Cass City, Michigan

I have a pair of 12” clamps – black with orange caps and they seem to work great. I have not had any issues with them although I have not used them a ton yet. They seem like they will hold up for a while.

-- Brian, Raleigh, NC

I too use hf when ever possible they do what they are supposed to do have not had a prob yet
hope they hold out till i can get the chanceto purchase some ponys!

a cold day in the garage is better than a warm night by the fire!

-- doctortommy, michigan

I’ve had many fail after a year or so of casual use. Not a big downside given the costs. I’ve had more problems with their quick clamp knock offs. Again, cheap, so they still have a use in my shop. The pipe clamps are a little hit and miss as well. The threading is a little rough

-- Jeff, South Carolina

to add my 2 cents about these and other HF clamps:

these F clamps are probably their best. i began to strip the threads a tiny bit on one, but i think i was overtightening it a lot. otherwise they’ve served me well so far. The salesman at HF told me that the “pittsburgh” tools line has a similar warranty to craftsman – if they break, bring em in for a free replacement. he didn’t seem to be bull__ either.

stay away from the “black with orange cap” quick clamps unless you get them on sale AND are sure to use them with only mild pressure – those heads snap off like that!

pipe clamp – agree with Jeff here. the threads are a bit funny. you can often get better quality pipe clamps from normal brands for just a bit more, so its probably more worth it to pass on these.

aluminum bar clamps – overall ok, except for an awful tendency of the screw part to break inside the moving clamp head, causing endless frustration but not really affecting clamping ability.

with the exception of the F style clamps I think its best to wait until any of these are on massive sale, otherwise the frustrations dont really pay.

I use all the sizes of the HF F style clamps and love the short ones. I get a lot of flex on the 36 inch variety, but for the price, if I don’t over tighten, they work.
I have had nothing but bad luck with the black and orange quick clamps. I got a bunch on sale in a variety of sizes. Turns out that they were not such a good deal after all.

-- Gary, South Central Wisconsin. So much to learn, so little time!

I have some of the F styles as well, and got rid of the black and orange quick clamps after the first one broke. HF is ok for some stuff, but I don’t think I’d feel comfortable buying an expensive piece of equipment from them.

-- Chris

someone (us?) should make a guide to good deals at HF as well as a “not recommended” list. that would be nice. some sort of user edited review list.

I have some of thier (discontinued) parrallel bar clamps and they work good. But, I bought some of these one listed here last year and on all four of them, the threads have stripped, so I can’t tighten them at all.

-- Childress Woodworks

I found these newer ones and picked up 4 of them.
Should have bought more.
They are really handly for lighter work and seem a better design on the bar to grab the locks.
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I bought some Axminster power tools cope of bessey clamps they just broke within minutes of using looked great but were junk so the message is don’t waste money on cheap clamps their useless mostly.Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

I have and use 40 of these clamps. You can’t beat them for the price.

-- Odie, Confucius say, "He who laughs at one's self is BUTT of joke". http://woodstermangotwood.blogspot.com/ (my funny blog)

You guys are voting with your dollars. Will your grandsons ever hold one of these in his hands dreaming of making something with his own hands?
My question is just what price are you really paying?

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

I figure that if he gets up at 5:30 dress and goes out and delivers 155 newpapers before school then goes back to collect from the subscribers after school he should be able to make a sound decision for himself.

Besides, when I die I want everybody to be unhappy , not just me!

Cheers
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

i’m with Bob. (i paid $3.99.)

dennis: that assumes that i’ll have a grandson and that he’ll want to build something out of wood and that my son hasnt sold off all my tools by that point! clamps are the lowest rung on the tool fetish ladder. even if i had one (a tool fetish), i wouldl never hold a clamp and dream of something i want to build with it.

i agree with dennis on this one but we live in uncertain times so it will always come down to cost and im affraid dennis they just dont make them like they used to and i think we would all love to bye the best there is

-- cut it saw it scrap it

I also have had good luck with my HF F clamps. They always seem to hold what I need and I have not had any problems with threads slipping. I will say that I use them for mostly light to meduim duty work. Any large projects I try to use only bar clamps just for the added strenght. I only have one pair of the HF bar clamps and they are OK. I due perfer the pony ones in bar clamps tho, due to the pony clamps slide easier and seem to have an overall smoother action.

-- Steve-o

Guess I might as well throw in my 2 pennies, overall I too have had good luck with the F style clamps from HF, also the pipe clamps have served me well too, but they are not used on a daily basis either. Now the quick clamps are definitely a no go if you need a lot of pressure, but for what I use them for they haved served me well.

-- Greg S.E. Ga. www.joesawdust.com

pommy, you’re kidding…right” Because of “uncertain times, it “will always come down to price??” God help me!

“They don’t make them like they used to?” YES THEY DO! See Jorgenson, Bessey etc but, you won’t be buying a 24” clamp for $1.99, Made with slave labor in China (Thank God it’s not your kids working in those factories) and since you choose to buy cheap junk, please don’t complain about fuel prices etc due to the fact that you’re part of the problem!

And this brand is called “Pittsburgh?” Let us bow and give thanks to Pittsburgh, Pa a mega industrialised city that through steel production, built a major part of this country. Now, crap from China is named after it?

The bean counters/marketing dudes at HF sure have this country figured out>>>

-- http://www.federalsaw.com

Dave:
I doubt there is a single hobby woodworker in all of China at the moment.
They just don’t have enough time to cover the basics and have a hobby with the extra money they don’t earn.
We do.
However, many of us could not have this particular hobby were it not for this secondary industry that allows folks to enter, get a feeling for it, and gradually improve their skills and the tools to go with it.

The choices you mention above are designed with the professional in mind and no doubt are better engineered and more durable than the entry level stuff.
They are over kill for a young family just getting started.
The same can be said for golf and several other passions out there.
I guess by now you must realize that I am taking exception to your statement that those who do not buy top quality are “part of the problem”
The truth be know , the creeping insatiable bureaucracy is the problem right now and we are all feeling the wrath of worshiping false gods.
The “bean counters” that have us all figured out are on Wall street and Washington and Bay Street and Ottawa.

Anybody here that would not trade their HF clamps for Bessy’s ( from Europe BTW) raise their hand.

Cheers
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob, never said that “those who do not buy top quality are part of the problem.” I would agree that we as consumers, “worship false Gods” and many of those “gods” reside in Chinese $$Cheap$$ manufacturing.

I really think that a lot of us need to learn how to be AMERICAN again, not just….consuming fools!

-- http://www.federalsaw.com

Dave, when credit is tight consumers are more prudent. The Chinsese are not responsible for the credit over here.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

.....??? I would like to say that HF clamps have served me well and that, given this is just a hobby for me, I would rather buy a few pieces of “cheap junk”, that work just fine for my skill level, and enjoy my hobby by making something instead of waiting to save up the money for a few pieces of pro stuff while dreaming of making something. If you are having fun making sawdust, is it less admirable and, therefore, under critical scrutiny, to do it with what you can afford or should we all not hone our skills and enjoy ourselves (the point I think) until we are in a position to make a significant capital investment?

Adittionally, I am unclear on the point, ”...and since you choose to buy cheap junk, please don’t complain about fuel prices etc due to the fact that you’re part of the problem!”. Am I contributing to higher energy costs by buying less expensive items or by buying items made overseas? I did notice that many of the items you sell at Federal Saw are made overseas.

Oh yeah, by the way…the stuff I make is American made!

——Just Amazing

-- Andy

this debating of the relative morality of tool brands is getting a little ridiculous. i’m sure that we all live perfect lives and do everything with the greater good in mind…

getting back to the point: like bob implied, no one would take a HF over a bessey. but i think we can all understand the review above, when the guy says

“These clamps operate smoothly, clamp positively, and don’t seem to flex. I have only used the 6” and the 18” size and have no complaints. I gave them a 5 star rating because for the price they work great. Are they as good as a Bessey clamp? Probably not. Are they a low cost alternative that do what they are supposed to do? Absolutely.”

given that I’m a beginner etc etc, i know that i’ll get by ok for now with this clamp. the plastic quick clamp is debatable, this one “ok”. meaning i cant expect to pass it down to my grandkids but it will work as well as i need $5 to work for me. the meaning is clear. lets not take it beyond that.

..and my point is if you can afford $5.00 for a tool that will just get you by. You can afford $10.00 for a tool that will last your life time. Or do what I did and get a real set of clamps used, for less than the HF cost. I’ve been using mine just about everyday for 16 years.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

No new ground covered in this post so far, so let me add a link that might save some people time: http://www.woodworkerszone.com/wiki/index.php?title=HarborFreightGems
Notice item seven on the list is the F-style clamps.

Bottom line: some things can be made cheaply and still function well enough to do the job.

dennis, even if you could find me a 24” f-clamp for 10 bucks… we’re talking multiple clamps, and that difference adds up. it aint trivial. neither is finding quality used tools.

i did buy some of the 36” jet clamps rockler had on clearance some time ago, maybe i’ll review them on their own. anyway, they flex as much as the cheapy HF clamps do, so…

finally, Topapilot: thanks, that’s just the type of list I was thinking of. awesome.

I have three sets of 4 wooden hand screws, (Jorgansen style) from HF.

I’ve had them for about 20 years now, so they’ve passed my test.

Besides, they were half the price.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Here is a question. Do any american companies make budget tools? I completely understand that some companies use unfair/immoral labor practices to produce cheap goods, but I have a hard time believing that the bulk of manufacturing costs on a clamp come from labor.

Lets say that instead of paying $5 for imports, or $10 for Bessys/Jorgessen (I think it would be more like $25), lets say I was willing to pay 7 for US or Canada, places that I know have fair labor laws. Would I be able to buy them? I ask because I would, but I don’t know of any.

I have only bought HF 3/4”pipe clamps and usually about 20 percent of them don’t screw up and down very well . but compared to the brand name for $ 12.99 ea versus Hf @ $2.50 ea I can throw away the 20 percent ,of Of course I don’t they will exchange them .

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I would have to add to the agreements but with one exception. I have figured out that HF products are good for the occasional to moderately often used tool catagory. Once a HF unit fails I am ready to purchase a more expensive unit. When the HF product failed it was no big deal due to it’s original cost and duration of use. I have not worn out the more expensive unit … Vise Grip.
The problem with this theory is that I COULD have bought the tool one time and not worked it to death. The trick is the crystal ball. Knowing that one will not wear it out to begin with.
Since I inherited my dads tools I have noticed that some are in good shape and some are not. Electrical tools for the most part need new power cords even though they were top of the line at the time and many of the hand tools have been re-engineered into better but inferior products. It is a Catch-22.
The best things to leave from our legacy… children with ethics, responsibility and common sense.
tsmith TX

-- tsmith - Garland, TX.

I have a good selection of Bessey K Body clamps, but for cheap and quick light-duty clamps I have a ton of Harbor Freight ones as well. The F clamps are probably the best made of the bunch, but not spectacular. The black and orange quick clamps are pretty-crummy. I’ve snapped the trigger off on at least a half dozen of them. I get them on sale for next to nothing, so when they break I throw it away and grab another. The HF spring clamps are also pretty-decent and I have dozens of them as well. I’ve not broken one of them yet, so so-far so-good.

I spend my money on wood and good quality cutting tools and things that actually affect the quality of my work. For basic tools and cheap clamps I buy HF or similar.

As for the “buy American” argument, it always seemed rather shallow to me. Do you own a car, TV, DVD player, etc? Most if not all of the parts were made elsewhere. Not every product can be made cheaply and efficiently in the USA. Even when I go for quality it’s not always a product from the US, but often Europe or Japan. It’s a global economy, and the days of isolationism ended about the time of transatlantic shipping. If you want to buy all-American there’s nothing wrong with that, just don’t try to tell me I’m a bad person for not doing the same. It starts to sound like vegans and left-wing kooks and right-wing nutjobs where any opinion that is different from my own is wrong.

-- You're a unique and special person, just like everyone else.

I think clamps are the most overpriced thing woodworkers have to buy. I have 20 or more of the HF clamps and have been adding pipe clamps as I need them. The larger of the HF pipe fittings work as good as a Bessey.

-- If she asks please tell my wife that I can sell my tools for what I paid, okay?

I don’t go to HF to buy heirlooms. But these clamps work well enough and enable me to buy enough of them for the projects I’m working. I have had a similar experience with the black and orange quick clamps.

Thanks Topa for the link. Not sure I would have the same list, but it is worth a look at some of these tools.

-- Tim S, WA

For those who think you’re anti-american if you buy from other countries, chill out for a minute and just look around your house, garage, office etc and you’ll probably notice that MOST things you buy in America are foreign made. It’s not thay we all want to buy foreign but this is what happens when greed sets in. Look at our hourly rate for most indusrty. The big 3 auto makers are in trouble not because of China, but because of ourselves. Why wouldn’t you look for a less expensive way to satisfy your hobby etc. if your income dosen’t allow you to purchase a $300 cordless drill when a $100 drill will work just fine for your needs. Please don’t judge others on what they buy and from what country. That person might just be the same person that helps the homeless in AMERICA.

-- Al Meriden, Connecticut

I need to correct my last post. Where I wrote “I have had a similar experience with the black and orange quick clamps.”, I meant to say a similar bad experience with these black and orange clamps due to breakage of the plastic which renders the ratchet mechanism useless. I still use what I have but am careful not to torque too much. I still prefer the F-style clamps reviewed here.

-- Tim S, WA

Ditto what everyone else has said about the plastic ‘Quick Clamp’ knockoffs—they are junk.
I have LOUSY grip strength—and have still managed to break two of them in casual use.
But also—major dittos on the clamps mentioned in the original post.
I’ve used them for about 5 years – and they do everything I need to do.
And yes—the newer ones (black bar with blue handle) do seem to operate more smoothly.
There ARE tools that it is worth paying extra to get better workmanship, more features, etc —and thats where I spend the money that I SAVE buying the HF clamps.
As for the—buy American debate——
I consider myself somewhere to the right of Rush Limbaugh and have some very strong opinions on that subject. But they have nothing to do with the original posters comments or the relative quality of the product mentioned. So I will reserve them for another time and place.

-- Those who insist it can't be done - should politely refrain from interrupting those who are doing it.

Our USA manufacturers have been doing this to us for quite a few years now.

I was in charge of purchasing a couple of farm tractors for our department back in the late 1980’s.

We ended up buying two from John Deere tractors, a good old American company.

The engine was made in France. The transmission was German, The Tires from Spain.

The alternator & electrical system from Spain. There were many other things that can’t recall,

but the tractor was assembled in the USA.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

decent clamps for the price !

-- POPSHOP ,

Wow a lot of strong convictions here. This post started 72 days ago so I guess the only ones reading my 2 cents have it on their watch list. I had about a dozen Jorgenson 6 inch bar clamps that I used all the time. They have the smooth wood handle and even smoother with age but I’m aging also and now with arthritis I was using adjustable pliers for the last turn for that little extra. That’s really a pain in the ass when you’re using a bunch of them and starts chewing up the handles. I tried the new ones with the blue rubber handle and they work as good as the Jorgensen and I have no problem twisting them with the handle design. A few weeks latter I sold all my Jorgensen on crags list for the price of replacing them with HF and never regretted it. And as far as handing it down to you’re grandchildren if or when a HF clamp breaks just walk into the store and get a new one on their guarantee, try doing that with a Jorgenson. And one more thing they come with the protective caps unlike the Jorgensen were they want you to buy them.

-- Mike, Westport MA.

Has anyone really ever stopped and considered how we, the buying woodworker, really get taken on clamps. Basically none of them are more than some formed (or not) metal with threaded rod, plastic and pins. Take a c-clamps, for example – most are are cast, I’m sure, so you pour some molten steel into a form, remove from the form after cooling, do a little cleanup on the edges, drill/tap a hole in the lower arm, insert a threaded rod with a handle and afix a round thingymabobby on a swivel. Probably cost perhaps under $1.50 in materials, who knows what on labor. Then you package it, ship it, and in some cases sell it for $125. Clamps must have one of the highest markup of any other tool. Pipe clamps are another example – not a whole lot of expertise and high-end tooling required for these either. I just think that we really get royally screwed (without even a kiss usually)!

Jim

I bought most of my clamps (Pittsburgh) at HF and yes for the price, I just can’t complain even when one of them failed (hard to slide, but otherwise very usable). I just can’t justify prices for other name brands like sharpening stones!

-- - Ajay