Harbor Freight Ram

617_Racing · May 2, 2016

So... my harbor crap air/hydraulic ram just spilled it's guts all over my floor.

It's for my bender, so just the standard orange ram that everyone else has. I'm guessing the .188 wall DOM was a little too much for it.

Are there any better options? Reasonably priced! I know full electric hydro is possible but not looking to do all that with this bender.

617_Racing · May 2, 2016

Northern has one that is very similar... but at $250. Any where else to look?

trucker · May 2, 2016

Re:

Tractor supply maybe?

ranger11 · May 2, 2016

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Shoot Id take it back. Or go buy one and take it back. I've heard folks say they bent .250 with it and I know Jduck bends 188 with his all the time.

617_Racing · May 2, 2016

Re:

ranger11 said:
Shoot Id take it back. Or go buy one and take it back. I've heard folks say they bent .250 with it and I know Jduck bends 188 with his all the time.

Yeah I'll probably have my buddy do the ol switch a roo. He is apparently good at it.... There is a store right down the road in Conyers.

It bent the .188 with no issues, it wasn't until I pushed the ram back in on the final bend of the piece that it puked it's guts. I'm more concerned with my bender being able to handle it. It's just a model 3 I picked up at a scrap meet a few years ago for way cheaper than the bender alone cost let alone the die. So I had a 7/8" bolt for the follower to ride on and that bent. I've got a 7/8" tractor pin in it now, seems to of held up for 4 45* bends of .188 so far.

I wouldn't dare try to bend .250 with mine, Jduck has the Rouge bender.

Jduck · May 2, 2016

I bent the rod on one from user error, but I'd probably just chalk yours up to being a bad apple. Swap that thing out and try again. Not sure if I'd want to do much .250 wall on mine, you can see some of the pins flexing on .188 wall

617_Racing · May 2, 2016

Jduck said:
I bent the rod on one from user error, but I'd probably just chalk yours up to being a bad apple. Swap that thing out and try again. Not sure if I'd want to do much .250 wall on mine, you can see some of the pins flexing on .188 wall

Pretty sure the first bolt that bent was only grade 5... I've got a grade 8 on standby if this pin fails. But yeah looking around the other rams are more than twice the price and do the same thing. Plus it's the swag adapter so it has to fit in that 3" hole.

The rogue guy claims that it can bend 2' solid stock I thought?

Jduck · May 2, 2016

617_Racing said:
Pretty sure the first bolt that bent was only grade 5... I've got a grade 8 on standby if this pin fails. But yeah looking around the other rams are more than twice the price and do the same thing. Plus it's the swag adapter so it has to fit in that 3" hole.

The rogue guy claims that it can bend 2' solid stock I thought?

I'm pretty sure they sheared a pin bending that piece.

617_Racing · May 2, 2016

Jduck said:
I'm pretty sure they sheared a pin bending that piece.

Oops! I'm sure mine would of sheared if I hadn't noticed it. I'm not a big fan of how the follower just floats on the pin. Thinking some locking collars and washers to shim it up to essentially make the pin diameter larger, works in my head at least, if I do any more heavy wall bending.

5BrothersFabrication · May 3, 2016

Hope this helps.

Grant117 · May 3, 2016

I have had the same one you have for 10 years with no problems. Even bent .250 wall dom with it.

617_Racing · May 3, 2016

Grant117 said:
I have had the same one you have for 10 years with no problems. Even bent .250 wall dom with it.

Eh, guess I got the bad one then. Luckily HF had one in stock in Conyers.

Bebop · May 3, 2016

Quick side question guys, what is that bender you guys are talking about ?

I see just a pic with only the feet in, and I'm looking to find a bender able to bend .188 without it being too much of a hassle.

Thanks.

617_Racing · May 3, 2016

Bebop said:
Quick side question guys, what is that bender you guys are talking about ?

I see just a pic with only the feet in, and I'm looking to find a bender able to bend .188 without it being too much of a hassle.

Thanks.

Mine is a JD Model 3 I've got the old style Swag setup for the air/hydro ram and made the vertical stand for it. It bent the .188 pretty easy I would say. But the follower pin seems to be the week link, I bent the bolt I had in it. Maybe if the correct pin from JD2 was used it wouldn't be an issue, but I got mine from a swap meet a few years ago with out that pin. The TSC tractor pin held up just fine though.

I think my ram was just a bad apple.

94xjsport94 · May 4, 2016

Mine did that a few months ago on the day of the Super Bowl. Had to shoot up to the store before it closed and get another one. Built 2 cages with it no problem. I plan on bending some .25 wall with mine for me full hydro steering mount. If it doesn't go as planned I have another plan. Lol