Best tube bender for the buck?

Whats the best real tube bender for the buck? I want something that can do some nice bends on 1 3/4" DOM? Any thoughts on diffrent mfg.'s, or diffrent companys that sell them? I know there are more than a few brands out there, but I dont know what to look for in one.


Im in the Dallas area, so if it was local and I could save on shipping that would be a plus. Or is there anywhere I could find a used one?


Thanks,
Cory

 

Hossfeld !!

 

hossfeld!

 

JD2
I know a few guys using these with great results.....

 

My friend Jeff has one of these and it makes a very clean bend and it doesn't need to be bolted to the floor.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/4883,19_2nd-Generation-Speedway-Hydraulic-Round-Pipe-Bender.html

 

I have a JD2 bender and I'm happy with it.

 

I've had a Hossfeld and a JD2. The jd wins hands down.

 

I've had my JD Squared for 15 years, and have done thousands of bends with awesome results. For the money, it can't be beat.

 

I have the Ppro-Tools bender.
http://www.pro-tools.com/105.htm

 

We got a screaming deal on a JD2 from a guy that needed the cash. Then my buddy converted it hydro. Man this thing makes sweet bends. Quick and easy.

 

I just see a jd3 thats the one I am getting

 

An expensive tool. Not worth the investment unless you are going to be doing a lot of bending. If your job is small you may be able to find some help at a local race car fabrication shop.

 

I used a Greenlee industrial bender for years making roll cage kits for Howe Racing Enterprises. You can get them at larger electrial supply warehouses. Not cheap but well worth the money if you intend to do a lot of bending.

Frank

 

Got a jd2-4 and LOVE IT!!! Got it with a hydrolic piston and 1.750 dies to the door 1500.00 Yea its a bit pricy but i made my own stand and used a pump that i had for a press,just put a coupler in between and switch back and forth to the tool i need.tools MAKE money they dont cost money.I have done 2 tuna towers out of .125 alluminum tubing and has paid for itself and then some after the 1st job.Dies are reasonable and easy to get recommend it to anyone.

 

Hey, have any of yall seen the plans from gottrikes.com? Ive seen a lot of offroad guys build and use those with quite a bit of luck, and its what Im leaning towards. If I just needed a bend or two for the occasional crossmember I wouldnt mess with getting a bender, but Ive got a project thats going to need a LOT more than a few bends...

Other benders Ive seen/considered that are in my price range are the JD2 bender, and the Pro Tools 105. both are manual, and have to be bolted to the floor. Being manual isnt that big of a deal, but Im limited on space, so having something I could roll aside when its not in use would be nice.

 

There's also some plans on I think its www.metalmeet.com that look just like the one from speedway(which has been discontinued)

 

we use a pro-tools, they make one of the beter ones out there

 

I've used Pro, JD2, and my Hossfeld. They all make good bends but....I prefer to work from the middle of the tube length towards the ends of the tube. The Hossfeld lets me do this because of its superior design. With the other two benders I had to work from the ends towards the middle which forced me to have to accurately calculate the bend lengths in order to achieve close tolerances.

That thing that Speedway no longer offers is limited to 90 degree bends. That design wouldn't work for me.

 

I have a JD2 and nothing but good things about it. One thing I have seen some guys do with the manual stand is make a stand plate that slides into the hitch of the truck, or bolts on a trailer. Even the redheads where the nut stays in the ground and you use bolts to hold it to concrete, then remove when not needed.

 

hossfeld

 

what makes the hossfeld so much better than the jd2 model 4

 

Another vote for the JD2 model. I even bend 2" X .250" Dom for axles in it.

 

I guy that works with us had problems with the pins bending and some other things with his JD2 with 2 x .250 DOM. We have nothing but good to say about our JD2 at the shop for .120 DOM
Wil

 

Jd3 it's awesome

 

Oh yea, at that thickness, I have sent a few pins to the s**** pile. So, I started using bolts, with MUCH better luck. Even with grade 8 bolts I still toss 2 or 3 away for every 8-10 axles. Still a lell of a lot cheaper than buying axles, lol. Haven't had any other issues though, other then looking at that pressure and just waiting for something to snap someday. The 2" die is the only one I ever did .250 wall at, I might try some 1.75 and see if thats easier once I run out of 2".

 

The tube was for rollcage for a suburban that flipped in the movies after it blew up.
Not very often or ever most people would use 2 x .250 DOM
wil
www.sakowskimotors.com

 

My point was, if it will bend 2" X .250" wall, it shows it will be heavy enough for anything smaller. I would be curious to see how well the dies on these other model would hold up on .250 wall dom tubing.

You are better off buying a setup that will go heavier than you need, because if you buy something max rated for what you are bending often, how long will it last?

 

The JD2+ stuff works well in tons of shops across the country. It is hard to beat for the money. There are tons of threads on Pirate4x4 about home built hydro setups. I use an early Tube Shark, it works great, but not a supper cost effective bender with current prices. I have bent .375 wall 1.75 tube for 3link wishbones with mine, but would not want to do it very often.

 

I couldn't even touch a Hossfeld - dollarwise. I bought a Chuch Smith motorsports bender - basically the same as the JD2 benders. I don't know if there's any significant difference in the quality between those "knockoff" benders, but I can say my bends come out sweet!!!! For the BUCK - any of this type of bender is hard to beat!!!!

Sure I would have liked a Hossfeld - but the prices were in the stratosphere!!!!!!!

 

We used to have a Hossfeld, set up for hydraulics by scaling up the catalog photo and copying it. Worked real well, but like lots of others,you need to take it apart alot to change pieces, etc. Now we have an Ercolina bender with an open top so its faster for lots of the stuff we need to make. It also has a much shorter learning curve than a Hossfeld, although not as versatile, and more expensive to boot. Lots of pros and cons for benders, unlike other tools. A used Hossfeld is always a good way to go though.