Cheap Pipe Bender.

retroedaddy

retroedaddy

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Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Location
Bahama NC
Cheap Tube Bender.

I know this probably goes in one of the tech sections,I wasn't sure which one,so if it gets moved I understand.I saw this Bender at Harbor Freight yesterday and I wonder what y'all think?I don't want to tie money up in an expensive bender,I would probably rarely ever use it.I know y'all have experience with these things so your input is greatly appreciated.Here are the links to the two they sell.
http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-top-bar-and-rod-bender-38471.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/compact-bender-38470.html
 

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kaiser715 said:
Not a pipe bender. Will bend flats and rounds.

I have one, works great.
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OK so Tube Bender?Meaning,will this bend the material that I would use to make a roll cage for my Jeep?Which model do you have the floor or the table mounted one?
 
retroedaddy said:
OK so Tube Bender?Meaning,will this bend the material that I would use to make a roll cage for my Jeep?Which model do you have the floor or the table mounted one?
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I'd say you should look into the tubetek or the JD2 models if you want to bend a cage/parts; if you dont have the budget for it, I would honestly get a friend/acquaintance to do it.
 
I have one you could barrow for a couple of weeks when your ready to do the bending. Its a HF brand but I only have one shoe for it. Let me know
 
Thanks Mark.It's not really a budget thing to me.It's that I have $200 in Harbor Freight gift cards left over from Christmas combined with the fact that I would probably play with the thing more than I would use it.
 
^^^ thats the one I have^^^ I was the same way and I've used mine 10 times. I have some up coming use for mine but it want last long and it will go back in the corner for several months.
 
^^See now that seems like it would work OK for exhaust pipe.^^Which is something else I would be interested in,but would probably use even less than a Tube bender.I really meant to say tube.I wish I could change the title to the thread.My point is I would like to experiment with some Cage Tubing,maybe make my own Rock Sliders and I am wondering if the Bender I showed at the top of the Post would work?
 
I'd love to watch you try to bend some 0.120 wall cage tube in that! You'd tear it to pieces. Seriously, though, that tender is made for flat stock and small diameter round stock for brackets and ornamental work. Not tube. Little stuff. Go handle that, then look at a real tube tender. You'll see what I mean. Save your money for something else.
 
retroedaddy said:
^^See now that seems like it would work OK for exhaust pipe.^^Which is something else I would be interested in,but would probably use even less than a Tube bender.I really meant to say tube.I wish I could change the title to the thread.My point is I would like to experiment with some Cage Tubing,maybe make my own Rock Sliders and I am wondering if the Bender I showed at the top of the Post would work?
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It actually doesn't work at all for exhaust tubing. Works moderately well for (real, not lowes or home depot unrated pipe) astm 53 pipe once you know how to use it. Won't bend real (hrew, dom, etc) "tubing" for shit, even when modified. Sch 40 pipe will work as well if not better than the same size hrew for what you're doing anyway (sliders/bumpers).

:edit: Talking about the orange 12 or 16 ton pipe bender, not the tiny gray flat stock and rod benders.
 
use the gift cards for other crappy things you don't need other than that cheap bender.

If you want a tube bender, get a tube bender. If you want to use pipe for your cage, then the posted orange hydraulic bender will work OK...
 
catfishblues said:
made for flat stock and small diameter round stock for brackets and ornamental work. Not tube. Little stuff.
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Thought you said bracelets there. :)

I regularly bend 1/4 x 1" and 2" flat, and half inch (solid) rounds in mine.

You want to bend stuff like that, the one in the first pic is what works. Not pipe, not tube. The orange one bends pipe good. Larger radius than a tube bender, and flattens it some in the bends.

Tube stuff, buy a tube bender, or hire it done.
 
rockcity said:
use the gift cards for other crappy things you don't need other than that cheap bender.
If you want a tube bender, get a tube bender. If you want to use pipe for your cage, then the posted orange hydraulic bender will work OK...
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x2. That's definitely not the tool for the job. There's really no good cheap way around buying a decent tube bender. It's been tried plenty of times. Also, I'd really not trust your welder to do any cage work. You'd definitely need to upgrade that before doing any fab work...especially any intended to protect you and your passengers.
 
The HF tube kinker is possibly the worst $100 ive spent on a tool in a long time. Some guys have been able to modify the shoe and the round feed dies for better results. I hate mine. If you google some vw fourms or PBB there is some good tech on modifying it and some guys do really well with it.
 
cj777 said:
x2. That's definitely not the tool for the job. There's really no good cheap way around buying a decent tube bender. It's been tried plenty of times. Also, I'd really not trust your welder to do any cage work. You'd definitely need to upgrade that before doing any fab work...especially any intended to protect you and your passengers.
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I appreciate everyone's input on this.I guess I will get something else from there with my freebie gift cards.I was checking out the sandblasting tank or the before mentioned Press wouldn't be bad to have.I will look into the tubetek or the JD2 models if I really want to bend or go hang out with the Transman!Thanks again!:beer:
 
Same press here, except from Northern, sure has been handy. Bought same Hyd. bender, shown above, played with it couple of times, & it loves to kink. Maybe its the material I tried. Just a pretty piece of:poop:
 
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