What's the difference between these two 12" bar clamps (apart from the price)?

[Paul Newton]

I'm looking at these two clamps and I can't really see why one is so much more expensive - there must be a reason (what is the "spreader" functionality", does that have something to do with it?)
In brackets are the Scxrewfix codes

Irwin Quick-Grip Bar Clamp & Spreader 12" (86306) - £18.99
Irwin Quick-Grip Mini Bar Clamp 12" (98247) - £7.99

Many thanks.

 

[Doug71]

The spreader function means you can take the heads off and spin them around so you can also use it to push things apart as well as clamping things together.

The mini bar clamp looks smaller and lighter weight, if you look at the specs the throat depth on the spreader version is 81mm but on the mini version only 62mm.

 

[Paul Newton]

The spreader function means you can take the heads off and spin them around so you can also use it to push things apart as well as clamping things together.

The mini bar clamp looks smaller and lighter weight, if you look at the specs the throat depth on the spreader version is 81mm but on the mini version only 62mm.

Thanks for that explanation! I did notice the difference in throat depth but I couldn't see how the spreader function worked - your explanation makes that clear - so, thanks again!

 

[TheUnicorn]

the main difference will be the clamping strength, which for some reason isn't listed, but the scale of the head to the rail in the picture gives it away

the really heavy duty one normally have a white label on, cost about £25 and have an i beam rail, amazingly strong, but big and heavy, great for sawing against as they are strong enough to hold firm against the sawing action, overkill for a lot of jobs, for glue ups pretty much anything with a big enough mouth will work.

Pick them up in store and the difference is very obvious