Bessey TG5.512 5-1/2-by-12-Inch Heavy Duty Tradesmen Bar Clamp

Bought for projects needing wide jaws and is particularly useful. Its heaviness makes it a little difficult to adjust but works well.

For the last seven years, I've been using the small Jorgensen F-clamps that I bought when I really started getting into woodworking. And those clamps worked, generally. They were certainly less expensive, which mattered a lot at the time. I finally broke down and bought 4 of these Bessey F-clamps. I own a bunch of Bessey Revo Parallel clamps, so I was already familiar with Bessey's quality. Here are the features I love about these F-clamps, and the reasons I think they are worth the thirty bucks each I paid for them:1) Perfect for caul clamping- when gluing up a table-top (or any flat surface with multiple pieces of wood), I generally need to use cauls to make sure the boards are and stay flat. These do that beautifully. Their deep reach means I'm not doing gymnastics trying to get the clamps positioned properly.2) "Quick release"- there's no lever to depress in order to slide the clamp open or closed. You just apply a little bit of angular pressure and you're good to go. This means I can apply a clamp one-handed, which is really nice when I'm trying to hold things in place with my other hand.3) Solid and heavy- my smaller F-clamps bow and can't really apply that much pressure. These things are beasts. They are rock solid. The downside is they are definitely heavy, which can make them a little unwieldy. But I'll take heavy and sturdy over light and flimsy any day.These clamps are perfect for holding things down to a bench top or using them as cauls. The'd also be great for bent lamination glue-ups. I don't think I'd choose to use them for edge grain glue-ups, though I guess you could in a pinch. Solid, sturdy, easy to use. My new go-to clamps.

I'm ordering a second pair of these babies, as I am about to do a challenging table-top glue-up. My first two have served me well for a few years, and all the good reviews are true! Powerful, heavy, reliable - all there when you need it. Why buy a wimpy clamp that works for some of your needs? Buy one that will do anything you ask it to do!Apart from its immense clamping potential, what I really like is the "reach" of the jaws. Just try to find some decent clamps with a 5 1/2" reach - the best I could find were some wooden ones. As others have pointed out, these clamps are great for immobilizing something to your workbench or torsion box table. With their great reach I intend to use them with cauls to force the boards even with each other during my table top glue up. (p.s. the best way to store these, I found, was to hang them in one of the metal hangers that Rocker and Woodcraft sell. They work well for bar clamps too)

I was in a Sears store when shelving was being moved. One of these had fallen behind, out of sight. The Sears computer had marked it down successively and it was in the system at $2.00. Yeah, I bought that. I bought another from Amazon to make a matched pair. These are simply the world's best clamps.

First use the cover for fixed arm fell off. Does not speak well for how this will hold up long term.

These clamps are tough! I mean really tough. They have incredible clamping pressure as well as a longer reach. In fact, I like these so much that I got a pair for my son.

This Bessy 5 1/2" deep heavy duty clamp is tough enough to get the job done. The sturdy metal rail is notched on the narrow edges to provide powerful clamping action. The metal stationary end of the clamp can endure the pressure of a tight clamping. The movable metal clamp end easily moves along the rail until set into place by locking the location into the metal rail's notches. Once locked into place the screw lever allows one to get the clamp tightly into place. Being made of sturdy metal, this clamp is sure to do its job without failure. The design of this clamp does make it heavy, but not to a point where the average person cannot handle it comfortably. If you are looking for a clamp that will get the job done and last for years, the Bessy heavy duty clamps are a sure bet.PROS:Made of sturdy metalExcellent design and qualityWorth the expenseCONS:I didn't buy more

These are very strong clamps, rather heavy and do a great job where you need extra force and/or reach. There are no spring holders on the rails so the handle will slide and two hands are needed to set them in most cases.