Benders

[texican]

OK, I have been waddlling thru the search over in Gen 4x4
then I decided, Hell I don't know half those guys, nor trust them.
so those of you that own benders, or have used one, only reply.(Nolen, watching don't count)
If you had a grand to buy a bender....
brand and options......my only requirement so far, is that I can later adapt to electric/hydraulic.

Post away.......
Have any idea how many replys to the "bender" search involve some gay club out in California??????

Butch

[MNPoser]

Butch,

I am very happy with the Hossfeld #2 universal bender that I have upgraded with hydraulics.


Hope that helps.

Good luck!

-Steve


http://www.hossfeldbender.com/ourhistory.htm

[LCOwner]

I'll be buying the Pro Tools HD. It looks like a better unit to me.

[brainless]

pro-tools all the way customer service is tops and the product is clean and well built .

as for which bender is better pro tools , jd2 or any others like this
they all bend the same jd does not produce a better bend then pro-tool or vice versa i will say pro tools delivers a nicer product jd's can be rough around the edges .

what i think it should boil down too is customer service , what vendor will keep his promiss and who has a competitive price .


have fun bending

alan

[faultlinefabrication]

Butch,
I have had great luck with our JD2 benders.We have the model 4 but also have the model 3 manual bender in the shop for lighter jobs.You can upgrade the model 3 to a hydro later on for not much more.
Simon

[climbermike]

Butch,
Go through the bending 101 here on Pirate. There is some excellent info on how some folks have added an air powered hydro set up for like only about $100 by buying the ram direct from someone like harbor freight (need the one that can go horizontal vs most have to be mounted vertical). I only found it from hanging out on the hobart welder site and got referred back to here for it.

Haven't bought the bender yet, but will in the next few weeks.

Everyone I talked to said either stick with Protools or JD.

As usual though, I know like next to nothing.

[stocker75]

Very happy with my Pro Tools 105HD. Ordered from the factory, had it witihin a week, with 3 dies, shipping, degree ring, stand, handles, etc., for about $1100. People will argue all day about the accessories but this is a good bender with billet steel dies. Shipping is nothing to sneeze at, cosidering we're talking about a buncha steel here.

[Mustard Dog]

You don't trust me Butch, I thought I knew you better than that

[ROCK HUGGER]

I have used the pro tools hd that my brother in law ownes. It is manual but works easy, I can easily bend 2" .120 wall by myself with a 3-4' handle no problem.

[helocat]

Butch,

I have been real happy with the JD2 model 4. Over this past year I have been looking at production benders from 6-30K and quite honestly the little model 4 beats or hangs w/ most under the 10k mark. (Iron worker is coming in first!) Yes with a pump it will shoot you past your $1k budget, but you may not need to buy one. I would think you might be able to draw hydro pressure from your muffler bender you have. If the output pressures are similar you might be able to put a standard port-a-power quick disconnect on one of your ram lines on the muffler bender. This would allow you to just unplug one line and plug it into the ram on the model 4. Even if the pressures are greater, you can put an inline regulator so you don’t over pressurize the ram on the tube bender. You cant beet being able to easily roll your bender around, or have it rotate if you have 10’ hanging out of it, as you bend.

From the JD2 site:
"With a high quality US or Swiss made 14" stroke hydraulic cylinder - $1045"

Granted this is with no dies, but that was not part of your question.

Mark

[wngrog]

Butch, go with the ProTools and use Billji in the vendor section.

That is Mike Green, fellow Blacksheep and he will do you right.

(Yellow jeep with hydrolics w/P option)

[TLCObsession]

I have a JD2, but I agree with the junkie - its about customer service. I would spend my money on dies instead of hydraulic - you can add that later - you will make fewer mistakes by starting out manual.

If you don't have one, I would buy a digital level and buy/make a clamp to use it on tube - very handy. Don't know if buying a degree ring is worth it - I have one, and I think its useless - a big pr0tractor and some vee blocks is better

Just my $0.02,

Jim

[woody]

My cage was all done with a ProTools hydraulic with the HD seal kit (er something like that)....anyways, very impressed with the bends, very clean, and all the projects my fab guy has turned out look great off that machine.

[GloNDark]

JD2, manual, 1.75" die.

Works great, needs air hydro in a baaaaaaaaad way. But with a longer handle on the bender it's just a bunch of walkin back and forther in the driveway.

I agree, spend the money now on a few extra dies and upgrade to hydro later.

[Eric]

I have had a JD2 model 3 for a few years now and I think it is a good bender for the price. I have never had to use the customer service so I can't comment on it. It is a bender and it bends.....why do I need to call customer service (unless something brakes)? Spend the money on the dies first, then hydro if you begin to do lots of tube work. For my uses, there is no reason for hydro since I don't use it that often anymore. I have 2", 1.5" and 1" dies.

[tornadoalleycruiser]

One Big tip! Buy it yourself and own it yourself.
But Having had a pro-tools 105 before it was nice but here's my research I've been doing myself, getting ready to buy one again.

M-TECH SUPPLY fabrication
NE5 Tube Bender $370.00
1.75" Round Tube Die Set $209.99
75" Round Tube Die Set ?$105?
--------
$684
105 bender has 1/2" Thick Arms
HD 105 Bender has 5/8" thick main arms
pro-tools reccomends HD bender when using 2" diameter dies
hd 105 bender---- 282.75
105 bender------- 239.25
degree ring------- 118.00
1.75x6x240---------204.45
1.75x7x240---------243.60
----------
808.05
JD2 Model 3 Bender w/Degree Ring W/O Handle $266.50
M3B Round Tube Die Set - 3/4" (2.25-180) $105.00
M3B Round Tube Die Set - 1 3/4" (5.5-180) $200.00
--------------
$571.50

Thus with all that math. I'm down to the JD2 model #3
if you look at the pics the M tech and JD3 pictures are exactly the same. Both the Mtech and JD3 come with degree rings on them with the bender. A degree ring probably isn't needed that much but for repeat bends it would be a good thing. The Pro-tools I had didn't have a degree ring (can be purchased for another $118) but a square to find 90deg and a custom angle finder thingy are great.
There might be differences between the Mtech and JD3 but my web reseach had the exact same pictures with about $100 price differences.
The JD2 model 3 had a degree ring on it... I'm toying with the JD2 model 3 also because the manuf is located in Florida which is directly on the route home my parents take from their boat when they come visit me in Misery(Missouri) so I might just have them pick the bender up and save shipping.

I'm no bender pro but have used one and have had one.. The Protools and JD3 can easily be converted to Hydro as well. A great feature in my opinion.
PIcs are at
http://www.jd2.com/M3B_Features.htm
http://mtechsupply.com/display.php3?getcategory=Benders
Sorry don't have ability to shrink em for posting here at work.

I'll let the pro's respond now. EC out.

[tornadoalleycruiser]

Oh.. And don't waste your money on a stand or handle. Put some anchors in the shop floor and weld a stand up. Handles are usually 1x2" rect tube. Stands are a 2"x 3/8"plate on a 2x2" square tube welded to a plate on the floor.
You can also use the anchors for other stuff.

[green grass hopper]

wngrog
Pirate4x4 Addict!

Butch, go with the ProTools and use Billji in the vendor section.

That is Mike Green, fellow Blacksheep and he will do you right.

(Yellow jeep with hydrolics w/P option)

ya get it from Mike green he quoted me one of the best deals around. supper nice guy and he i think he is a texan

[texican]

Originally posted by Mustard Dog
You don't trust me Butch, I thought I knew you better than that

Have not heard your recomendation yet to know......
I see you are one of them Benders tho
half or more of the search results come back as references to you guys
Butch

[LAME]

We got a JD2 Barney bender. 3 dies, soon to be 4. Hot Rod hydro set up.

[Bundok]

Check out www.blindchickenracing.com and look under tools, he shows how to build a hydro jack version with the pro tools die.

I had a JD that worked really well. I'd rather get the kind with a jack next time.

Do what I did, buy it, use it and sell it when your done.

I was able to sell mine for what I paid for it.

-Stumbaugh

[krcruiser]

I have a JD2 model 3 and am very happy with it. I also like JD2 customer service. I orginallly bought a 1.75" and a 2" die. I did not use the 2" die as I do not need tube that large yet. After 1 year they swapped out the 2" die for a 1.5" die and charged me nothing. I relaize the shipping came in the price difference between the dies, but I was surprise to see it show up with no shipping/ restock fees.

I think most of the benders spoken of in this thread are excellent, but if you Know someone who at least recognizes your name in a positive way, thats who to get your bender from and what they sell is the bender you want.


- Keith

[Radd Cruisers]

No expierence with benders, doing a bit of reading and really like this particular setup.


http--www.mindspring.com-~jayk5-bender-

[Radd Cruisers]

Try this again.http://www.mindspring.com/~jayk5/bender/

[fj40guy]

JD2 Model 4... Fully hydraulic.

Made the mistake of "saving money" by buying a electric pump (Barnes) off ebay. Then rigging the electric solenoids for pressure/hold. Then running around to find all the fittings. Turned out my surplus hydrualic ram -- part of a Snap On kit for doing BIG 18 wheel king pins -- didn't work. Ordered a new Nike Ram from JD2. So "saving money" meant about 8 weeks of running around collecting everything to work. Sheesh!

Only comment... only bend clean tubing, and keep it greased. The dies will last forever doing that.

Worst thing about no shop... having a bender in STORAGE while paying off credit card debt. You told me to keep the FJ40, which I have.... but really should sell off my bender, Plasma Cutter, and a few other things so I'm not paying $12% interest on stuff IN STORAGE!!!

Keith... cool. Irony, I bought a 1", 1.5", and 2".... and only used to 1" before putting everything in storage.

FJ40Guy

P.S. Changed my user name... ex is stalking me as she didn't like what I posted in Chit Chat. How the fawk she found me on this BBS I haven't a clue... damn she is scary!