Tube Bender Capacity Chart: Published Limits for 9 Benders

“Will my bender bend this tube?” It’s the most common question in garage fabrication, and the answer lives in one place: the maker’s capacity chart. The trouble is that every maker writes it differently. This tube bender capacity chart puts the published limits of nine popular benders on one page, with a source link for every row.

We built it only from numbers the makers themselves publish, on product pages, FAQs, manuals and their own retail listings. We didn’t fill gaps with forum claims. Where a number isn’t published, the cell says so. Where two official sources disagree, we show both and flag it with ⚠️.

You’ll also learn how to read a capacity chart: what “max wall” really means, why chromoly is rated lower, why a die can have its own limits, and how pipe sizes sneak in. By the end, you’ll be able to look at any maker’s chart and answer the big question for your own tube in a couple of minutes.

What a capacity chart tells you (and what it doesn’t)

A capacity chart is the maker’s promise about what its bender can do. At minimum, it should give you three numbers for each tube: the outside diameter, the maximum wall thickness, and the material the rating applies to. Good charts add more, such as solid bar limits, square tube sizes, minimum wall by die, and notes on when you need hydraulics.

Why does it matter so much? Because force rises fast with wall thickness and with harder material. A bender that pulls 1.75″ × .095″ mild steel with ease may stall on the same OD in thick wall. The same bender may be rated lower again for 4130 chromoly. The chart is how the maker tells you where those lines are.

What a chart can’t tell you

• How a bend will look. A rating says the machine can pull the tube, not that the result will be wrinkle-free on every die.
• Springback. That changes with material, batch and die. You measure it with a test bend.
• Whether your project is legal. For roll cages and roll bars, your rulebook sets tube size, wall and bend radius.
• Cross-brand die fit. That’s a separate question, covered in our tube bender die compatibility guide.

Think of a capacity chart like the load rating on a trailer. Staying inside it is the starting point, not a guarantee of a perfect trip. Staying well inside it, with some headroom, is where good results live.

The cross-brand tube bender capacity chart

Here’s the main chart. Every row comes from the maker’s own published material, checked in October 2026, with one source link per row. “Not published” means we couldn’t find that number from the maker. It doesn’t mean the machine can’t do it. Nobody at Benders Hub has bent tube on these machines for this page. These are the makers’ numbers, not ours. Read more about how we research.

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Bender	Round tube OD	Max wall, mild steel / DOM	4130 chromoly	Other published limits	Source
JD2 Model 32 (manual)	1/2″–2-1/2″	Round tube over 2″ × .120″ needs hydraulics	No separate max published	Square over 1-1/2″ and solid over 1″ need hydraulics	JD2
JD2 Model 32 (hydraulic)	1/2″–2-1/2″	2″ × .250″ DOM	No separate max published	Solid round to 1-1/2″; square to 2″	JD2
Rogue Fab M601	Up to 1.75″	1.75″ × .156″	Grouped with carbon steel	Shares dies with the M605 and M625	Rogue Fab
Rogue Fab M605	Up to 2.00″	⚠️ 2.00″ × .188″ (catalogue) vs .250″ DOM (FAQ)	Grouped with carbon steel	1-1/2″ solid bar	Rogue Fab FAQ
Rogue Fab M625	Up to 2.00″	2.00″ × .250″ DOM	Grouped with carbon steel	1-3/4″ solid bar	Rogue Fab
Baileigh RDB-050	3/4″–2.5″	2.5″ × .120″	2″ × .120″	Max CLR 7″	Baileigh
Pro-Tools 105HD	1/2″–2″	.134″	2″ × .134″ with the 36″ extension handle	NPS 1/4–1-1/2 pipe; square 1/2″–1-1/2″; min wall depends on die	Pro-Tools
Woodward Fab WFB2	Up to 2″	Not published for the frame. Die listings show .134″	Not published	Round, square and Sch 40 pipe dies	Woodward Fab
Eastwood High Capacity	⚠️ 1″–2″ (Eastwood) vs 3/4″–2″ (one Amazon bullet)	2″ × .120″	.090″ wall	Round tube dies only	Eastwood instructions
Harbor Freight 12-ton (ram)	Not rated for tube	1/2″–2″ Sch 40/80 pipe only	Not rated	Not for thin-wall pipe such as conduit or exhaust	HF manual

Three of these machines are sold on Amazon: the Baileigh RDB-050, the Eastwood High Capacity and the Woodward Fab WFB2. JD2, Rogue Fab and Pro-Tools sell direct, and Harbor Freight sells in its stores. For drive types, bend angles and where to buy, see our full tube bender comparison.

How to read a tube bender capacity chart, step by step

Capacity charts look intimidating, but you read them the same way every time. Grab your tube’s real size, then work through these steps. If you get stuck at any step, that’s your question for the maker.

1. Measure your tube. Use calipers to check the real OD and wall. Mill tolerances and mixed-up stock are common, and a few thousandths can matter on thick wall.
2. Name the material. Mild steel ERW, DOM, 4130 chromoly, stainless and aluminium all bend differently. Find the column or note that matches yours.
3. Find your OD row. Check that the bender’s range covers your OD. Then check that the maker sells a die in that OD.
4. Check the max wall. Is your wall at or under the published figure for your material? If the chart splits manual and hydraulic limits, use the one that matches your setup.
5. Check the min wall. Some charts list a minimum wall for each die. Thinner tube than that can wrinkle or flatten.
6. Read the footnotes. Look for notes like “two pressure dies required” or “hydraulics required”. They’re part of the rating.
7. Check the die’s own listing. A die can have a wall basis or limit of its own that’s tighter than the machine’s headline.
8. Leave headroom. Don’t plan a whole project at the very top of the chart. Ratings are limits, not targets.

Words you’ll see on capacity charts

Term	What it means	Why it matters
OD	Outside diameter of the tube	Sets which die you need
Wall	Thickness of the tube wall, often in thousandths (.120″)	The biggest driver of bending force
DOM	Drawn over mandrel steel tube	A common structural tube; many charts quote DOM
4130 / chromoly	A chromium-molybdenum alloy steel	Often rated at a lower wall than mild steel
NPS / Schedule	Nominal pipe size and wall class	Pipe sizes don’t match the real OD
CLR	Centerline radius of the bend, set by the die	Tighter CLR makes a bend harder
Solid	Solid bar, no hole	On some charts, the top of a die’s wall range

Two more numbers help you judge how hard a bend is. D of bend is CLR ÷ OD, and wall factor is OD ÷ wall (Pro-Tools). Our bend calculator works both out for you, and our guide to wall factor and D of bend explains them in depth.

Die limits: minimum and maximum wall by CLR

Here’s something many first-time buyers miss. The bender’s headline rating is only half the story. Each die has its own limits, and some makers publish them. The most detailed public example we found is Rogue Fab’s tube capacity chart for its M6xx series dies. It lists a minimum and a maximum wall for each die, by material.

Rogue Fab round die (OD × CLR)	Carbon steel min wall	Carbon steel max	Aluminium min wall	Stainless min wall	Source
1.00″ × 3.5″	.063″	Solid	.125″	.075″	Rogue Fab
1.25″ × 4.5″	.075″	Check with maker	.125″	.083″	Rogue Fab
1.50″ × 6.0″	.078″	Solid (two pressure dies)	Check with maker	Check with maker	Rogue Fab
1.75″ × 6.0″	.095″	.250″ (two pressure dies)	Check with maker	Check with maker	Rogue Fab
2.00″ × 6.0″	.120″	.250″	.125″	.156″	Rogue Fab

What the Rogue Fab chart teaches

• Minimum wall is real. Go thinner than the die’s minimum and you risk wrinkles and flattening. Rogue says bending at the absolute minimum gives the most deformation.
• Footnotes change the setup. Rogue says you need two pressure dies at .156″ wall or thicker.
• Thin wall has rules too. At .120″ or .134″ wall and thinner, Rogue asks you not to use the back pressure die location.
• A mandrel lowers the floor. Rogue’s mandrel attachment extends minimum wall well below the standard chart. Its 2025 catalogue lists .065″ for the 1.75″ × 6.0″ die with the mandrel, versus .095″ without.
• Bigger CLR is kinder. Rogue suggests bending thicker than the minimum and on the largest CLR you can.

Other makers’ die notes

Baileigh’s RDB-050 tooling page notes the wall that each set’s CLR is based on: .095″ for 1-3/4″ × 6″, .109″ for 2″ × 6″, and .120″ for 2-1/2″ × 7″. That’s a CLR basis, not a stated limit. Still, if your wall differs from it, ask Baileigh how the die will behave. Woodward Fab lists a .134″ max wall on its 1-3/4″ × 6″ CLR 180° round die and on the 2″ × 6″ CLR die sold on Amazon. Pro-Tools says minimum wall depends on the die and points you to its die charts.

Mild steel, DOM, 4130 and other materials

The same OD and wall can be easy in one material and over the limit in another. That’s why good capacity charts name the material. When a chart doesn’t, assume the rating is for mild steel and ask about anything harder.

Mild steel and DOM

Most headline ratings are for mild steel, and many quote DOM specifically. Common chart values you’ll see are .120″, .188″ and .250″ wall. Among the machines in our chart, JD2 (with hydraulics) and the Rogue Fab M625 publish 2″ × .250″ DOM. The Baileigh RDB-050 and Eastwood High Capacity top out at .120″. The Pro-Tools 105HD lists .134″.

4130 chromoly

Chromoly takes more force and springs back more. JD2 says 4130 springs back about twice as much as mild steel of the same size and wall. JD2’s Model 32 manual also gives example hydraulic pressures: about 900 psi for 1-3/4″ × .095″ mild steel, 1,400 psi for 1-5/8″ × .083″ 4130, and 3,100 psi for 1-1/2″ solid bar. Notice that the chromoly example is a smaller, thinner tube, yet it needs more pressure.

Published 4130 ratings in our chart are Baileigh RDB-050 at 2″ × .120″, Pro-Tools 105HD at 2″ × .134″ with its extension handle, and Eastwood at .090″ wall. More in our best tube bender for chromoly guide.

Stainless and aluminium

Rogue Fab’s chart shows stainless needing a thicker minimum wall than carbon steel on the same die. For example, it lists .156″ for stainless on the 2.00″ × 6.0″ die, versus .120″ for carbon steel. For 6061-T6 aluminium, Rogue recommends about 3.5–4D and calls 3D marginal. Rogue also says its aluminium ratings are based on its own testing. See bending aluminum tube for more.

If you need a published chromoly rating on Amazon

Pipe sizes on a capacity chart

Some capacity charts are written in pipe sizes, and that trips up a lot of people. Tube is sold by its real outside diameter. Pipe is sold by a nominal pipe size (NPS) plus a schedule that sets the wall. The nominal size doesn’t match the outside. For example, 1-1/2″ NPS pipe measures 1.900″ OD, and 1-1/4″ NPS measures 1.660″.

So when a chart says “1/2″ to 2″ pipe”, it isn’t saying “2-inch tube”. The Harbor Freight 12-ton bender is rated for 1/2″ to 2″ Schedule 40 and 80 pipe. Its manual says it isn’t intended for thin-wall pipe such as conduit or exhaust. That rating tells you nothing about structural tube.

Rotary-draw benders can bend pipe too, with pipe dies. The Pro-Tools 105HD lists NPS 1/4 to 1-1/2 and says its benders are rated on mild steel Schedule 40 pipe. Woodward Fab sells Schedule 40 pipe dies for the WFB2, such as 1-1/2″ pipe at 6″ CLR.

What the chart says	What it means	Real OD
1-1/2″ tube	Tube with a 1.500″ outside diameter	1.500″
1-1/2″ NPS pipe	Nominal pipe size 1-1/2	1.900″
1-1/4″ NPS pipe	Nominal pipe size 1-1/4	1.660″
Schedule 40 / 80	Pipe wall class; 80 is thicker than 40	Same OD, different wall

The fix is simple. Measure with calipers, and buy dies for the real OD you’ll bend. Our guide to pipe bender vs tube bender covers the differences in full.

Where the makers’ capacity numbers conflict

Even official sources disagree sometimes. A maker updates a frame, and one page changes while another doesn’t. Or a retail listing is copied from an older description. We don’t pick a winner silently. Here are the conflicts that touch capacity.

• ⚠️ Rogue Fab M605 wall: Rogue’s catalogue and comparison table say 2.00″ × .188″. Its FAQ says up to .250″ DOM. Rogue rates its heavier M625 frame to 2.00″ × .250″ DOM.
• ⚠️ Eastwood High Capacity OD range: Eastwood’s own page says 1″ to 2″. The Amazon listing gives 3/4″ in one bullet and 1″ in another.
• ⚠️ JD2 Model 32 manual limit: JD2 says round tube over 2″ × .120″ needs hydraulics. One retailer’s copy reads as if .250″ wall is possible by hand.
• ⚠️ Woodward Fab WFB2: there’s no single frame wall rating. Limits sit on each die listing, so read the one for your size.

What should you do with a conflict? Plan around the lower figure. Then email the maker with your exact tube and ask them to confirm the higher one. Keep their reply. If it’s a yes, great. If it’s a no, you’ve saved a stick of tube and maybe a die.

A capacity chart is a limit, not a target. Plan your project in the middle of the chart, and save the top line for the day you truly need it.

Also check the date on any chart you rely on. Makers revise ratings as frames and dies change, and old pages can linger. If a number matters to a big project, ask whether it’s still current.

Worked examples: can my bender bend this tube?

Let’s run four common tubes through the chart. These use only the published numbers above. “Yes on paper” means the tube sits inside the maker’s rating. It’s still worth a confirming email for anything near the limit.

Example 1: 1.75″ × .120″ DOM mild steel

This is a classic bumper and slider size. On a 6″ CLR die it works out to about 3.4D (6 ÷ 1.75) with a wall factor of about 14.6 (1.75 ÷ .120). It’s inside the published mild steel ratings of every rotary-draw machine in our chart. For the WFB2, that rating comes from the die listing. On Rogue’s 1.75″ × 6.0″ die, .120″ sits between the .095″ minimum and the .250″ maximum, and it’s under the .156″ two-pressure-die line. On Baileigh’s 1-3/4″ × 6″ RDB-050 set, the CLR is based on .095″ wall, so ask Baileigh how .120″ behaves in that die.

Example 2: 1.75″ × .120″ 4130 chromoly

Now the list shrinks. Eastwood caps 4130 at .090″ wall, so the High Capacity is out. Baileigh (2″ × .120″) and Pro-Tools (2″ × .134″ with its extension handle) cover it on paper. JD2 doesn’t publish a separate 4130 maximum, so ask. Rogue groups 4130 with carbon steel on its die chart, so check with Rogue too.

Example 3: 2″ × .250″ DOM

Only a few published ratings reach this. JD2 rates the Model 32 to 2″ × .250″ DOM with hydraulics, and Rogue rates the M625 to 2.00″ × .250″ DOM. The M605 depends on which Rogue page you read. Baileigh, Pro-Tools and Eastwood all top out below .250″ wall.

Example 4: 1-1/2″ Schedule 40 pipe handrail

Remember, that’s 1.900″ OD. The Harbor Freight 12-ton covers it by its pipe rating. The Pro-Tools 105HD lists NPS up to 1-1/2. Woodward Fab sells a 1-1/2″ Schedule 40 pipe die for the WFB2. For the others, ask the maker about pipe dies.

Real-life capacity lessons

These are composite stories. The same situations come up again and again in garage-fab forums and build threads. Each one is a capacity chart lesson in disguise.

Notice the pattern. None of these builders had a bad bender. Each one read a chart too quickly, or not at all. A few minutes with the chart, a pair of calipers and an email to the maker would have saved each of them a weekend.

Common capacity chart mistakes (and fixes)

These are the mistakes that send good tube to the scrap pile. Each has a simple fix.

Pro tips for using capacity charts

Experienced fabricators treat the capacity chart like a map. They check it before every new tube, not just when they buy the bender. None of these habits cost much, and all of them save tube.

• 💡 Print the chart and hang it by the bender. You’ll check it far more often if it’s on the wall.
• 💡 Write your own limits on it. Add notes like “my 1.75 × .120 DOM: fine” or “4130 over .090: no”. Your chart becomes a log.
• 💡 Measure every new batch. Check OD and wall with calipers when tube arrives. Mixed-up stock happens.
• 💡 Bend thicker than the minimum. Rogue Fab suggests going thicker than a die’s absolute minimum wall and using the largest CLR you can.
• 💡 Keep a test stick. Bend a scrap piece of each new material, measure the springback, and write it down. Next time, you’ll know exactly how far to over-bend.
• 💡 Ask before you buy tube. One email to the maker with OD, wall, material and die beats any guess.

Frequently asked questions

Your capacity checklist

Before you buy tube, a die or a bender, run through this list with the chart open.

That’s the whole method. Measure, match OD, wall and material, read the footnotes, and leave some room at the top. Do that every time and your bender will rarely surprise you. ✅