# Lowes phasing out Bessey for Irwin? Home Depot moving from Jorgies to Bessey?



## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

My recent review of the Jet parallel clamps perked my interest on pricing for Bessey clamps. As I was perusing the web today, I found that Lowes has taken almost all of their Bessey products off their website, and in lieu have listed the Irwin parallel clamps (24" and 48"). Does this signal the departure of Bessey clamps from the blue big box store?...

Upon further investigation, the "plot" thickens, as the Home Depot website is no longer allowing for a store inventory check of some Jorgensen products, and now has a large number of Bessey products listed.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

It seems so.
Once amazon throws them on sale I'll grab a few.


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

Probably has something to do with NASCAR sponsors….just kidding


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

Yea i noticed it a couple months ago, all the bessey stuff was and is on sale but nothing new coming in. Still expensive but i did buy their frame clamp for $17.


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## Picklehead (Feb 12, 2013)

What? Nobody's blaming Obamacare?


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## funchuck (Jan 11, 2010)

Yup, the local Lowe's had a fire sale on Bessey clamps. I got a 50" Revo for $30 and a 24" Tradesman for $12. Unfortunately, that was all that was left when I got there. Wish I could've been there earlier!


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

A bit off topic but since Irwin clamps were brought up I thought I'd share this, I have a but only 3 of the 6" Irwin clamps in my shop along with several HF 6" clamps, the odd thing is that the HF clamps have more clamping pressure then the Irwin do, but.. as for as the larger Irwin clamps they out preform the HF clamps it's just the 6" Irwin clamps that are weak.


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## SamuraiSaw (Jan 8, 2013)

Lowe's began closing out their Bessey clamps a couple of months ago. I grabbed a good assortment at 20% off. Bessey announced about a month ago that they were moving back into Home Depot. I've noticed Home Depot is now discounting all their Irwin stock.

Funny thing is, Home Depot had Bessey a few years back and dumped them for Irwin.


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## txn (May 28, 2014)

Ya I got lucky and got 4 50in k body for $29 a piece and 4 24in Duoklamps for $12 a piece, I really wish I couldve gotten some 24 in k bodys but noone had them in stock


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## squazo (Nov 23, 2013)

Jorgensen is garbage anyway worst 6 clamps I own are from them, especially for 65 bucks a pop. Id rather have harbor freight


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

ACE hardware still carries Jorgensens. I've had 6 of them for almost 50 years. The new ones don't seem to be as smooth as my old ones. I do like the HF ones and because of price, would prefer them over the new Jorgensens.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

Menards in town sells Jorgensen parallel clamps. Whenever I want some, I just wait for them to go on sale or for Menards to run the 11% rebates.

Strangely enough, most people seem to prefer Jet over Jorgensen but I prefer the Jorgensen over Jet or Bessey after trying some of each. That locking device on the Jet got in my way too much.

The thing I don't like about Irwin is their penchant for small diameter, plated threads. They don't work as smoothly as the hefty acme threads on other brands.


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

No Menards in my neck of the woods, but thank goodness for the Internet. Out of the 4 big name parallel clamps out there, my preferences are probably fairly consistent with most others (Jet first, then Bessey, Jorgensen). I don't have experience with the Irwin but the reviews don't seem promising. So far, if I were to define my ideal parallel clamp, i'd take the Jet but swap out the handle for a Bessey 2K handle (release lever optional).


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## ChipByrd (Feb 14, 2013)

I like the Jorgensen parallel clamps. Interestingly, it has been about a year since they were on sale at Menards. I suspect they will go on sale, soon. I want to add 4 of the 24" for a project I have coming up. Come on sale…


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

Thank you paxorion!!!!!

After reading your post I hurried down to my Lowes where I spoke to the tool supervisor and he gave me the 40" K body's for $30.00 each instead of the marked down $41.95 "clearance price" and the 12" X4" throat tradesman clamps for $12.00 each instead of $18.00. 
Thanks to paxorion I saved over 50$. on already heavy discounted prices.


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

Glad I seem to be doing a community service =)


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## Jetfuel (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks a ton paxorion!! I picked up two 40 inch REVO's a couple of days ago for $30 a piece. There were still two left however. I stopped back today and the two were still there, now marked down to $25 a piece. I snagged the last two.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I love my Jorgensen clamps, have about $700 worth of them. Mainly because most (not all, but most) of the Jorgensen clamps are made right here in the USA. Irwins are all made in China. Bessys are imported also.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Besseys are made in germany; that's not a bad thing.


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

Snooze and loose. I should have pulled the trigger the moment I saw them go on sale and issued my PSA. I was only able to score 1 50" K Body Revo for $32 myself.

I guess I'll have to settle for my other parallel clamps (Jet and Peachtree) to carry the burden.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I don't have a Lowes near by, but a Home Depot is right next door.
The clamp business seems to be playing musical chairs.
A while back HD dumped Jorgensen for Irwin.
Now Lowes dumps Bessey for Irwin.
And, even though HD has just installed new Irwin displays, they are dumping the Irwins for Besseys.

I might mention that I grabbed a few of the Irwin F type clamps in the short heavy size. They are pure crap.
I just tried to clamp up a little lap joint between two 1×4 oak boards and the Irwin clamp started slipping before I could even get any squeeze out.
Since the bar on these clamps is serrated I wondered how this was possible. My Jorgensen clamps don't slip even with a smooth bar. 
Well, the serrations on the Irwin are all flattened now. The cheap Chinese steel they use must be about as hard as lead. I just paid 8 bucks for a $14 clamp that is not worth $2.

In fact, I had a smaller Harbor Freight clamp handy and had to clamp my joint with it. It out performed the Irwin that had twice as big of a bar on it. And I only paid $2 for the HF clamp. Live and learn, I suppose.


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## UncannyValleyWoods (Apr 18, 2013)

Found a Bessy 4 pack at HD the other day for 20 bones. Very happy about that find…


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