Hydraulic pipe bender: measure the pipe before the tonnage
Updated: 23 October 2026
You have searched for a hydraulic pipe bender because a steel tube needs a bend, and a 15 mm copper lever is the wrong machine. The three listings in our [pipe bending machine comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/pipe-bending-machine) do not do the same job. One is a manual hydraulic ram with BSP dies, one is a hand-powered mounted former whose inches are not identified, and one is a roll page that never states a diameter. By the end you should know whether to shortlist a ram, stop and measure, or leave the roll until a size exists. Prices are the amazon.co.uk figures in that comparison on 21 October 2026, and they will move. Peter F. did not bend pipe on a test bench. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have searched for a hydraulic pipe bender because a steel tube needs a bend, and a 15 mm copper lever is the wrong machine.
You have searched for a hydraulic pipe bender because a steel tube needs a bend, and a 15 mm copper lever is the wrong machine. The three listings in our pipe bending machine comparison do not do the same job. One is a manual hydraulic ram with BSP dies, one is a hand-powered mounted former whose inches are not identified, and one is a roll page that never states a diameter. By the end you should know whether to shortlist a ram, stop and measure, or leave the roll until a size exists. Prices are the amazon.co.uk figures in that comparison on 21 October 2026, and they will move. Peter F. did not bend pipe on a test bench. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Bender type | Die range | Stated wall | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  WINMAX TOOLS AUTOMOTIVE WINMAX manual tube bender, 1 in to 3 in | Fixed former, mounted | 7 dies; 6 circular from 1 in to 3 in | n/a | 1.8 | about £199.96 | View offer |
 KATSU Tools KATSU 12 ton hydraulic pipe bender, 6 dies | Hydraulic ram | 6 dies, 1/2 in to 2 in BSP | 2.75 mm to 4.5 mm | 6.4 | about £119.99 | View offer | |
 DRAUXI DRAUXI manual rolling machine, TR40 | Roll. Listing also says sheet and plate rolling | n/a | n/a | 0.2 | about £345.79 | View offer |
On this page
What a hydraulic pipe bender is for
A hydraulic pipe bender in this class is a steel frame, a hand pump and a ram that pushes the tube into a former. The former, not the words 12 ton, decides the radius. Clarke’s CHV12 manual, which hire firms still circulate for this class of machine, describes six formers for BS 1387 steel pipe from 1/2 inch to 2 inch, and it says the machine is not for thin-wall copper. Hilka’s 12 tonne page places metric names beside the inch marks: 15, 20, 25, 32, 40 and 50 mm. Those pages describe the trade kit. They are not a test of the KATSU, and Clarke’s up to 180 degrees is not a KATSU angle, because the KATSU listing prints none.
That ram is a different buy from the scissor or stand bender a plumber uses on site copper. BPEC’s copper skills note treats a former of about 15 mm to 42 mm as the normal way to shape BS EN 1057 tube. If the bend you need is a long handrail sweep rather than a tight elbow, the roll bender versus hydraulic pipe bender page is the next decision, not a larger die.
Nominal bore, outside diameter and wall
The inch mark on a plumbing die is usually nominal bore, not the outside of the tube. On BS EN 10255 steel, Palmer’s datasheet puts 1/2 inch nominal bore at 21.3 mm outside diameter. Medium wall on that size is about 2.65 mm on Palmer’s sheet, and CMT’s sheet rounds the same medium series to 2.6 mm. Heavy wall on Palmer’s 1/2 inch line is about 3.25 mm. One inch nominal bore is about 33.7 mm outside. Two inch nominal bore is about 60.3 mm outside. If a seller stamps 1 inch and never says BSP, nominal bore or outside diameter, you do not yet know which tube they mean.
Wall is the second check. The KATSU page prints 2.75 mm to 4.5 mm and tells the buyer to check the outside diameter. Palmer’s medium wall at 1/2 inch, about 2.65 mm, sits under that floor, and medium 15 mm and 20 mm tube at about 2.6 mm does the same. Heavy 1/2 inch at about 3.25 mm is inside the band on paper. Two inch heavy, about 4.50 mm on Palmer’s sheet, sits on the top of the band. Quote the sheet you are holding. The wall table and the gas stop sit on the bend steel pipe page.
What to ignore in the title
Tonnage is a pump claim, not a capacity. The KATSU title says 12 ton. Clarke and Hilka use the same class of number, and neither will bend thin copper when the die and the wall are wrong. The DRAUXI listing does not print a tonnage or a diameter, so there is nothing in that title to scale up. Stars are the second distraction. Two United States reviews at 5.0 can sort above 3.5 from 20 ratings in a raw Amazon list. In this comparison the 20-rating line is the only UK sample, and it includes machines that arrived bent.
The browse node is the third distraction. The KATSU rank sits in Rebar Cutters and Benders. The listing text does not say the machine bends rebar, so the node is not a capacity. On 21 October 2026, Tubela’s powered hydraulic benders started above £1,400 including VAT. That is the step when you need a documented former for repeated nominal-bore work, not when you need one gate. Take the tube, a vernier and the wall figure to the comparison, and only then choose a card.
Which card to shortlist
If the wall sits in 2.75 mm to 4.5 mm and the die is named BSP, the KATSU ram is the top pick and the best value in this set, at about £119.99. If the inches are not named as nominal bore or outside diameter, measure before you buy the WINMAX former. If the page states no diameter, leave the roll. A single gate can still be a day’s hire rather than any of these three. The awards rank only these three stored listings.
Common questions
Does 12 ton tell me the largest pipe?
No. On these listings the die and the wall do. The KATSU states six BSP dies from 1/2 inch to 2 inch and a wall of 2.75 mm to 4.5 mm, and it excludes thin-wall copper. Clarke’s CHV12 manual uses the same inch range for BS 1387 steel and the same copper exclusion. A 12 ton line without that chart would not tell you the largest pipe. The DRAUXI page has neither a tonnage nor a diameter.
Is 1 inch on the die the outside of the tube?
Only if the seller says outside diameter. On BS EN 10255 steel, 1 inch nominal bore is about 33.7 mm outside, not 25.4 mm. The KATSU dies are marked BSP, which in this trade kit means the nominal bore. The WINMAX lists 1 inch to 3 inch and does not say which system that is. Measure the tube you hold before you pay £199.96 for a former you cannot match.
Can I bend 15 mm copper on a hydraulic pipe bender?
The KATSU listing says it is not suitable for thin-wall tubing such as copper piping. Clarke and Hilka print the same limit for this class of 12 tonne steel bender. Site copper from about 15 mm to 42 mm is a scissor or stand bender in BPEC’s copper note, not this frame. A US review on the WINMAX mentions sand-filled copper as a careful method. That is one reviewer’s method, not a listing specification.
What is the difference between BSP formers and inch tube dies?
A BSP former in this set is the KATSU pattern: nominal sizes from 1/2 inch to 2 inch for steel tube whose outside diameter is larger than the name. An inch tube die can mean the outside of the metal, so 1 inch is 25.4 mm. The WINMAX page prints the inches and does not choose. Using the wrong reading ovalises the tube. Clarke’s manual treats a wrong die as something that ruins the bend.
Why does the KATSU wall start at 2.75 mm when medium 15 mm tube is thinner?
Because the listing’s floor is above that medium wall. Palmer’s sheet puts 1/2 inch medium wall at about 2.65 mm, and CMT rounds a similar medium 15 mm wall to 2.6 mm. Heavy 1/2 inch on Palmer’s sheet is about 3.25 mm, which falls inside 2.75 mm to 4.5 mm. The die can be stamped 1/2 inch and the tube on the rack can still be outside the bullet. Check the wall with a gauge.
Should I buy the DRAUXI if the page does not state a diameter?
No. At about £345.79 the page names pipes, flat iron, square steel, sheet or plate rolling, swaging, manual operation and AC power, and it states no outside diameter, wall or radius. There is no star line on the listing we stored. You would be paying for a title. Wait until a diameter and a single drive are in writing, then compare that writing with the ram and the mounted former.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 21 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026.
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- HSE: EIS7 three-roll bending machines (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Yorkshire Copper technical guide (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Lawton: how to bend plumbing copper tube (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Palmer: BS EN 10255 carbon steel tube (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (retrieved 23 October 2026)
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (retrieved 23 October 2026)