Lots of people love to do woodworking as a fun hobby to keep themselves busy. Others love to do woodworking so they can do their own repairs and maintenance in and around the house. But for some, woodworking and carpentry aren’t just fun and useful skills, they are a valuable source of income.
In this guide, we are going to take a look at the best parallel clamps to help you join pieces of wood together.
The Best Parallel Clamps
Parallel clamps are ideal for holding unusually shaped wooden pieces in place so you can cut, glue, or process these pieces. These are very handy tools to have in your workshop and they can be used for other materials such as metal too. Here is a quick look at some of the best parallel clamps to buy now.
1. The Bessey KRJR18 Parallel Clamp
The KRJR18 has a load force of up to 900 pounds which is sufficient for most woodworking projects. It can spread up to 18 inches wide to clamp items together and can be used as a spreader bar.
The bar is very easy to use and its removable pressure caps make it very easy to clean. The pressure caps will also prevent dents in your woodworking projects.
Specifications
- Weight – 3.2 pounds
- Productsize – 23.5 x 5 x 1.5 inches
- Color – Hammertone grey and red
- Mainmaterials – Steel
- Loadforce – 900 pounds
- Jaw size – 3 ¼ inch throat depth
- Jaw length – 18 inch bar
- Included – 1 x parallel clamp
- Function – Clamp wooden items firmly in place or use as spreader bar
Pros
- Made from durable materials
- Strong 900 pound load force
- Large throat depth is ideal for clamping larger items
- The 18 inch adjustable jaw length is perfect for medium projects
- The clamp is very affordable
- The plastic jaw pads can be removed for easy cleaning
- The clamp is light and easy to use
- You can use it for clamping or as a spreader bar
Cons
- 900 pounds might be a bit light for some wood projects
- The hard plastic jaw pads could make dents in your wood
2. The Jet 70460-2 2-Pack Parallel Clamp
This set includes 2 parallel clamps. They offer a massive jaw length of up to 60 inches which is ideal for securing large planks in place so you can drill or cut them.
The 1000 pound load force is also more than enough for most wood projects and the set is made from durable materials.
Specifications
- Productsize – 67.3 x 6 x 1.8 inches for both
- Color – Silver and red
- Mainmaterials – Composite resin and aluminum
- Loadforce – 1000 pounds
- Max open capacity –
- Jaw length – 60 inches
- Included – 2 x 60 inch parallel clamps
- Function – Clamp wood items in place
Pros
- 2 Pack is ideal for stocking your workshop
- The clamps are made from durable materials
- The 60 inch extra-long size is perfect for large woodworking projects
- The handle offers a soft grip for comfortable use
- You can use it to securely clamp items together
- The large 1,000 pound pressure force is very powerful
- The clamps are made from durable materials
Cons
- The price is a bit high
- Soft clamp pads would have been great to avoid dents in wood
3. The Yost K5012 12-Inch Parallel Clamp
Despite its small size, it offers up to 880 pounds pressure force and it can also be used as a spreader bar. It is a flexible little tool to have although it might be too small for large projects.
Specifications
- Weight – 2.2 pounds
- Productsize – 14 x 6 x 6 inches
- Color – Blue and black
- Mainmaterials – Steel bar with aluminum body
- Loadforce – 880 pounds
- Jaw size – 4 Inch throat depth, 9 – 12 inch spread capacity
- Jaw length – 12 inches
- Included – 1 x parallel clamp
- Function – Clamp wooden objects together or use as spreader bar
Pros
- The clamp is very affordable
- It is made from durable materials
- The small 12 inch jaw length is ideal for small projects
- You can use it as clamp or spreader bar
- 880 pounds pressure force is suitable for most woodworking projects
- It is very easy to use
Cons
- 880 pounds force isn’t extremely powerful
- Softer clamp pads would have been great to avoid dents in wood
4. The Bora 571124 24” Parallel Clamp
The 24-inch jaw length is ideal for medium-sized woodworking projects and it offers a very powerful 1,100-pound pressure force. You can use this bar as a clamp or as a spreader bar.
It is very easy to use and it is made from durable materials.
Specifications
- Weight – 5.75 pounds
- Productsize – 6 x 2 x 31.5 inches
- Color – Gray and orange
- Mainmaterials – Padded removable jaw pads
- Loadforce – 1,100 pounds
- Jaw length – 24 inches (available in 12, 40 and 50 inches)
- Included – 1 x parallel clamp
- Function – clamp wooden items in place or use as spreader bar
Pros
- The clamp bar is affordable for its size
- At 1,100 pressure force it is very powerful
- The 24 inch jaw length is ideal for medium sized woodworking projects
- The jaw pads are removable and padded to avoid dents in wood
- The padded jaw pads offer a firmer grip on wood
- You can use it as a clamp bar or spreader bar
- It is very easy to use
Cons
- You should be careful not to add too much pressure or you could crack wood planks
- It might be too small for large woodworking projects
5. The Irwin 2026500 Parallel Jaw Box Clamp
The clamp is made from durable materials and it is very easy to use. Its comfortable handle with an ergonomic grip makes it very easy to secure your wood pieces in place.
Specifications
- Weight – 7.06 pounds
- Productsize – 32 x 2 x 6 inches
- Color – Blue and silver
- Mainmaterials – Resin body
- Loadforce – 1,150 pounds
- Jaw size – 3 ¾ inch jaw
- Jaw length – 24 inches
- Included – 1 x parallel clamp
- Function – Clamp items together or use as spreader bar
Pros
- The clamp is made from durable materials
- The 1,150 pressure force is quite impressive
- It is very easy to use
- The 24 inch jaw length is perfect for medium sized woodworking projects
- You can use it to clamp wood together or use it as a spreader bar
- A secure locking system keeps the jaws from slipping
- The price is agreeable
Cons
- You should be careful not to use too much pressure or you could crack wood
- The 24 inch length might be a bit small for larger woodworking projects
6. The Jorgensen 8024 Cabinet Master Parallel Clamp
You can use this durable clamp for pressing wooden pieces together or you can use it as a spreader bar. It is very easy to use and it is made from tough steel materials.
Specifications
- Weight – 7 pounds
- Productsize – 25.5 x 2 x 6 inches
- Color – Orange and silver
- Mainmaterials – Steel
- Loadforce – 1,000 pounds
- Jaw size – 3 ¾ inches high, 1 7/8 inches wide
- Jaw length – 24 inches
- Included – 1 x parallel bar
- Function – Clamp items in place or use as spreader bar
Pros
- The clamp is made from durable materials
- It has a large 1,000 pound load force
- The 24 inch length is ideal for medium sized woodworking projects
- It is very easy to use
- You can use it to clamp wood in place or use it as a spreader bar
- The handle bar makes it very easy to secure the bar in place
Cons
- You need to be careful not to apply too much pressure or you could end up cracking your wood projects
- The bar doesn’t’ have soft pads to enhance grip or to prevent dents in wood
- It is a bit heavy
Buying Guide
These are all terrific parallel clamps to get for your workshop. They are all made from durable materials and the clamps are all very functional for clamping wood together or for use as a spreader bar. If you have a tough time choosing then perhaps this quick guide can help you decide.
The Best Small Parallel Clamp
The Yost K5012 is the smallest clamp on our list. At just 12 inch jaw length, this is an ideal investment for small woodworking projects. This bar offers a comfortable size so you can work on your projects with ease.
The Bessey KRJR18 is also a good alternative with its 18 inch jaw length. It acts as a clamp bar or spreader bar and has a comfortable size for small projects.
The Best Medium Parallel Clamp
24 inches is a good clamp bar jaw length for medium sized woodworking projects. On this list we have three 24 inch clamps to choose from.
The Bora 571124, Irwin 2026500, and Jorgensen 8024 are all very powerful and very functional for use. From these we do however recommend the Bora 571124 since it can be more multifunctional with its removable clamp pads.
The removable pads will prevent dents in your woodworking projects and make it very easy to clean your clamp.
The Best Large Parallel Clamp
The Jet 70460-2 is the best clamp set for large woodworking projects. This set is a bit pricey but it does include 2 large 60 inch parallel clamps. The clamps offer impressive pressure force and they can be used as a spreader bar or clamp. They are perfect for making larger wooden items like furniture.
The Strongest Parallel Clamp
If you are shopping for the parallel clamp with the greatest pressure force then you should consider the Irwin 2026500. These are all strong clamps but this one has the biggest pressure force: 1,150 pounds.
The Most Budget Friendly
If you are just starting to stock your workshop then the Yost K5012 is a good start. This one is the most affordable on the list.
Final Thoughts
Woodworking is a great skill to learn whether you are a crafter, DIY enthusiast, or are looking for a career in carpentry. If you are serious about woodworking then you should start to invest in a workshop and all the right tools.
The right tools can make it much easier to make various wooden objects or furniture pieces and woodworking tools can also affect the quality of the final project.
We do hope that this guide helped you find the perfect parallel clamp for your workshop. And if you are also shopping for other superb quality woodworking products then we welcome you to hop over to some of our other buying guides where you can shop other superb quality gear like the best brushless impact driver, the best worm drive circular saw, the best power tools or the best cordless drills to buy right now.