Yep, that is the problem with the lower cost brakes, they simply bend themselves and don't give you a clean bend. The wider the piece, the worse it gets, too.

You are spoiled by the commercial quality one you use at work, and are finding out what all of us have realized at one time or another.............good tools cost more money, but really get the job done better and faster.

We looked at the Harbor Freight one, but ended up buying a Grizzly 48 inch unit. It cost more, but we just bent up quite a few pieces of 18 gauge that were 46 inches long, and the bends are crisp and sharp.

My Son actually built one out of some pretty heavy stock, but it was marginal as the bending lip distorts under pressure, and lets the piece distort too. It is sitting in the corner and will probably be cut up for parts. He reinforced it a lot, but it still bends.

Maybe you can use the one at work for the bigger pieces and use the HF unit for smaller ones?


Don