On Project Farm, Todd torture-tests a tool that anyone reading this will likely have multiples of in their shop: the C-clamp.
Of all of the tools tested, only 1 out of 18 clamps survived the testing without damage. The brands Todd tested were Wilton, Wright Tool, Stanley Proto, Crescent, Bessey F-Style, Bessey C-Clamp, Groz, Yost, Lincoln Electric, Performance Tool, Pony, Harden, WEN, Pittsburgh, and Shop Tek.
C-clamps were tested for maximum clamping force, clamping efficiency, build quality, weight, and failure load. In the end, the expense Wilton ($252) performed the best along with other relatively expensive clamps from Stanley ($60) and Wright Tool ($73). All said and done, Todd recommends the very affordable Irwin clamp ($14) for general shop applications. It performed surprisingly well, given its low cost.
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