Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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 metal

Excellent design and quality

Worth the expense

CONS:

I didn't buy more

The picture shown at this time is not the clamp, that is clearly not even close to a 5-1/2" throat depth. Anyhow back to the review. I had purchased 4 of these Beefy monsters to clamp some boards together to glue them. I definitely got my money worth. First off they are ridiculously oversized (big time kudos from me) huge handle, thick rail and jaws. Coming standard with big pads to protect the workpiece was also great. It weighs quite a bit too, which I like. In fact the only reason I would say someone would not like these clamps is because they are not a big, strong person, and just physically could not handle these clamps regularly. I am a pretty big guy so I can appreciate things made my size. Bessy, in my opinion, makes the best clamps around, and this is just another example of their quality products.

Someone keeps saying: "you can never have enough clamps". This needs revision. One can never have enough BESSEY clamps! I think I've tried every clamp maker out there. Most fail even basic tasks...clamp tight...without bowing or twisting.

Bessey's have never failed me, and I have since disposed of all the other brands. Bessey was won the contest hands down.

User note: The TG5 and TG7 clamps have enough torque to compress and possibly deform your joinery if you tighten them up too much. Remember, You want tight fitted joints before you glue up. Clamping pressure should be even and snug, but you don't have too (nor want too!) squeeze the sap out of the wood. You risk compressing the joint so tight that the jointed components flare or mushroom. A properly fitted joint or glue edge will hold a bond for centuries with a good quality PVA glue and EVEN clamping pressure.

The TG5 line is my defacto clamp as I now own over 50 of them in a variety of lengths. I also recommend the TG4, and TG7 if you do much bent-lamination work. For carcass and cabinetry, nothing beats the KBody.

These heavy duty models from Bessey are a lot beefier than the picture shows. Definitely a strong clamp. I bought a couple to hold things down on the drill press, and for general purpose work. The clamping mechanism works well without any hassles. Easy to adjust, lot's of pressure, and looks substantial. Highly recommended.

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.

Have used Bessey clamps for a number of years. Needed some additional clamps so purchased this one. Good all around clamp, very heavy duty and lets you tighten with as much force as needed. I have used this in woodworking and automotive repair. Would definitely recommend it!!!

I have purchased several brands of clamps and have found Bessey clamps to be the best value despite there cost. There 12" bar clamps are no exeception. The clamps are sturdy and have a great deal of clamping force. I like the reach of the clamp and find myself frequently using it. The only thing that I dislike is the weight of the clamp, it is heavy. However, I am satisfied with my purchase and fully recommend this tool as a great buy.

I currently own 5 different sizes of Bessey clamps. I feel they are as good a clamp as is made. I only rated them 4 stars because I feel the new ones are not quite as good as the quality of my old ones.

The first day, I used my clap, one of them broke and I dont know how to get ahold of anybody. I called Bessey and they may help me. I dont know
I am not happy