I wasn't sure to put this under tools of Fab. section but here is my question. I heard that harbor freight tube benders are terrible and actually damage the wall of the tube. Is this true? Planning on bending some DOM tube and I'm looking at benders. Prices go easily over a grand. Harbor freight has one for much cheaper. I know pipe benders won't work for this. But if its called a tube bender then I would think it should work. Would love your guys imput. Thanks

 

We just ordered a JD2 bender for the shop. We tried a Harbor Freight bender, and with some patience, it will work, but it's not practical if you are going to do a lot of bending. Plan on ruining some tube while trying to figure it out. If you have the money, I suggest getting a nice bender, then when you are done using it, you should be able to sell it for a good portion of what you paid for it. Good luck. We paid around $800 shipped for our JD2.

 

Where did you order the JD2? Thanks for the info.

 

Pipe benders are for just that, PIPE.
Dont waste your money on a tube bender to bend PIPE.

 

Just search JD2 on froogle or the web and youll find a million deals on them all about the same price. the dies are whats really expensive.

The JD2 itself if only like 295 right now I believe but youll need more

Ill be buying one soon if I dont go with a bit more expensive unit. Just have to decide what one I want but I know these are very popular and really nice benders

 

Pipe and tube are not the same. Easily researchable and covered.

Buy from tricktools.com

JD2 and a couple dies will run you $1K easily but worth it if you use it

Get hydaulic if you got the cash as pulling the handle gets old.

 

Yeah I'm not bending pipe for a truck, I'm planning on DOM tubing... Don't know where pipe came in.

 

Yeah I read your first post again saying "I know pipe benders WONT work" I thought you said something asking if they would..

my bad.

 

Thanks guys I have also been check CL for some deals as then that cuts down on my price as well. Wabbit thanks for the bit about hydrolic. I could see that bending tube without hydrolic could play a number on the hands. I will check google, and keep checking CL. What brands are you guys using? and how do you like its performance?

 

We ordered the model 32 from JD2.com with 1 set of dies for about $800.

 

Thats pretty good. I was just going to ask about dies. What are the most common? If I'm getting 2" DOM tube then I would want a 2" die right. There isn't some wierd formula for it is there?

 

No problem dude... You just kinda confused me. I thought I had put tube and didn't want to mislead anyone. Thanks for your guys help on this. If I am going to this at all I want to do it right. And using the right tool for the job makes the biggest difference.

 

Yep 2" dies for 2" tube. The model we purchased will bend up to 2", 0.25" wall tubing. Good luck.

 

I'm certainly no production fab shop, but unless you bend A LOT of tubing, I would save the money on hydraulic/pneumatic/air over/etc and get another set of dies. I have used the JD2 a couple of times, and the leverage it has is plenty. The time I needed to bend 2"x0.25" wall, everyone around who had converted theirs to hydraulic said it didn't have enough oomph to do that heavy a tube. With manual, you just put a bigger cheater bar on.

Yes, for 2", you buy a 2" die. Same die will bend all wall thicknesses for that OD. You need the EXACT die for the size tubing you're doing. For example, you can't bend 1-3/8" using a 1-1/2" die.

I saw one in the Summit Racing tools catalog that looked reasonably priced and came with 3 sets of dies.

 

Thanks TC that is most helpful. I'm only bending enough DOM for 2 4Runners. And not all at once. Cage, sliders, stinger for bumper, you get my drift. See as we are talking about Tube benders, what are you guys using to fish mouth your tube? Are you guys cutting in with a grinder at 90 degrees, a lathe, a drill press?

 

Tube notcher ... JD2 also

I'm using the Rigid bimetal holesaw blades and they seem to be holding up well. Just remember, the larger the diameter hole saw, the lower RPM you need (you want the same linear speed for the teeth) and some lubrication is good too.

 

I'm using a Hypertherm Powermax 600 plasma cutter I picked up used off craigslist for $500.

 

Good to know. Yeah tapping oil always helps. And yes to make sure It's all cleaned off. before welding. A plasma cutter? That sounds pretty serious. Do you get good clean cuts?

 

 

$90 to get a pneumatic over hydraulic cherry picker ram. then just fab up a braket into the nice portable cart you can now mke

Oh and another vote a JD2 model 3 Thats what I have always used. the most common dies for me are a 1.5x5.5 and a 1.75x5.5