Speedway Tubing Bender

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Has anyone here had any success stories with the Speedway Gen III tubing bender?  I haven't seen any negative reviews online.Before anyone goes on a bender rant, I've got that covered.  I do not have the room to use a JD2 with a cheater bar, nor can I bolt it down to concrete at my current place.  I'm not forking over the money for 5 different die sets, or an AoH setup for one, and even then, I've got a lot more vertical room than I do lateral.  Having done some 25.1e chassis with a JD2, well, I hate the thing.  As for the GotTrikes bender, again, die prices.  I am not in the mood to build one myself.  Time is at a premium these days, and there are no decent local machinists or metal supply houses.  I've got two cars to finish, and time's a tickin'. As for the CLR's, I don't trust 1 5/8" .083 wall on less than a 6" radius.  The Speedway model bends a 7", and there will be a whopping total of 2 bends that reach 90 degrees on this car, and neither are part of the main hoop.  So, I'd really love to see some success stories or some complete disaster stories associated with this bender and would appreciate anyone here sharing some with me.  If it's an absolute no-go, I will look for an alternative, but it's hard to justify spending more when the Speedway comes with 5 dies, to my door, for under $900, and has the smallest footprint of them all.
Reply:Check out the pro-tools benders. I have a 105 and I like it. The quality is pretty good on mine so i expect the other models should be good also. And, their compact bender has a full length following die so it won't dent the tube like a roller will.http://www.pro-tools.com/200.htm
Reply:Problem with the Pro Tools dies is that 4 dies alone costs more than the entire Speedway setup with 5 dies.  People talk about the roller vs. follow bar.  Has anyone actually seen the rollers dent the tube?  I've seen many a follow bar gall like crazy and mar up the tube.
Reply:Did a Web Forum search and Found this articlehttp://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/.../photo_13.htmlEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Lot's of race cars have been made with Speedy Bill's bender.   A local guy had a model II and he likes it, pretty much only .095 mild steel. For the money it's a good value.  I don't know if you've used Speedway but I use them as a primary supplier.  Excellent service and they stand behind everything they sell.  That said, I didn't get that bender because of limited die selection and the 90* limitation.  If you can live with that I think it would be a fine bender for one off race fab. I don't think you'll find anything in that price range except for the Speedway or the TJ Diesel bender on eBay( affordablebender.com about 100 bucks less than Speedway) without building it yourself.  I'm in the same boat, I've got about 3 weeks to finish the car, not work on tools.
Reply:I have the tj diesel version and it works awsome. I can email you some pics of the bends. It is slow is the only downfall. I just started on cage work so I cant justify the protool one. But if i start to do more i will buy a protool AOH one.1995 supra 6-speed. 9.91 @148 mph on e85
Reply:Thanks for the replies, all.I did see the TJ Diesel bender as well, though I think the Speedway looks a bit better built, and I have bought from Speedway in the past with no hiccup.The die selection doesn't bother me much, as the only tube I use smaller than 1" is small enough to be bent using a handheld bender.  Speed of the bends doesn't bother me all that much either.  I can spend an extra minute or two to make a bend, seeing as I will be spending a heck of a lot more time measuring and triple checking that angle finder.  I can count on two hands the number of tubes I will have with bends greater than 45 degrees.I think the Speedway bender will be the route I take.
Reply:Cool.  Let us know what you think.  Pics would be nice too.    Might want to check with Chris the Bend Tech guy to see if the software supports those vertical benders.  I haven't bought it yet but the demo looks promising. As for the dies, it wasn't so much the tube size as it was that every size only comes in one CLR.  I'd say for most people and even for most of the stuff I do it's a non issue.  However, there is an Ercolina TB60 demo unit on their site for just under 13 grand.    Unless someone is a production chassis shop or a touring team any of the sub $1000 benders will do just fine for cages, bumpers, clips, etc.  Looking at the Northern Tool catalog and HF ist doesn't look too difficult to make the Speedway into AoH if you get tired of pumping down the road.
Reply:Originally Posted by dstevens  Might want to check with Chris the Bend Tech guy to see if the software supports those vertical benders.
Reply:There was discussion on Bend Tech's forum at OFN that the references were different and required using different points than with the other models.
Reply:Originally Posted by dstevensThere was discussion on Bend Tech's forum at OFN that the references were different and required using different points than with the other models.
Reply:I just went and looked for it and couldn't find it.  Might have been a Pirate 4x4 and IIRC they were talking about the Probender vertical.   I remember a member posting thanking him for helping with a vertical bender.  Cris goes by the handle "Fabcam" on both forums and is one of the head guys at OFN.  Bend Tech forum at OFN is http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/...play.php?f=103 .
Reply:Thanks for the help.  I had done a quick search of OFN and came up empty, but will look into it.