i want to buy a tube bender, however i dont wnt to spend alot of money on it...I wont be using it for any crazy fabrication since i dont have the skills for it...However i would loike something entry level to make a radiator hoop, tranny cross member, maybe add a little to my roll cage,etc...I dont know anything about them and what is good and what isnt....Ebay benders????

Let me know,
THANKS!

SEARCH:shaking:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=788988

The best entry-level bender is the Model 3, whether its manual or hydraulic. If you're not going to use it on a regular basis, you're better off finding someone local and paying them, because you're looking at at least $600-1000 in startup costs. You have the bender, $295 on Ebay, dies ($300 average), handle, stand, and if you go manual, you have to secure that stand somehow. Mine is bolted into 400 lbs of 5000 psi concrete. And unless you like wasting steel by cutting or bending wrong, purchasing at least Bend-Tech EZ would be a wise choice. And with the price of steel, you'd be a fool not to.

For a single small project, it's not worth the cost. You'll end up with it collecting rust and then selling it for far less than what you paid. Buying a bender is a long term investment, and a learning tool. You'll never learn how to use one if you don't have one, but it'll pay for itself over time.

Here's mine and how it's secured: 1/2" thick steel tube, welded to a 1/2" steel base, gusseted with 3/8" steel. No flex at all.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/1873/dscn4444.jpg
By fairlane_68 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/fairlane_68), shot with E8800 (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=E8800&make=NIKON) at 2009-03-10