# Track Benders -- best product?



## Wendell Hanks (Jan 2, 2008)

I have stainless rail and intend to bend it using a track bender.
Question: What brand of bender have you used and do you recommend it?
Thanks,
Wendell


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I've reviewed a few of them here:

*http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mai...il-benders* 


Regards, Greg


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

Me and two friends went in together on the Train Li Bender. I have bent a lot of Stainless track with it, and it works flawlessly. It is not the cheapest one, but the only one I have used, and it is fantastic. 

Paul


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Yup Me too 

I got a Train Li. It was the first one made. ( I think) Yes it is expensive. It is the only one I have ever used and it works great I am so pleased with it. 

Well worth the price 

Remember It also Un Bends. So you can take factory curves and re adjust them.


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

Train-Li


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## Wendell Hanks (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks to all for the data. Train-Li appears to be the first choice. 
Wendell


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## Fritz (Jan 11, 2008)

Well, the best product is the one you can afford and work with. it also depends on how much rail you have to bend. 
In Germany, some shops where you buy the track will loan you a suitable rail bender for a moderate fee. Some of the clubs have railbenders for their members to use as well. 

The Massoth and Train-li machines are very well designed and comfortable to use. For single rails we like the Llagas creek railbender, which is available with different ball bearings for different seized rail. It costs probaly less than $ 100. 

Some folks simply mount three suitable ball bearings to their work bench or a suitable holder, to push lengths of profiles trough. 
http://www.lasergang-shop.de/kreativmeile/node/375 I think, those constructions were described in this forum a few times already. 

The advantage of making you own rail is, you can get the profiles up to 10 feet long and you can choose from different sleeper/tie designs, depending on the prototypes you intend to run. A standard gauge US trackbed in 1 : 29 looks very differently from vintage Swiss Metre Gauge in 1 : 22,5. 

Have fun 

Fritz / Juergen


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

Excellent point JJ. It will also straighten out curves that might be too sharp.
Paul


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim Carter (pimanjc) loaned me his Train-Li and it saved my butt! I could have used a single rail bender but the ease of the Train-Li double rail bender was tremendous! I have nothing but good things to say about it!


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## acmartina (Jan 6, 2008)

Wendell,
 
I picked up an Aristocraft dual rail bender during their recent special offer (free with box of flex track). I have not used the Train-Li, but by all accounts it is the Cadillac of rail benders. However, the price is almost double the Aristocraft. The Aristo bender has some quirks, but they are mostly nuisance rather than show stoppers. Easy to use. Gets the job done. See my post in the Track forum - http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...fault.aspx.
 
For my needs (about 100 ft of track to bend), I could not justify the Train-Li cost. If I could share the cost with a couple of fellow garden railroaders to have access, or for a club purchase, I would go for the Train-Li. Thats my $0.02 anyway. Good luck!
 
Steve H.
Cypress, TX


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