Harbor Freight Bremen Parallel Clamp 4-Month Review

Who is Marc Spagnuolo? Watch Behind the Scenes with a YouTube veteran and find out!

00:00 Intro and disclaimer
00:43 First impressions
02:12 Smooth or Serrated
02:57 Foot and Standoffs
03:40 How to open and close the clamp
04:20 Free falling head hand crushers
05:35 Reversible head
06:01 Closer look at the screw
06:44 Closer look at the handle
07:24 Closer look at the heads
08:22 Head-Toeing
09:17 Cost comparison
10:08 Real-World Test Setup
11:13 2 Months Later
12:09 A Problem
13:52 Let's Open it Up!
15:11 Respectfully Disassembled
16:01 Comparing it to a working clamp
16:29 Dissecting a Bessey Clamp
17:50 Adding more time to the test
18:31 Two more months later
19:35 Jason gets a replacement at Harbor Freight
20:13 Pros and Cons Conclusion
21:01 Pricing as of 5/22/23
21:49 Hobbyist perspective
22:30 Don't Leave Yet!

#harborfreight #bremen
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[Robgumby]

As someone who worked at a harbor freight store for a number of years, I can tell you that the lifetime warranty is EXACTLY that. No questions asked. They won't scrutinize the tool. They won't keep track as to how many you return. They don't care. They want you to tell your friends how badly you beat up a tool and HFT just took it back and gave you another one. That's how they do it.

[gerardbroussard]

Probably the most thorough parallel clamp forensic on YouTube. I bought two 24” Bremens, one of which experienced the same gripping issue that was covered in the video. This happened after around 3 overnight glue ups. The good news is that Harbor Freight replaced the defective clamp, no questions. I have same issue with a Bora clamp (1 of 8) but haven’t yet been in touch with the company. I think the Bremen clamp is an excellent value, especially given the HF return/replacement policy. THANKS FOR A FANTASTIC REVIEW.

[mmgross]

Great job Mark. Fortunately for me I was in the right place at the right time and went to Lowe’s on the same day that they were replacing the old style of BESSEY parallel clamps with the new ones. I spoke with the department manager who was doing the restocking and she asked me what I thought that the clearance price should be and if $9.99 was a good price for the 24” model? I said “Yup!”, and she marked all of them down accordingly, including the 50” ones for $19.99. I bought every one and have enjoyed using them for many years!

[harpomarx]

Mark- That was one of the best tool review videos I think I've ever seen. Realistic use cases, consideration of actual cost/benefits and an overall thoroughness made this excellent. Thanks.

[austinveatch]

Thanks so much Marc. This is exactly the video I’ve been waiting for. I bought 4x 48”ers and 2x 24”ers a month ago and they’ve been great. Tired of watching people make videos saying they “aren’t square”. We all appreciate your time and input. Well maybe not all of us, but pretty much all of us.

[BillCoale]

Thank you for this! Long term test reviews don't get nearly the love they deserve. They're every bit as valuable as head-to-head comparisons, if not more, especially when it comes to budget tools. A lot of HF tools are good enough for casual/diy/hobby/beginner use...and a lot are just not. It's super helpful to know which is which beforehand. And i really appreciate when professionals like you, with every justification to focus on what matters to you, make the effort to continue looking at things from other perspectives.

[PorgyPuddinPie]

This is so good. I love how I walked away from this feeling like I have a solid grasp on the pros and cons of this clamp and I don't feel at any point like I'm being sold on this or any brand. I wish all tool reviews were this thorough and unbiased.

[NV..V]

"Grip is a very personal choice any way..." ~ Marc Spagnuolo, 2023

[erickuehne]

Good review Mark. I'm a Bessey user but what I actually found most interesting was that when you disassembled the clamp what you were left with was basically an F style clamp. So basically the parallel clamp was an F style with a few added relatively inexpensive parts which makes me think that the margins on parallel clamps are much better than the simpler styles.

[mercdogs]

I did cabinet construction and better woodwork for years, and always used Bessey clamps, (you're correct, the Allen screw does provide a new 'bite' on the bar. just need to drive it through, not back it out because the messed up threads on the screw can easily mess up threads on the way out )
I have retired, and currently use Irwin clamps more often, simply because I don't use them as much anymore. It's the difference between a hobby and making a living,
If I use something maybe once a month, instead of 3 to 4 times a week, I really don't need a top of the line product.
That being said, I purchased many of my Bessey clamps before I was married, and we are celebrating our 35th anniversary and they are still going strong. (Giving me fewer headaches than my marriage has)

[gerarddelmonte]

That you extended the test out several months is absolutely key. Thanks muchly for doing it, and letting us know your findings. Very valuable.

[PatrickLemay]

That was great. Felt complete and loved you did it over multiple months. Cudos on being thorough and patient. I've rarely seems someone do a review over time like that

[davisbdr]

Mark, I love your reviews. Not only do you get to the bottom of how the tool works, but I crack up a half a dozen times. I have a dozen Bessy parallel clamps that I've had for almost 30 years and they collect dust. Not a fan of parallel clamps...but I know people love them. It's still fun to watch a well crafted review of a new tool. Keep it up man! Thanks!

[afanofdieselengines]

Thank you for your well thought out and rational reviews. I especially appreciate your matter-of-fact presentation style without flopping across a workbench or other ridiculous theatrics!

[khmisc]

Great test and review! Thank you for sticking with it over time.

Regarding Harbor Freight, I borrowed an old 60 lbs jackhammer to dig a trench through rocky soil. I had to use a generator, which I also borrowed. I discovered the generator was sub-par when the jackhammer motor failed. Oops. The jackhammer was a cheap chinese model, already aged and worn by the time I borrowed it. I tried to replace it with a used one but I couldn't find one. So I asked the owner where he bought it and figured I would buy him a new one. He said he bought it at Harbor Freight, so I called Harbor Freight to ask if they had any. They said the one I had was covered by a lifetime warranty and I could get a new one for free, even though I didn't have a receipt! This was about 12 years ago, so I'm not sure if they are more picky now....

[TediumGenius]

Do you even know how many "we'll check back later" videos that actually NEVER do so that are out there? Man, this is the very best long-term review I've seen yet! That includes everything from "how did my tree trimming work out with my apple harvest" to "we'll see what the sourdough starter looks like a week from now, " and all sorts of other "we'll check in later" videos. IMO this was an excellent review, being as fair as possible to both high-end and low-end products, and I've made my decision based on this. Sorry it's late... but I had to tell you because you asked LOL! I'll be going HF mostly because the amount of parallel clamping I need is very low compared to many others. Thanks again!

[makermark]

Fair, honest review. Exactly what we've come to expect from your channel. Thanks for the time and effort, Marc.

[shawnfrailey]

Harbor Freight’s return policy truly depends on store-specific policies. I was a store manager for them for several years until recently (am now a carpenter), but even I was turned down at other locations for warranty replacements. Overall, they don’t care about how the damage happened, so that’s a plus. Good luck to everyone using the Bremen brand. Clamps seem just fine

[mattelias]

You just raised the bar on tool reviews because taking that clamp apart was awesome. I'd likely pay a bit more for a Rockler based on this content, so thank you.
I've been using the HF gray/black F-style clamps and admit they work perfectly well, so there's my $.02... my rule of thumb for anything from HF is to avoid buying anything with a motor... the HF tarp I have has kept going like a champ for years.

[melgross]

The reality is that we never should be using clamping force near the max. If that’s necessary to hold boards that are not straight, you really need to fix the problem you have with making straight edges. Clamps are supposed to hold the boards just enough to hold them closely together when glued. They are NOT supposed to be used to straighten the boards out. If you do, then your work will be under a lot of stress, and can come apart, or warp.

The problem with parallel clamps is that if they don’t work perfectly, it’s as though they don’t work at all (as intended).

You covered this very well.