What is the "Best Bang for your Buck" Tubing Bender?

#1
Hey ive been looking recently for Tubing benders and only really need a manual one. There seems to be alot of companies that make benders and it sort of hard to find every site and find the one thats cheapest and built best.
What is your experience with your benders? do you feel it was a worth while spending?
i have access to a bender at my work but the dies are too big for what i need, i mostly want to use 1", 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" and the smallest my boss has is 2" for round tubing. My boss suggested if i buy the die i can use the machine whenever i want but the dies for his machine are almost the price of a manual bender and a die for the manual bender so id prefer to just have my own.
 
#3
The Model 32 (Manual) from JD2 is what I'm purchasing for my mini buggy chassis build. I'll be bending 1.25" x 083-.095" steel tubing first. Will be using a JD2 Notchmaster and borrowing die sets from a local fab shop. I think $670 for a quality bender and notcher is money well spent if you plan on several projects.

JD Squared, Inc.
 
#4
Thanks for the replies, i might actually build a bender, i have access to a CNC plasma table so it wouldnt take long to cut them out. i would of built it without plans but like you said the part you pretty much have to buy is a die
 
#5
Has anyone tried the Gingery method? His bender would not be good for larger, thicker wall tubing like mini bike/ gokart/motorcycle/atv frames use (his bender seemed to be designed around bending conduit), but his method of die building? He made his dies from hardwood sandwiched between two pieces of steel plate. I figure the steel plates could take the force of the pins (think JD Squared style die with holes drilled around the die and a "saddle", don't know the proper term, that actually pulls the tubing around the die and has a pin/bolt holding it to the die) while the wood center is there to help the tube bend the proper shape without kinking. For hobby use, I would think this would work quite well, even if the holes in the steel plates ovalled out some (I have some doubts they would if 1/4" plate were used), they'd still work OK. For a production shop, obviously a ready made die would easily be justified.

The other advantage to the Gingery die is that it may be easier for folks to find someone with a wood lathe vs. someone with a metal lathe large enough to turn a die.

Just thinking out loud. If this has been tried and it failed, then please speak up.:shrug:

Paul
 
#6
I built a bender once. Made it for 1 1/2" tubing for building rollcages. I took some 2" 1/4" wall tubing, cut it in half lengthwise, Heated it with a torch and bent it around a 12" steel JY rim. I was able to get a little over 90 degrees. This made the section where the tube rides in the die, then cut two 1/4" plates to the radius. Marked the center of the radius and drilled a 1 1/4" hole, welded in a 1" ID tube for the pivot point. The other half of the 2" tube became the backstop for the die I made. These were mounted on a small steel table along with parts from an old Porta-power to make it hydraulic. I could get 45 degrees bend before having to move the hydraulic ram. No I don't have pics. This was done back in the early 90's. Sold it with the racecar I had built.
 
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#7
My only advice is to stay away.from the harbour freigh/princess auto(can) pipe benders that push the pipe up with a die
They do not work well with tube
Any brand that rotates and pulls the tube around the die will work way better
 

rmm727

Active Member
#8
I have the JD2 model 32. Never used it but it is a nice well built machine. The model 3 is $100 cheaper and just as nice.
 
#10
You could pack the pipe with sand and cap the ends,heat it up with a torch.
I do that, then make the bend with the HF 12 ton bender. After cleaning up the bending die with a flap sanding disc on the 4-1/2" 90 degree grinder, this has produced good to great results for bends of 90 degrees or less.

I like the Mittler Bros. and JD squared benders, considering one or the other for making bends past 180 degrees, and the convenience of not having to sand pack the tubing.
 
#11
I do that, then make the bend with the HF 12 ton bender. After cleaning up the bending die with a flap sanding disc on the 4-1/2" 90 degree grinder, this has produced good to great results for bends of 90 degrees or less.

I like the Mittler Bros. and JD squared benders, considering one or the other for making bends past 180 degrees, and the convenience of not having to sand pack the tubing.
There really is nothing wrong with the HF bender except for the dies.I'm surprised that no one has made good dies for sale yet. I have a Greenlee 555 that works real nice.I plan on making an adapter so I can use JD2 dies on it for tighter bends on small tube.
 
#14
I have packed sand, bent tubing around HD flywheels, bought a harbor freight bending thing, made dies for it, pulled my liver loose tugging on it, jigged a come-a-long to it, jigged pins on a welding table, got pi$$ed off and finally.....Bought a JD squared. Hard to beat if you want really nice bends that you can repeat. I can't imagine after having this to really mess with anything less. Super easy...This opinion and 3 bucks will buy you a Starbucks for the energy to pull anything else. BTW kinked bends are a thing of the past also..:thumbsup:
Hello everybody, its been a while, Walt
 
#15
I like the JD2 notchmaster but it is a little on the heavy side. I recently bought their model 52 toploading bender and will swear by it that it's the best price in that line. It was much cheaper than the Baleigh manual bender. If you call JD2 you will find that you will pay much less than what they show on their webpage as "retail" if you also get a couple dies from them. I got 3 dies included in the price of the retail quote but probably paid for it in freight shipping at 650 lbs. I know it's a little out of price range for most but if I were you, I would get one of their lower cost manual benders and later on you could buy one of their hydraulic add on packages. they will also make you any custom die you can think of (providing its functional radius:tube size). Good luck!

also, JD2 builds to order, so expect a delay in receiving, I waited almost 3 weeks but it was well worth the wait.
 
#16
I had the Pro Tools 301 bender and it worked great but the cost of dies quickly adds up I had 8 dies but they did not sell any realy tight radius dies like mini bike frames. I sold it but still have acess to it if needed.
Steve :scooter:


 
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