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Pros and cons of some type of benders

2K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Brad 
#1 · (Edited)
If I'm not wrong, the most popular type of bender is this type:
http://www.pro-tools.com/105.htm


Why not this kind?
http://www.pro-tools.com/200.htm

It seems to take less space in the shop since the tube go upward while bending. It's easier and cheaper to measure the angle with a water level (than with an angle finder that can be bad adjusted). It's cheaper to power bend the tube with a floorjack than with the hydro pump thing. It's cheaper. I'm probably missing something. What are the cons.
 
#3 ·
The tooling on the 200 can be more expensive because of the follower bar is a long hunk of steal.


When it comes to hydraulics, the bottle jack can be very slow (better than no hydraulics).

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#6 · (Edited)
God I wish we had our laser scanner at work, I'd do a comparative dimensional fringe plot to prove whether or not this is necessary, since I have two followers. I mean are you serious, look at the damn slop in the pin holes alone!

But I bet I can use a set of calipers to determine whether this is a concern or not. I mean seriously, tubing is going to vary more than a CNC machine making dies. If this "is" a problem, then maybe Pro-Tools needs to up the tolerances on their prints or find a better vender to make them dies! :shaking:
 
#10 ·
For me in a small workspace my vertical (gottrikes) bender is the only option- and it will use 240 segree dies. To use a horizontal bender I'd need to remove vehicles from the shop.

I think the answer to the original posters question is going to depend on what and where he is building stuff.
 
#11 ·
In my home garage. About 30x16. But concern are about price (first) and efficiency.

Let me weight it with the infos I got:

Floorjack type pros
- Cheaper (than horizontal ones 105)
- Cheap power bender (could double the cost to power a 105)
- space is a small+ but it is one (would have to get the 4x4 off to use a 105)
- use of a cheaper and precise angle finder (than the needle thing on the 105)


Floor jack cons
- Floor jack is slower than hydrolic ram (not a concern for me since it's only a hobby)
- Can't bend more than 90 degres (180 for the 105 model)

Is that true?????
 
#12 ·
Wouldn't it be possible to use your fab skillz and fab up a horizontal stand/mount for the vertical floor jack style bender??? Then you could have the best of both. Granted the floor-jack might take a bit of time to bend, but I don't see why you couldn't.
 
#14 ·
I built something similiar to the bottle jack bender. It works exactly for what I need, and fit the space I had available. I use mine as a hobby, and it will do bumpers, and the occasional roll bar.

Pro:
Portability: You can pick it up and take it with you wherever you want and bend tubing. Doesn't require a fixed mounting location. Since I just moved, and no longer have a garage or tools yet, I just took it to work and used it there.

Con:
Supporting the tubing on the hmp. Since the follower is moving up, you can't support the tubing for a long piece.
 
#16 ·
I gave them a call on this yesterday. It sounded like they are getting away from doing it the way you described. They had (as in now gone) a production manager that required both dies to "match" them. It sounded like this was something in the past and no longer required.

Brad, this being the case when you asked, I can understand your disappointment.

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