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tube bender or plasma??

1K views 21 replies 20 participants last post by  will-m 
#1 ·
planing on picking up a new toy. either a pro-tools 105hd and the goodies to go with it or a hyperthem plasma rig. not really sure which one to go for. So for the people that have both which would you get first, bender or plasma? Right now i'm leaning toward the bender cause i need to do a cage, tube fenders, ect and its pretty impossible to do without a bender. but on the other hand cutting everything with a sawzall or cutoff wheels is getting really old. i realize it's kind of a personal prefreance thing but just wondering what others would do in this case. thanks
 
#5 ·
I think a plasma is cool, but you can make a lot more of the typical useful stuff with a bender.

Why not get a manual bender without all the bells and whistles and save up for the plasma? Seems like a plasma is about twice as much as a basic bender setup.
 
#8 ·
I also have the thermal 51. Almost wish I had the bender instead. If you have access to a bender, buy the plasma cutter, if neither, I'd say buy the bender first.
My $.02
 
#9 ·
thats a hard one to anwser I had the bender first and use it every once and awhile and then I bought the plasma and use it all the time
but to bend you need a bender and to cut you have various options so I would say Bender first/ but I wouldn't go with out my plasma anymore
 
#12 ·
depends...

I would only buy a bender if I could use it all the time, or had a big project to do (exo/cage) I make due with a pipe bender, as I only NEED to do bumps/sliders maybe once a year for myself or others. However, I can never run out of uses for the plasma. You can even cut glass with a conductor!

j
 
#13 · (Edited)
hard choice,... I have a plasma and no bender, and wish I had a bender. You can get away without a plasma, it is true, A grinder or cutoff wheel will do ALMOST everything a plasma will, but got the plasma does it so much faster and easier, and for those jobs like cutting holes or odd shapes, there is really no substitute....

If you asked me to trade my plasma for a bender, I couldnt do it....
 
#20 · (Edited)
I say bender. Plaz is great, and ours sees plenty of use (maybe even more than the bender) but there's plenty of other stuff (torch, Sawzall, chopsaw, grinder) that you can use to sorta do the job of a plaz. There's not really anything that subs for a bender. Plaz is just easier than some of the other stuff that subs for it. Kinda like how a chopsaw will do, until you use a horizontal bandsaw. Going back, sucks, but you can get by on a chopsaw.
 
#22 ·
looks like its gonna be the bender. I really need to do my cage and i don't know anyone with a bender. plasma will have to wait six months or so. I've been a hardcore grinder boy for years now so whats another couple months. :flipoff2: So the next question: Is it worth converting to hydro? I really like the idea of being able to roll the whole setup around. (shop is kinda small) thanks for all the replies. i've got some searching to do:D
 
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