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**Bob** · 10-19-2002, 07:24 PM

Can't comment on the bender itself (looks very similar to models from Harbor Freight and Northern).

Thank You for this site lead, looks like they may have some fun toys (opps!) very cost effective tools.

**Guest** · 10-20-2002, 01:10 AM

Re: Compact Bender

Originally posted by Fred Bryant
A friend is looking to get a small bender, which hopefully I can use from time to time. we ere looking around the net and ran into a place called Shop Outfitters that seemed to have a unit is his price range that would do what he wants.

Has anyone seen used one of these? Good/bad/indifferent? Or should we be looking for something else? Comments welcomed.

http://www.shopoutfitters.com/

Thx's, FAB.

I got their catalog, and they have some great stuff in it. The equipment is a little pricey, but it's not made by the Chi-Coms,...American made. Get the catalog..it's worth it...it's free.

**DaveD** · 10-28-2002, 08:02 PM

There is a diffference between pipe and tubing benders. Pipe is measured inside diameter and tubing is measured outside diameter. The cheap harbor freight kind of bender bends pipe. If you are doing something like rollbars for a car/truck and are buying tubing you should use a tubing bender although there are folks that have bent tubing with the harbor freight one though. Personally I'd stay away from it. There are some good mechanical tubing benders around and also hydraulic/air assist benders for tube. http://www.jd2.com/M3B.htm has benders/dies that are very popular with the offroad crowd. Pro-tools.com seems to also have a good reputation for benders. Just the dies for these benders run about $200 each though but you get what you pay for. Again dies that allow you to bend 180 degrees are popular with the rollbar and tube chassis fabricator folks. Hossfeld (sp?) is also a company that has benders and they have dies for just about every shape imaginable. It all boils down to what you ant to do. If its a long term investment I'd spend the money for the JD2 model 3.