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Quick-Grip 512QC Bar Clamp/Spreader | List Price: $21.99
Discount Price: $15.99
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Brand: American Tool Companies
Binding: Tools & Hardware
Features: - 12"
- Quick Change Multi-Positioning Jaw locks on end-pin or any position on bar
- Quick-Clip feature on jaw converts clamp into a spreader quickly and easily; no tools required
- Quick one handed operation moves 2X faster than the Original Quick-Grip trigger
- Non-marring stay-on pads are soft, pliable, large pads that protect the finish, yet can be replaced
The most popular size and most frequently used [Posted on 2003-02-24]
The big benefit to these is that you get true mobility out of them. While holding a piece of work, lined up, in one hand, you use these quick grips in the other hand to secure the work. If it slips while clamping, it is still a one handed tool to release it, and reclamp it again. Enables you to maintain a professional flow to your work. I feel awkward when using regular clamps in comparison. They require two hands. You could use a spring clamp to hold it together, then get another clamp to give it a final hold, but the quick grip saves you from having to do that.
Having these clamps in a few different sizes is beneficial as well. Small ones are more frequently used, and don't get in the way. The 33 1/2" is great when you need to hold larger projects together, and you can't effectively use two smaller ones to substitute. Additionally the macro clamps give you deeper jaws for a farther reach, enabling you to use them for securing work, to your radial arm saw table for example. They are fast enough to be used for almost any application. Sometimes I use them to secure work when sanding with a power sander. A couple squeezes and they are on, and one squeeze and they pop off.
After getting the smaller ones, and using them, I immediately order two of the 33 1/2" for larger projects, and for tie downs on equipment, including the drill press, and occasionally the radial arm saw.
Their is a small rubber stopper, which you can readily remove, in order to reverse the end, and make it a spreader as well. Something not needed very often, but difficult to achieve without one of these.
One note is that these have built in rubber pads, that completely cover the metal internal end. That is an advantage when you do not want to mar the wood. That and the fact that you can squeeze these with one hand, creates a mechanism that is easy to use, but not something that you would want to use for strength clamping. As a safety measure, these clamp sufficiently for most operations, but a threaded bar clamp, is stronger. So for those operations where extreme strength is needed, these are not the clamps to use. You sacrifice mountain holding strength for the ease of use. For example if I was using a large bit on the drill press, and drilling into metal, I would clamp it with something more. Even the slightest movement in an operation like that, could cause a snag, sending the piece into movement. If you are using just one of them, at the end of a 24" board, and decide to rout the other end, it will move on you. Securing it with two of them, and it is super tied down. You get my drift.
The big advantage of quick grip clamps, is that they handle wood beautifully, even for glue up operations. Hold workpieces more than securely to do the job in most applications, and are so handy that they deserve more than 5 stars. I would feel lost without them. It is another tool in the must have category.
Indispensible Tool [Posted on 2006-03-07]
I have used these clamps for years, and have proven to be a great investment around the shop. I find I use these clamps far more often than my wood clamps or C clamps.
My IRWIN experience [Posted on 2006-03-16]
I am a proud and happy IRWIN products owner. Quick grip, circular saw blades, pipe clams.
I do not live in the U.S. which makes my live as a craftsman much more complicated, since I do not always get the ideal support to the products I purchase or have hard times finding what I need.
IRWIN has given me a new perspective. The other day I added a few more clams (quick grip 512QC) to my collection. Sadly one o the clams I purchased was defective (it happens, I see no problem in that). Where my little problem turned into a rather uncomfortable issue was when the store that I had purchased these from claimed not to be able to provide me with a replacement one. I wrote to IRWIN immediately searching for help. To my pleasent surprise, the IRWIN representative that took my case wrote back to please provide an address to send the replacement clam. As I asked IRWIN how to get the defective one to them since living in Costa Rica does not make such shipments easy, the answer was to not worry about the damaged good, that all IRWIN was concerned about was to get the replacement to me the quickest way possible.
IRWIN proved themselves not only to have great quality tools, but also an outstanding customer service.
I am glad I had this experience. IRWIN has gained a loyal customer. I strongly suggest anybody to use this brand, a good product with an extraordinary customer serivice is not something I am used to deal will on a daily basis. THANK YOU IRWIN for standing behind your product no matter where it was purchased.
I think these clamps are only so-so [Posted on 2007-05-04]
I am a handyman / residential contractor / woodworker. I own several Irwin QuickGrip clamps in various lengths from 10" to 36". I use them on occasion but, because other clamps I own I perfer, the Irwins get only light use.
I have found the 12" size is useful as an "extra hand" during the temporary positioning and holding of piece work. For example, the short versions are OK for holding boards down for sawing, or checking clearences in a partially constructed assembly.
But, as a class, I have found these clamps to have weak clamping power. I don't believe they can squeese much more than 40 pounds before the head slips on the smooth rail. The result is I can't use them for two common tasks I have: gluing, or forcing warped items into alignment prior to fastening. These Irwins are just are not strong or reliable enough for those jobs.
Another minor, but troublesome, characteristic of the longer versions of these clamps is this: if you hold the clamp vertically head-down and press the release lever the jaw instantaneously drops open and the head hits the floor -- or your foot. Ouch!
So the short 12" size gets my luke-warm endorsement (3 stars). I would not repurchase any longer QuickQrip as there are much better clamps available for similar money.
They do what they're advertised to do [Posted on 2007-08-13]
Can't ask for better than that, right? Easy to use and perfect for their suitable tasks. Don't call on them to do more or you will be disappointed. Needed a bunch of these when I started my first wood laminating project. They were perfect in that they were not overkill nor overpriced. Would buy again. What I recall vividly about the delivery was that there were many large 18"x36"x6" boxes waiting for me upon my returning home from the office. Amazon packers put one clamp each in a separate box along with several cubic feet of protective plastic air pouches. I thought that was unnecessary.
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