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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 138
R
royta Offline OP
Member
I need to buy a 1 1/4" bender for a job I'm doing this weekend. I'll be using it on 1" rigid and am wondering if I should get one with the floppy power lever on it or not. I already have 90's for the job, but if I were to use the bender to form a 90, does the power lever get in the way and hang up on the pipe? Is the power lever necessary for a small 150lb guy like myself to even be able to bend 1" rigid? I'd rather not learn by trial and error, as the tool is too expensive to just have laying around because I don't like the design.

Depending on if I can get 18" of cover above the top of the last 90, I may need to run 1" rigid into the bottom of the panel. This would require an offset to keep things looking nice. Will a bender work fine, or is a hicky much easier? I wouldn't bother asking if it were 3/4" rigid, but since it's 1" and obviously harder to bend, I'm not sure of the best tool.

Thanks.

Roy

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
150 lbs? You need a lever. The lever has two "steps". Bend half way on the first step and then move to the second step to complete the bend. I would be happy to let you come over and borrow mine. [Linked Image]

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 138
R
royta Offline OP
Member
If I could make it Colorado again, I'd borrow yours in a heartbeat. [Linked Image]

Well, I'm somewhere between 150 & 155 lbs. Still, that's about 10 to 15 lbs. lighter than I was the day I got married. That's been just over 7 years ago.

Anyway, on to business. Is the end of the lever (part closer to your leg) closer (more parallel) or farther away (more perpindicular) from the handle in the first step?

[This message has been edited by royta (edited 01-12-2005).]

Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 886
H
Member
Any way you look at it an 1-1/4" bender really pushes the limit for hand bending. I have one without a step but I'm pushing 200 pounds and have great difficulty doing 90's in EMT. Never tried 1" ridgid and I suspect it may be even tougher. I would say if you have to do an occasional kick or offset these benders are ok but anything more and you will kill yourself. Another thing, at least with mine, is that the radius of the bend is much larger, more like a sweep.

I would suggest, especially since these are so expensive, that you try to rent or borrow a mechanical bender. Other alternatives might be elbows and LB's.

-Hal

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 138
R
royta Offline OP
Member
I'm buying 90's, 45's, and LB's for the job. I shouldn't be bending any 90's. I'm hoping I'll be able to run 1" SCH 80 from the last 90 (horizontal to vertical) into the panel, in which case I'll heat the PVC for the offset. The only reason I want a bender for this job, is for the "what if" scenario.

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1176772

1st pic is step one. 2nd is step two.

This is a Benfield.
I agree with hbiss on 1 1/4 benders. I am at about 180 and it will kick my rear.

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 138
R
royta Offline OP
Member
Thanks for the pics.

The bender would come in handy for when I'm running 1 1/4" EMT, but I'd much rather buy 1" 90's and 45's for when I'm playing with rigid. Should I just buy a hickey instead? Do they work fine for making small offsets into the bottoms of panels? I hate spending a bunch of money on a bender that will spend lots of time in the corner of the shop, but I also hate spending money on a hickey if I would see more use out of the bender. Even if the hickey was much cheaper. Has anybody been in my situation before that could lend their opinions?

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 46
T
Member
I've done plenty of deck work with 1" rigid. Many high rise buildings in Manhattan NYC. If I had to choose between the two benders,I would definitly go with the hickey.In my opinion the hickey allows you to be alot more versatile with your bending. I'm around the same weight as you 155 lbs. 1" rigid is a little tough to bend but you can definitly do it. A 1 1/4" emt bender is a heck of alot harder in my opinion.If you lay the pipe on the floor & Place the back of rigid up against a wall
you can safely really get on the hickey with all your weight..that should make things a little easier for you... ToHo

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 86
N
Member
Royta,
I have a 11/4" bender with no lever and I wish someone would steal it. I'm limited to offsets with it. Bought it too quickly without looking at what was out there. But I also bought a Greenlee bender set with the hand pump and that has served me very well for twenty years. It can sit there for nine months but then I pull it out and the job is a whizz. For the 1" rigid I think I would use a hickey. Any chance you could rent one for this job?
Ron

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 507
G
Member
We have two of the 1 1/4" benders, both with the footpedal. I'm also a small guy, 160 lbs. and anything more than a small kick becomes a two man job.

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