# Quick Release Clamps: Jorgensen vs. Harbor Freight



## a1Jim

Thanks for you review Dave.


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## Grandpa

Thanks for the review. Very informative.


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## JoeLyddon

Do they say if they were Made in China?

Looks like someone is ripping OFF Jorgensen… typical move that China would make…

Glad you like them…

I have used their bar clamps for a long time… they always seem to work just fine…


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## whitebeast88

great review,i have the 12" and they work fine.next time i go to hf i'm gonna pick-up some more.


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## Holbs

one thing i have learned about products made in china (tools or household goods)... they might "LOOK" identical down to a fine detail to another pricier item made in another country (i guess it's easy to copy based off any picture), but the quality assurance of the manufacturing, the engineering, the material is 3rd world country.

when i need something quickly, i can goto a store and buy something made in china with 80/20 odds to last a year or two tops. when i buy the original item, 80/20 odds to last 10+years.

all of the reviews of wood working items i see here from products made in china… they sure work and look great freshly bought from a store. a year or two later?


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## TechRedneck

When I started out, I picked up a bunch of cheap clamps, they worked ok until… I got my hands on some Jorgies. When you get a small collection of clamps going (never have enough) you will find that you always go for the good quality ones. For me, that bright orange always gets pulled off the rack first.

When given the choice, I would rather buy one good clamp NOW instead of going for a deal and getting three knock offs for the same price. BUT… when you are starting out and money is tight I would also recommend you get the tolerable and decent cheaper ones. Reason being, they work fine and do the job.

Having one or two quality clamps when you really need four just doesn't cut it. I am sure many of us here have some cheap clamps and once we have enough we start to acquire the quality ones (and use them more). I would not be ashamed to have some of these hanging on the rack. The more the better, but we all know a quality tool with smooth action is worth the extra cost in the long run.

thank you for the review.


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## doubleDD

I bought a dozen or so of these awhile back on sale. Being in need of a lot of clamps suddenly made these a logical choice. I have no regrets ever buying them and could almost say there just as good as its cousin.


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## NiteWalker

I got a group of the blue hf clamps, and have used the jorgensen 3700 series clamps.
Both are ok, not great IMHO. The hf clamps are well worth the price.

My go to clamps are now bessey tradesmans. They're light years ahead of both.


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## WayneC

I try to find my clamps at the flea markets and such. I come across the Jorgies quite often. I would be curious how you like them in a year or so after you have done a number of projects.


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## FirehouseWoodworking

Thanks for the great review Dave. I would echo many of the comments already provided. However there is one difference in my opinion - and in my experienced - that you may have missed.

Take a look at the two comparison pictures that show the screw threads of both clamps. The Jorgenson clamp uses "Acme" threads while the HF uses standard threads. Acme threads don't come to a sharp edge or ridge, They are flat at the top or edge of the thread.

My understanding is that these types of threads have a much greater strength because each thread winding in relatively thicker. You will probably find these on your adjustment wheels on your table saw. Likely also on other heavy duty machinery.

My experience backs this up. I have had a HF clamp strip out and the threads failed. Granted, I still thought I had gotten my money's worth and still do have some HF clamps that I tend to use only when I run out of others. That, along with the comment already mentioned on the quick release levers, the machining is second rate. But again, given the cost, these HF clamps do have their place.

Thanks again, Dave. Cheers!


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## tefinn

I find my HF clamps are good for most jobs where you don't need extreme clamping pressure. They have a tendancy to strip or bend if put under to much stress. I'ld probably never use them for cutting boards or big panel glue ups, but for boxes and such they're great! Just make sure when you buy any that you check the straightness of the clamp heads and bars in the store. I've seen some on the shelves that look like a banana, especially any over 18"!


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## sgmdwk

I have Jorgenson clamps I have had for 25 years. I have HF clamps I have had for 15 years. I use them the same. If I were selecting clamps from a display of Jorgenson clamps I would grab them without looking closely, confident of their quality. At HF, I would inspect each clamp carefully. Some of them are cast poorly, I have found. Once they pass that initial inspection, I have found HF clamps to perform just fine.


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## CharlesA

I have some HF pistol grip clamps that I hate-awkward and cheap. I only use them when I've run out of everything else. OTOH, I picked up some of these HF bar clamps a month or two ago and I'm very pleased with them. I'd buy more.


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## Albe

Being a hobbyist i have used several of the HF bar clamps for over ten years and have no complaints. Do not have any of the Jorgenson type clamps but if money was no object I would proably go that way. As Charles mentioned the HF pistol grip clamps similiar to Irwin are not very good. The ones I bought broke after a few years and never had much clamping pressure.


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## dustyal

My Harbor Freight clamp will bend in the middle of the bar whereas I did not have as much bend in a Jorgensen. I am thinking the steel bar might be a bit sturdier. However, I'm not sure how often I really need that much force as I am a hobbyist. Costs are being cut somewhere… China labor and quality of materials…

To each their own… I can get by with HF but prefer Jorgensen.


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## MrFid

Here's a tip (originally from Rob Cosman) on using the Jorgenson clamps with the hardwood handles. It would also work on these as well, and will definitely keep the handles in good shape for a lot longer.

Take some hockey tape, or fabric tape of some kind if you don't live near where hockey is played, and twist a foot or so into a cord, and spiral wrap the handle with the cord, creating a grip. Then, tape backwards to seal the cord in place. You know what? It's probably just easier for me to give you the video link…






I have done this with all my clamp handles, as well as my screwdrivers. When it gets too dirty or ratty for your liking (hasn't happened to me yet), rip it off and redo it! Figures the Canadian would find a way to get hockey tape its 15 minutes of fame in the woodworking world…


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## CL810

My experience with HF clamps has been similar to Firehouse's plus the sticky release mechanism, and bending. No problems with the Jorgenson's clamps.


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## dbhost

Good review. Almost all of my F bar clamps are HF, and they have been great. However mine are the older wooden handled gray bodied clamps. I have one of the blue ones, honestly I don't doubt for a second I will be handling these down to future generations, at least God willing that future generations hurry up and come!


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## SirFatty

A great discussion! I agree with a lot of comments, as with anything at HF, you have to exercise caution. Other than the quick release, these work exactly like the Jorgensens.

I still purchase the CabinetMaster clamps, I cannot imagine HF ever make those… and I would not trust them either. Someone mentioned Bessey Tradesmen clamps, I had some but gave them away. The handles on two split and the over-all construction was poor (they was purchased at the Woodworker's Show). I have been using the Jorgensen's up till now.


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## MT_Stringer

No need for me to do a review so I will just add on to this one. I have been using the 6 inchers and 12 inchers for a couple of years. No failures yet. I use them for everyday clamping needs when I need to hold down stuff.

I also have a couple of the longer ones. Not good; they bend. Personally, I would not good more than 12 inches in length.

By the way, I have several of the same style clamps made by Craftsman that my day used back in the 60's-70's. They look just like the HF models except they have the wooden handles. 

I like the rubber grips better because they are easier to grip!


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## Dwain

I have the 6" and 12" HF handles. I don't dare go any longer. I have about 10 of each size and have had handle failures in two of them. I believe they are a good value, when on sale; but don't count on them for heavy duty stuff.

My two cents.


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## Loren

I bought a half dozen of the shortest ones. I like short bar
clamps.

The main issue is the handle is not pinned to the screw,
so if you tighten them down hard the handle will start
to twist freely. I have not assessed how to go about
pinning the handle.

In terms of the handle and possible pressure, 
the Jorgensens are superior.


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## Dal300

Seriously…....

If your jointing skills are so bad that you need to clamp the wood so tightly that you flex any bar, you might want to review your skill set.

At no time should a clamp of any sort be used to force a joint together.

I don't care if you are using Jorgy's, HF, Bessy's or Craftsman….. If the the joint is that far out and you have to use that much pressure you are asking for a failure.

I have HF, Jorgy's, Bessy's and a few others. For the mount of pressure I need to put on a joint when making a cutting board, table top or panel. I seldom add as much as 200 lbs pressure to my joints, which is roughly four full turns of the screw after initial contact. 
I tested this using a couple pof pieces of wood and a bathroom digital scale. At 200 lbs. the joint was tight and had been .002" out.


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## b2rtch

I have used these clamps for years and I never had any issue with them


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## NiteWalker

Loren, I've had that happen. What I do is take the handle off, clean it and the part it connects to with acetone or ms, put some 5 minute epoxy in the handle and fit the two back together. No failures since.

Maybe I got a bad batch of jorgies, but they bent more than the hf clamps in use.

And I don't bother with formulas for clamping pressure. I tighten until the joint is closed; lots of factors can affect the joint fit (swelling from glue, warping between machining and glue up, etc.) so sometimes more pressure is necessary.

Calling it "bad jointing skills" is arrogant, obnoxious and implies that there is no such thing as "variables" in woodworking.


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## tomd

I have both the old gray and the new blue HF clamps and really like them, no problems. The old gray ones are much heavier built. I don't think F clamps are meant to stand the kind of pressure on them that would make them bend.


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## CharlesA

I actually think my HF F clamps bend less than the Jorgensons. And, yes, I've had to train myself not to clamp everything with as much force as I can muster.


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## Loren

Thanks for the epoxy tip.

One area where short bar clamps are useful is in bent
laminated work. If the HF handles can be brought up
to snuff with the epoxy trick I'll buy some more for
when I need them.

I bend 1/10" laminates by hand on a heated pipe to
the shape I want and glue the first two together. That
more or less sets the shape but depending on the
curve other layers may need pre-bending to go into
the same shape without cracking. A lot of clamping
pressure is required to bring all the layers together
as well as possible and even then voids occur due to
twisting and bad guesses on the gluer's part.


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## NiteWalker

The epoxy works great. I haven't had a handle slip off since.
Just make sure to clean off the metal part really good.

I have about 20 of the 12" versions I keep meaning to sell but haven't gotten around to it yet.
I'm trying to unify my clamp branding. You get used to a style/brand of clamp pretty fast.


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## Kentuk55

I have a bunch o these as well. They work fine. You just gotta look em over. You'll run into one that is a bit "off" every now n then. I think some, I should say, a lot of HF stuff, seems to have got a bit better, quality wise.


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## Jofa

Dave I have the 12, 24 and 36 inch HF clamps. Same ones you have. They're awesome.

One note on the smoothness of the bar. I used a little 800 grit on it for a couple of passes and it makes things nicey nice.


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## sgmdwk

"Seriously…….

If your jointing skills are so bad that you need to clamp the wood so tightly that you flex any bar, you might want to review your skill set."

My morning chuckle. Thanks Dallas


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## Tennessee

Agree with Dallas!
I own about 24 of the 6" HF clamps, and about 18 of the 12" HF clamps. I also own eight hefty Irwins I got on sale at Home Depot about a year back.
To be honest, I find the HF clamps to be easier to use, and save for those little rubber thingies trying to fall off once in a while, they perform well. Glued up I don't know how many guitar bodies with them, as well as lots of jewelry boxes.
Don't get me wrong, I have the Irwins, Pony pipe clamps, and also some HF Pipe clamps that have feet that are a dream to use. My Pony pipe clamps, some of them are over 20 years old, so they also are a great product.
The last time I used my Irwins, one started slipping and I had to fight it to get it to grip. Never had a HF do that.


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## Planeman40

I have 12 Jorgenson 36" bar clamps that are so heavy and cumbersome that they are usable only for heavy laminations and heavier construction. I finally went out and bought me 12 Harbor Freight 36 in. bar clamps for lightweight construction and have been delighted with them. Just my 2 cents.

Planeman


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## lumberjoe

There is a HUGE difference between the two that you didn't point out - and it is what makes or brakes a clamp - the bar itself. The Jorgensen has a much more solid and robust bar. The HF is I-beam style and flexes something awful even under mild to moderate pressure. You can still get a pretty strong force even with the bending, but the more flexing you have the more it is pulling your glue-up out-of-square.


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## SirFatty

Hi Lumberjoe,

I did touch on that issue, thought not in a comparative way. There is no discernable difference between the two, at least for the ones that I have; the amount of deflection under load is negligible.

Now, I did not not have any force gage or dial gage connected, so it's not scientifically measured, but empirically gather data.


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## Tedstor

I didn't read all the replies, but I have both clamps in my garage. Both were pruchased new approximately 3 years ago. The metal bar that connects the two jaws are the only difference I've noticed.
The Jorgensen is made from a stainless steel bar where the HF's bar is cheaply powder-coated. After three years in my garage, the Jorgensen is still like new, while HF has a fair amount of rust. The Jorgensen also seems a bit sturdier and flexes less than the HF. 
As your said, the difference in real-world performance between the two clamps is negligible. My clamps are 36", so shorter clmaps would probably differ (flex) even less. The rust issue isn't a big deal, and in a climate controled setting, the HF clamps probably wouldn't rust as quickly as mine have. 
AT any rate, the HF bar clamps do represent a great value and have served me well. But I'd probably buy a Jorgensen if I were buying a clamp today.


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## Dal300

Joe, I can make my Jorgensons flex also…... depending on how much force and what postion and angle you set them up in, you can make a 24" thick I-beam flex.
Show me scientific data that proves that under normal circumstances, with quality joints and enough pressure to close those joints, that the HF clamp is any worse at closing a glue up than the Jorgy is.

I will restate my opinion: *If your joints are so far out that you have to make the clamp bar flex, you need to look at your wood working skills.*

If I need to clamp something that tight I can always put it in the 20 ton arbor press. I guarantee the wood will flex before the bars do, and those bars are only mild steel.


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## cutworm

I have the HF straight edge clamp and a Bora clamp. The only difference is the mechanism to release the lock. It looks like the rest of the parts are interchangeable. They are 99% identical.


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## Walt447

Harbor Freight clamps have been used for several years in my shop and they work well. The best thing is I don't feel I need to worry about getting Then dirty or banged up if on breaks a replacement does not require a loan. As with all Harbor freight tools buyer beware. Most of the products will survive normal hobbyist type of work However someone in business can afford more expensive ones ( they are tax deductible )


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## lumberjoe

Dallas, my joints are always perfect, if not I get out the jointer, not the clamps . My HF clamps start flexing a few turns after I get the slack out. There is a lot of debate over clamping pressure, but I prefer moderate to high pressure over lighter pressure. No where near 20 tons, but I should be able to get 3 or 4 twists of the handle before the beam looks like a rainbow.


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## MarkwithaK

Recently I was killing some time in the local HF and found these clamps on sale. The 6" variety was just north of $3 so I figured why not? Hell I'll pay $3 to watch a cow piss on a flat rock….so I bought 2 of them. They are certainly beefier than the Besseys I have.

One of them clamped down just fine. With the other one however I found that the handle started to spin on the screw with just a small amount of force. All in all I would, and plan on, buying more but I will certainly check them in store for the above described issue.


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## woodknots

I get all my clamps from HF they work great


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## Walt447

All my Clamps are from HF. Except two I purchased 30 yrs ago from Sears. The HF clamps have performed great. I get good clamping pressure and if one does fail it will not break the bank to get a new one. In fact I was at HF last week and they have 18 inch clamps on sale for @3.79 each purchased two. Only difference from my other clamps is the color. If I was in business making furniture I might choose the more expensive clamps but for the routine hobbyist the HF will suffice.


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## mikeh12345678901

So how are the Harbor Freight clamps treating you two something years later? they are on sale again..


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## SirFatty

They are fantastic… On sale you say? I could use some more!


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## JoeLyddon

Yes, they are on Sale again… The Blue ones… Yellow ones, In Store Only…

Just search for "Quick release clamp"... from $2.99 to $8.99…

Look very good… I have others & like them very much…


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## NoSkippy

I have used a few different clamps from harbor freight, the fake quick grip ones are junk, but the rest I have tried have been fine.


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