Has anyone used the cheap tubing benders (the $100) from Harbor Freight? Will they bend more than 2 pipes before breaking?? Just thinking about picking one up, seems like it might come in handy for a roll bar project and maybe a diy downpipe whenever I get to it.

 

just get their extended warranty.

 

didnt even know they rent those. I'll have to check it out

 

As far as I know harbor freight sells pipe benders not tube benders. If you use tube the bender will crush the tube. If you want to make a rollbar out of pipe it's a good route, you can use tube with rather large wall thicknesses.

You can make a hydraulic tubing bender (with a die) for around $200

 

I've heard they're decent and some **** about filling the pipes with sand to keep them from crushing. Never tried it though.

 

I have one at my shop at work and it wouldent work for a down pipe or a roll cage, it crushes the tube.

 

ok, just making sure....here is the link to the one I am talking about.....TUBING BENDER LINK

 

Yup pipe bender. Not a tubing bender. Look up tubing bender.

 

do NOT build a roll bar with that crap! it will fail the very first time it has to work! seriously... get it to a professional with mandrel bender. it absolutely HAS to be mandrel bent!

 

i have one of those and its nice. i "tried" to build a roll bar but the pipe but just crush, but i was trying to do a sharp right angle, which just isnt going to happen. i them made a style bar out of fence pipe and it went way better because i would bend a little, move it over, bend some more and so on. but that is never going to made a downpipe, it will just crush it, and it only goes up to like a 2inch pipe, maybee even less.

 

It does NOT need to be mandrel bent, but definitly not a pipe bender. There are cheap tube benders out there.

 

I use the Greenlee 882 fliptop for my roll cage bends... works great. Others without a shoe AND saddle will kink the tube.

Greenlee 882 Flip-TopĀ® Bender For 1-1/4", 1-1/2" And 2" Emt Conduit Without Hydraulic Pump : UPC # 15128 - Toolfetch.com


Heres one listed at a reasonable cost. GREENLEE 882 RAM 1 SHOT PIPE BENDER

 

Jesus those are expensive, you can make a really cheap one with a hydraulic jack with air assist.