Metal Roll Bender Highlights
At some point or other, every sheet metal roofer is going to need the help of a quality metal roll bender to make perfect bends and alterations to the aforesaid medium. Just like slate hammers are to slate roofers and brick hammers are to masons, metal roll benders and other sheet metal roofing tools are essential to roofers who work with sheet metal.
You probably know this – but if you’re here for information, you probably want to know what they are in the first place – so what are they?
What Are They?
Metal roll benders are used for making precise bends in sheet metal that are necessary to create nice edges, seams, and other features in roofing. They function by inserting a piece of sheet metal between a set of wheels, then rolling back and forth while applying pressure to bend the metal. Clamps are usually used to hold the metal in place so it doesn’t move while rolling the tool back and forth. Below is a video demonstrating one of these tools.
Because there are many different types of benders, give us a call about a specific model if you want to learn more about how it works – although you will be able to get a lot of that information on the product pages associated with the brands below. We even feature videos for some of our popular benders on how to use them!
Big Brands
Here at John Stortz & Son, we’re proud to provide our customers with some of the biggest names in the market for high quality tools – for roofing but also for many other applications.
As far as the scope of this article is concerned, here are some of the biggest brands in sheet metal roll benders that you can find right here on our website. Check out some of our top picks and give us a call at 888-847-3456 if you have any questions.
Stortz Perfect Benders
Naturally, our featured collection of metal roll benders wouldn’t be complete without our own line! Some of the finest metal bending tools on our website bear our own name, and here are some of the best of them – check out some of these Stortz Perfect Benders here.
Stortz Perfect Bender S-150 – The Stortz Perfect Bender S-150 is ideal for making shorter, smaller bends up to and past 90 degrees. The angled bearing allows for bending up to and past 90 degrees without scratching the paint. The depth of its bend can be adjusted to anywhere between 0.25” and 6” and the tool is ideal for bends under 10 feet.
Stortz Perfect Bender XL-150 – The Stortz Perfect Bender XL-150 is the big brother to the S-150. It can also bend past 90 degrees and make bends up to 6 inches, but it’s dual bearings make it ideal for longer bends. Any bends above 10 feet will be significantly easier and quicker with this tool due to the additional leverage provided by the second axel. The picture below shows that even at 90 degrees, there is still space between the bearings and the metal.
Stortz Roller S Model – The Stortz Roller S Model is a hemming tool for taking 90 degree bends down to 180 degrees on bends of up to 1”. It’s ideal for creating neatly, perfectly folded hems. It is remarkably straightforward and easy to use. We’ve included a video on the product page so you can see how it can be used.
Stortz Roller XL Model – Similar to the S-150 and XL-150 relationship, the Stortz Roller XL Model acts as the larger version of the Roller S Model. It will also hem up to 1” bends from 90 degrees to 180 degrees, but it’s two hemming wheels make any hem easier, especially those above 10 feet.
Wuko Benders
Wuko Benders, like our own Stortz Benders, are some of the finest in the industry. Here are some of the top picks you’ll find in our collection.
Wuko 2204 Uni Bender– The tried-and-true bender from Wuko, the Wuko 2204 Uni Bender is a cost effective option for making 90 degree bends up to 8 inches. While it’s not as useful for working with materials of heavier gauge and thickness like some of the Stortz benders mentioned above (see product description for gauge maxima) it is useful for making any and all bends on site.
Wuko 2050 for Sheet Metal Curves – If you need to make a radius bend, either on the inside or the outside of a curve, a tool like the Wuko 2050 for Sheet Metal Curves is just about ideal. While this bender is only capable of making bends up to 2 inches in most common materials up to .8mm, it is also very compact and lightweight. It’s basically pocket sized and weighs only 1.4 pounds.
Wuko 4040 for Sheet Metal Curves – This is the perfect tool for hemming down bends that were made by the Wuko 2050 mentioned above on curved panels. It’s hemming depth is 1.25” and the tool is able to slip on and off a panel at any point with it’s quick release knob.
Freund Benders
In addition to the Stortz and Wuko Benders that we have already explored, we also provide Freund benders to our customers. Aptly named, Freund Benders just might turn out to be your best friend on the jobsite, especially when you’re not within easy access of a brake.
Freund Radius Roller 50 – The Freund Radius Roller 50 may only be capable of bending up to 24 gauge sheet metal, but it can bend from ¼” to 2” and this little thing is optimized for compound leverage. Bending the edges of curved panels of sheet metal might be tough, but it doesn’t need to be, especially with a convenient tool like this.
Freund Disc Roller – The Freund Disc Roller is the image of convenient, quick, easy – but most importantly accurate – hems. Its comfortable and ergonomic handle provide optimum leverage and require no adjustments to make hems in sheet metal from ⅜ to 1 and ⅝ inches high. It can even be expanded with the addition of another disc to make it a double disc roller.
Freund Premium Bender with Hand Grip – Like the Freund Radius Roller 50, this Freund Premium Bender comes with an ergonomic hand grip that is designed for additional leverage. Convenience is the name of the game with Freund, and this tool is sized accordingly; it even has convenient loops for hanging on your belt.
Ideal for working with stainless steel, zinc, aluminum, and copper, this tool is the one to reach for when you need to make quick, easy bends up to 90 degrees.
Freund Standard Edge Roller Double – The Freund Standard Edge Roller Double can be used to bend metal up to 90 degrees and is great for making longer bends. Either when a brake is not available or when the panel is too large for the brake in question.
Like the other Freund Benders listed here, this Freund is ergonomic, comfortable, and surprisingly capable. It even has belt loops, like the Freund Radius Roller 50 mentioned above.
Other Metal roll Benders
In addition to the Wuko, Stortz and Freund Benders mentioned here, we also provide a variety of other metal roll benders from makers such as Draco, ESE, Malco and others. Regardless of what you need for roll benders, John Stortz & Son is the place to check first.
Visit us here and make sure you give us a call if you have any other questions about our metal bending tools and we would be more than happy to help you out. They might all do basically the same thing, but not all of them are ideal in all situations. Call us up and we’ll fill you in on some of the nuances and relative strengths of these types of benders.
Everything Else a Sheet Metal Roofer Could Ever Need!
In addition to these metal bending tools, don’t forget that you can find many other essential sheet metal forming, cutting and marking tools right here on our website. In addition to benders, we also sell standing seamers, hand seamers, pliers, edge folding tools, hammers, snips and shears, gutter tools, cutting tools and marking tools as well.
We’ve supplied some of the highest quality hand tools in the industry for well over a century and a half and we’ve learned a thing or two along the way. If you need pointers or suggestions when you’re shopping for sheet metal tools like these, don’t be shy about reaching out for assistance – you can get us at 888-847-3456.
