Thread: Parallel Action Clamps Compared to Duratec Lightweight Clamps

Thanks Aldav.

The reason I asked is that I really need some more clamps in the 3-400 mm range for box and drawer work. As I don't need large clamping forces, these may be the answer. I think parallel clamps have spoiled me. The ability to have the clamps "standing" on the bench and put a project into the clamp, rather than the clamp onto the project is just so useful.

Wow! Those Bangood clamps are only a few bucks less than Bessy UniKlamps. I would rather spend every extra five dollars locally for genuine Besseys. I do generally find that Bangood seems very pricey, considering the low production costs in China.

Does anyone know how these compare to the ones that McJing sells? I bought a bunch of the McJing ones and they were crap.

I was in McJing recently and they now have 2 different parallel jaw clamps on offer - McJING Online Tools Products Search They don't offer the ones in the first (left) picture and never have as far as I know, they probably just grabbed the picture as representative of parallel jaw clamps. Just as well they have never offered them as they are complete crap. The one in the picture on the right at their web page is the new one. The ones that qwertyu is referring to is probably this one (below?), which is the other one McJing still sell. This is another Duratec product. RossM did a review on these clamps back in 2016 - McJing Parallel Clamps. Maybe he'd be happy to report on how they're going? You can't see what's going on inside the moving jaw mechanism so I've got no idea how it grips the bar. (I thought it impolite to disassemble the clamp in store when I had no intention of purchasing one, but it would surprise me if Max would be concerned about a genuine purchaser doing so.)

The new one looks quite heavy duty, but you can't see how the clamp head grips the bar. There are no striations on the bar for the clamp head to register on so I guess it uses hardened plates. Although this method can work pretty reliably there is always doubt about how the plates will stand up over time.

Ehoma's offerings are the only ones that could seriously compete with Bessey on features and performance, but as long as they have an Australian distributor with exclusive rights in place the price will remain ridiculous.

As an aside, a lot of the Bessey products are made in Asia, almost certainly including the Uniklamp and K Body Revo. If you think they're made in Germany you're kidding yourself - they'd be twice the price. Bessey themselves don't make any statements about where these particular products are made, it's only resellers who spread the country of origin misinformation. Anything Bessey does make in Germany has the country of origin proudly displayed. Lots of their packaged products acknowledge that they're made in 'PRC'.

Originally Posted by aldav

The ones that qwertyu is referring to is probably this one (below?), which is the other one McJing still sell. This is another Duratec product. RossM did a review on these clamps back in 2016 - McJing Parallel Clamps. Maybe he'd be happy to report on how they're going? You can't see what's going on inside the moving jaw mechanism so I've got no idea how it grips the bar. (I thought it impolite to disassemble the clamp in store when I had no intention of purchasing one, but it would surprise me if Max would be concerned about a genuine purchaser doing so.)

.

Thats it. Its complete crap. The part that you screw to clamp down, puts stress on the plastic housing and can cause it to break. When it breaks you cant clamp as hard - ie the plastic bit is a stress bearing component. The end of the clamp is held in with 2 M6 screws through a hole in the bar. The M6 screws are crap and can bend or the hole can stretch - therefore no longer parallel when that happens. I bought a bunch of Bessey and the difference is night and day.

So the ones from banggood in your original post are decent?

The Banggood Duratec ones are a much lighter duty clamp with much more in common with the Bessey Uniklamp.

In a direct comparison with the Uniklamp it's a matter of plus and minus unfortunately. The plastic jaws of the Uniklamp is harder, thicker and has more bracing so is much more able to stand up to partial side clamping. The Duratec has a much better handle, the Uniklamps slick wooden handle can make it particularly difficult to release the clamp. If you could put the Duratec handle on the Uniklamp you'd have the best of both worlds.

Apart from those two things the clamps are very comparable in materials and operation. Used within the constraints of their design both clamps are quite good. They're not heavy duty and you shouldn't expect the kind of performance you get from a full size heavy duty clamp. Both are only available in shorter lengths (up to 600mm) in line with their design constraints. You only have to see the kind of bend you can get in the bar of a 900mm Torquata parallel jaw clamp, with a similar size bar, to see why this is so. (See the 'Parallel Clamps side by side' video on this page - https://www.timbecon.com.au/parallel-clamps)

Originally Posted by aldav

The Banggood Duratec ones are a much lighter duty clamp with much more in common with the Bessey Uniklamp.

In a direct comparison with the Uniklamp it's a matter of plus and minus unfortunately. The plastic jaws of the Uniklamp is harder, thicker and has more bracing so is much more able to stand up to partial side clamping. The Duratec has a much better handle, the Uniklamps slick wooden handle can make it particularly difficult to release the clamp. If you could put the Duratec handle on the Uniklamp you'd have the best of both worlds.

Apart from those two things the clamps are very comparable in materials and operation. Used within the constraints of their design both clamps are quite good. They're not heavy duty and you shouldn't expect the kind of performance you get from a full size heavy duty clamp. Both are only available in shorter lengths (up to 600mm) in line with their design constraints. You only have to see the kind of bend you can get in the bar of a 900mm Torquata parallel jaw clamp, with a similar size bar, to see why this is so. (See the 'Parallel Clamps side by side' video on this page - https://www.timbecon.com.au/parallel-clamps)

Thanks for the explanation. I'm not familiar with the uniklamp, will have to visit a store to have a look.

Originally Posted by aldav

... RossM did a review on these clamps back in 2016 - McJing Parallel Clamps. Maybe he'd be happy to report on how they're going? ...

Still going strong!! I've had zero problems with these clamps. Maybe they have changed suppliers since I bought mine?

As I said above, if you want a light duty parallel clamp, I'd just buy the Bessey UniKlamp locally. (Bangood seems to be very pricey for the stuff it sells, given its origin.)

+1 for the Bessey Uniklamps for clamping boxes and similar.

Brian

I have had four 300mm Bessey Uniklamps for a few years now, and thought they were a little lightweight for anything other than boxes. I did not realise the Bangood ones were copies when I purchased four more.

Side-by-side, the Bangood clamps have slightly longer arms for the same apparent size Uniklamp (the ones I have are 12"/300mm). The dimensions of the arms look the same. The jaws are the same size, with nothing in it with regards easy of adjustment. The rubberised handles of the Bangood leave the wooden handled Uniklamps for dust. This lends them a more solid feel than the Bessey's.

All-in-all, in use, the Bangood clamps are preferred to the Bessey Uniklamps.

I do not know about longevity, however. The castings insides the heads look a little rougher on the Bangood, and no one knows what the alloy composition is like. They may be brittle. They may not. Time will tell.

Regards from Perth

Derek