Magic Gripper review

[ultimatehandyman]

I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of Magic Grippers to test out.


The grippers are great for holding sheet materials vertically. You can often hold some sheet materials or doors on work benches, but if for example you are fitting the hinges to a door it is much easier using the magic grippers.

I can see these being useful for all kinds of uses and having spoken to Dave Crampton (the inventor) he has informed me that the magic grippers are very popular with Granite installers and also double glazing installers.

The heavier the item in the grippers, the tighter the grip which means that they can be used to grip almost anything.

Once the magic grippers are adjusted to the correct width you simply drop your item into the slots and the grippers grip the material. Removing the item is just as easy, you simply have to lift the item straight out of the gripper jaws and they let go!

These are a great British invention and I'd love to see them on sale everywhere. These could be the best invention for holding work since the Black & Decker workmate!

[Inky Pete]

They look good!

You going to be getting some freebies for competition prizes?

[royaloakcarpentry]

They have been around for a long time now. Waste of money for carpenters cos we make our own out of scrap timber.

[cram]

Hi royaloakcarpentry I also am a time served carpenter and joiner old school but i get board easy with the old school stuff. I like to keep my mine young and create things lucky i have had a little success and that rides me over the occasional negative comment. I enjoy construction but i like to make things easy and anything that makes my life easy is good for me . Yes the M G have been around for about 5 years with well over 100,000 sales I wanted to create a gadget that may be around when i am gone . Fitting a nice kitchen or hanging a door perfect etc is a big achievement to some people but getting a patent granted fighting of big business is more of a challenge to me. This next generation i have had over a year on site and the gripper evolution is not over yet. The south of England buys more grippers than the north so my friend you are out on a limb down there. I also want to thank ultimatehandyman for taking the time to review this new product i was very happy to find that they liked It .Best wishes to all members.

[Razor]

They look very good to me.

I presume you still use a hand plane and a brace and bit Royal?

Any details if price and availability?

[cram]

Hi Razor i have got to admit i love my big jack plane but sadly brace and bit set Has retired i don’t miss it but it would be missed if i did not have the powered tools. they soon will be available but i do not want to disclose this info at the moment.

[royaloakcarpentry]

Years since I used my brace/s, bits, which were handed down by my grandfather.

I still use my no5 plane for doors. If I have a couple of mm to take off then it is quicker to get that out than to get transformer and electric plane from the van get it set up and use it.

I only used to support the doors if I had to router them on the edges or were working on many doors at the same time in one area. Apart from that you don't need any gadgets, bought or made from scrap. Funnily enough a door normally goes into a frame and this is ideal to lean a door against. I stand astride them for marking out and chopping in hinges.

You will always get craftsmen that are into gadgets that don't save time etc cos they like to have them.You also have the younger craftsmen, now, who haven't been taught the skill sets of doing things by hand and improvisation.

Call me old fashioned but it will be a year until my new apprentice is allowed to stop doing tasks by hand that can be done with power tools.

personally if they were given to me for free, I still wouldn't use them. I only knew they existed because I saw an article on them years back. Have never seen them on site though and don't know any one who has them.

[speed]

nice review

they look real handy, and look faster easyer to use than the old scrap and wedge as you dont have to keep setting the wedge.

atm i stradle the door and lean it against the frame to plane/chisel and if theses more than 3 doors ill make a scrap holder.

i will get a pair one day/ need a bigger van first tho once i have some i will find loads of uses for then and wonder how i managed without over the years

[cram]

Hi Speed I like to have a bit of retail therapy it makes me feel good and makes the world go round if we didn’t by new stuff things would never evolve . I hate throwing things away but Look at mobile phones and TV’s i do not want to go back i love my android phone. It makes my life easier.

[Hitch]

I was expecting something like the trend door holder. But these look easier to use, no clamp to tighten everytime.

Only thing i wondered about, if you put your door in, then cut a mortice, do the edges of the clamps dig in and mark the door face....probably not an issue on a decent solid door, but iimagine it may be an issue on them flimsey £15 doors....

[cram]

It will be fine all you need to do is set it right no slop the new adjustment is so simple and a big surface area. Its best to use a power plainer on the cheap doors the wood is so poor. I always router the hinges in too.

[Hitch]

You know how it is though, these things need to idiot proof

[Colour Republic]

Had my Magic Grippers for 3 or 4 years I think. And do rate them, I don't take them with me if i'm doing the odd door but 3+ they really do come in handy

That andriod phone of yours Cram, is it the same number as is moulded on my MG feet? Do you still do that?

The only thing I would have liked to have seen on the new version is the ability to lock them in the closed postion so they don't take up so much room and stop them flapping about in the van

[Colour Republic]

just checked out your site and realised i've got another of your products, The Magic Clamps, I use them on all our kitchen fits to hold carcases together before fixing. Never knew they were from you as well

[StyXSIS]

Hi colour R, what are those clamps you've mentioned as i've done a google and cant find them.