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(06-14-2017, 04:37 PM)Steve N Wrote: I keep seeing this. I have 35 year old Besse F Calmps, and brand new ones, and I can't see enough difference to bother making a note of it. Do you own any of either, or just parroting what you've read online? I see the comment, but have yet to see a write up of the apparent appalling differences.
Back to the OP.....4 clamps for 15 bux is a great deal on these clamps.
I have oh, I don't know, maybe a hundred or so German made Bessey F clamps at this point so I think I'm plenty qualified to express my opinion. The clamps in question with the friction clutch plates are of equal quality and function as the harbor freight clamps that are similar in price to these. The German version uses a serrated bar with a hardened screw embedded in the back of the moving jaw to engage it. The German version is much more robust and durable with a price to match.
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didn't know there is a hardened screw, is it adjustable? Have to go look at mine now.
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I own both as well and while id never trade my german f versions for them, $15 for 2 12s and 2 6s is a good price. I know some newer ww's i will be sending this deal too.
Steve ill buy your german fs when you get rid of them.
Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.
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(06-14-2017, 08:24 PM)EricU Wrote: didn't know there is a hardened screw, is it adjustable? Have to go look at mine now.
It is adjustable. An 1/8 of a turn is all it takes.
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I got two sets of those at Christmas as well. While I don't use them everyday, the times I have used them they worked well. I guessing that people that say they strip out have a tendency to clamp the life out of things when that much pressure is not really necessary for most situations.
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Bessey's Clutch clamps like these are decent, and $15.00 is a good enough price, but they are 600 pound rated, so that makes them "light duty" according to Bessey.
These are NOT the equivalent of their "TG" Series F-style clamps which do not use the clutch. Those are much more expensive, and rated as medium to heavy duty (depending on the bar size) at 1500 pounds of force and higher.
I have been doing videos for Bessey for a couple years now and know way too much about clamps as a result!
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Looks like Steve N posted a link to a different kind of clamp than the one in the OP. I don't have Bessey clamps like the ones in the OP, but I do have some old Pony clamps like that. They aren't that great, but they are usable. I guess I wouldn't expect the Bessey clamps to be much better.
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(06-14-2017, 04:57 PM)Steve N Wrote: Arlin did ya read that online? Or did someone at Besse say they weren't covered under the same warranty as all of the other products they sell in the USA
Exactly what you will get is a 4 clamp set GSCC4PK they are the 600 pound rated 2 1/2" F clamps 2 @ 12" and 2 @ 6". Full Besse warranty, unless there are signs of abuse. Heavy use is NOT abuse, abuse is abuse. If you need more than 600 pounds of pressure for an F clamp, you need to go back to basic wood prep 101, because it's not the clamp, it's what you are trying to clamp that is at issue. This is rated as a light duty clamp, so you CANNOT compare it to a heavy duty F clamp with 1200 pounds of pressure, which IMHO is way more pressure then an F clamp needs. Compared to older light duty Besse's it's as near perfect match to the German made ones.
Steve
What I read here when they posted about the ones at Amazon and they looked just like that. But no other knowledge about them. It just seemed the price from the regular Bessey price of the same looking ones are a lot more then that even at a discount.
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(06-14-2017, 06:09 PM)jlanciani Wrote: I have oh, I don't know, maybe a hundred or so German made Bessey F clamps at this point so I think I'm plenty qualified to express my opinion. The clamps in question with the friction clutch plates are of equal quality and function as the harbor freight clamps that are similar in price to these. The German version uses a serrated bar with a hardened screw embedded in the back of the moving jaw to engage it. The German version is much more robust and durable with a price to match.
I have some Besse F clamps that date back to the early 50's, and pretty much a sprinkling all the way until now. I'd really like to see a picture of this clamp you describe, I've never seen it.
The current Bessey clamp lineup is found here
F clamps are here.
Either way they don't have one as you describe I'd like to see what you have, all one hundred of them
 I believe your comparing the Besse's to anything HF has ever offered a very unfair comparison, and if the clamp you describe does exist they would certainly cost much more than these clamps, wouldn't you think so?
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06-15-2017, 05:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-15-2017, 06:30 PM by jlanciani.)
(06-15-2017, 04:27 PM)Steve N Wrote: I have some Besse F clamps that date back to the early 50's, and pretty much a sprinkling all the way until now. I'd really like to see a picture of this clamp you describe, I've never seen it.
The current Bessey clamp lineup is found here
F clamps are here.
Either way they don't have one as you describe I'd like to see what you have, all one hundred of them
I believe your comparing the Besse's to anything HF has ever offered a very unfair comparison, and if the clamp you describe does exist they would certainly cost much more than these clamps, wouldn't you think so?
Since you like to post links instead of pics, look here; http://www.besseytools.com/pdfs/sales_sh...ps_Eng.pdf
And read #1 closely. And it's Bessey by the way.
You must have missed it; I fully acknowledged that the German made clamps are more expensive, and there is a good reason why.
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