Anyone know of a good deal on Jet Parallels?

[PaulMarcel]

My parallels have issues and I got fed up with them today.  They are no longer manufactured so obviously others had similar issues.

I have one "Cabinet Makers Set" of Jets and love them and would like to get 4 more 40"s and 4 31"s (not 24"s; I find I always need 25"...)

I see Rockler at $47 for the 40"s.  Also see some places (Amazon) that have a special price for a pair, but Amazon's pair price is still higher than Rockler's single price.

 

[Corwin]

So, what type of clamps do you currently own that you're fed up with?

 

[PaulMarcel]

Parallel Pros that Peachtree used to sell.  They have since stopped selling them.  Initially they worked quite well and since Peachtree was just starting to sell them, I got them on very good eDirect sales.  Certainly they are still usable, but what bugs me about them is that the heads now put uneven pressure.  No clamp is going to give perfect pressure and should be balanced by a parallel from the other side, but these seem to have far more play in the heads than when I first got them.  So, I find myself tinkering more with clamp placement to get even pressure.

 

[mouppe]

Tom Bellemare gave me a good quote through this site. I had previously bought several from CPO Jet.

 

[Wonderwino]

Jet has promotions every once in a while if you're not in too big a hurry. 

http://www.jettools.com/us/manufacturing/en/service_support/library/promotions.html

Stock No. Desc ripti on List Price Sale Price YOU SAVE
JET® PARALLEL CLAMPS
70412 12" Parallel Clamp $56.00 $34.99 $21.01
70424 24" Parallel Clamp $60.00 $37.99 $22.01
70431 31" Parallel Clamp $70.00 $41.99 $28.01
70440 40" Parallel Clamp $78.00 $46.99 $31.01
70450 50" Parallel Clamp $80.00 $49.99 $30.01
70460 60" Parallel Clamp $90.00 $54.99 $35.01
70482 82" Parallel Clamp $110.00 $69.99 $40.01
70498 98" Parallel Clamp $124.00 $79.99 $44.01
70401 Parallel Framing Block K it
(Set of 4)
$28.00 $24.99 $3.01
70402 Parallel Clamp Bench Dog
(4 Pack)
$18.00 $13.99 $4.01
70407 Parallel Clamp Moveable
Foot (Set O f 4)
$18.00 $13.99 $4.01
70411 Parallel Clamp Framing K it $300.00 $189.00 $111.00

I bought a couple of the frame sets on eBay for a fair price a few years ago.  I really like the Jet clamps; they have an inch scale on the bar so you can setup the clamps before trying to position them and the jaws don't slam down when you turn them upside down.

 

[mouppe]

I was in Woodcraft today, and they had the parallel set at $120. A very good price.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Thanks to everybody for the suggestions.

Yes, $120 for the parallel set is a very good price.  Seems like a few stores around here had them on "clearance" for some reason although the price wasn't that attractive.

That Jet promo WonderWino posted looks pretty good; some better prices than I found through a casual search.

Once I get my head out of excessive over-time, I'll also give Tom a call.

 

[Wood_Junkie]

They're not JETs, but a good deal and apparently comparable.  This promo code also activates free shipping, FYI.

Original post (not me):
http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35690


GO to www.rockler.com/Irwin and order by Feb 28, 2011

The operator will ask for the promotion code which is V1924.    USE V1929

The item number is 21062. This is an online sale only.

This is a set of two 24" and two 48" parallel clamps for $99.99, their regular price is $167 These clamps are similar to the Bessy K-Body clamps or Jorgenson CabinetMaster clamps.

I don't have any of these clamps so can't attest to their quality or usability, I'm just passing on the information. This sale came to me in the form of a flyer attached to the outside of the Feb 2011 issue of Woodworkers Journal, so it was in plain sight for anyone to read

 

[nickao]

Rockler does the same thing with the Jets about once a year for 89.99. At least they used to. I bought 4 kits at the last Jet sale from Rockler, great deal..

 

[butzla]

Jet has promotions every once in a while if you're not in too big a hurry. 

http://www.jettools.com/us/manufacturing/en/service_support/library/promotions.html

Stock No. Desc ripti on List Price Sale Price YOU SAVE
JET® PARALLEL CLAMPS
70412 12" Parallel Clamp $56.00 $34.99 $21.01
70424 24" Parallel Clamp $60.00 $37.99 $22.01
70431 31" Parallel Clamp $70.00 $41.99 $28.01
70440 40" Parallel Clamp $78.00 $46.99 $31.01
70450 50" Parallel Clamp $80.00 $49.99 $30.01
70460 60" Parallel Clamp $90.00 $54.99 $35.01
70482 82" Parallel Clamp $110.00 $69.99 $40.01
70498 98" Parallel Clamp $124.00 $79.99 $44.01
70401 Parallel Framing Block K it
(Set of 4)
$28.00 $24.99 $3.01
70402 Parallel Clamp Bench Dog
(4 Pack)
$18.00 $13.99 $4.01
70407 Parallel Clamp Moveable
Foot (Set O f 4)
$18.00 $13.99 $4.01
70411 Parallel Clamp Framing K it $300.00 $189.00 $111.00

I bought a couple of the frame sets on eBay for a fair price a few years ago.  I really like the Jet clamps; they have an inch scale on the bar so you can setup the clamps before trying to position them and the jaws don't slam down when you turn them upside down.

Alex,  That doesn't sound like a very good deal to me.  I'd like to get about a dozen of the 12" clamps.  They are an extremely handy size.  but I'm looking for them to be in the $25 range.  $35 sounds more like full retail. 

 

[Wonderwino]

Woodcraft has a pair of Bessey 12" on sale for $75.98.  That's a little higher than the Jets and the Jets have gotten many more favorable reviews vs. the Besseys.

 

[butzla]

I have both and I favor the jets too.  But $37 a pop is serious chingo.  Have they gone up that much?  Haven't bought any in over a year but I when I did it wasn't uncommon for them to go on sale under $30.

 

[wubears71]

I have both and I favor the jets too.  But $37 a pop is serious chingo.  Have they gone up that much?  Haven't bought any in over a year but I when I did it wasn't uncommon for them to go on sale under $30.

When Jet first released them, the regular prices weren't all that different than they are now, but they were on-sale/discounted everywhere.  Jet was trying to get them in as many hands as possible.  The Jets are definitely go-to parallel clamps and in all honesty I cringe when I run out and have to use my old Besseys.  Looking back, I wish I had purchased about twice as many as I did as I was picking up the 24" on Amazon for sometimes as low as $22/clamp and the cabinet makers set for $89.  Our local Rockler was even running a promo at one point that sold the set for $99 with a $25 gift card. 

So, in reality, the regular prices didn't go up but the promotions ceased.  If they ever go on sale again like they were a few years ago, I'll jump all over them.

 

[GaryLaroff]

It doesn't appear that anyone has mentioned this, but Woodcraft has their variant of the Besseys on sale for $99 which gets you two of the 24 inch, two of the 40 inch and four of the nifty corner blocks.  The url for this is offer:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2005903/30188/Woodcraft-Parallel-Clamp-Set.aspx?refcode=11IN01RL

As far as I can tell these are made in India under license from Bessey and the only visible difference is that the bar is missing some of the flat surface teeth that the Besseys have.  If I didn't have a wall of the Besseys, I would buy them.

 

[flair woodworks]

Paul,

I bought as many as I could carry at a California wood show.  They (Sacramento Machinery) had a "Buy 4, Get 1 Free" deal.