ION TOOL 6 Pack - 11†C-Clamp Locking Pliers, Swivel Pads

These clamps are only good for the lightest of use. The steel they are made of is to soft and bends easily. I had to bend the jaws back into alignment. The handle bent when clamping and pinched the lever freezing up the action on all six clamps. The feet came loose so they swivel to far to self align. I work in a metal fabrication shop and have used dozens of Irwin clamps and have never had the bending issues with the Irwin and to be fair I have had problems with the feet on Irwin but that is probably 1 in 5 and only after years of use.

I bought this set lured by the price point. I’ve had Irwin vise-clamps for about a decade and needed a simple set to supplement as I intended to use them just for simple glue-ups. Nothing serious or arduous for the tool by any means. About 10 days after the return window, I noticed one of the arms was warped. Upon checking the rest of them, I saw that ALL were warped to some degree. Since then, it’s only gotten worse and about half are so bent out of shape that they are useless. Clearly, the manufacturer uses cheap materials and bad forging techniques. Avoid at all costs...they’ll cost you more than you save...

I was concerned over reviews that suggested these weren't as sturdy as Milwaukee or Irwin. The C clamp portion thickness is 3/16", and looks sturdy enough. Some old Irwin ones I had were 1/4", so yeah, they're lighter duty. But, I was using them to quickly secure a Kreg jig, and the job couldn't have gone more quickly. Clamping and un-clamping were instantaneous, much quicker than the typical C clamps (with threaded rod) I had been using. Any clamping I do is on wood, so I probably will never need the heaviest-duty ones. And for about $8 a piece (compared to name brand ones at $23), these were a great buy. I'll update if anything ever bends/breaks.

They worth the money. They are not top rank quality, but they are 100% good for the price. I use them in a metal fabrication shop. I actually like that they are not that "stiff" and flex a little when you clamp them. It helps controlling the pressure. It also makes them easier to use in some instances compared to my high quality clamps. But if I want to take clamps to site installation, or if I weld just way close to the clamp, I use these. If they warp on you (never happened to me) then you are using them wrong. Don't clamp like an idiot. Watch what you're doing. I honestly hardly use my "good" clamps any more because these are more convenient. But if I want to clamp like a vise, I'll use the good ones.One bad thing is that the thread on the adjusting screw goes rough. Use a threading tap to run through it to make the screw go in smoothly, because after a while, it will not be smooth.A solid 4 stars, mainly because of the adjusting screw.

The majority of the these clamps I bought, being used in a metal fabrication shop, tend to have the middle portion warp severely. You can straighten it back out by hitting it with a hammer on a flat surface, but they are better suited to light duty clamping. If you know they're going to be destroyed or abused and thrown away then it may not be a bad deal, but if you want something that lasts then buy a different brand.......or these and a hammer.