Review of Harbor Frieght Sheet Metal Bender

[JeepnGreg]

I just bought one of these:

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

it was on sale for 179.99 at the local HF store

I bent up a few pieces of scrap i had laying around....including an old license plate

I have to say I'm actually pleasantly surprised.

the bender is nothing fancy but it will certainly do the job i need. the bender requires no assembly other than the legs. it appears to be made of all mild steel and all the surfaces are painted.....as soon as you bend anything the paint chips off...but i don't expect much more.

the bends were clean-enough for rocker panels and floors for the jeep. It should be a great tool for repairing the body stuff on my jeep.

I just thought I'd pass the info along for anyone else that needs new floors or rocker panels

now i need something for cutting the sheet metal....

[jeepgod]

7.5" cut off wheel.. installed on a circular saw.. yes.. the one you have for cutting wood...

that's what i use for my 14 guage diamond plate steel.. works like a champ.. and i already had the saw...

[JeepnGreg]

I was going to try an electric sheet metal shear from HF....39.99 and claims it can cut 14g.

certainly cant hurt....and it would make cleaner cuts for the section of the body where they added metal to make the CJ6 from a CJ5 panel...if that makes any sense.

[JeepDawg]

I have a few of their things...the engine lift is good....for what (we) do, most of their stuff is fine....If I depended on the tools for a living....I wouldn't buy any of the power tools

[Jim_Lou]

If I depended on the tools for a living....I wouldn't buy any of the power tools

I make money with my tools although I no longer depend on them for a living, and I use their 4 1/2" angle grinders - not the 4" ones. At around $17 they're cheap enough to have a couple of spares and four of them in a rack with a different wheel in each. Six times $17 isn't enough to buy just one good grinder.

I've had a one good one for twenty years and it's still running, but I get five years or more out of a HF cheapie so they're a good deal. I probably have some that are ten years old or more. The most common failure of them is when I nick the power cord. Then I just replace the cord and keep on using it.

[Caver Dave]

Originally Posted by Jim_Lou

I make money with my tools although I no longer depend on them for a living, and I use their 4 1/2" angle grinders - not the 4" ones. At around $17 they're cheap enough to have a couple of spares and four of them in a rack with a different wheel in each. Six times $17 isn't enough to buy just one good grinder.

I've had a one good one for twenty years and it's still running, but I get five years or more out of a HF cheapie so they're a good deal. I probably have some that are ten years old or more. The most common failure of them is when I nick the power cord. Then I just replace the cord and keep on using it.

Same here brother... My budget couldn't survive buying 3-5 [insert brand name here] grinders. My first HF/NH/NT grinder went 3 years before it was "borrowed"... my current oldest is at least that old, but gets a rest from the others loaded with assorted discs...