# NEW HARBOR FREIGHT CLAMP



## hkmiller (Mar 6, 2018)

Any body used these new clamps?


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

whats the price? i havn't used those but ive got a bunch of their f style clamps that are a real bargain and have worked very well.


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

they claim equivalant to the Irwin Quick-Grip. I compared them yesterday after receiving a discount offer by e-mail from HF. I can get the Irwin's for the same price or less, no big savings on these. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=Bremen%20clamps


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> they claim equivalant to the Irwin Quick-Grip. I compared them yesterday after receiving a discount offer by e-mail from HF. I can get the Irwin s for the same price or less, no big savings on these. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=Bremen%20clamps
> 
> - WoodenDreams


yeah their comparison prices are high you can get the irwins on amazon for less,unless you have a hf discount coupon.ill stick with the irwin on those.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I try to avoid anything that has plastic from HF. Tools that are all metal or mostly metal are so-so. Wood clamps are fine. Things with plastic seem to break, flex,bend where they shouldnt and after a few years the plastic gets so brittle you look at it wrong and it shatters. YMMV


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## rberens2 (Apr 22, 2013)

Why is lumber jocks sending out email touting what appear to be bogus plans. First we had Ted's 16,000 plans which is definitely bogus. You can read about in https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/80665. Now we have 12,000 shed plans by Ryan. I searched for this on google and did not find any references in anything that resembles a reputable wood working site.

What is going on?


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Why is lumber jocks sending out email touting what appear to be bogus plans. First we had Ted s 16,000 plans which is definitely bogus. You can read about in https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/80665. Now we have 12,000 shed plans by Ryan. I searched for this on google and did not find any references in anything that resembles a reputable wood working site.
> 
> What is going on?
> 
> - rberens2


why are you asking this questions on a thread about clamps? you need to report this to cricket,cmon.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Not that one but I made the mistake of buying some of their black 12 inch F ones. Garbage. Bought they expensive corner clamp. V not 90 degrees to the back so splayed your joint. Back to paying a little more for ones that work.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

IMO, it doesn't pay to go cheap on the quick-grip type clamps. I have a load of the Irwins and none of the cheaper brands that I've tried come close to the holding power and reliability of the Irwins. I like the Aluminum HF bar clamps but I'll pass on these.


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## fuigb (Apr 21, 2010)

Odds are that one gets one's money's worth at HF. Sometimes folks get lucky, and others can polish a you-know-what, but for the most part their stuff is throw-away junk. Good luck to you and God-bless is you like them and are satisfied, but…


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## TarHeelz (Sep 13, 2012)

Question: "Anyone have experience with these new clamps? For clarity, here's a picture."

Answer: "Here are our opinions regarding v clamps, f clamps, wood clamps, bargains, HF generally, and plastic versus metal."


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Didn't take very long for the Harbor Freight Haters to show up….did it….LOL

That reminds me….need to buy a few more…


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## WalkerR (Feb 8, 2017)

Those F clamps are pretty much the only thing I buy at Harbor Freight. That and Evapo-rust. Haven't had good luck with any of the plastic ones though, so I'm skeptical these new ones would be any better.

Yes that is the one Irwin clamp I own in the middle.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Cheap branded clamps work as well as highly priced clamps of the same sometimes…

I'll buy harbor freight if they have equal or work well enough…..


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> Those F clamps are pretty much the only thing I buy at Harbor Freight. That and Evapo-rust. Haven t had good luck with any of the plastic ones though, so I m skeptical these new ones would be any better.
> 
> Yes that is the one Irwin clamp I own in the middle.
> 
> ...


A lot of products from HF have Got very good reviews from professional and hobby woodworkers….lathes, clamps, wrenches, spray guns….

Harbor Freight has a lot dogs in the woodworking world of hobbyist….


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> Those F clamps are pretty much the only thing I buy at Harbor Freight. That and Evapo-rust. Haven t had good luck with any of the plastic ones though, so I m skeptical these new ones would be any better.
> 
> Yes that is the one Irwin clamp I own in the middle.
> 
> ...


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Didn t take very long for the Harbor Freight Haters to show up….did it….LOL
> 
> That reminds me….need to buy a few more…
> 
> ...


totally agree bandit just got some more of those myself,a great clamp for the money.


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## cabo (May 4, 2013)

HF claim equivalent to the Irwin Quick-Grip

I will not buy any of those new HF Plastic Clamps, Think about it you will be able to get 4 or 5 of there f clamps for the price of one plastic clamp and the f clamp is 10 times better clamp than those plastic clamps will ever be


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I did look the "New" clamp over, while I was in there buying sanding discs….

Pin in the trigger IS metal….all else around it is plastic….and at the price they wanted….I'll pass….and buy 4 more of them blue handled F clamps for the same money. Can never have enough 12" F style clamps…









Them 24" ones tend to stick out in the way too much…( most of them C clamps are also HF ones…)


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## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

They look the same as the Irwin clamps that I've had and used for over a decade. I'm sure Irwin and HF were both made in China…. likely the same factory lol. 
I do personally like bar clamps like the ones in the link below verses those style clamps. I do believe HF has versions of these clamps too but I haven't tried them
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-of-4-18-BAR-CLAMPS-2-5-Throat-Depth-Heavy-Duty-Woodworking-Carpenter-Tool/312452562640?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item48bf9fbed0:g:sqcAAOSwNClcfXcu


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

not impressed with the new blue line, red line, baur line, returned quite a few of the bower power tools, orbital ect. and the big hammer drills, go thru them like a buncha hippies passing around a jt at a dead concert. just saying, i heard thats how that works, no actual experience. hehe.

love me their f clamps got a gaggle of them, have to say i've more issue with the little slide stopper thing on the besseys f clamps more than china land units
rj in az


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> They look the same as the Irwin clamps that I've had and used for over a decade. I'm sure Irwin and HF were both made in China…. likely the same factory lol.
> I do personally like bar clamps like the ones in the link below verses those style clamps. I do believe HF has versions of these clamps too but I haven't tried them
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-of-4-18-BAR-CLAMPS-2-5-Throat-Depth-Heavy-Duty-Woodworking-Carpenter-Tool/312452562640?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item48bf9fbed0:g:sqcAAOSwNClcfXcu
> 
> - JCamp


yeah those bar clamps or as most call them f style clamps are great,i bought a few at hf and theve held up very well so i went back and bought a bunch more.you can bash hf but for the price they cant be beat.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

I have a few Irwins and they're pretty good. I've tossed a few offshore look-alikes that were junk. The best quick grips I have are Jorgenson. Awesome clamps for what they are.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

HF, SawStop, Festool. Debate bait.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> HF, SawStop, Festool. Debate bait.
> 
> - therealSteveN


You left out Bessey and Incra…


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## mbg (Feb 25, 2009)

I have quite a few Irwin Quick-Grip clamps. Four of which I bought at Ace. I didn't realize until a few weeks later when I needed to use them that they were not equivalent to my old Irwin's.

The Ace ones had black clamping pads as opposed to yellow on my others. They do not work or grip as well. It's like Irwin tried to produce a cheap clone of their own clamps. Buyer beware!


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> I have quite a few Irwin Quick-Grip clamps. Four of which I bought at Ace. I didn t realize until a few weeks later when I needed to use them that they were not equivalent to my old Irwin s.
> 
> The Ace ones had black clamping pads as opposed to yellow on my others. They do not work or grip as well. It s like Irwin tried to produce a cheap clone of their own clamps. Buyer beware!
> 
> - mbg


Thanks for the tip. Mine all have yellow pads. The knock-offs I've tossed in the past seem to work great until the last click or two where they slip and won't apply the same pressure as my Irwins. The Jorgenson ones I have are much more robust and can handle some pretty heavy duty clamping tasks.


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## Mike_in_STL (Dec 8, 2016)

> I did look the "New" clamp over, while I was in there buying sanding discs….
> 
> Pin in the trigger IS metal….all else around it is plastic….and at the price they wanted….I ll pass….and buy 4 more of them blue handled F clamps for the same money. Can never have enough 12" F style clamps…
> 
> ...


I'm with Bandit on this. I never walk out of HF without at least two of the metal F clamps. I had a host of the plastic pistol grip clamps, both with the orange and the grey pads and now I have none. They blow up at the grip or they don't clamp and stay clamped. They're just garbage.


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## nate22 (Jul 12, 2010)

Irwins quick grip clamps is pretty much all I use. I do have a few Jorgenson clamps. I use them mainly for bigger projects. The irwins are pretty much all I use though.


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## AMZ (Jan 27, 2020)

Was in HF this past week, for a set of hex keys. Looks like they're trying to remake themselves with some pricey (for them) mechanics tools. Time will tell.


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