Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com/HFRreviews.html

Item: 24" Aluminum Bar Clamp
Item number: 38183
Retail price: $9.99
Frequent sale price: $5.99
Target price: $4.99 (use a 20%-off coupon)
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This bar clamp is sturdy enough to put some serious pressure on your work, yet reaches 24" and has a quick release. Bought at our target price, this item is only a little more than the plastic ratchet-style clamps that many people are abusing by trying to over tighten. This metal clamp is what's needed for gluing furniture and other projects that require stronger pressure than what the plastic clamps were designed for providing. Use the right tool for the project and "no worries."

We love our 12" ratchet-style clamps and use them for a lot of work around the home and shop. They're suitable for light gluing or for holding aligned boards together while drilling. They've very lightweight and quickly tighten and loosen. For the heavier work, we use a heavier tool -- this aluminum bar clamp is for projects that require more pressure (e.g., most furniture repairs). It weights a bit more and is noticeably slower tightening (uses a screw mechanism instead of a ratchet), but that's the cost of a more heavy-duty tool needed for a 'larger' project.

The aluminum clamp is lightweight and easy to use. For larger projects, it comes in 36-, 48-, and 56-inch sizes. We don't do a lot of woodworking or furniture repair, so it sees little use in our shop. But when it's needed, it's needed. At the low target price it's inexpensive enough to keep on hand even for occasional use.

Bottom line: A good-quality aluminum bar clamp, priced right when on sale at Harbor Freight. Also available in sizes up to 54" for those larger projects.