Which Woodworking Clamp is Best?

Typically, I use Bessey bar clamps, the medium to heavy duty ones with a thick handle. They are great. But a while back I was walking through Lowes and stumbled across Pony Jorgensen heavy duty bar clamps. It was great to see Jorgensen back after they closed in 2016. I picked up several during different shopping trips to try them out. Since then, I’ve used them a ton. Now, I can fairly compare them to see which are better for my shop.

The Stats, Look, and Feel

First, the Bessey bar clamp. The ones I use in the above video have a 6” clamping capacity and a 3.5” throat depth. They have a clamping force of a mighty 1,100lbf (almost 500kgf). Cast iron jaw and non-marring pads, these are solid clamps that have never let me down.

And then we have the Pony Jorgensens. They have a 6” capacity and a 3” throat depth. Its clamping force is 1,000lbf (453kgf). Also cast iron and non-marring pads. Both brands have limited lifetime warranties.

Both give the impression of solid clamps. The Jorgensen is a bit beefier all around. The clamp is also longer. Measuring the bar, the Bessey is 10.25” long and the Jorgensen is 11”. The bars are the same thickness, but the Bessey looked a just tad narrower when measured with calipers. Both clamps have the same screw size.

The Jorgensen has a top pad that is 1-3/8” wide and 1-5/8” deep. The round bottom pad is about 1-1/4” in diameter. The Bessey’s top pad is 1-1/8” wide and about 1-3/4” deep. The round bottom pad is an 1” in diameter. 

Measuring the Bessey fully extended, the clamping capability is approximately 6-1/16” so just a tad larger of an opening than advertised. The Jorgensen is a surprising 6-3/8”!  That’s really nice to have!

BUT, the downside…the Jorgensen has a 3” throat depth. The fact that the depth is a 1/2” less and Jorgensen clamp is still heavier shows how beefy it really is. But a 1/2” difference is a lot and it’s a big downside.

Size Options

I tend to like things uniform in my shop if possible so I’d prefer to buy several of one brand of clamp than have a mix. Both of these brands have a wide range of sizes and styles. Both of the models I reviewed come in 6” increments from 6” up to 36” long.

They also have other versions like light duty and deep reach clamps. Bessey and Jorgensen offer light duty clamps with 2” or 2.5” throats and 300-600lbs of force.

Bessey has more options for deep reach clamps that run from 4.5” to 20” and 990-1,550lbs of force (703kgf). Speaking of which, I could really use one of those 20” clamps. Remember when I made my own?

Jorgensen has deep reach clamps that run from 5” to 9”, all with 1,200lbs of force (544kgf). Definingly not a many options as Bessey.

So, when it comes to different sizes, Bessey wins; however, for most projects and situations, both brands offer the bar clamp sizes needed.

Reviews

Reviews are outstanding for both brands! Jorgesen clamps are primarily sold by Lowes and Bessey by Home Depot, because of course they would be at competing stores since they are competing brands. Jorgensen is rocking an incredible 817 (4.8 star) rating at Lowes. 

Bessey has 4.7 stars with 795 ratings on Home Depot’s site. Basically identical. It seems like people love their clamps, regardless of the brand.

Manufacturer

Pony Jorgensen is owned by Arrow Fastener and GreatStar Industrial, in China. Pony Jorgensen itself is based in New Jersey. According to their Amazon listing, the heavy duty Jorgensen clamps I purchased are made in a facility in Chicago, so they are made in America! But are they really? Upon further review, I found this is not the case. I found no facility currently operating in the Chicago area that is manufacturing the clamps. Additionally, Jorgensen’s website has an interview with a senior company executive who was asked point blank if the company is using the Chicago facility it once operated. He said no, their clamps are made in China. My Jorgensen clamp even has a “Made in China” sticker on it so we can put that story to bed.

For those who instantly boo at the Made in China Jorgensen clamps, we have Bessey to turn to. Bessey is based in Germany, where they do manufacture certain types of clamps. However, the typical bar clamps woodworkers use, including the ones in my test, are made in China too. I guess both brands are about the same in this category.

Price

Let’s talk about price, because that’s the big thing, right? At Lowes, the Jorgensen 6” is $21.98 American. $31.82 on Amazon (for whatever reason). Bessey is selling for $21.97 at Home Depot and cheaper on Amazon. I was surprised at how difficult it was to find the Jorgensen clamps on Amazon. They offer plenty of their lighter brothers, but few options for the heavy duty ones commonly seen in Lowes.

Both clamp brands come in lengths that go up to 36”. The 36” version of the heavy duty Jorgensen is $29.98 at Lowes. And the 36” version of the Bessey is $29.97. So basically they cost the same.

Even the packs of lighter duty clamps are the same price! Unless you find some sales, it seems like you aren’t saving money by picking one brand over the other in terms of this type of clamp. I’ve been told that certain brands are cheaper in other countries. I can’t speak to personal experience.

Performance

What ultimately matters is the performance. I’ve used both a ton, which I wanted to do before I put out the above video. I’m not going to buy something, take it out of the package, and then give you my thoughts.

After using them for almost a year, in every setting I faced, I really like the look and feel of the Jorgensen. There is something about it that makes me want to grab it when I need a clamp. I especially like the size of the clamping pad. And I’ve not had any issues with them coming off, unlike the Bessey which for some reason tend to slip off from time to time.

The width of the clamp seems to make it a little easier to set up. Standing on its edge, the Jorgensen doesn’t tip over as easily as the Bessey. It also balances well when letting it hang on the workpiece while you are trying to position things just before clamping.

The handle on the Jorgensen is fantastic. It’s larger and grippier than the Bessey, which has a grippy composite handle that isn’t too shabby either. After all of this, I imagine most people will think that I’d pick the Jorgensen over the Bessey. Let’s unpack that…

Which Clamp is Best?

There’s one major issue I faced with the Jorgensen clamp. It doesn’t stay clamped, which means it fails.

I have used these clamps in all sorts of configurations and projects. The Jorgensen clamps loosen up rather quickly and it appears the screw is too loose or rotates too feely. It doesn’t matter how much I crank down on the handle, these clamps have consistently come loose. Multiple times, I’ve used them for a task such as holding a board in place as I route it. I tightened the clamp hard. I doubled checked them. The workpiece was securely clamped to the bench. To my surprise, after routing the workpiece, I went to loosen the clamps so I can reposition the board and found at least one clamp had come loose so much that it was just dangling, close to falling on the floor. The clamping screw backed off on it’s own, meaning the clamp wasn’t clamping anything. Thankfully in these situations I used more than one clamp.

I’ve never had this issue with Bessey clamps. On multiple occasions, I used both Bessey and Jorgensen clamps and the Besssey stayed put while the Jorgensen loosed up. From the input I’ve received from other woodworkers, perhaps I’m in the minority. There are many people who have not encountered this problem. I’m thankful to hear that. For clarity, these were purchased at different times so they aren’t the result of one bad, small batch from a facility. I also did not modify the clamps in any way, including adding oil to the screw.

The Jorgensen is a serein’s song of a tool. It calls out to me. I go to reach for that Bessey and the Jorgensen almost forces my hand to divert towards it. It’s the look, the feel, all the amazing things I talked about in the entire video. But it’s not dependable. I know I can’t help myself so I do use them when I know I’m doing something quickly, that won’t cause a lot of vibration. If I need to do something important I skip it and grab the Bessey. 

I’m really hoping that the screw loosening will get addressed over time. I’m rooting for you Jorgensen because you are so close to being a perfect clamp.

**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases**