If you're into DIY tasks and hobbies or you work in the trades, there's a good chance you're familiar with Harbor Freight. The chain of stores is known primarily for its expansive inventory of hand and power tools. These gadgets and devices are generally more affordable than big-name brands' products, but range in price and quality levels from entry-level budget tools to those that can often rival more expensive names. While Harbor Freight may be most famous for its tools, the store's inventory is extremely
large, and it sells everything from lawn and garden decor to outdoor lighting and camping accessories.
One interesting class of tools sold at Harbor Freight is tube benders. Not to be confused with pipe benders, which are built to bend and shape thicker and heavier-duty pipe, tube benders are designed for manipulating smaller and thinner-walled tubes. Because tubing tends to have thinner walls than piping, bending it requires more delicacy. Tube benders often feature a mandrel, which is inserted into the hollow part of the tube to prevent kinks from forming during the bending process. Pipe benders, on the other hand, work by applying pressure to a section of the pipe, creating a bend, which may have a flattened section.
While Harbor Freight does not sell any mandrel-style tube benders (these devices tend to be extremely expensive), it does offer three other types of hand-operated tube benders. Two of these tools cost $9.99 each, while the third comes in at $139.99. These devices range in their capacities, but are chiefly designed for use with smaller copper, aluminum, and steel tubes. These tools aren't too costly, but we were interested in seeing if they're worth it at all. So, we checked out the user reviews, and here's what we learned.
Read more: 12 Harbor Freight Finds That Are No-Brainers At Their Price
Harbor Freight Tube Benders Are Generally Well-Rated By Users
Each of the tube benders that Harbor Freight currently sells comes with relatively high user ratings. The highest-rated product with 4.6 out of 5 stars based on nearly 400 user reviews is the Pittsburgh ⅛" to ¼" Tube Bender. The Harbor Freight DIY tool is capable of bending small 1/8-inch to ¼-inch tubing up to 120 degrees. One customer wrote that the device is a "simple tool that does what you need it to do," while another praised the device's efficiency, stating, "I needed to replace an OEM steel brake line on our '02 Mountaineer, replacement pre-bent no longer available. This bender worked well, nice bends on steel line[s], no kinks."
A larger version of this tool, the Pittsburgh ¼ in. - ⅜ in. Tubing Bender comes with 4.4 out of 5 stars based on nearly 700 user reviews. It's designed to handle ¼-inch to ⅜-inch aluminum, copper, and steel tubing, and, like the previous product, costs $9.99. One customer celebrated the device, saying, "I purchased this to redo the brake lines on a '51 Chevy P/U. I was surprised by how well it worked. Probably my best purchase from HF," while another raved about the product's ease of use, stating, "this [is] a good and durable tube bender, easy to use and tough."
The third tube bender sold at Harbor Freight is the Doyle Premium Ratcheting Tube Bender Kit. It has 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 99 customer reviews. One user praised the tool's user friendliness, saying, "easy to use. Nice bends for copper tubing," while another raved about its quality, affirming that it's a "very high quality tool. Does what it's designed to do, but isn't junk like so much out there."
Why Are Tube Benders Different From Pipe Benders?
As mentioned, pipe benders are typically built to manipulate larger, heavier-duty pipes. It's important to understand the difference between these tools because tubes and pipes are traditionally separated by their uses. While a pipe is typically used to facilitate the movement of a liquid or gas, tubes are often used for structural purposes. A pipe can have a flattened bend, depending on its application, as it will still allow gas and liquid to flow through. In comparison, a structural tube cannot have a flattened bend, as it will reduce the integrity of the overall structure. Understanding these differences is critical for fabricators, and choosing the right tool for the job can make the difference between a ruined project and a successful one.
If you're interested in pipe benders in addition to tube benders, Harbor Freight is still a solid place to check. The chain tool store currently sells two pipe bender models. The first is the Central Machinery 12 Ton Hydraulic Pipe Bender, available for $149.99. It's designed to handle both tubes and pipes and can bend schedule 40 and 80 steel pipes between ½-inch and 2 inches wide. It works using a hydraulic pump, similar to some types of automotive jacks and includes six precision dies for different-sized pipes. The tool is moderately well rated and features 4 out of 5 stars based on 446 customer reviews.
The second pipe bender sold at Harbor Freight is the Central Machinery 16 Ton Hydraulic Pipe Bender. It works in the same way as the previously-discussed product and can handle schedule 40 and 80 pipes between ½-inch and 3 inches wide. It costs $219.99 and comes with slightly worse customer ratings, featuring 3.7 out of 5 stars based on 139 user reviews.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
