Ground Clamps

[Odyknuck]

Considering changing out the stamped steel ground clamps on my SC50P and my SP175. The clamp on the SC50P is brand new and the SP175s Clamp is 4 years old. Do you guys see any advantage to going with the Brass or copper clamps like the Tweco?

[zedron]

I know that copper and brass both conduct electricity better than steel with copper being the best of the three. I actually think aluminium conducts electricity better than brass.

[Rambozo]

Considering changing out the stamped steel ground clamps on my SC50P and my SP175. The clamp on the SC50P is brand new and the SP175s Clamp is 4 years old. Do you guys see any advantage to going with the Brass or copper clamps like the Tweco?

If it's anything like the one I got, all the important parts are copper, from the wire to the contact surfaces. The steel just holds the copper parts. Not much to improve on there. The one bad thing about steel is rust, and that will take awhile. If the clamp is still in good shape, there really isn't any reason to change it, but I will admit that the Tweco style seem to last forever. I have some that have been on more than one machine and are at least 30 plus years old, and are still going strong. I'm sure they will outlive me. I guess the springs could get weak over time, but they are easy to replace, in that design, while not so in most stamped steel type. If yours doesn't have the copper strap and contacts, then you might want to replace them for something better.

[Kempy]

yes the brass ones are good the copper ones are hard to find the half steel half brass work well to but my cast aluminium one get hot and is hard to keep the contack surface clean. My all brass one I just sand or wire wheel it to keep the contack surface clean keep the contack surface clean is the most important thing and good spring tention.

[geezer]

One of the advantages of the all brass Tweco is,,you can lay it on a surface for contact or hold it in place witha C clamp or hang it on a pipe and just wedge it for contact...great clamp that's why they cost more..I have changed over all of mine for that style

[jakeru]

Harbor freight makes an all brass tweco-style ground clamp (they call it the "400 amp ground clamp") that's decent especially considering its price, IMO:
http://www.harborfreight.com/400-amp...amp-66708.html