Who runs TubeBenderReviews

TubeBenderReviews is published by Joseph Gambino — a mechanical engineer and the founder of Rogue Fabrication (RogueFab). Yes, I own RogueFab. And yes, we make tube benders.

This site exists because most tube bender "reviews" online are either thin marketing pieces or random forum opinions. I wanted a single place where you can compare all the major manual and hydraulic benders using one scoring system, with the rules written down in public.

Ownership & conflicts of interest

I am the majority owner of Rogue Fabrication, LLC. That means I have a direct financial interest in one of the brands listed on this site. You should know that up front.

To keep things honest, every brand (including RogueFab) is scored using the same published 11-category, 100-point scoring framework. RogueFab does not get special categories, hidden weights, or "editor-only" bonuses. If a RogueFab product scores well, it's because it wins on the published criteria. If it doesn't, the score reflects that.

How the scoring works

The scoring system is built around real specs and real trade-offs, not vague vibes. Each product is evaluated on things like:

• Value for money based on a minimum safe system cost (frame, starter die, hydraulics, and any required stand)
• Ease of use & setup (power options, ergonomics, documented setup complexity)
• Max tube diameter and bend radius capability
• Country of origin and manufacturing (using an FTC-style Made in USA standard)
• Maximum bend angle
• Wall thickness capability for 1.75" DOM
• Die selection and shapes (round tube, pipe, square/rectangular, EMT, metric, plastic/urethane pressure dies)
• Years in business and track record
• Upgrade path & modularity (power upgrades, LRA control, and bend-quality tooling)
• Mandrel compatibility
• S-bend capability and real-world flexibility

You can read the full scoring breakdown on the Scoring Methodology page. The short version: there is one scoring model, it's transparent, and it applies to everyone.

What we don't score (yet) & how to check it yourself

There are two things most buyers care about that we do not turn into points: lead times and day-to-day service quality. Those matter a lot, but they are hard to measure fairly across brands because they change over time and usually aren't published in a consistent way.

Instead of guessing, we do two things:

• On the home page comparison table we show each manufacturer's Google rating and review count (little star icons). That data is pulled from their Google Business listing and is not part of the 100-point score; it's context only.
• We tell you exactly how to test lead times and service for yourself before you commit to a machine.

Once you've narrowed things down to a short list, call the top manufacturers you're considering and ask:

• Current lead time for the machine you're looking at.
• Lead time for the dies you'll actually use (for example, 1.50" or 1.75" roll cage sizes, plus any oddball sizes you know you'll need).
• Whether those lead times are for in-stock items or built-to-order, and how often they slip.
• How they handle tech support, wrong parts, and warranty issues if something goes wrong.

Pay attention to the whole interaction: how quickly they answer, how specific the answers are, and whether they seem rushed or annoyed. That's usually the same experience you'll get when you're down a die and a project is on the line.

Data sources & corrections

Specs and pricing start from the manufacturers' published data, then get normalized so you can compare apples to apples. On top of that, I maintain a private admin panel that lets me correct or update specs without redeploying the whole site.

If you represent a brand and notice an error, email me with documentation and I'll fix it. I care much more about being correct than "winning" a comparison.

Affiliate links & money

At the time of writing, this site does not take paid placement and does not accept "pay to win" deals from any brand. In the future, some outbound links may be affiliate links, which means the site could earn a small commission if you buy through them. If/when that happens, those links will be labeled clearly.

External reviews & Google ratings

On some pages you'll see a small line of star icons under a brand name, showing that manufacturer's Google rating and review count. This data is pulled from the public Google Business listing for that brand, sampled periodically.

Those Google ratings are there for context only. They are not part of the TubeBenderReviews score and do not affect the 100-point scoring system. We don't adjust or curate those reviews, and we can't guarantee that the rating you see on this site is always the very latest number shown inside Google at the exact moment you visit.

What we don't score (yet)

There are a few things most buyers care deeply about that we do not convert into points, because they're hard to verify consistently from public data:

• Real-world lead times for machines and dies
• Day-to-day customer service quality and responsiveness

These can change quickly and are rarely documented in a way that would survive a legal or engineering-level audit. Rather than guessing or relying on rumors, we keep them out of the score entirely.

Instead, we recommend you test these yourself with the short-list of manufacturers you're considering:

• Call or email and ask specifically about current lead times for machines and dies.
• Pay attention to how quickly they respond, how clearly they answer, and whether they're transparent about delays or backorders.

You'll learn more from a 5–10 minute conversation with each brand than any website can reliably quantify, and you can combine that with the objective specs and scoring here.