Woodward Fab small tubing bender, thoughts???

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I am looking into a small tubing bender for the racks I make.  I found this one with decent reviews at summit: Woodward Fab SPBENDKIT - Woodward Fab Pipe and Tubing Bending Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.comBefore someone says it, I am very well aware this is not going to do cages etc.  I build roof racks and tire rack baskets for Jeeps and being able to round the corners of the 3/4" tubing would be nice.Here is the info on the woodward fab site:*Make Smooth Kink Free Bends Easy*Rugged Cast Iron Construction*Threaded Adjustments*Extension Handle*Mount to a Bench Top or Clamp in a ViseKit Includes Storage Case, Cast Iron Base, Handle, Cast Iron Dies, 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 9/16", 3/4", 7/8" for rounds and 3/4" and 1" for Square Tube.Has anyone ever used one of these, or can someone recommend something else besides this??? It seems to be decently built.Thanx-Rusty :tea:Last edited by rustywrangler; 02-23-2010 at 01:49 PM.Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:Eastwoods stuff is usually quite pricy for what you get. I'd do a bit of hunting to see if you can find that same item eleswhere. Often Eastwoods rebadges stuff and sells it for premium prices.If all you are doing is 3/4" dia. thin wall tube, You might try a basic electricians EMT bender. Usually they are cheap and easy to use with a bit of practice. I've bent 1/2" ID black iron pipe with one in a pinch.If you get the Eastwoods bender, expect to mount it to a well secured table or bench. Don't expect to just clamp it to a light weight table or you'll just slide it all over the shop when you try and bend..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Is Eastwood the same company, or are you recommending another place????  $189 seems to be the going rate for the woodward bender.  I have tried the conduit bender and it leaves nasty tool marks half the time.I will be bending mostly 3/4" .063 wall stock. so I wanted something sturdy.I do plan to fabricate a base plate to bolt to the floor.  My bench would be sturdy enough but I would rather put it on the floor.Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:Ignore me... Sorry, I was talking to someone else here at the shop about a related subject and typing at the same time and typed the wrong thing. So much for multi tasking!  The item I was looking at was Summit's link you posted. Eastwoods stuck in my brain because of something the other guy was talking about.  It doesn't look all that bad, and it's cheaper than the individual bending dies for my upright bender..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIgnore me... Sorry, I was talking to someone else here at the shop about a related subject and typing at the same time and typed the wrong thing. So much for multi tasking!  The item I was looking at was Summit's link you posted. Eastwoods stuck in my brain because of something the other guy was talking about.  It doesn't look all that bad, and it's cheaper than the individual bending dies for my upright bender.
Reply:Anyone have this????Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:I have been eyeballing that bender for years at Northern Tool. Go to their website and look for that bender. It has some reviews there with pictures of some square tubing that was bent with it by someone who bought one.Here is the link if you want:http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...0437_200350437http://all-a-cart.comWelding Cart Kits and accessories
Reply:Originally Posted by ZTFabI have been eyeballing that bender for years at Northern Tool. Go to their website and look for that bender. It has some reviews there with pictures of some square tubing that was bent with it by someone who bought one.Here is the link if you want:http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...0437_200350437
Reply:I have a williams low buck 3/4 manual bender from Irvan smith that works awsome it was 150.00
Reply:I have a williams 3/4 manual bender I got from Irvan smith about $150.00 it works awsome. Good luck,Donny
Reply:Well I bit the bullet and picked it up.  Should be here on Wed so I will post up what she does.   I got the base plate layout from a friend so I can fabricate a base and stand now.Come try it out and stay a while.