PIPE (not tube) bender

[Madgyver]

Anyone got first hand experience using these pipe benders for bending pipe?

I hear there are crap with bending DOM tubing but what about bending regular schedule 40 pipe?

Does it still crush the pipe at the bends?

It's too expensive for me to get DOM tube here and I can get schedule 40 pipe for almost free. So it's what I'll mostly use. It's alot cheaper than the JD2 and has all the dies. Might be harder to duplicate bends but I could figure it out.

If anyone tried this bender with sch. 40 piping please chime in. Let me know how the bends came out.

It's here for $79.99 + shipping @ www.NorthernAutoSupply.com

 

[Wildturkey]

Your not thinking schedule 40 black iron or water pipe for a roll bar are you?Things may be high in Hawaii but I wouldnt go that route.Stuff is too soft and doesnt bend well either.Not a real good grade of steel because it is iron.Try ridged electrical conduit before you use iron pipe.Its just galvanized.Good luck.

 

[locopny]

I have one similar from Harbor Freight. Basically It sucks big time after any angle greater than about 30*+/-. and not much better for angles way less than 30*.

I got it to bend some handrails for some "elderly" friends.
I believe they make Excellent boat anchors...then again, it may be totally operatator error that makes it such a pile....

I will probably sell it and get something more quality sooner or later.

 

[67ster]

Pipe bender

You can do an acceptable job with that bender , it is just a learning deal . If you HAVE to use pipe , get the heavy wall stuff in black , it is steel but a softer grade than tubing . Tons of this stuff is used every day for structural steel jobs as support columns although in larger diameters .

 

[westco]

I have one from Harbor Freight and it is hard to make a great bend and over 30 degrees it is junk!

 

[sicaz66]

bro, you can have mine. it is garbage! don`t waste money on buying one.

 

[wildbill]

I have one its a little bigger than that one and dose work on pipe but will NOT do tubing and the radius is bigger than you would use on tubing my 2 cents don't wast your money on one have fun.%) %) %) Bill 8) %)

 

[KST1]

I've got one of the Harbor Freight ones. I've found that I can do some decent bends with anything up to about 1- 1.5" pipe. I use it a lot for 1/2" stuff. Anything larger than 1.5" and it starts to put indentations into the pipe and the sides bulge on the bends. I'll continue to make stuff with it until I can get a Protools or JD2 (after the plasma cutter )

-D

I made this basket with the Harbor Freight PIPE bender.

 

[Rustytruck]

If you are going to use pipe and this bender you may want to try and fill the pipe with sand before bending. You can also go to the rental yard and rent a rigid conduit bender since they are pipe sizes and are mandrel bent it should work well.

 

[Madgyver]

You can also go to the rental yard and rent a rigid conduit bender since they are pipe sizes and are mandrel bent it should work well.

I've used the rigid hydraulic Greenlee? (not sure) Bender that electricians use but I always have to bother them to make my bends plus I have to find out what jobsite the bender is at so it's a hassle. I want something my own to do bends when I want to. I leaning toward the JD2 model.
Thanks for all the responses.
madgyver