rothenberger or hilmor bender?

[cosworth*mad]

I am at college and we use both (15mm&22mm). Being a novice i can't tell a good bender from a bad one but want to buy a quality tool. The college tutor recommends a hilmor, and only a hilmor, even stating that the rothenberger bender was poor. However now i am researching, rothenberger seem to have a repuatation for good quality tools. Any comments/advice. I have come acros this deal which seems good? what do you think? Thanks Rothenberger Superfire 2, Bender, Pipe slice, Gas 5 Pcs on eBay (end time 26-Dec-10 18:01:33 GMT)

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

hilmor without question the best

 

[quality]

hilmor every time

 

[defendertd5]

i bought a 2nd hand wickes bender from a steam fair ,works perfectly well for me ,lol,cost me £12

 

[PuraTherm]

Hilmor, with out a doubt.

 

[tamz]

Rothenberger don't actually make tools. They rebrand and sell under their own name. Their benders are similar to Record but can't be sure. Decent enough stuff.

 

[billybongo]

tamz , i would beg to differ on that one as i dont think rothenberger benders are anywhere near as good as record , in fact i think rothy tools are on a par with draper . just my thoughts .
Cosworth if i needed to buy benders it would be the hilmor even though i have had some record benders for years . cheers mark

 

[dontknowitall]

Hilmor benders, Rothenburger torch, monument pipe slices and bahco spanners.

Oh - Stanley knife but that's also because one of my names is Stanley!!

 

[turnpin]

Have both record and hilmor in my kit found rothenberger heavy by comparison but the pair I tried had the advantage of being able to set 12mm pipe as well even came with 12 mm guide not a lot of call for 12mm though!🙂regards turnpin

 

[tamz]

tamz , i would beg to differ on that one as i dont think rothenberger benders are anywhere near as good as record , in fact i think rothy tools are on a par with draper . just my thoughts .

You may be correct Billy. As i said i can't be sure. Record do good stuff but i've never had one of their benders for many years. The Rothy bender is ok but the Hilmour is generally regarded as the best.

If you can afford it, get a stand up machine. Much better bends than any hand bender. Just heavier to carry.
benditnow, conduit and copper pipe bending machine specialists - Home

 

[Blackcatgas]

Hillmor, I really havent liked anything rothenberger that Ive bought over the years.

 

[princegoose]

Hilmor benders, Rothenburger torch, monument pipe slices and bahco spanners.

Oh - Stanley knife but that's also because one of my names is Stanley!!

same here.....

spooky

the blow torch is craph though

 

[tiling spread]

hilmor m8 and a rothy tourch and the deal on ebay for the cutters
as i got screwed over on ebay last week selling some bits and some one not paying
i didnt get a chance to get my hilmor benders gutted
and there was a cheap set on there screwfix ones got them for a tener
they will do for now till i get this ebay thing sorted then ill have a nice new set of hilmor benders
and keep the cheep one in the lock up as a back up lol
iv used rothy benders and cheep sets and hilmors its down to self pref m8 use what you fill good using but for me its hilmor
all the wall even if you offerd me a new set of each now id take the hilmor benders hands down i made
the bigest mistake of my life once i found a used set of hilmors in a skip forms the lot used twice sold a load of tools out the lock up cleard the lot out and the benders was in the lock up
when i get my new set im locking them in a van volt

 

[tiling spread]

im getting bahco spanners for £15 each at the mo

 

[fuzzy]

hilmor, ive had both and hilmor is by far the best

 

[PlumbBobBob]

agreed hilmor for me too

 

[tamz]

Does anyone use stand up machines anymore or are we a dying breed?

Even your cheapest 2nd hand stand up will do better more accurate bends than any hand bender.

I used to take a 20ft length (you can still get them) of pipe out to the bender. Put half a dozen bends, saddles, and offsets on it and take it in.............couldn't get it in the bloody door!!! so had to cut it, usually into 3. Still looked the dogs when it was up tho.

 

[Toddyplumb]

Stand up for me Tamz , when I can . Usually in and out of houses its the hand bender but the floor bender is out quite a bit now with 28mm gas lines.
Nothing worse set up the bender pull the bends etc and have to cut it up !! LOL been there (more than once !!!)

 

[dontknowitall]

I used to take a 20ft length (you can still get them) of pipe out to the bender. Put half a dozen bends, saddles, and offsets on it and take it in.............couldn't get it in the bloody door!!!

That's just showing off! 😎

A fast tracker like me has NO chance!!!! 🙁

Good on ya though. Hope you keep that skill ... you lucky blighter!!! 😀😀😀

 

[tamz]

It is like riding a bike. Once you learn it you never forget.

 

[kirkgas]

tamz , i would beg to differ on that one as i dont think rothenberger benders are anywhere near as good as record , in fact i think rothy tools are on a par with draper . just my thoughts .

You may be correct Billy. As i said i can't be sure. Record do good stuff but i've never had one of their benders for many years. The Rothy bender is ok but the Hilmour is generally regarded as the best.

If you can afford it, get a stand up machine. Much better bends than any hand bender. Just heavier to carry.
benditnow, conduit and copper pipe bending machine specialists - Home

haha you can take a boy off a site but you cannae take the site out of a boy

 

[kirkgas]

Does anyone use stand up machines anymore or are we a dying breed?

Even your cheapest 2nd hand stand up will do better more accurate bends than any hand bender.

I used to take a 20ft length (you can still get them) of pipe out to the bender. Put half a dozen bends, saddles, and offsets on it and take it in.............couldn't get it in the bloody door!!! so had to cut it, usually into 3. Still looked the dogs when it was up tho.

i remember when i was a boy the guys used to set up a wee book with all the sizes marked down for the pipes you are on about, left hand and right hand houses, excellant way to do a full site, after a wee while the sizes didnt need to be checked in the book, it was a joy to bend up something say cylinder draw off/vent from the top of the cylinder right up into the loft and over the tank, as you say the hardest bit was getting the stuff in the door and up the stairs

 

[gates1979]

Id go for the Hilmors

 

[McGoo]

I have a rothenberger and it always leaves a "V" mark on inside of bend. It is difficult to avoid making creases as well. 'Record' are very good and i can't say anything about the Hilmor as haven't used one.

 

[thomas donovan]

rothenberger benders, pipe slices, box spanners are s##t. don't rate much they do apart from their grips

 

[WHPES]

Hilmor, but not an Ebay knock off.

Just remembered a joke we played on an apprentice a few years ago - gave him a 28mm bending spring and a length of pipe and told him to put a bend in it.

 

[markfxy]

Ive got a set of Rothenburger scissor benders absolute rubbish compared to Hilmor they keep rippling or even kinking the tube, Ive also got Rothenburgeger tube bender maxi these are the dogs wouldn't be without them.

 

[tamz]

gave him a 28mm bending spring and a length of pipe and told him to put a bend in it.

Done that one a few times. Not good for the knees so pull it around something.

When i was serving my time there was a 1 1/4" spring hanging in the yard but i never saw anyone brave enough to use it.

 

[ponchoplumber]

Hi,

In my experience, the Rothenberger benders are tricky for a big 22mm bend as the arms ar closer together and the handles a shade shorter also. I have used Hilmor which are superior in my opinion. I now always use an old set of Record benders, which are exactly the same detail as the Hilmor. They cost me 2quid and are so well used the raised numbers and marks on the formers are worn away and all paint has gone. This 'wearing in' now means every bend is physically easier and perfect each time.

I would definately go for Hilmor

Andy

 

[tipintim]

Ive had a record for 20yrs + and very happy

 

[WHPES]

We also gave another apprentice a hilmor bender and some 1/2" steel pipe and asked him to put a bend in it!

My van is a Defender and a tip I was given long ago is that the jacking holes on the front bumper are exactly the right size to hold some 28mm pipe with a spring inside. You can pull slight bends easily with it.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

funny enough WHEPS my next van will be a defender 110

 

[WHPES]

I had some 1 1/2" copper to bend once - I took it to the car exhaust shop in town and he did it on his exhuast bending rig!

 

[Zorro]

Hilmor ive had mine for 7 years up in this b**ch and still just as good if not better

 

[GQuigley67]

just bought a brand new hilmor the other week still havent used it yet but I prefer the tripod benders to be honest more used to them but obviously they are much dearer and more hastle if your not on site anyhow

 

[kay-jay]

my mate bent the legs on a rothenburger, 'nuff said!
irwin hilmor for me......

KJ

 

[WHPES]

I remember a post on Hilmor benders a few months back. The poster was getting rippling in the pipe, well guess what........

My merchants sold me some imported copper which rippled when I put bends in. Took a length of Yorkshire Tube to bend straight afterwards and no ripples!

 

[SF7]

Hello fellas
I'm in the process of trying to get a Hilmor CM42 over to the states. Then I noticed a Hilmor ratcheting bender that would go to 54mm ! I'm totally stoked. Do any of you guys know where I could get my hands on one of these ?

 

[adam84]

id see what a search engine turns up, if your in the states you probably have easy access to ridgid stuff as well which is more suited to commercial sized stuff, its harder to aquire over here but the quality is better than hilmor as well.

 

[GQuigley67]

i got a fault hilmor bender, went to use it and the pipe and guide didnt fit, seemed the former and the wheel were a couple of mil closer than usual 😛 took it back to B&Q and got it replaced new one works fine though

 

[SF7]

The biggest Ridgid goes to over here is 22mm. My searches yield "hire" businesses.

 

[GQuigley67]

hydraulic bender it would be for bigger pipework

 

[unguided1]

had my rothenburgers since i started as an apprentice, over 30 years ive been an apprentice and theyre still going strong

 

[PlumbBobBob]

you've been an apprentice for over 30 years?

 

[unguided1]

yeah doin me NVQ (not very quick)

 

[booster]

Rothernberger are overpriced i paid 40 for my bender never use it taking up space the slides are too tight and there awkward to use, hilmor everytime, makes me laugh when i go into a plumbase and see all the overpriced rothen rubbish on display. Huge profite in resale i guess..

 

[SF7]

Wasn't about to buy roll of soft tube for a 20' piece, bent a stick for a service. 😀

 

[desrob]

Rothernberger are overpriced i paid 40 for my bender never use it taking up space the slides are too tight and there awkward to use, hilmor everytime, makes me laugh when i go into a plumbase and see all the overpriced rothen rubbish on display. Huge profite in resale i guess..

hilmour for me .

 

[adam84]

Wasn't about to buy roll of soft tube for a 20' piece, bent a stick for a service. 😀

nice picture and nice bend, dont think you used the spring for that! with regards to your search for a bender have you tried lowes or home depot? might struggle for a large machine there, i got a snap-on mini bender that bends 6-8 and 10mm pipe nice machine though quite pricey as youd expect from SO.

 

[Howsie]

Rothenberger for me currently. Hilmoor previously. I get on with both of them and would buy either again.

 

[SF7]

nice picture and nice bend, dont think you used the spring for that! with regards to your search for a bender have you tried lowes or home depot? might struggle for a large machine there, i got a snap-on mini bender that bends 6-8 and 10mm pipe nice machine though quite pricey as youd expect from SO.

Hey Adam84
Thanks. No spring on that one.(I don't even want to try) I found a Ridgid 22mm ratcheting on E-Bay that I use when ever and where ever I can. Lowes and Home Depot have springs and lever benders in smaller tube sizes. Still looking though.

 

[nick99]

Got an Hilmor Standing bender for sale if anyone's interested...? Manchester

 

[SafeGasInstall]

rothenberger for me ,had it 3 years still good 🙂

 

[rhp]

Record, had mine for 15 years, just change the guides every so often. (Have a Hilmore set too).

 

[WHPES]

Had some imported copper pipe from a plumbers merchants this week. Rubbish stuff, Kept rippling and distorting when I bent it.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

all pipe work is the same here all rippling , I have worked my way round it ......just preheat pipe for a bit

 

[woodytheplumber]

i like Rothenberger especialy their pipe slices and i have the 15/22 bender and the microbore 6/8/10m bender never had problems with anything from them!

 

[GQuigley67]

ive got a really awful crow's foot from rothenberger, think i'm going to have to buy another one it doesnt even fit in some basins !!😡

 

[woodytheplumber]

that hapends to me when i borrowed a set of one of my mates dont know the manufacturer though i use a Monument crow foot just that day i didnt have that or my adustable one in box at time

 

[karlhayes]

I use a rothenberger pipe bender in the beging it felt a bit weard but as time goes on it seems as good as any other , just think back to the first time you used a pipe bender and how it felt you will get used to it the moreyou us it.

 

[tamz]

ive got a really awful crow's foot from rothenberger, think i'm going to have to buy another one it doesnt even fit in some basins !!😡

Get yourself a monument one😉

 

[ljrgas]

i got both.
rothenbergers in the shed
hilmors in the van
hope it helps

 

[HHP Ed]

I just slung my rothenberger benders in the bin as they started rippling, so bought i lovely new set of hilmor ones. As ive just had a play with a length of tube doing some bends i would say the hilmor are much better quality. Its strange as most other rothenberger tools are good(ish) quality.

 

[unguided1]

I find that the rippling effect helps dyhydrogen monoxide to do wheelies as it goes round the bend therefore less resitance as its not touching the pipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HHP Ed]

Oh damn unguided i should of thought of that before i slung them in the bin. Better hope the bin men havent been yet so i can go retrieve them.