Tube bender

[buzzfagan]

What is the best tube bender to buy that will not break the bank (including all the dies and other optional equipment needed) for fabrication of a cart/buggy? Someone told me you could get a Pro-Tools 105 in the $2-300 range and initially it looks like it but once you add on the components it gets much more. Although I am not really sure which components are needed/good to have?

[Jrgunn5150]

Well, you can build a Gottrikes one fairly cheap. Protools is pretty good, the JD2 is the most recomended one really. I guess it depends on a lot of factors.

How big is your bank? What are you trying to bend? HF bender's work great if you use them on black pipe.... How many different sizes do you really need? Are you going to make lots of things or one buggy?

[JGSturbo]

https://www.minibuggy.net/forum/shop-...awing-dwg.html
But the dies are always gonna hurt.

[Jrgunn5150]

https://www.minibuggy.net/forum/shop-...awing-dwg.html
But the dies are always gonna hurt.

Well that's even better!

[makenzie71]

I use the harbor freight bender. You can get it for $80 on their sales, plus 20% off with the coupon = ridiculously cheap. If you're using it on generic steel stuff it works beautifully. I've used it on chromoly and stainless but it required about $100 worth of steel to make a heavier/stronger frame...I was bending stainless bar and it broke one of the factory welds. The damn thing is worth it's cost for the jack and dies.

[nutz4sand]

If you live near a race car or other fabrication shop they will often bend tube for a few dollars a bend. Some of course charge more. They will often bend it cheaper if you have it nicely marked like THEY like it. Show them the plans and ask how they would like it setup to bend. (i.e marked or not)

Just food for thought if you wish to save the cost and time of building a bender for now.