Buffalo Bilious

Yep, we all know Harbor Freight is the low-qual leader, but I just bought a four-pack of Grip-Right type clamps for 7 bux today.

Two six inchers, and two four inchers that are so small, they kinda look like GI Joe M-16s...

Nonetheless, I tested them out, and they work just fine for what I need 'em for.

Just a heads up... end of day, we all want "good" tools, but sometimes there ain't no point in making a Clydesdale do what a pet donkey can do just as well, and for less food to boot.

(sorry, that sounded like preachin'... )

Anyway, check it out, if you're so inclined and you have a store in the area... they got a lotta X-Mas sales going.

Ohio Ron

I've bought their clamps too. I have used them and found that repeated use caused failures. Handles came loose, pivot points were made of plastic and failed. The old saying is true,"You get what you pay for" is true with their clamps that I have use. I have also used some of their products that have performed great.

niki

Yep, I also bought many of those cheap "Made in Chaiwan" grip clamps and got the same symptoms as Ohio Ron described...handle hinge housing breaking and the jaw slipping back

But, I did not give-up.....I changed the handle hinge with a bolt and grind the narrow sides of the bars with #40....It was so good that I made it on all the clamps.

Regards
niki

16ga

I got 2 bar clamps from them and had the same problem’s as Niki. In my case the one snapped first time I ever used it and I had to bolt it back together.
My opinion it they’re complete junk and I would much rather spend my money on something I know I can use and will have awhile.

woodman42

I purchased some pipe clamps from them on sale.
So far so good.

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Did you say tool sale?

Ken Johnson

I have never bought their bar clamps but I can tell you that their c-clamps are awesome... and cheap. Especially when you catch them on sale. If you sign up for their e-mail list, they send you tons of coupons every week! These are deals that you can't get without the coupon. Best spam I ever got!

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Ken

"What we hope ever to do with ease, we must first learn to do with diligence".
- Samuel Johnson

TexasTimbers

Buffalo that's good heads up, and point well made about sometimes "cheap" tools can do what expensive counterparts can. If you don't mind I am going to transfer this to the Tool Review section because this is essentially what you have done for us, and niki adds his own great flare for instruction making this a nice clamps tool review thread we can all add to as we wish. When you get a chance you can add another post giving the part number for those clamps. Thanks.

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Flame Box Elder

Steve G.

And I thought I was the only one

I had the same exact problem as ya'll with these clamps from them - I bought them on sale and they worked for a while, not that long though - I just chucked um' when they broke.

I had also gotten these from them on sale too, and IMHO these are better than the expensive orange one's at HD. They're great!
I think I have a few 6 and 12 inch models of those.

And I also got there pipe clamps, there OK, but not as good as the expensive orange one's at HD.


EDIT: If you look in my avatar you can see that I used 2 different kinds of HF clamps on the cabinet I was building - at that time the plastic one's worked nicely.

Corndog

Well at least I know what to do with one of the two rolls of 40 grit that I found [previous post]........it's going to Poland.

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Geoff...

Buffalo Bilious

Not sure of the part #, the packaging they came in is currently nesting in a garbage bag under the remains of last night's dinner.

But they're identical looking to the one that Niki shows in his pics. It's four of them in a single blister-pak.

IIRC, the "normal" sticker price on the package is around $15. Knowing what I know about HF, I'm sure that I wouldn't have gone for it at that price, but for $7, I said what the heck.

Niki, those are some great tips, as usual! Thanks!