There’s an old adage that you can never have too many clamps, but sometimes I would rather have a few good clamps than a whole box of inferior clamps. For instance, a good set of parallel clamps makes gluing up a flat panel or a cabinet box a piece of cake. The problem is that parallel clamps aren’t cheap — most usually sell for more than $50 a clamp.
While still not cheap, Rockler is selling a set of 4 Bessey K Body REVOlution Parallel clamps (two 24″ and two 50″) for $180, and they’re also throwing in a pair of clamp extenders (KBX20). The retail price of this kit is somewhere between $220 and $242, which checks out because the clamps are usually $50 to $60 a piece and the extenders are $20.
These parallel clamps can exert up to 1700lbs of clamping force. Their throat depth is 3-3/4”, plus you can clamp on all four sides of their oversized clamp pads.
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The handles are wide, making them easier to turn, and they also feature a 6mm hex socket for applying extra force.
Using the included extender accessories, you can connect two clamps together for greater clamping capacity. To do this, start by removing the end clips and removeable clamp heads from two clamps. You then replace one of the removeable clamp heads in the opposite direction. Finally, you bolt both clamp ends in the clamp extender.
It looks like this deal runs until November 18th, 2021 as found on page 20 of Rockler’s October digital flyer.
Available: Thru November 18, 2021
Sale Price: $180
Buy Now via Rockler
Compare via Amazon
Stuart’s Note: Parallel clamps are always on a lot of readers’ holiday season deal-scouting shopping lists. If you were looking to grow your parallel clamp collections, this is an excellent setup that mirrors the sizes many woodworkers use most. There are 3 points I want to add, but let me preface them with a reminder that ToolGuyd earns revenue from sales made via affiliate links, such as the one above.
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1) I have been using Bessey K-Body parallel clamps for a couple of years now, most of them purchased but with test samples of the updated style mixed in, and they are excellent. I have never regretted buying this brand and style of parallel clamp. 2) This looks to be a great bundle deal, and I don’t think we’re going to see anything better over the holiday shopping season. 3) I have ordered bar and parallel clamps from different places, and have had better experiences with woodworking suppliers, such as Rockler, in how they package and ship tools like this.
Peter
Got two sets after seeing that over at fog.
Hope my clamping needs are covered now.
Thank you.
fred
Every once in a while I come across a project that could use a few more clamps. Small boat and canoe building were pretty clamp intensive. But more recently I’ve been building mostly the odd piece of furniture or cabinets.
I have something over 500 clamps – including 18 parallel jaw clamps – so like you – I’m probably set for now.
Luke
fog?
Peter
Festool
Owners
Group
Stuart
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/index.php
Ben
I have a collection of parallel clamps from Bessey, JET, Jorgensen and Bora. The materials used in the Bessey clamps are top notch (only beat out by the JET’s) and probably some of the best reasonably priced clamps you can get right now.
However the manufacturing quality of the clamps is hit or miss. You should inspect every clamp you get to ensure the faces of the clamps are parallel. If they’re angled in to each other, making a closed triangle when tightened then they’re workable. However a few of the clamps I’ve bought over time have been angled out, making an open V. This basically makes your work want to push out of the clamp. I think they are casting errors, so I always return them for a new example.
Would love to see some deals on the JET clamps. I know the locking mechanism isn’t for everyone, but I certainly like them.
Stuart
JET clamps usually go on sale for Black Friday, and they sell out quickly. After that, I always get asked about whether there will be more deals on parallel clamps, and there never (or very rarely) are.
Eugenio
Interesting to see such a distinctive ratchet being used for their picture instead of something more generic. I’m guessing that Bessey is German? and has some ties to Wera?
ca
Yes it is German. I imagine that the German hand tools we sometimes consider a luxury here in North America are just considered regular hand tools in Europe.
Brian
It’s not like that. The Germans know that many of their tools are superior. They pride themselves very deeply on their precise engineering and quality standards.
Franco Calcagni
This is a very good deal and what you get is perfect as a starter set or adding to what you got. 50″ is a great size as well as 24″. Then extenders are a real bonus.
I have had a multitude of clamps and only got my first K body maybe 7-8 years ago. There was a great deal on 4 of the 12″, not the most ideal size but the price was worth giving them a shot. They worked great and they quickly became ny favorite clamps. Definitely wanted to get more but the are pricey.
About 2 years ago I was at HD with a couple of $100 gift cards burning a hole in my pocket and happen to see the 60″ K body clamps on some kind of store special…just the 60, none of the others…I got 4 of them.
So having 12″ which are great but not the most useful size, and 60″ also great but again not the most useful size, I started looking at 24 and 36″ models, including other brands.
I was ready to go with the Bora’s when I saw a good special, but then reads too many negative reviews. Still good clamps, but enough negative reviews to make me wait. Also was ready to go with the Revo Jr’s but also good reviews but enough people that made comments about spend the extra for the regular K Body or the Jr’s were more interior than what the difference in price was. So I waited again, then saw these at Lee Valley.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/clamps/bar/72719-anti-slip-parallel-jaw-clamps
Looked around for reviews, there weren’t many but mostly quite positive, so I went with 4 of the 36″. Great clamps. Every bit the quality the Bessey have, if not more and the cool handle feature made them fantastic.
I think the latest Bessey’s have the anti-slip, though not sure they are like these, but the handle tightening is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXJtL3AH2g
The brand is Ehoma (maybe German or Scandinavian), and they are not cheap on par with the Bessey, maybe even a couple of dollars more. I’ll see what I do on my next clamp purchase, it will definitely be either Bessey or a good chance these Ehoma could be my new number 1….that is if my current ones continue to impress me.
fred
Ehoma is a 37 year old company headquartered in Taiwan they make clamps and metal shears for factory use.
Another brand you don’t see much of in the US is Urko. Made in Spain and imported by Anglo_American Tools – the examples that I have (cantilever clamps) are of high quality. I was introduced to the brand when we were doing some timber framing work. They make a “clamp” for pulling joints together. But I also vaguely remember that Stuart had some issues with one or more of their clamps.
https://www-amazon-fr.translate.goog/Urko-Serre-joint-double-crochet-4004-j/dp/B00JLOM23E?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=nui,sc
Here’s a US link:
https://www.urko.com/en/catalogs/clamping-tools
MoogleMan3
Definitely grabbing a couple of these sets. Killer deal.
Fritz
Bought two sets. Have a few random sized parallel clamps bought either on clearance or for a specific task, but these are perfect for cabinets, etc, and they match, which is perfect for my ocd.
Bird
Anyone have experience with the aluminum Dubuque clamps?
Stuart
I bought a couple recently, but haven’t used them yet. They have a solid reputation. Do you have any specific questions I might be able to test out or answer?
rob
The only reason I shopped at Rockler is that they generally have great pricing on Bessey.
George
It’s back again this year:
https://www.rockler.com/k-body-revolution-parallel-clamping-kit-with-kbx20-extenders