Quote:
Originally Posted by FourOaks
I don't want to start a war or anything. I just want to make sure im not missing something.
There is a particular company selling "Hoop Benders" for High Tunnel, Low Tunnel,etc. production. The benders come in different varieties depending on your needs. Some are listed as "Professional" and some as "Hobbyist". The website claims that they are the inventors of said product.
The benders only make one size of hoop.
The benders are made from 3 pieces of pipe. 2 of which are bent into the radius needed to bend your pipe.
I was looking at a Hoop Bender for a 12 foot wide High Tunnel. Im considering a 12x48, mostly to put flats of plants in for spring and fall sales.
The bender is something like $53 plus shipping.
I decided that I wasnt about to shell out roughly $70 for something that could be easily built. So.. I made my owner bender from a scrap of 2x6 cut into a arch and a piece of pipe strap to hold the pipe in place. Total cost. About $1 The most complicated part is figuring out the length of the arc needed to create the radius.
I went this morning and bought two pieces of chain link fence rail, which is what the "Hoop Bender" people use, and went at it. In a matter of about 5 minutes had my 12 foot bow made. I pounded some scrap rebar into the ground and slipped the bow into place. My bow looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself.
Am I just missing something, that explains why the Hoop Benders are so expensive? Anyone use one, and can you justify the price?
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I bought the johnnyseeds gothic high tunnel 14' wide bender. It would have prob. worked with 1-3/8" chain link fence material, but I used industrial grade 1-5/8" material. It made all 22 bows but it def. wasn't designed for this material. The cheater bars that came with it were a complete joke. They kinked in 1/2 after 1 attempt with the 1-5/8" pipe. We had to use 6' long 2" sch 40 pipe for cheater bars.
Cost was $90+shipping which is a complete rip off. Yes it worked but generally was cheaply made (prob < $5 of material). It did save time though; building the bender would have taken quite awhile. Dunno, but now there it sits in the garage.