I have had my SWAG Hulk tubing roller for almost three years and use it all the time in the shop – for almost every fabrication or welding project that I take on. I realized that I had not done a review or an overview of it after a question about it on my Instagram page. I figured that it was time for both. Like every tool I have from SWAG, this one just works. It helps me earn a little money for my side hustle and is as dependable as an auditor’s calculator.
Any time I have had a question, the guys at SWAG have replied right away and are super helpful – once talking me out of a die I was trying to buy and letting me know that one that I already owned would do exactly what I needed. They include the DRO with purchase of the roller. While you don’t “need” it for one-off bends, it is amazing for making repeated bends and for streamlining any repeated build processes. Installation is really strait forward. If you run out of battery juice (CR-2032 Button Cell Battery), a pencil mark on the inside body will get you in the ball park, but your local drugstore or Home Depot/Lowes/Menard’s will have the extra batteries if you need them right away and can’t wait for the mail/Amazon.
The bender was ready to go out of the box when it arrived, no welding, bolting plates together, or finishing. You will have to mount it to a solid surface, attach the DRO, and align your dies, but that is all covered in the instructions (and this video) and all the hardware for the DRO and die shaft is included. Get a friend to help move the thing as it is hefty. The roller is not cheap, BUT paid for itself with the second job I did with it and I have continued to buy different dies as projects come up, rolling up the die cost into the job. I have 14 different die sets now, but 95% of everyone out there only needs 2-3 sets and the first set comes with the roller when you purchase it – your choice of which. If you are really only using a couple of sets of rollers, then buy some additional shafts and just keep them mounted. I would advise buying an extra set of bearings as well. In three years of use, I have not had to replace mine, even bending out-of-spec 2”X2”X0.25” square tubing, but if I ever do, then I will want a replacement set handy. If you find that you are using the roller all the time and on the job site, then a couple of extra shafts, extra bearings, an extra drive shaft, and a way to keep your dies safe would be cheap insurance – my $0.02 worth.
Speaking of dies, I had shoulder surgery and was out of commission to do any heavy work for some months, so I took the time to sort out my fabrication tools chests, organize my roller dies into a single rolling tool chest, and make organizing inserts for them. I got tired of chasing them all over the shop, misplacing the ONE set I needed, etc…. I am pleased with the results and that process and outcome are included in the video. Remember to keep you dies oiled, both when using and while in storage – a nice thick coat in storage of RP-342 (cosmoline) wouldn’t hurt…
Hex Wrenches needed to swap the dies: 3/16” and 5/32”
You will also need a 1/8” and a 1/4” hex wrench handy when setting up your Hulk Roller.