Customer Reviews

Bessey PG4.012 12-Inch Powergrip Clamp

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading some of the other reviews, I realized how clueless some people are in using tools. This clamp is a very specialized tool which does one thing better than any other clamp I've seen. It is meant for those occassions where you are holding something to be clamped in one hand and therefore only have your other hand to operate the clamp. The beauty of this clamp is that you use the squeeze lever to cinch the clamp securely to the items being clamped and then use the traditional screw mechanism to really tighten whatever it is your clamping. Contrary to another review, the lever is only meant to get the clamp tight enough to then use the screw mechanism where you get the full power of a traditional clamp. And yes, you do have to leave a few threads on the screw mechanism when you clamp anything so you can back the screw away from the clamped objects and then quick release. The first time you don't do that you'll see the problem you've created for yourself.
In summary, this is an exceptionally good specialized tool for one hand clamping jobs for use by "thinking" people

I received one of these for Christmas and have used it some over the past two weeks. I quickly discovered, as did toolpig, that the clamp is difficult to release if you do not leave about 1/4" or more of thread showing on the handscrew before "pumping" it on tight. The combination of pumping it tight and then adding a half turn of screw makes it virtually immovable. The "one hand release" is something I haven't figured out yet. You MUST loosen the screw before you can release the thumb button to slide the body on the bar. It is a good clamp with great clamping pressure, but for the price, I expected much smoother operation. If you can live with the shortcomings outlined here and need more clamping pressure than "Quickgrip" clamps provide, get it.

I wrote in an earlier review that I would be buying more of these as I could afford them. Well I haven't and I won't be. Forty bucks for a clamp is not all that bad but I'm not as happy with them as I once was. One of my clamps completely stopped working. We all have to put up with lemons from time to time. I understand that. I find these clamps annoying. None of my guys will even use them anymore. It is so easy to get yourself in a bind where they won't release for anything. You have to plan ahead when you clamp with these bad boys. You have to leave yourself plenty of play in the threads to be able to back the screw off before you tighten with the one handed lever. Sound complicated ? It beats destroying your work to get the blasted thing off ! I like the regular tradesman clamps better for many reasons.

I bought two of these, and when I purchased them, I thought what a great idea. I have the Quick Grips, and like the ease of use. When I saw that these took the quick grip principle and took it a step farther, with a screw vise, I jumped at buying them. I saw Norm Abrams on TV using the Bessey Super Grip clamp style, and then discovered these Powergrips. It seemed to me the Powergrips would be a better idea, than having to squeeze, adjust, and squeeze adjust, the way you do with vice grips, and the way the super grip Besseys work. I saw in an eariler taped show, that Norm felt the same way, he used the Powergrips also. He now uses the Super Grips, and I am sorry I didn't buy those instead.
Ok so onto the clamp. It has plenty of torque, but unfortunately, the little knob on the back of the clamp, which is designed to release the clamp for readjusting, turns out to be a little bear to work. It takes a decent amount of finagiling to get it to work. It is not that the button does not work, it is more of a feeling that the whole procedure is hanging up, due in part to the criticalness of the alignment of the shaft creating a binding. Not something you want to do, when you anticipated a quick grip release. Additionally, as others have mentioned, you have to be careful to leave a certain amount of thread distance open, so that when you want to release the clamp, you can. It is easy to simply pump up the quick grip feature, up to the edge of your work, then finish the job with the screw clamp. If you have that screw device, bottomed out, and you use it as a quick grip, their is no way to get that dysfunctional in the first place, release knob to let go. This clamp depends on unscrewing the clamp to release it. No problem as long as you remember to leave some thread space, and not bottom it out. It is a bad enough problem that you would have to hacksaw the clamp apart if you ever tightened it up that way. Logically, you could be prone to do that. It is natural, once you are accustomed to quick grips, that you squeeze the handle repeatedly until you tighten it up against your work surface. If you don't set the screw tightener with enough thread to do the release job, your screwed. The problem gets worse, when you realize that each time you release the clamp by unscrewing it, your are running it closer, and closer to the no thread situation. So you have to kind of be afraid of the clamp, and continually check to be sure you have not unthreaded it all the way.
I, like Norm Abrams, find the Supergrips to be more useful, for the above reasons. All in all, if the release knob was easier to use, and it was made in such a way, so that when tightened, the release knob would actually release the entire clamp, then it would be a winning situation.
My hat is off to Bessey for their entire clamping tool line, but they need to upgrade this design with a better release mechanism. Somewhere in the future, a pair of Supergrips will be in the making for me. I still use these powergrips, and do kind of like them, albeit I have to break my concentration while using them to make sure of not getting trapped without thread space, and not being able to use them with one hand, except to squeeze them together. That release knob on the back takes two hands to use. One on the clamps, and a separate one to work the knob area.
Enough said, don't let the concept fool you. Hope this helps.

These baby's are awesome. I've been using the other one handed clamps for years. I have to admit they are nice. I use them daily for everything you can imagine. But they don't hold a candle to the new Bessey Powergrip clamps. These are so much stonger it's not even funny. I really like the fact that you can squeeze them from either side of the tool. The bar side or the turn handle side . They exert as much force as you could expect from any clamp (1000 lbs.).Its just so much easier with the one handed operation. Plus you get an easy release lever that really works and doesn't ever get in the way of your work surface like the others I have used.I'll certainly be buying more as I can afford them.

I appreciate the safety feature of not being able to accidentally release the load without taking pressure off by the hand screw. For solo framing work, with heavy wood members clamped overhead, this is reassuring.

I love tools and that together with the look and feel of these and the fact that I spent so much should have guaranteed a positive review. Unfortunately, in actual use these are a pain. They are difficult to use one-handed. When adjusting you need to release with one hand while holding square to slide the other. When pumping them closed they don't really get that tight so you'll end out switching to the screw adjustment. I might forgive that but you also have to be careful to leave sufficient thread to release since unscrewing is the only release mechanism.

So, save your $$ and get the Bessey tradesman clamps. Just slip it into position while putting it on, and twist it tight. You can get several Tradesmen for the price of one Powergrip.