Sawyer Mfg. Co. · SKU 411Welders 3rd Hand, colour on black and white shop
The tool on the jobSee any photo full size
4.6 out of 5 from 86 Amazon ratings·85% rate it five stars

One clamp does
the second man's job.

The Welders 3rd Hand holds the pipe and the fitting in line, at the angle you want, so one welder can set the gap, tack it and move to the next joint.

Fits 1 1/2, 2, 3 and 4 inch pipe and fittings
Works with most butt weld fittings and pipe of any wall thickness
Holds the workpiece at any angle for full weld access
  1. How it runs on the joint
  2. 1Clamp on the pipe, bring the fitting up
  3. 2Set gap and angle, lock the lever
  4. 3Tack, release, next joint
30-day returns
Sawyer Mfg. Co.
Shipping at checkout
In practice

Three moves
per joint

Step 1

Clamp on the pipe

The jaws set on the run of pipe and the fitting comes up to meet them.

Step 2

Set gap and angle

Dial the lineup, then lock the lever. It holds where you left it.

Step 3

Tack and move

Both hands are free for the torch. Release and walk to the next joint.

4pipe sizes on one tool
1welder on the joint instead of two
4.6out of 5 across 86 Amazon ratings
The comparison

The clamp against
a second set of hands

On the joint

Welders 3rd Hand

A helper holding it
Who holds the fitting
The clamp
A second person
Gap between joints
Locked, repeatable
Held by eye, varies
Access to the weld
Rotates to any angle
Limited to where hands fit
Crew on the joint
One welder
Two
Recurring cost
None after the tool
A helper's hours, every joint

The product's own claim is that it eliminates the expense of a helper. The rows above are what that means joint by joint.

Who buys it

Where it earns
its keep

Pipeline crews

Out in the ditch on coated line pipe, where a second set of hands is the thing you do not have.

Fab shops

On the bench with stands, running the same joint detail over and over at a repeatable gap.

Stainless and TIG

One reviewer calls it the best tool for holding stainless pipe he has used, and says it works on carbon too.

Reviews

What welders
say about it

4.6 out of 5 from 86 ratings on the Sawyer Amazon listing, read 16 Sep 2026. The quotes below are verified-purchase reviews from that listing.

5 734 43 32 11 5

This is probably the best tool for holding stainless pipe I have ever used. Awesome tool, works great on carbon pipe and fittings also.

Ronnie Hinson, verified

This item shouldn't be called 3rd hand, it should be called 12 hands for as many usages you will find.

Terry, verified

I love the 3rd hand clamp. Everyone that sees me using it ends up ordering one for themselves.

Jeremy Allen, verified

Pipe fabrication. Makes your job a lot easier.

Verified buyer

Questions people actually ask

Some reviews call it junk. What is that about?

Straight answer: 6% of the 86 ratings on Amazon are one star, and the ones we have read say the same thing, that it felt like a cheap import clamp. 85% are five star, and most of those come from welders running pipe every day. The rating and the star breakdown on this page are the Amazon numbers, unedited. If you open the box and agree with the one stars, the return window is 30 days.

What sizes does it fit?

1 1/2 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch and 4 inch pipe and fittings, at any wall thickness. It works with most butt weld fittings.

Does it work on stainless?

Yes. A verified reviewer uses it for TIG on stainless pipe and says it works on carbon pipe and fittings as well.

Do I need more than one?

One holds one joint. Crews running several sizes in a pack out often carry more than one so a size is always to hand, which is what one reviewer describes.

What does shipping cost?

Shipping is calculated at checkout from the weight class and the destination zone. It is not free on this product.

Can I send it back?

30 days, unused and in the original packaging, per the Pipeline Depot return policy.

Set the gap, tack it,
move to the next joint.

One Welders 3rd Hand, SKU 411, $265.00.

Add to cart

30-day returns, unused and in the original packaging.