Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This Amazon purchase was the worst clone I've ever seen, so I had to return it. It was so badly made, it was comical and at least made me laugh. Its is not the item pictured on the link. I've posted comparison photos of the 'original' versus the bad Amazon vendor sold copy so future buyers can beware. I rarely return Amazon purchases, but for this item, I had too. In a nutshell the key problems shown in the photos are: 1. Alligator clips are friction held rather than tightened by thumb screws, so they are easy to dislodge. The original design could hold firmly with a simple thumbscrew + wingnut. Squeezing the metal won't help; repeated movements of the clip will fatigue the metal, and it will inevitably dislodge again. 2. The metal is thinner than the original, increasing its rate of fatigue. The thinner metal reduces the weight further of the original design. The diameter of many parts are even smaller including the already small thumbscrew and wingnuts of the original design, that was already inconvenient to use. 3. The base weight has been reduced by ~ 1/3, and is so poorly cast, metal flakes were flaking off it. 4. The magnifying glass was of similar quality as the original, no optical aberrations, but the frame was of thinner metal that I half expected the lens to fall off. Note, the original design is still worth buying, but make sure the clips are held by thumb screws, and the base metal weight is cast smoothly at all corners, and not uneven as photographed. I've used helping hands for over 20 years. Its so cheap, that whenever I think I need another, I pick one up. Its ranged from $3-10, and the 'originals' had made in Taiwan stamped on them. I frankly don't know who invented these, but its been copied by so many manufacturers, the main difference is the quality of whatever clone construction you pick up. An advantage it has over Panavise PanaVise Model 201 "Junior" Miniature Vise beyond price, is that its small enough to put inside some equipment under repair, its metal so when soldering there is no risk of melting plastic parts as in some Panavises, and multiple cheap helping hands can do what a large Panavise is meant to do and more. If you need more weight pick up a $3 5# weight plate Olympic-Style Plates - 5 Lb. (EA) from any sports store and zip tie it to the base, to provide more leverage and stability.