BESSEYDUO45-8 45cm Duo Clamp Capacity

The main design advantage to this clamp for me is the handle being in line with the bar. Feels easier and more comfortable to use. The twist to reverse is no real benefit. Other one handed clamps are pretty quick to change to spreader mode and this is rarely used anyway.This costs more money than the Irwin heavy duty quick clamps, and those can exert double the force. They have been robust in my experience.Don't think you are paying for or getting German manufacturing, these like most others are MADE IN CHINA.A fact that Bessey do not highlight almost anywhere.I think this is a pretty good clamp however. The red protectors should extend the whole length of the faces though, otherwise there is no parallel clamping. Seems odd to me to only have them on the ends.Probably more than enough clamping force for just about all jobs you are likely to encounter.Somewhat expensive.

I have several of these and they beat everything else for GP use by miles.They haven't _quite_ got the power of all-metal screw-up types but short of squeezing the gap out of a pair of four-inch timbers I honestly can't think of a practical situation where the Duos wouldn't be better.they squeeze with up to to around 270 lb forceIf you've ever had a 19 stone woman tread on your toe with all her weight on a high heel you may be able to visualize this... OR - it's about four times the pressure you need to exert on the average wheel wrench to tighten your wheel nutsYou might not be able to hang a shed half way up a wall with a duo clamp but for building furniture and general carpentry there's crunch to spare in these things and more importantly, they are a joy to use.The squeezy trigger thing is in line with the shafty thing.This may not seem like any big deal until you've used it a couple of times but suddenly you'll start to wonder why ALL clamps don't work like this. It's comfortable and easier to position one-handed than with the typical pistol-grip arrangement so it's faster to use and less fatiguing when you are trying to clamp That Awkward Thing which is a bit heavy and slipping out of your hand while you're grappling the clamp into place with one of your other free hands.To be honest, the much vaunted switchy thing function isn't that important to me. I have made use of it occasionally and it IS simple to use but it's not an important-enough feature to sway me. The clincher here is the ergonomic factor. Once or twice there has been an occasion when a pistol grip design might have given me a little more working room and I'm pretty sure that in each case it was spreading something when I was getting my hand trapped between the trigger and the workpiece. I got round it with spacer blocks. Generally, though, it's no contest.As reported by other users elsewhere: very occasionally the switchy thing gets unseated and squeezing the trigger does absolutely nothing but freewheel. A quick twist back into position fixes it. It's very rare, but not the sort of thing you want to happen if you're doing the woodwork equivalent of pitoning your next arm-hold at arm's length when the manoeuvre fails and leaves you with mixed metaphorical gravy all over your face, up a gum-tree without a paddle..It's happened to me a couple of times, once up a short ladder without a free hand to adjust anything but it's easily avoided by checking the switch is properly engaged and not at half-cock before attempting anything mission critical.The small problem is not enough for me not to give it five stars.Great grip and easy to use.

You really can't get better than Bessey when it comes to clamping, and this Duo Clamp is no exception. The clamp is very strong and yet easy to use one handed. The mechanism to change the direction of the jaw movement is simple to use and works every time and the quick release lever is perfectly positioned above the handle.Clamping force is excellent; I tested it a few times by clamping an unattached kitchen cabinet to an attached one and it would hold it exactly where I wanted it, without slippage.Defiantly worth the money, and others that I've owned for years are still as good as new.

Took the plunge and up-graded my smaller clamps and wished i did this far earlier on these are a god send...can't praise them enough True one-handed clamps.Been clamping large timbers and not failed me yet, nice action and strong my old clamps always felt if i pulled the trigger one more time they would break (as some have). These Bessey Duo clamps have lived up to the hype, ok not as good as their larger steel counterparts but then they aren't as easy to use, just pick up and...well start clamping.Now saving up for more of these and may try the larger sizes as well, i'm sold on these clamps now..... brilliant.

Very good clamps that have a very strong bite. Well thought out design with a very solid / weighty feel to them.Now looking at getting some Powergrip clamps, also by Bessey, as those can supposedly exert over four times to clamping pressure of the Duo Clamps. We shall see...

Nice clamp, I like the push and pull design of it, although I have found it a little tricky to pump the handle when in push mode in certain situations

Top quality clamp. Provides high clamping force and is easy to operate.

Given as a gift but have been informed it is as you would expect from Bessey.