good deal on a bender?

Edited: 11/8/2006 11:57:15 PM by mtmcalli

Ok, i've been looking for a decent bender to do exhaust pipe so i can do some custom exhaust work for myself and a few of my buddies. Well i went the cheapo $89 harbor freight route and i'm now going to break that bitch down and make a press out of it because its useless as a bender. Anyway I think i found a pretty good deal. Keep in mind i only want it for exhaust pipe, I won't be using it for any tubing. It's only $175 shipped and it comes with all of this so i think its a pretty good deal, what do you guys think?


Tool details:
- Includes : 1", 1-1/4", 1-1/2", 1-3/4", 2", 2-1/2", 3" dies and a right angle die
- 5/8" round or square solid rod capacity
- Handle telescopes to 44"
- Capacity 5/16" x 1-1/4" or 1/4" x 2" mild steel
- Measures roughly 38" high
- Weighs roughly 60 lbs
- 10" square base can mount on floor or work truck

my buddy bought one of these at the local tractor supply for only about a hundred bucks. We put tubing in it and it bent it, only problem is, where it bends it, it crushes the pipe in. So yeah, that thing is worthless.

well i mean would it be ok for like exhaust tubing? It doesnt have to be pretty like a custom bridge or anything cause it will be under the car

Maybe you can try it for exhaust pipe. Before I paid that much for it, check a local tractor supply.

IT WOULD DEFINATELY CRUSH EXAUST PIPE.THE STRONGER THE PIPE THE BETTER IT WILL BEND.MY HARBOR FREIGHT BENDER WORKS PRETTY GOOD ON DOM TUBING BUT CRUSHES ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.

thats for bending small solid round and flat stock. just order up a bunch of exhaust pieces from some of the DIY companies. even exhaust shops have shitty looking exhaust tubing bends, and their machines are 5000+....

basically adding to what everyone else said those dies are not ment for round tube or pipe. they are for flat stock and and square tube. a bender like that for doing tubing only goes up to a 2" OD. you really wont be able to do exhaust with that style bender. also, not to mention that exhaust PIPE and TUBING are measured differently. tubing is measured by OD and pipe is measured by ID. so even if you are only doing 2" exhaust pipe your die will be too small

Forum jesus had the best idea.Go and buy some prebent tubing and weld it together.If you want a bender be prepared to spend at least a few grand.I bought mine used from the old huth rep in dallas and still have thousands in it.Also the dies are $1300 a set so you can imagine how a $200 bender will work.Another option is to have some pieces bent at a muffler shop.

i beleive flowmaster sells a build your own exhaust kit...

Isnt that the other tubing beder from harbor frieght, they have two.