Face it: you’re kidding yourself if you think there’s no advantage with a hydraulically-powered tubing bender. Trying to get the bend to just the right degree while pulling on a four-foot actuating bar makes using a manually-powered bender an exercise in frustration, not to mention wasted tubing.
Why do so many of us keep struggling with manual benders? Cost. Until now, converting to hydraulic operation easily carried a price tag upwards of $500 by the time you purchased the air/hydraulic ram, the ram mounting brackets, and the foot-operated pump.
This shows just how chilly...
This shows just how chilly (and damp) my relationship with my tubing bender had become. I’d become discouraged to the point that I took the bender off of its stand and stowed it away. Fortunately, that’s only surface rust you’re seeing. Some steel wool and paint will have it looking new again.
No more. Swag Off Road has found an affordably-priced air/hydraulic ram sold by Harbor Freight Tools and created a bender mounting system for it. If you go the Swag route and purchase the Swag Off Road tubing bender air/hydraulic ram mount and the Harbor Freight air/hydraulic ram, you could be out the door for less than half of what a power conversion used to cost. The Swag system is an empowering product.
Swag’s bender conversion kit is a stroke of victory for those who bend on a budget. Cost is low, yet quality is high. Brackets are made from laser-cut 1/4-inch-thick steel that’s been precision CNC bent. The kit can be ordered fully welded for ultimate convenience, or you can save even more cash by ordering the unwelded version and welding it yourself. Either kit ships as bare steel; paint it your favorite color before using. The Swag bender conversion kit works with the following manual tubing benders: JD2 Model 3, JD2 Model 32, Pro Tools 105, Pro Tools 105HD, and JMR. The JD2 Model 32 kit costs a little more because it requires additional brackets and fasteners. Shown is the kit for the JD2 Model 3. This is a bite-sized welding project that will save some cash and provide some welding practice, so the un-welded version got the nod.
The Swag brackets work with Harbor Freight part number (at press time) 94562. This is an air/hydraulic ram with eight tons of force: much better than your puny arms and a 4-foot cheater bar. The air/hydraulic ram is not sold by Swag Off Road; you’ll have to purchase it from Harbor Freight Tools. Swag Off Road’s website includes a link directly to the Harbor Freight product page. If you don’t have an air compressor yet, you can actuate the ram using the included jack handle.
Swag provides complete instructions...
Swag provides complete instructions to go with the conversion kit. These tabs index into the main bracket.
The length of the pivot tube...
The length of the pivot tube is not universal. If you have a JMR or Pro Tools bender, the tube will protrude slightly from the mounting tabs. The pivot tube for the JD2 bender sits flush with the tab surface.
The tube running between the...
The tube running between the tabs completes the conversion kit’s main pivot. A pair of provided bushings intall into the tube after welding and ensure smooth, reliable operation.
Once fully welded, the conversion...
Once fully welded, the conversion brackets are ready to bolt up to the bender frame.
You may need to modify your...
You may need to modify your bender mount to allow full range of motion for the conversion bracket. In this case, two corners of the bender mount had to be trimmed off.
You may need to modify your...
You may need to modify your bender mount to allow full range of motion for the conversion bracket. In this case, two corners of the bender mount had to be trimmed off.
The Harbor Freight air/hydraulic...
The Harbor Freight air/hydraulic ram bolts into place. Torque the 1/2-inch pinch bolts (circled) to 70 lb-ft. Swag Off Road also supplies a sleeve and a shaft collar (arrow) to mount and center the ram on the bender’s rotating arm.
Using the jack handle to release...
Using the jack handle to release the hydraulic pressure is a hassle, so the Swag conversion kit includes this slick, finger-friendly knob that mounts to the ram’s release valve.
Good to go! It’s time for...
Good to go! It’s time for some test bends. In addition to being easier to operate, a powered bender can be mounted to a mobile cart and used anywhere. A manual bender has to be fastened in one place to use. With the Swag/Harbor Freight combo, there’s no good excuse not to power up your manual bender.