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mechanical pipe bending machines

maddawg308

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Can anyone out there recommend a mechanical tube or pipe bending machine, to be used for making roll bars, nerf bars, and other tubing-based guards?
 

AMX

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If you arent going into business I would recommend Harbor freight tools, they have 3 hydraulic benders for $100 to $300.
 

KsM715

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St George Ks
Do not, I repeat, do not use a conduit or pipe bender on tubing, it will kink it. There is a difference between "pipe" and "tubing". The dies for pipe will not fit tubing. Pipe will shatter when enough of a load is put on it, I.E. rollover, tubing will bend. I decent tubing bender will set you back 600-800 for a manual bender with one set of dies. Go over to pirate4x4.com and do a search. Lots and lots of good info over there on this subject.
 

skinnedknuckles

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Try http://www.pro-tools.com they have a great bender that uses a hydraulic bottle jack.
They have free plans to build one that they will e-mail you. I built one and a friend borrowed it right away and made a tube framed sand rail. You have to buy the dies . It makes great bends [thumbzup]
Paul in Janesville, Wis
 

maddawg308

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I don't think after looking at the hydraulic jack-looking ones that I would be interested in them. They look too slow and the quality, IMHO, is a little lacking. Would like more info, if anyone owns one, of the mechanical ones that are stand-up, looks like a wheel, put the tubing in, pull the handle and it bends it around the mandrel the more you lean into it....
 

bigjmcconnell

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Do not, I repeat, do not use a conduit or pipe bender on tubing, it will kink it. There is a difference between "pipe" and "tubing". The dies for pipe will not fit tubing. Pipe will shatter when enough of a load is put on it, I.E. rollover, tubing will bend. I decent tubing bender will set you back 600-800 for a manual bender with one set of dies. Go over to pirate4x4.com and do a search. Lots and lots of good info over there on this subject.
This is exactly what I was thinking. I'd love to have a tube bender. I think I'll get a pro-tools one when I get one.
 

Bighurt

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Pro-tools bender was used on extreme a few years back, I've been planning to get one for some time. Best to stick with one or two sizes as the die sets are pretty spendy.
 

paulfarber

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I don't think after looking at the hydraulic jack-looking ones that I would be interested in them. They look too slow and the quality, IMHO, is a little lacking. Would like more info, if anyone owns one, of the mechanical ones that are stand-up, looks like a wheel, put the tubing in, pull the handle and it bends it around the mandrel the more you lean into it....
I believe they are called roll benders.

To bend tubing cleanly you need a mandrel bender although you can get good bends with dies alone.
 
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m16ty

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If you can find an old hyd cylinder and some sort of pump unit you can fab one up pretty easy. You still will have to buy the dies though and they aren't cheap.

I have built a few simple dies to bend smaller square tubing before. Square tubing is easier to bend without kinking though.
 

ryan77

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The bender i was talking about does conduit, and tubing its a mandrel bender which wont kink it. Its hydraulic, i wasnt talking about some cheesy thing from harbor freight!!!
 

tcody

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I would suggest a hossfeld #2 bender. You can buy then for a reasonable price. You can add dies as you need them. Add hydraulics if you have $$$$ and your back gets tired. You won't be able to bend everything, but it should be a good start.
 
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