Quick Clamp Testing - Page 3

Quick Clamp Testing · 02-02-2007, 08:12 AM

I am one of the designers at IRWIN Tools here in Charlotte. We're working on improving our QuickGrip clamps, and the first part of any projects like this one is to get feedback from our users on what's currently on the market. We are looking for a handful of woodworkers within a few hours drive of Charlotte who would be willing to test some clamps for us for a few weeks.

You'd recieve some samples of competative clamps and a few of our own for you to use in your shop at your convenience. After a few weeks we'd like to come talk to you about what you liked and disliked about them all. The clamps would be yours to keep.

If you're interested in participating over the next few weeks, want a little more information, or know some people who might be interested, please let me know.

bo [dot] roe [at] irwin.com

The response to this posting has been extremely helpful! To all of you I've had the opportunity to email back, thank you so much for your willingness to help. We've received much more interest than we were originally planning for, but we've made some changes to how we're running the test to accommodate more people. To those of you who I haven't gotten back to personally, we've got all the people we need for this round. We are continuously running field testing programs like this one with any number of product lines. I will certainly post those opportunities in this forum, so keep your eyes open for next time!

Thanks again for the continued outpouring of help. I'm excited to be a new member of this community and will definitely lurk and contribute when I have an opinion to share.

NCPete · 02-07-2007, 08:51 AM

come on guys, you know the rules, no pics?????

acj1286 · 02-07-2007, 09:01 AM

So it sounds as if the boxes arrived yesterday which is great. Todd makes a good point. If you have some immediate impressions and want to share them with me by all means shoot me an email and let me know what you think. I would however like to keep the discussion or comparisson on this thread to a minimum until after I we talk with each of you. Once that's done (in a few weeks) I'd be really interested to see how the group responds in discussion here. I can even compose a compilation of the "first impressions" I get from you all and post them.

In the meantime, if you have had gripes or praise about quick clamps or clamps in general (irwin or otherwise) by all means bring them up and let's discuss. I can even start by saying that no matter what I do when I'm clamping something up the bars always seem to get in the way. I guess it's just the nature of the beast. Maybe that's why I reach for handscrew clamps or a vise whenever I can get away with it.

-b

MikeH · 02-07-2007, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by acj1286

So it sounds as if the boxes arrived yesterday which is great. Todd makes a good point. If you have some immediate impressions and want to share them with me by all means shoot me an email and let me know what you think. I would however like to keep the discussion or comparisson on this thread to a minimum until after I we talk with each of you. Once that's done (in a few weeks) I'd be really interested to see how the group responds in discussion here. I can even compose a compilation of the "first impressions" I get from you all and post them.

In the meantime, if you have had gripes or praise about quick clamps or clamps in general (irwin or otherwise) by all means bring them up and let's discuss. I can even start by saying that no matter what I do when I'm clamping something up the bars always seem to get in the way. I guess it's just the nature of the beast. Maybe that's why I reach for handscrew clamps or a vise whenever I can get away with it.

-b

Will do Bo. We'll be sure to express our opinions exclusively to you until you've talked to everyone in a couple weeks. Bo are you ok with us posting pics or should we wait? It's your call.

acj1286 · 02-07-2007, 09:08 AM

Post away!
-b

pcooper · 02-07-2007, 09:14 AM

My box was here too, and just sitting here playing with them I could see things that I liked and disliked about each. Like someone else said, there is one that is for sure a misfit in the bunch, not up to any standard like the others. This will be interesting to say the least. Now what project can I come up with to work them out.....maybe a cat bed?

Douglas Robinson · 02-07-2007, 10:41 AM

Darn. Wish I got in this test.

I don't knoe what all of you need shop-wise, but I have a great project for testing them on. I have been building tool holders for my shop; square holders, combination square holders, saw holders, etc. Each of these requires 2-3 clamps while the glue dries before I screw them to the wall/cabinet. I have been using quick-grips, little Bessey clamps, spring clamps and anything else in the shop.

Good luck guys. Ilook forward to the pics.

Doug

WoodWrangler · 02-11-2007, 09:12 PM

Here's the pic of the clamps I received ... and put to good use today!

Toddler · 02-11-2007, 09:44 PM

I only got the four on the left. I've use them to clamp several pieces of the 1/2 size guitar I'm building as well as to clamp stops to the jointer or drill press. The guitar is coming along nicely

and I'm using the clamps almost daily. I'm making sure to compare them too.
Todd

walnutjerry · 02-11-2007, 10:22 PM

is there a brand name on the clamp at top right? I got the other 4 also.

Jerry

Tarhead · 02-11-2007, 10:47 PM

Mine says Bessey.

acj1286 · 02-12-2007, 06:58 AM

Those Bessey's (the ones on the right) were very hard to come by and we couldn't secure enough of them for everyone to test... so don't be alarmed if you only have 4.

-bo

nelsone · 02-12-2007, 10:00 AM

I got this same set! Two of them I don't really care for!

Ed

Originally Posted by gotojeremy

Here's the pic of the clamps I received ... and put to good use today!

cpowell · 02-12-2007, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by acj1286

So it sounds as if the boxes arrived yesterday which is great. Todd makes a good point. If you have some immediate impressions and want to share them with me by all means shoot me an email and let me know what you think. I would however like to keep the discussion or comparisson on this thread to a minimum until after I we talk with each of you. Once that's done (in a few weeks) I'd be really interested to see how the group responds in discussion here. I can even compose a compilation of the "first impressions" I get from you all and post them.

In the meantime, if you have had gripes or praise about quick clamps or clamps in general (irwin or otherwise) by all means bring them up and let's discuss. I can even start by saying that no matter what I do when I'm clamping something up the bars always seem to get in the way. I guess it's just the nature of the beast. Maybe that's why I reach for handscrew clamps or a vise whenever I can get away with it.

-b

Bo, One of mine arrived broken (one of the cheap no-names) - the box was torn. I can't get the camera flash to work either. I have taken several pics without flash and I've got a digital camera I can use as backup.

I've been trying each of them for a variety of tasks but one of them I don't trust for anything more than a hold down while sanding.

I think it would be worthwhile to follow up this testing with an assortment of 24 inch clamps.

...then 40 inch clamps...get the idea?

Chuck

pcooper · 02-12-2007, 05:16 PM

I found that you have to hold the button on the camera to make the flashwork, you can't just push and make it come on. I thought at first you could push the button and make it come on and work like other camera's I had used before, but this one is different. Maybe that will help you out?

Also one of my clamps works less than the others but I think it is the way it works, without seeing yours to know which one my thought is one may be working as designed unless it is physically broken, damaged from the outside, boogered up, or otherwise messed up!!!

WoodWrangler · 02-12-2007, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by nelsone

I got this same set! Two of them I don't really care for!

Ed

Hmmm .. I bet I can guess which two ...