The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Economy's Spiraling down, Don’t Waste your Money

So I didn’t have one of these, which meant that I had better get one,
so I threw one in to make up a tool order from Tool Topia.
I’m talking about a KD 2780 tube bender.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/137005075/large
To put is nicely, what a piece of crap!!!!! Don’t waste your money, this
thing is really poorly made, the dies are extremely crude and it flat doesn’t
bend a tight bend as is advertised. No bender will bend a tube without
flattening it unless there is a follower of some sort keeping the tube
pressed in the die while it is being bent.
Here are a few more of my favorites that do work. A couple of them are
inexpensive HF benders that work better than the $18 KD 2780, which is
destined for the back of the dusty never used tool drawer along with those
spring benders.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/tubing_benders-cutters

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Imperial, Rigid and Reed are the only tools I buy for plumbing work. Bit pricy but I need them to be reliable and make money for me.

Dan Bentler

I have always considered KD as the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to specialized tools. In tubing benders, I think Reed is the Cadillac.

I have one similar to the ones in the first pic and one like the one in the 4th pic. They are all I've needed so far.

Just bent it over your knee!

Swagelok makes the very best hand tube benders. (and are extremely proud of them... look for used ones instead)
http://www.swagelok.com/search/find...tem=4f9d4893-970a-4488-a9c9-501f774bb60d

Others I like are Imperial, Rigid, Weatherhead, and Parker in no order. All are close to the design in Denny's first bender picture.
I'll try for a picture this evening.

I think I also have one Reed bender but like it less because the little holder is fixed, it doesn't swing out of the way like the rest do.

Grigg

You mean these right Grigg? they're Gould/Imperial and I've had them for a long
time. http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/137005040

Some of my favorite benders are, well, not my knee, I don't think that would look
to good judging from the shape my knees are in, but I do have a whole box of all
different size round stock for the sweeping bends. All of the larger bends in the
fuel/vacuum instalation were made with various round stock:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/137121008

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I used this one from the expensive Eastwood site: Triple Head 180 degree Tubing Bender 3/16-3/8 in

It worked great. I used it on my 57 3100 V8 for the fuel pump (180 degree at base) to fuel filter pipe. I was impressed how easy it was and I did not have to waste any pipe making it fit. As in the first one fit.

I bought it on sale.

Pictures to come.

I don't have any pix of it, but one of my favorite tube benders is an old Robinair ratcheting bender my Dad has had probably longer than I've been around. IIRC, my Grandpa on Moms side gave it to him. It doesn't do real tight bends, about 1 to 2 inch radius depending on line size, but the bends are smooth with no kinking. I also have a couple pair of the tubing bender pliers from Lisle that I've had good luck with. Those are very good for tight bends, I've bent 3/16" steel line tight enough to fit around my finger and not be kinked or have any fluid restriction.
BTW, I didn't install that one on anything, only did it to see if I could.

Here is the webpage of my engine bay "redo" with pictures at the bottom of the fuel line I bent with the above mentioned pipe bender.

My Engine Bay page

The engine color looks a bit bright as a result of taking it on my Xoom tablet.

-Stacey

OK, here are my benders, close up pictures too after the overall shot.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2963457890080251109VkAUMS

From the top:
1/2" Ridgid
1/2" Parker
3/8" Imperial
3/8" Sawgelok
5/16" Parker
1/4" Weatherhead
1/4" Weatherhead
3/16" Ridgid
3/16" Parker
3/16" Parker
3/16" & 1/4" pliers, unknown

Not shown is an Imperial kit in a tool box for about 3/8" or 1/2" up through I think 1"

Grigg

Stacey, that's one good lookin' engine bay. Great job on the redo!! Good, crips photos too. Thanks for those.

Grigg........good grief, does a man need that many tubing benders?!?!?! Ha! I read this post only because I don't have even one and have been wanting to buy one to do my new brakes lines myself instead of paying through the nose to buy pre-bent ones. I'll go to HF and start with one middle-of-the-road benders.

Tools, Not sure how man ever lived without them.