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OffshoreGas

OffshoreGas

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Looking at ordering a few sets of benders, I’ve always used Rothenberger ones. Are they much of a much mess? Obviously we all have our favourites.
 
I use these
https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/rothenberger-pipe-bender-15-22mm/88794
Had them 8 years always bent fine, never rippled. Only now are they starting to get a little stiff when bending 22mm, not sure why that is.
 
You can get old record or hilmor benders on eBay at a decent price... Asking as you don't mind abit of missing paint. I've used my mates rothernbergers before and thought the where poor bending 22mm but each to their own.
 
Craig Watson said:
I use these
https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/rothenberger-pipe-bender-15-22mm/88794
Had them 8 years always bent fine, never rippled. Only now are they starting to get a little stiff when bending 22mm, not sure why that is.
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Cheers I’ve got a set of those too, no real complaints about them. Only copper benders I’ve had so wasn’t really sure if crap or good.
 
bend it now
 
Jerry said:
Well, I guess that's the whole nature vs nurture debate. Some can swing both ways too. They come in a range of sizes and colours. There are also some that don't identify with your binary hetero-normative definition and refuse to be categorised.

Wait. What are we all talking about?
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I was looking for some relationship advice but these lot are just talking about pipes.
 
Stu-B said:
Agree, would be the difference between hiring or not if they got decent tools.
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2 are very competent guys I plan to move over from another business and put through the gas pathway scheme. Two will be experienced hires which is proving harder to find a decent fit.

There are advantages from a health and safety perspective of providing tools ie ensuing they are fit for purpose etc.

I’ve always worked that hand tools were the responsibility of the employee, other tools the employer.
 
OffshoreGas said:
Are the modern Hilmors any better than the cheap ones? A few brands look like they’ve come out of the same factory but have had different stickers put on.
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Yes they are. I've got a new set of Hilmor after my van was stolen and they are still the best in my opinion.

I've got a cheap pair my employer gave me and they are stiff and horrible.

You can't cheat on tools, I dont have a lot of tools but what I have are high quality
 
Craig Watson said:
If your staffing up a new business I would think it would be power tools, fga's etc you should be supplying. I would expect most plumbers to have hand tools and a set of benders.
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It depends, British Gas and many others provide them. A recent death of an apprentice electrician at Western Power was the result of using his own hand tools and the HSE concluded that the employer must provide hand tools.

So if you employ then it's down to your risk assessment. If your employee is injured from using a hand tool then you could find yourself liable.
 
I always buy the cheapest hand tools possible, my benders lasted 20 years so far. Can’t beat the pound shop for tools too, sold all my Snap On on when started gas engineering ;)

Pound shop tape measures...wicked
Pound shop spirit levels...love
 
Jim09876 said:
I always buy the cheapest hand tools possible, my benders lasted 20 years so far. Can’t beat the pound shop for tools too, sold all my Snap On on when started gas engineering ;)

Pound shop tape measures...wicked
Pound shop spirit levels...love
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All personal preference and everyone has there own way of working. To me it generally make sense to have the right tool for the job, what it costs you up front pays its self back in the long term. It’s enough of a struggle without the tools you have fighting you too.
 
richard978 said:
It depends, British Gas and many others provide them. A recent death of an apprentice electrician at Western Power was the result of using his own hand tools and the HSE concluded that the employer must provide hand tools.

So if you employ then it's down to your risk assessment. If your employee is injured from using a hand tool then you could find yourself liable.
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Employing people is a liability nightmare these days. No matter what eventuality you think of some have a way of finding creative ways of f-ing things up
 
Did you see the news today ! no more gas boiler fitted by 2020 I would be thinking get your new guys trained in alternative forms of heating and push part of your company that way by being a accredited installer MCI and what ever else is needed , heating is gonna change dramatically in the next 5 years get ahead now take your company well part of it down the new road and get ahead of the rest , as for tools any decent engineer will have his hand tool kit , supply good quality battery gear ( Metabo ) and hilmour benders if you do go that way . Kop
 
king of pipes said:
Did you see the news today ! no more gas boiler fitted by 2020 I would be thinking get your new guys trained in alternative forms of heating and push part of your company that way by being a accredited installer MCI and what ever else is needed , heating is gonna change dramatically in the next 5 years get ahead now take your company well part of it down the new road and get ahead of the rest , as for tools any decent engineer will have his hand tool kit , supply good quality battery gear ( Metabo ) and hilmour benders if you do go that way . Kop
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I agree diversity is key to a business and it would be foolish not to prepare for these changes but it can also be dangerous to follow the latest fad. If they ban new installs after 2025 (the 2020 date has been confined to be wrong) as the proposal suggests 85% of heating is still from natural gas. You’ve got a massive install base that’s still going to require repair. They’ve been saying for 15-20 years every home must have a source of green energy but that’s never happened either.

I agree it will come but as it’s going to take 20 years to build the generating capacity for all these battery powered cars etc I think it’s a while off yet.

Just the usual daily mail scaremongering.
 
Jim09876 said:
Metabo

Supply Milwaukee, at least start out them guys out on the correct path.
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I don’t think you can go far wrong with Metabo for drilling/grinding machines. Some of there other tools are fairly woeful.

For 18v stuff I’ve gone down the Makita route as that’s what we use elsewhere, they make a reasonable tool of each type and are generally good value for money.
 
Craig Watson said:
Had them 8 years always bent fine, never rippled.
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Good that you don't get rippling with those but for those that do I have a solution when mine have done that.

I apply a tiny amount of light oil with a rag to both the former and the guide. I believe that rippling occurs when the finished surface of these parts get roughed up a bit over time through normal use, not so much that you can see it but it's there. I think rippling occurs as the pipe repeatedly sticks or grabs then lets go as the pipe is being formed, leaving the ripples in the pipe.

The oil allows the pipe to slip more easily as it is bent around the formers. It's an easy fix and you don't have to reapply more oil for a good few weeks, depending upon how much you use the tool of course.
 
@Jim09876 which bit don’t you agree with?

Each to their own obviously, you’ll find a lot of fabrication companies use Metabo grinders/drills because they can take a lot of abuse.

I’ve not owned anything from Milwaukee for years after I found the parts/service people to be horrific. I can’t imagine this has improved since being bought over by TTI (the same company that make Ryobi). I’m sure others have had bad experience with Metabo.

Makita are one of the few tool companies that aren’t owned by vampire like venture capitalist firms that just bleed once reputable brands dry. More often than not you’ll find hire shops supplying Makita tools which says a lot.
 
OffshoreGas said:
@Jim09876 which bit don’t you agree with?

Each to their own obviously, you’ll find a lot of fabrication companies use Metabo grinders/drills because they can take a lot of abuse.

I’ve not owned anything from Milwaukee for years after I found the parts/service people to be horrific. I can’t imagine this has improved since being bought over by TTI (the same company that make Ryobi). I’m sure others have had bad experience with Metabo.

Makita are one of the few tool companies that aren’t owned by vampire like venture capitalist firms that just bleed once reputable brands dry. More often than not you’ll find hire shops supplying Makita tools which says a lot.
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Just own a Milwaukee at the moment, that’s all! Had all the brands mentioned...all preformed satisfactory to be honest. I never considered the ethical stand point though, just bought it outside Screwfix of the rep.
 
Jim09876 said:
Just own a Milwaukee at the moment, that’s all! Had all the brands mentioned...all preformed satisfactory to be honest. I never considered the ethical stand point though, just bought it outside Screwfix of the rep.
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Can’t really comment on the ethics but the business model of the firms that buy tool companies is to make them as cheaply as possible to extract as much profit as possible whilst taking advantage of the reputation of a once great brand. 10 years later the brand is ruined but the share holders are happy. Once they get bought out quality and service seems to go down the pan pretty quickly.
 
Stigster said:
Good that you don't get rippling with those but for those that do I have a solution when mine have done that.

I apply a tiny amount of light oil with a rag to both the former and the guide. I believe that rippling occurs when the finished surface of these parts get roughed up a bit over time through normal use, not so much that you can see it but it's there. I think rippling occurs as the pipe repeatedly sticks or grabs then lets go as the pipe is being formed, leaving the ripples in the pipe.

The oil allows the pipe to slip more easily as it is bent around the formers. It's an easy fix and you don't have to reapply more oil for a good few weeks, depending upon how much you use the tool of course.
Click to expand...

Sometimes it’s just the tube had a length that would ripple anything past 45 degrees turns out it was hard in spots
 
ShaunCorbs said:
Sometimes it’s just the tube had a length that would ripple anything past 45 degrees turns out it was hard in spots
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I agree it can definitely be the fault of the pipe. My solution works when the benders are rippling every piece of pipe put in them. As I work in the workshop with students I've got 10 sets of them and occasionally one of them will start rippling every bend so that's what I do to stop that happening.
 
Stigster said:
I agree it can definitely be the fault of the pipe. My solution works when the benders are rippling every piece of pipe put in them. As I work in the workshop with students I've got 10 sets of them and occasionally one of them will start rippling every bend so that's what I do to stop that happening.
Click to expand...

Normally do a test piece and spray with wd40
 
Stigster said:
That's good advice, do a test piece and keep the thing lubed. I like it.
Click to expand...

Then you at least know what’s at fault and if the benders need some love with the 3 in 1 and some steel wool
 
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