10 Best Brake Line Bender 2024 – Ranking with Expert’s Guide
When I went to the hospital for the accident, I was devastated. I was devastated because I knew that my brake needs to get repaired and I didn’t give it importance. And for that, I still bear that scar on my forehead. You don’t want to carry it, do you?
And then, I decided to take care of my vehicles and the brakes as much as I can because it can save lives! No matter it is about saving a life or just repairing the brake, the most important tool we all use is the brake line benders.
If you want to make the brake perfect, the first thing you need to do is get the best brake line bender. But which one of all of them is ideal for you?
Yes, I will be discussing the brake line benders today so that you never need to go through unrepaired brakes!
Best Brake Liner Benders – Expert’s Guide to Know Before Buy
So, if you are ready to get the best brake liner bender for you, you cannot pick up anyone from the crowd. There are hundreds of brake liner benders available in the market and if you want the best one for you, you have to choose wisely.
The quality and performance of the bender depend on so many factors. And here, I will talk about the basic facts you need to know before you buy a brake liner bender.
Construction Material
Whenever you come to buy a tool, you must always remember that the material of the tool is the base. Here, if you are getting a bender that can feed the perfection of bending, you must try the ones that are made of high-quality material.
Several benders are made with several materials. The performance of the bender also depends on the material. Some benders are great for bending heavy-duty materials. On the other hand, there are also benders that work only for lighter materials.
The thickness of the material is necessary. Also, the size along with the outside diameter plays important roles. There are also benders that are versatile and can go for different sized and material. If you are a seasoned user, you must go for this type of bender.
Types of Benders
Before you jump for purchasing the bender, you have to go through the several types of benders. Yes, there are different types of benders for different jobs. So, before you choose one, you have to know why you are getting the bender and what are you going to do with the bender.
There are benders like ram style benders and mandrel benders. There are also rotary draw benders and toll benders. You should get the one that goes according to your requirements.
Accuracy
After you get the right material, you need to fix the accuracy of the bender. If you get a bender that looks perfect but the performance isn’t good, what will you do with that? I have used so many benders that look amazing but do no job at all!
As bending the lines need accuracy, you have to go for the one that can do a precise job for you. If you need to work on several brake lines, you must settle for a bender that is speedy in bending. Go for the Air/Hydraulic benders.
These are faster than the other ones. On the other hand, if you want the fastest one, you can settle for the electric/hydraulic benders too. However, if you want something affordable, go for the manual brake line benders.
Handle Grip
You might be the one that thinks that the grip of the brake line bender is not important but trust me if the grip is not right; you are going to lose it all! As you have to hold it, it needs to be comfortable.
If it’s not comfortable, you are going to lose control over your hand. As a result, the bend will never be précised. Rubber grip handles are best for a long time job. For neat and clean work, you need to choose a handle type that is easy on your hands.
Durability
If you are a user of a bender, you are going to need it forever. Who wants to spend money on benders that won’t work after 3 or 4 times of use? You might need your bender now and then. If you are a DIYer, you will surely need it so many times. So, pay a little more and get the durable bender for you.
The material of the bender has an impact on durability. Go for the heavy-duty materials. Go for the aluminum or drop-forged solid steel materials so that it can last a really long time!
10 Best Brake Line Benders: Evaluated and Compared
Flaring and bending can be tough. But it is not tough if you are working with the right brake line bender. However, what can be tougher for you is choosing the right brake line bender.
Most of the brake tools in the market are junks, no matter you agree or not. And with the wrong tool, you cannot expect the right bend degree! And so, you need to know which the right tool is for you.
Our Top Picks Best Brake Line Benders
Now, go through some of my used brake line benders that worked best for me. All of these are my hot favorite tools and I never forget to recommend these to my friends. If you are really interested to get the précised degree, you must try these out!
1. Imperial Tool 370FH Triple Head Tube Bender
Look at the name of the tool, ‘Imperial.’ And it is indeed imperial at work. It is in a different league when it comes to the best brake line bender.
The hard line bending tool has an indexing lever. Know that the bar has quick action, and it is the main component of the instrument. The two handles are separated, and each meets in the halfway of the work.
This halfway meeting of the handles makes the 180° bending the brake and fuel lines effortless and less time-consuming. Therefore, you get two benefits. Firstly, your hands will feel less strained and, secondly, ensures premium fitting- every time.
The Imperial Tool 370FH also has an excellent bending radius. The adjustable and incredible bending is compatible with almost all standard tubing sizes that you currently find in the market. So, you get straightforward bending with tons of options.
With the triple head tubing unit, you also get the most premium control over the entire ending process, and that too with the least effort. Therefore, your hands will be able to bend the tubing with more accuracy in practical life.
What’s more, the tube bender also has calibrated markings. So, offset as well left, and the right-hand bending process is fun with the unit. It has cushion grips with ergonomics to maximize your comfort level.
And finally, use the sturdy tool to bend thin steel, aluminum, and soft copper- three of the most popular brake line materials.
- 180-degree effortless bending capacity.
- Usable in tight space due to the compactness.
- Handles with cushion grips eliminate fatigue.
- The sturdy design will last long.
- Suits only O.D. tube bending.
- Incompatible with stainless steel tubes.
2. OTC 6515 Tubing Bender – Best heavy duty tubing benders
When I researched about this bender, the high-quality of this bender really amazed me. However, there are always misconceptions running outside regarding the usage of this bender.
If you know the correct usage, it will never let you down. This quality tool is heavy-duty and serves you for a longer period of time.
If you are the one who is in search of any 18- degree bends, you can find this as your best friend. This is one of the best heavy-duty tubing benders for doing several tubing jobs. The decent size of this bender really made me a fan.
Also, when I do y tubing jobs, I always require longer handles. Long handles are more comfortable to work with and on that note; this bender afforded me incredibly long handles. And so, I find it convenient to work with this.
The best part is if you are worried about the brake line metal, as I was, you can stay worry-free. Why? It is because the brake line metal of this bender is easily bendable. For me, this can make brake lines a breeze.
You can do tubing with this for ¼ inches, 5/16 inches, and 3/8 inches. As this is made of sturdy material, I was attracted to the high eminence of this bender!
- 180-degree bends
- Can tube three different sizes
- Can bend aluminum, brass, copper, and steel
- Long handles
- Long-lasting service
- Easily bendable brake line metal
- Decent size
- Requires practice
- Highly expensive
Bottom Line:
You might not be comfortable using this tubing bender if you are new to this. And so, you will require practice. Before you start working with your project, you must practice some bends. Also, the price of this brake liner bender is a little expensive. SO, only go for this if you are ready to pay a good sum of money!
3. ABN Brake Line Tubing Bender
When I was a newbie, I always had my eyes for the tubing benders that are easy to use. And as one of my friends suggested this ABN bender, I got my hands on this and literally screamed!
Yes, this was the simplest bending tool I have ever seen in my life! I used this for ¼ inches brake line and it worked amazingly. However, when I saw it, I thought the mandrel will be a small bend radius. But on a sudden note, it was larger!
When I looked into the quality, it seemed high and I was doing great too! If you are the one who wants an uncomplicated tool that can do great bends, you must welcome this kit in your house.
However, I got this one for occasional projects. If you need to do tubing every single day, go for something else.
When I first used it, I needed only seconds to get a 180-degree bend in the 5/6 inches line. I found out that this is versatile and you can use this for several tubing purposes.
The variety of sizes made me interested in this. I tried this on the copper, aluminum, brass, and the steel tubing and every time, I found that it works great!
- Constructed with machined aluminum
- Designed for 80-90 degree bends
- Made for copper, aluminum, brass and steel tubing
- Easy to operate
- Goes for ¼ inches, 5/16 inches, and 3/8 inches
- Sturdy and durable
- No crimping
- Required pulling the tubing while pulling the handle
Bottom Line:
While using it, you have to be careful. Though it is simple, you have to take care of it too! While bending, you have to make sure that there are no kinks at all. During pulling the handle of this bender, try to pull on the tubing too. All you need is a little practice, my friend!
4. Eastwood 49074 – Best Brake Line Forming Tool
A year ago, I tried this brake liner bender for the first time. The first thing that came into my mind is CONVENIENT. I found this bender very convenient when I tried these in making 90 degree bends.
There are so many two-handed benders I have used. However, I really feel that this one is far better than those in terms of operation.
If you want flawless work when it comes to tubing or bending, this can be the right choice for you. When I choose benders, the first thing I notice is the kinks. If you get a bender and you have to deal with kinks, nothing is more awful than this.
And the best part of this bender is there are no kinks at all! Also, you will face no flat sports at all! What you will get is just a perfect bend!
I also used this for straightening the lines that are installed in my car. This works great for that too! This is basically designed for 3/16 inches and ¼ inches brake.
But this also works on the fuel lines. Also, I found it great for decreasing the bend radius!
- Designed for 3/16 inches and ¼ inches brake
- Goes with fuel lines
- Reduces hand fatigue
- Shaped jaws
- Able to decrease bend radius
- Can add compound curves
- No kinks
- No flat spots
- Too much sharp
- A little distortion
Bottom Line:
When it comes to the quality of the bend, I have seen little distortion. But can you name any break liner bender that doesn’t have this? NOT REALLY! That’s pretty normal! The other problem regarding this is it is very sharp.
5. ABH Brass – Best Brake Line Forming Bending Tool Pliers
I tried so many brake liners and this is different! If you want to go for tubing every day, I don’t recommend this.
But if you are a person who needs to brake lines in your car in a very tight spot and you don’t want to ruin the line at all, try this one!
I was searching for something that will not damage the line of the car yet solve my issue and it did its job. And it did is appropriate.
I have a love for the long handles because if you want your comfort zone, long handles are easy to operate. And this brake liner gives you long handles to work with. I was worried about the crimping but the incredible part is there are no crimps at all!
The brake liner is handy for familiar users. However, you might require a little knowledge and practice to deal with it.
I saw that if you want to bend, you do not need to remove the tubing from your frame if you are with this bender. Also, this is very much affordable
- Goes for 3/16 inches and ¼ inches brake
- Goes for fuel lines
- Made with heavy-duty forged steel
- Long hands
- Strong jaws
- Designed for tight radius
- Comfortable and firm handle grips
- Leaves dimples
- Not great for the newbie
Bottom Line:
You might find some dimples and you don’t need to worry till you get your job done properly! Also, it will surely require some practice. It is not easy to understand the techniques of this brake liner. However, with some practices, you can easily learn the techniques and will be a PRO! All I will tell you is if you want to bend a tight radius, give it a try!
6. Lisle 44150 3/6” Tubing Bender Pliers – Best Brake Pipe Bender
If you are in planning to get sharp line bends with the best brake pipe bender, you will surely get these from this Lisle Tubing Bender Pliers. I was tired of the distortion and crimping of the other benders.
And then, I got this brake liner bender and I was saved from the crimping things forever! This is one of those brake liners that I was amazed for being incredibly design.
I am a person who uses fuel lines every day. I also deal with the brake almost daily. And on that note, I have found this brake liner perfect for shaping. If you are into the tubing stuff every day, you should get yourself one of these tubing bender pliers!
On the other hand, the outlook of this bender is interesting. Also, there are no kinks in most cases if you are careful enough. If you want to give the final fit in the tight spots of your car, this can be the right choice.
It is basically designed for 3/16 inches brakes lines. And as I already said, you will not find any sort of distortion. Steel tubing here is also flexible and it can bend almost everything!
- Goes with 3/6 inch brake lines
- Well designed head
- No kinks at all
- 3-1/4 inches different between handles
- No collapse of the tube
- Great for tight spots
- Provides perfect shape
- Uncomfortable rubber handles
Bottom Line:
The only problem you will suffer is handles. The rubber handles are not great and it is very uncomfortable to hold. However, once you get accustomed to proper grips, you will not find it uncomfortable anymore. All you need to do is practice!
7. Gino Development 02-0202 – Best Brake Line Forming Tool with Pliers and Bender
If your bend game is strong, you might want to try something that is very sturdy and provides hardcore work. Whenever such a situation comes, I still rely on this Gino TruePower Bender.
This bender is not only sturdy and works for tough situations, but it is also durable too. Buy it and it will give you so many years of service.
There are negative reviews regarding the jaws being uneven. However, I risk it and bought this for myself. And guess what? I do not regret my decision at all! The flawless shapes have amused me.
I was really scared of the kinks and all of a sudden, this gave me a surprise and I saw, there was a reduced amount of kinks!
And moreover, the bends with this bender are very easily done. With this, you will be able to create sharp compound bends and that to without the risk of creases!
On the other hand, tighter bends are necessary but often benders cannot give you’re the perfect bend in tight space. This one is surely going to change your idea because you can use it in the tight space and get faultless bends!
This bender has a perfect black coating. In most cases, this might come off while working. But the manufacturer of this bender made is perfectly and reduce the chances of the coating coming off.
In one sentence, this is basically a professional tool for you. Even if you use this bender every day, it won’t bother the quality as the quality is high!
- Designed for 3/16 inches and ¼ inches brake
- Goes with fuel lines
- Constructed with
- Sturdy and durable
- Flawless shapes
- Designed for tough and tight spaces
- Great for sharp compound bends
- Professional tool
- Keeps a bit kink
Bottom Line:
Yes, I agree that this brake liner can keep some marks or a little nick of line. But can you suggest to me any bender that does not keep kinks at all? No one can. On the other hand, as you are using it in the tight space, you will never might a bit of kink, will you?
8. Ion Tool Tubing Bender- Best Brake Line Bender Tool
If you are in search of the best brake line bender tool that is lightweight, you should try this one. In most cases, the best brake liners are usually heavy and sturdy.
But when I really wanted to get comfortable working with a tool, I want it to be easy to use. If the tool is lightweight, I can easily move it and make it flexible.
And I love the fact that this tool right here is just the way I want. But it is also amazing that the lightweight nature doesn’t affect the sturdiness. It is a high-quality bender in the market!
On the other hand, I also enjoy the fact that this one bends properly and easily. No matter what degree you want to bend, it can do its work seamlessly. If you are just like me who loves to create precise bends, you are going to love this one.
However, the price will give you a little relief as it is much affordable if compared to the other benders of the market. No matter your project is related to vehicles or media art, if you have this Ion tool Tubing bender, you are never going to look back and regret it.
As this baby is made of cast aluminum, it will be perfect for your home too. It works best on the steel brake line.
- Made of cast aluminum
- Able to bend copper, aluminum, and brass
- Bends easily between 0-180 degree
- Anti-slip handles for perfect grip
- Easy to read gauge added
- Durable and long-lasting
- Best for occasional use
- Not great for daily use
Bottom Line:
As we see, the moon has a dark side too, and the only negative aspect I see about this brake liner is as it is lightweight, you will not be able to sue it every day. This is great if you use it occasionally. However, this will not afford you the heavy-duty everyday facilities. If you are not too professional in bending, you can use this one!
9. The Stop – Best Automotive Brake Line Pliers
There are people like me who always try new tolls to know how it works and if the tool is affordable, it is easy to try. If you are in search of a bender that is very much reasonable in price, you can get your hands on this bender. If repairing has got tough for you, make it easier with this bender.
I first used it for making a short 90-degree bend. For that, I noticed that I had to move it down the line in several short increments for getting the right kind of bend. Here, it will not work properly if you want to bend it in one motion.
And so, I also noticed that this is made especially for the professionals. As I am in this job for years now, it was easy for me. And if you are experienced and seasoned in the field of using brake liner, you must give it a shot.
The design of the brake liner is impressive. This is basically for 3/16 and ¼ inches tubing.
It is not only the best brake line tubing bender, but it can cut too! This tube cutter is great for cutting stainless steel and aluminum. However, if you are up for using this for regular steel or the copper-nickel one, you are free to do that too!
- Made of heavy-duty metal
- Designed for 3/16 inches and ¼ inches tubing
- Goes for stainless steel, copper-nickel and aluminum
- Works for tubing and cutting
- Reasonable in price
- Great for daily use
- Made for seasoned users
- Not great for beginners
Bottom Line:
If you are a beginner, before buying this bender, you have to think. This is not designed for the newbie. This bender is specially made for the seasoned users that have used so many benders before and know how to work with it. However, you can try buying it and practice it. You have to bend in increments and you cannot hope to bend it in one motion and fast!
TIPS FOR BENDING BRAKE LINES AND FUEL LINES
Ask any professional or DIYers, bending the brake and fuel lines will be on their top list of intensifying tension during any repairing projects of worn-out parts. Mostly, mechanics face to avid problems with the bending of the brake line. These are:
- Bending lines (both brake and fuels)
- Flaring
We will discuss how to eliminate these two headaches with the pro tips for bending brake lines and fuel lines.
Tips 1: Understanding the Brake Line Types
First, you should know what kinds of brake lines you are going to work with at the moment. When we talk about brake lines, generally, there are three basic types. These are:
- Steel: Hard lines made of galvanized steel are mostly used for brake line manufacturing. It is of mild hardness but can’t be bent with hands.
- Soft steel: These hardlines for brakes are more exotic and softer than the steel. But these are costlier too.
- Stainless steel: It makes the hardiest brake lines that you can never bend with hands. You will need specialized bending tools for it.
Tips 2: Hand bending or pre-bent
Hard lines sometimes come with a pre-bent condition. These will require extremely least bending. However, you can prefer a non-bend hard line. You can then bend these hard lines on your own.
Tips 3: Finding the Right Tool
Your brake and fuel lines bending can become tedious if you choose the wrong tool. Similarly, opting for the right tool will make every turning a breeze. You can choose from three various tool types.
- Simple bender: It is a single piece bending unit. The tool has a latch that looks like a hook. It locks the tube sniffly with the hard line bending point. Although it is easy to use, the result isn’t always impressive.
- Lever action: With mechanical advantage, the lever-action facilitates smooth brake line bending. It has a specific radius to assist in the easy bending.
- Spring bender: It is used for bending fragile materials such as copper and aluminum made tubing. The spring benders provide large bending facilities and have kink and collapse prevention techniques.
Tips 4: Get the parts ready
You can either use a new line or replace the older one. For old bending line replacement, use the existing one for reference. You can easily replicate the bending point with a careful look. For new brake line bending, you may use bailing work as a reference.
For either kind of bending, use tape to keep the bends aligned.
Tip 5: Giving the final check-ups
You should reach the master cylinder with bending one after another. You must insert the hard bent line close to the flares and make sure the line fitting is perfect. You can add the flare before reaching the last line to ease out the bending streamline.
Know that bending the brake and fuel line doesn’t need rocket science. Instead, with a little effort and practice, you can complete the task. You will only need to equip with the right tool and follow these tips. Cheers.
FAQs on Best Brake Line Benders
Q1. How do you use a line bender?
Answer: If you want to use a line bender, first of all, you have to sandwich the tube between the former and the roller. Now, you have to force it around the former, and for doing so, you have to pull the handles holding it properly.
The line will get forced and will start taking the shape of the former. For this, all you need to do is put pressure by pulling both of the handles. If the pipe if large, settle for a large pipe bender in this case!
Q2. Is copper good for brake lines?
Answer: There are several brake lines and copper-nickel in one of them. There are benefits to this too. The best part is, if you want something that is resistant to rust and also resistant to corrosion, copper is amazing. If you want something very neat, here also, copper can help you out in terms of brake lines.
If you go for copper tubing, it will be reliable and safe too. People that are tired of coating will not need coating if they are dealing with copper. For ensuring the effective functioning of the brake system, copper can be great. On the other hand, steel brake liners are also incredible in terms of quality.
Q3. What is the most common brake line size?
Answer: There are several brake line sizes. But there are also two brake line sizes that are very popular. The 3/16 inches or 4.75 mm one and the ¼ inches one are considered as the two most common brake line sizes.
The 3/16 inches brake line is the smaller one. And the ¼ inches brake line one is the larger one. In most cases, 3/16 inches brake line is usually added in most of the trucks, cars, and other vehicles.
Q4. Is a stainless steel line better than the rubber lines?
Answer: If you are a non-performance oriented driver, you might prefer the rubber lines over the stainless one. If you want more than this, you can go for the stainless lines.
When you choose rubber lines, you might face some issues. Stainless lines are basically reinforced but rubber lines are not. And when there will be too much pressure o the rubber brake lines, you will see that the rubber brake lines will expand outward.
If you go for the stainless steel lines, you will not face the outward expansion. There will be less spongy feeling in the brake pedal. Also, you will get accuracy in the pedal. The braking adjustment will be before than before, for sure!
Parcel Up
Now that you know about the best brake line benders of the market, what are you waiting for? I have explained in detail about the best brake benders. From the specifications of the benders, I have described all the required detail you need to know.
Before you get the bender for you, you should go through the negative aspects too for knowing if you can work with the tool or not. Not every bender will be perfect for you. Your perfection depends on your requirements. And so, make a list of your requisites and jump for buying the right bender for you! Bending must be easy and fun but it also needs to be perfect!