Rebar Cutter/Bender

[Fungus]

Been clearing land for a workshop/2-car garage and another 3-car garage/machine shed & have decided to do all the excavation and form work myself. Since I have other foundation projects on the horizon I’ve decided to get a rebar bender/cutter.

A 1/2" unit will suffice but I wouldn’t mind having 5/8” or 3/4" capability. I’ve been looking at units from Jet, Tolman, CooperTools, Kraft, HIT Tools, Celform Gilson, T-Cut, Dual Mfg, and GoldBlat. Having no experience with any of these mfgs it’s kind of hard determining a quality unit online.

I’m leaning towards the Tolman Open Cutter-Bender shown <font color="blue">here</font>.

This appears to be a pretty good unit and can be had for $260 (free shipping). Anyone have some first hand knowledge in this area?

Thanks ...

 

[SPIKER]

I haven't had any experiance with them myself but I belive I sw on e for about 90 at harbor freight and since it will not be used probably only a bit it would more than likely surfice and can be later sold for near same price or kept...

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[newaukum]

I have the HIT from White Cap www.whitecapdirect.com. I believe it goes for $295.00. Type in rebar cutter in their search engine. I use it quite a bit and it has never given me any problems. It mounts to a 2x8 which provides a great base, even in the mud. I have been told that the hub type like you are looking at fill up with mud etc. and become hard to work with. The HIT style is the one that most of the concrete contractors in my area use. Hope this helps a little.

 

[TOMDUALLY]

Your are building a work shop so why don't you purchase a 4"x6" metal bandsaw from Harbor Freight for $149.00 to cut the rebar (afterwards you can use it for other projects) to bend the rebar put a large "U" in a 2x8, slide the rebar through the "U" bolt to the bending point then slide a cheater bar (4'pipe) over one end of the rebar and pick-up until the desired angle is achieved. = just saved $100.00 and you have a bandsaw to use for futher projects. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[moeh1]

I was looking at having to do my own rebar work for my barn, until my friend turned me on to the local steel supplier. They have a hydraulic setup, 2-3 day turn around, don't charge you for waste, and worked so cheap I couldn't believe it. Long way to ask if you really think this is worth it /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
That said, I have seen the Farbor Freight unit, doesn't look too bad. I wouldn't want to bandsaw them myself, that seems like a whole lot of work. For just cutting, I have had good luck with my biggest set of boltcutters.

 

[centex]

$260 is a lot to spend on a tool that will get used only a little. There are other ways to bend rebar for a lot less money. The u-bolt and pipe idea would probably work fine for one or two slabs. I bought a cheap rebar bender at Home Depot for about $25 or $30 but it did not have any instructions and I am not sure how it is supposed to be used. I know it is not the way I tried to do it!!! I went back to the store and tried to find someone who knew how it was supposed to be used but they were even more stumped than me. I keep looking at the $250 bender/cutters but I know I don't really need one. I have a friend who has done several large slabs and he just laughed when I suggested that I might get a rebar bender.

You could get a Hossfeld bender and have a much more versatile though much more expensive tool. I am building one from plans I found on the internet. A chopsaw makes cutting easy.

 

[mahlers]

I like to use an oxy-acetylene torch outfit to cut the rebar, and a U setup for the bending. You can bend big rebar really easily when you heat it up with the torch, and you don't get the stress weaknesses in the joint that you can get with cold-bent rebar (not that it really matters since it's sunk in concrete). Best of all, a torch setup like this will find a million uses after you're done with the slab-building, and you don't need an electrical power source to run it.

 

[GareyD]

Have you thought about using a torch to cut the rebar....a cheater pipe and the raised rippers on the top of your box blade as the bender....or you can use the toothblade on the FEL...that is how I've done and am doing all four slabs here on the farm /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

A decent torch kit is about the same money as the cutter/bender you are thinking about and has many more uses around the farm...and I see from your bio you already have the box blade /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

GareyD

 

[kn6md]

I did the excavation/form work for my garage and bought a tolman closed bender. For three quarter inch rebar, I used an oxy/acet torch. Mud was not a consideration so I never even thought of it until I read it here.

My foundation required a rebar cage with numerous rebar rectangles and as I believe Marty suggested, I also had them done by a shop and they were about a buck each, including the rebar. Difficult to do so many repeatable bends with a manual bender and very cost effective. I got that idea from talking to a contractor.

I use an HF saw to cut rebar for welding projects, and I have had only occasional use for the tolman closed bender now that the garage is done. Saved so much $ doing the job myself, it made buying the tools the way to go--looks like you are headed in that direction, and it sure is fun.

I believe you will need a torch for bending three quarter inch rebar. As someone said, you will use it for other things as well--mine is used mainly for bending metal.

Regards,

Bill Vorhies