Exhaust work tools

[trpearcy]

Need some advice on exhaust work tools.
I opened my own auto repair shop back in August, and I’m very busy. One of the things I’ve had a lot of requests to do is exhaust work. And by “exhaust work” I mean, custom exhaust. Not performance, just custom. Example from this week: 03 Honda Odyssey. Needs a new mid-pipe, the Walker one is $190, and I made one from 2 inch stainless exhaust pipe, and got the flanges, for $15 in parts.
So I need to make the investiment to get a decent welder that’ll do exhauast work, and a pipe bender.
I’m gonna go cheap on the welder right now, because it’s just a mig, and I’m going to spend big bucks later on for a stick/tig box for fabrication work. The little mig welder will only be used for exhaust work.
So I have the welder figured out. I want a Lincoln Handy mig k2185-1. Reliable and lightweight.
For the tubing bender. What’s everyone’s advice? Do I start with a little benchtop Harbor Freight model? The harbor freight model only comes with dies up to 2”, so that will be a big limiting factor. Jegs sells a similar model for a tiny bit more money, that does up to 3”, but it’s a bench top model also.
There are also manual models. Eastwood sells one, and several other companies, for 3-400.

Curious to see what input everyone has

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Stock 3-4 sizes of mandrel bend.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Is a used bender an option?

 

[sberry]

First, that is a **** welder for exhaust. Start off right and get a 140 with gas. It will be 2x as much but work 3x better. You can use a cheap tig but flux code it a problem for exhaust. It's not that it can't be done but the spots are terrible, trapped flux will be a problem, it's hot and hard to dial down for thin pipe.

 

[sberry]

Add a sawzall and can even score a cheaper pipe/tubing cutter. Grinder or 2 is on a short list, I use wire wheel on air power a lot.

 

[dogdog]

Even the cheap exhaust place I went to years ago, had a bendpark crush bender..I think it was $3000-$5000 range now not sure.... and they had the miller 212 or 252, running some tri gas, the big bottles... brown color... not sure what wire they are running,but it hasn't rust on the rust belt roads at all....... at least the weld doesn't rust, the tubing is killed steel...... manual Mandrel benders starts at $30K and up.... last I check over 10 years ago. maybe they got cheaper now.

You can't use one of those tubing benders like JD2 benders to bend these thin exhaust tubing, at least the last I check... sure some fill and pack it with sand... but Not exactly a business thing to do...

Also they had some of those support stands to keep the tubing in place..

 

[four.cycle]

whoa!

If you're serious, you are talking about making a serious capital investment. A "real" custom exhaust shop has a "real" bender.
We sold Huth benders. Exhaust components were from AP, Goerlich, Walker, Ansa, and a couple others who made little widgets like universal hangers and such.

I would suggest getting ahold of a wholesale distributor in your area. Some of them have sales reps who can give you an overview. Some sales reps, of course, are only going to tell you what they think you want to hear.

A full-blown bender set up with all the dies and cards can be the cost of a fairly nice new car. If you're just dabbling your toes in the water, don't go there. Make some contacts and find a used unit - there are a LOT of them out there in the marketplace. Shops go out of business, they buy new equipment, or their old (smaller) bender isn't filling their needs.
We worked with guys all the time as the middleman between one old shop and an up-and-comer - we'd put the two parties in contact and let them do the deal and stay out of it. We didn't need to try to weasel a "commission" on a deal like that- we made the margin selling straight pipe and pre-made mandrel bends and the aforementioned widgets.

Shop around for sticks of straight tubing. Don't pay top dollar for the stuff. Beat 'em down on it on quantity purchases - the wholesalers who are really in the game have about 19 different price levels on straight tubing.

Universal one-size-fits-all widgets are a must have. Inventory that only fits one year, make, and model is an albatross around your neck.

Be wary - it's a really whored up market.

 

[Ohmthis]

I’m not sure what the nominal size of exhaust pipe is. I believe those benders say pipe, am I correct? I’m wanting to say they are trade size dies for things like conduit, and plumbing pipe. They may not be the best for exhaust work. Before buying one, do a lot of research and make sure that it will work. A 135-140A mig with gas is the way to go. I’ve done exhaust pipe with a stick before, but it was terrible! The flux core will be similar. Let our mistakes of using the wrong tools guide you from mistakes. Would keeping or ordering pipe and fittings be more advantageous right now? You know your business better than us. Good luck!

 

[Tech89]

First, that is a **** welder for exhaust. Start off right and get a 140 with gas. It will be 2x as much but work 3x better. You can use a cheap tig but flux code it a problem for exhaust. It's not that it can't be done but the spots are terrible, trapped flux will be a problem, it's hot and hard to dial down for thin pipe.

Even the cheap exhaust place I went to years ago, had a bendpark crush bender..I think it was $3000-$5000 range now not sure.... and they had the miller 212 or 252, running some tri gas, the big bottles... brown color... not sure what wire they are running,but it hasn't rust on the rust belt roads at all....... at least the weld doesn't rust, the tubing is killed steel...... manual Mandrel benders starts at $30K and up.... last I check over 10 years ago. maybe they got cheaper now.

You can't use one of those tubing benders like JD2 benders to bend these thin exhaust tubing, at least the last I check... sure some fill and pack it with sand... but Not exactly a business thing to do...

I do 90% of the exhaust work that comes into the independent shop that I work at. Take it however you want.
I agree with sberry on the welder. We used a Miller with gas at work. We have a tig too, but I haven't used it for exhaust yet. I've welded exhaust with flux core. It worked, but I didn't enjoy it.

We have a bendpack exhaust bender for bending and flaring. Works great. I believe it goes up to three inch. My boss bought it used. Not sure how much it was. Sometimes we use it 3 or 4 times a week, sometimes we don't use it for 3 or 4 weeks. It's really nice for us because we have done quite a few complete exhaust jobs and project cars.

Not sure how much you're looking to spend.

-Pat

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

I tried to do pics. Doing repairs is different than making a biz of new. I could use a manual bender for some stuff. I have one, don't pull it out in long time as I can cut a segment in a minute or 2. It's been a loooong time since I replace a whole system. They used to rot from one end to another, now 20yr old have spot failure and the occasional muffler replaced.

 

[Kenskip1]

I watched a man weld with a Lincoln 140 with gas do a custom exhaust system.It impressed me so much that I bought the same welder.Great machine. I used it tonight.

How about a torch? This should be mandatory for an exhaust shop.

 

[sberry]

Yes, I keep a couple pieces of pipe, a couple elbows, make up a fix. A couple old mirrors help.

 

[trpearcy]

First, that is a **** welder for exhaust. Start off right and get a 140 with gas. It will be 2x as much but work 3x better. You can use a cheap tig but flux code it a problem for exhaust. It's not that it can't be done but the spots are terrible, trapped flux will be a problem, it's hot and hard to dial down for thin pipe.

Ok, I understand what you mean. Why do I need a 140? For thin wall pipe? The welder i mentioned in my first post is a MIG welder. So it does have gas. It’s a 80amp max output gas shielded wire feed welder. And for exhaust pipe it’ll run on the lowest power setting. So why buy a 140 and run it on the lowest setting also?

 

[trpearcy]

Add a sawzall and can even score a cheaper pipe/tubing cutter. Grinder or 2 is on a short list, I use wire wheel on air power a lot.

I have everything else for the work. Saw zaw, grinders, torches, pipe/tubing cutter, wire wheels, etc.

 

[trpearcy]

Is a used bender an option?

Yes sir. It is an option, and probably my best option looking at prices

 

[trpearcy]

So reading these reply’s, I think you guys answered my question. I’m not going to be able to use one of the cheap pipe benders to do what I want to do. I need a whole bender setup like the big ones from Bendpack. Unfortunatly right now I don’t have the 5-10k for one of those, and I haven’t seen any used ones in my area. I don’t do a lot of exhaust work....but I do occasionally, so I may just need to stock some sizes for right now, and later on down the line get a full setup, if the demand is there. Right now about 90% of the work I do is complete motor rebuilds, and diagnostic work, because nobody else in our area wants to do any of that, including the dealerships.
I really appreciate the advice folks. Helped a lot

 

[WittHay]

A friend is always mentioning his buddy that does custom exhaust in his backyard shop.
Found some pictures off facebook. The bender does 3" and looks expensive. He has a set of torches and I think a Miller 211 mig welder.

Another backyard shop in the area shown in the bottom pictures, just uses prebent pieces and welds them together. They dont have a bender. The usual torch and a Miller 252 mig

 

[four.cycle]

I’m not going to be able to use one of the cheap pipe benders to do what I want to do. I need a whole bender setup like the big ones from Bendpack. Unfortunatly right now I don’t have the 5-10k for one of those, and I haven’t seen any used ones in my area. I don’t do a lot of exhaust work....but I do occasionally, so I may just need to stock some sizes for right now, and later on down the line get a full setup, if the demand is there. Right now about 90% of the work I do is complete motor rebuilds, and diagnostic work, because nobody else in our area wants to do any of that, including the dealerships.

There's always a demand for exhaust. Sooner or later, they all need it. It's like brakes or wheel bearings - some just last longer than others.

No, nobody wants to do engines any more. Glad I got out of it. Too specialized now for the big production houses - damn near everything has to be a custom R&R now.

Put your ear to the ground and find out if there are any industry trade shows coming up within driving distance. I'm not talking about APAA or SEMA or any of the big shows - there are all kinds of smaller shows where vendors set up booths to show off their wares. The lift and bender guys are always there.
Make some contacts, and put the word out you're in the market for a used bender. You'll be able to find some young hotshot who will do the legwork for a tiny piece of the action, particularly if it makes it easier for him to close a deal on a new bender with somebody else.
And if you're going to dive in, go up to 3". Dies are going to be way spendy, but the guys with the big jacked up 4x4 trucks have the money to pay if you can do good work.

Another thing I would do if you're new at that game would be to go on a tour and visit some good shops. Go talk to the guys that have cars lined up and check out their set ups. One of our biggest accounts (near the Renton airport) looked like complete chaos when you walked in, but the guy was making good money and doing some serious volume. You'd be surprised how some of those outfits operate.

Again, as above, just my lousy two cents.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Ok, I understand what you mean. Why do I need a 140? For thin wall pipe? The welder i mentioned in my first post is a MIG welder. So it does have gas. It’s a 80amp max output gas shielded wire feed welder. And for exhaust pipe it’ll run on the lowest power setting. So why buy a 140 and run it on the lowest setting also?

In my experience, the chunky voltage selector is akin to having a shoe untied, it just makes everything a little harder.

 

[danielbuck]

Ok, I understand what you mean. Why do I need a 140? For thin wall pipe? The welder i mentioned in my first post is a MIG welder. So it does have gas. It’s a 80amp max output gas shielded wire feed welder. And for exhaust pipe it’ll run on the lowest power setting. So why buy a 140 and run it on the lowest setting also?

flanges, turbo adapters, welding hangers to the frame.... lots of reasons to have more power "just" for exhaust.

If I were running a business, I'd fork up a few hundred more, at least, for a welder capable of welding more than 16 gauge steel. (that's about what exhaust is, 16 gauge?)

For overlap joints on the exhaust I push the heat pretty hot and do a series of short welds, the weld turns out pretty flat. **** joints have to turn it down, but it's always nice to have the ability to turn it up if needed/wanted.


Instead of a bender, I'd see about buying lots of 90 and 45 pre-bent pieces, mostly 45s. ESPECIALLY if exhaust isn't something you do often. See if you can get a good price on whatever common sizes you use. I've done exhaust on 2 jeeps (one of them turbo) and 1 truck using 90s and 45s with **** weld joints and a few flanges to separate the exhaust in the future, it's pretty easy to do. In retrospect I would have probably just used 45s and skipped the 90s.

 

[trpearcy]

There's always a demand for exhaust. Sooner or later, they all need it. It's like brakes or wheel bearings - some just last longer than others.

No, nobody wants to do engines any more. Glad I got out of it. Too specialized now for the big production houses - damn near everything has to be a custom R&R now.

Put your ear to the ground and find out if there are any industry trade shows coming up within driving distance. I'm not talking about APAA or SEMA or any of the big shows - there are all kinds of smaller shows where vendors set up booths to show off their wares. The lift and bender guys are always there.
Make some contacts, and put the word out you're in the market for a used bender. You'll be able to find some young hotshot who will do the legwork for a tiny piece of the action, particularly if it makes it easier for him to close a deal on a new bender with somebody else.
And if you're going to dive in, go up to 3". Dies are going to be way spendy, but the guys with the big jacked up 4x4 trucks have the money to pay if you can do good work.

Another thing I would do if you're new at that game would be to go on a tour and visit some good shops. Go talk to the guys that have cars lined up and check out their set ups. One of our biggest accounts (near the Renton airport) looked like complete chaos when you walked in, but the guy was making good money and doing some serious volume. You'd be surprised how some of those outfits operate.

Again, as above, just my lousy two cents.

Thanks for the info.
I’ve been in the game for abou 13 years, left the dealership this summer and was the senior Master Tech there. I’ve worked in my fair share of indy shops, and am trying to run my shop based on the good things I liked at other shops. And avoid the bad things I saw, mainly at the dealership level.

 

[trpearcy]

In my experience, the chunky voltage selector is akin to having a shoe untied, it just makes everything a little harder.

Ya, I get that. I guess I start looking into the 140 model welders now. Coming from working in large, high volume shops, we always had good welders, but right now I don’t have money for a really good welding machine. But a 140 is affordable...

 

[trpearcy]

flanges, turbo adapters, welding hangers to the frame.... lots of reasons to have more power "just" for exhaust.

If I were running a business, I'd fork up a few hundred more, at least, for a welder capable of welding more than 16 gauge steel.

I can defiantly fork up the cash for a better welder. And I will, based off the things people are telling me here.
My thinking initially was, put the money into my big welder setup later on, and just get a decent mig setup right now. But I’ll get a 140 model and hopefully that’ll do the trick until I can get a stick/tig machine.
The shop I worked at before used tig for almost everything. We did a lot of performance, and wanted everything to be pretty. And I just like tig welding better

 

[four.cycle]

I’ve been in the game for abou 13 years

I didn't think for a minute you were a rookie at this game. Just sounded like you were looking at a little diversification - exhaust - and I've seen guys sink way too much money into benders and dies and stuff and then get in over their heads.
No reason to shell out $10,000 for a Snap-on roll-away cabinet if you're not doing the volume to pay for it.

Might take quite a few jobs to recoup your investment on even a used bender - all I'm suggesting is consider your options first and find a good used unit. It's been a long time since I was in that game, but as I recall, there was no shortage of used benders between Vancouver Washington and the Canadian border that were in need of buyers.
Just make sure to steer clear of old clunkers that need repairs.

And again, after my experience, my feelings about inventory changed 180 degrees - I see it as a liability, not an asset. If I had to do it over again, I'd be as skinny as possible on inventory - it's just money *******.

-bk


edit: just FTR: I don't know **** about welding.

 

[trpearcy]

I didn't think for a minute you were a rookie at this game. Just sounded like you were looking at a little diversification - exhaust - and I've seen guys sink way too much money into benders and dies and stuff and then get in over their heads.
No reason to shell out $10,000 for a Snap-on roll-away cabinet if you're not doing the volume to pay for it.

Might take quite a few jobs to recoup your investment on even a used bender - all I'm suggesting is consider your options first and find a good used unit. It's been a long time since I was in that game, but as I recall, there was no shortage of used benders between Vancouver Washington and the Canadian border that were in need of buyers.
Just make sure to steer clear of old clunkers that need repairs.

And again, after my experience, my feelings about inventory changed 180 degrees - I see it as a liability, not an asset. If I had to do it over again, I'd be as skinny as possible on inventory - it's just money *******.

-bk


edit: just FTR: I don't know **** about welding.

Ok, I really appreciate the advice. Thanks. And I think I see what you mean about inventory. I’ve found that out a little already on my own.

I’m going to start looking around and talking to my tool guys and reps about used benders. See where the pricing is and what to expect. I’ve got a lot of debt right now from buying other tools for the shop, so it’ll have to wait for a while. I was kinda hoping a cheapo bender would work until I could get a good one in a year or two, but now I’m thinking I’ll just wait for a good deal on a large setup with all the proper tooling.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I have had my blue cool aid 140 about a decade.
Its big enough you can weld just about anything on a car, if maybe a little slow.
I can throw it in my truck, and weld anywhere there is a plug.
I can lift a generator big enough to run it by myself.

No regrets at all. Despite being one of the more expensive tools I've bought, its paid for itself many times over.

They make exhaust guns or a reason if you are doing on the car work.

 

[four.cycle]

well... consider you're not the only guy turning wrenches that's gone into exhaust, so there's another guy behind you that's going to be looking for a low-end bender at some point.
benders are just like used cars - buy and sell, buy and sell. they are good for more than one go-round. you just keep trading up until you get what you really want.

yeah... inventory is a killer in my view. we were buried with it because my old man and his right-hand man didn't believe in doing annual stock cleanups to get rid of the dogs.
I dumped whole aisles of stuff - Green ball bearings and Michigan rod and main bearings and Carter "zip kits" - for five cents on the dollar, just to get it out of the way so I could put in new stock.

problem is all those guys knocking on your door (and I was one of them) are all working on commission. they have a vested interest in selling you as much as possible. they don't give a **** about your inventory turn-around time.

-bk

I’m going to start looking around and talking to my tool guys and reps about used benders

put the word out to all of them. even the Pennzoil guy and the battery salesman. somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who needs to unload one.

 

[sberry]

The taps an the Lincoln machines are set pretty good, I like it as good or better than infinate and it's not a deal breaker for me. I saw some auto elbows and clamps of all places in a Meijers store.
I might find someone I wasn't in direct comp with and have them bend and flare some scraps, even score a few drop pieces and keep vendors out of the place unless they give you a deal on a couple basic mufflers and clamps. I don't worry much about flanges, I weld up what I can, flange if I have to.
On repairs most people are not super fussy, they want it to work and now. I had one up the other day where someone had done a repair,,,,,, really nice job, very simple and a couple good welds. On older cars where it's going to outlast the car weld more than clamps and it doesn't come loose, also often easier to saw out for replacement than to work clamped out. Also don't need the splice length, on occasion weld extensions on the bench.

 

[joecon]

You mite want to think about the fact that you don't know enough about exhaust
work that you have to ask for advise from a on line forum that is not dedicated to
profrseonal exhaust work. But you are going to spend money you need for your core business on expansion into an other area. I would first study what other exhaust
shops do that make money doing exhaust work. Then make a plan. And remember
that someone will come behind you and work on that car and do not make it harder
for them when the time comes and more expensive for the customer. you have gotten
some good advise and some not so good. Be careful with your money.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Probably sooner than later, you are going to need a cutting torch ! You will find it INVALUABLE for cutting off various nuts and bolts. You can usually find decent rigs on CL for not a lot of money.

Spend some money and buy some kind of a shield. Torches are HOT and if you are new/not careful you will burn a lot of things !

There are some good manual benders out there for a fraction of the cost of a manual bender. The trick to decent bends is the CORRECT dies and practice.

A couple other tools for exhaust work are a pipe expander (to make one pipe slip over another) and

 

[sberry]

Exhaust shops make money on parts. They buy in volume, do not pay what common folk pay across the counter at parts stores. They buy 500clamps and pay 50 cents where we pay 2$ ( some generalisation here so don't get ******* in a knot) but,, customer goes to the store,, prices parts, cost 200$. Then he goes to muffler man who says I will install for 250. He pays 75 for materials, gives installer 40, makes 125 on markup.

 

[trpearcy]

You mite want to think about the fact that you don't know enough about exhaust
work that you have to ask for advise from a on line forum that is not dedicated to
profrseonal exhaust work. But you are going to spend money you need for your core business on expansion into an other area. I would first study what other exhaust
shops do that make money doing exhaust work. Then make a plan. And remember
that someone will come behind you and work on that car and do not make it harder
for them when the time comes and more expensive for the customer. you have gotten
some good advise and some not so good. Be careful with your money.

Haha I have years of experience with exhaust work, and as a professional mechanic. But my experience is on a $20,000 bender and a $6000 welder, and I’m trying to find cheaper options from people that have taken a similar path, or may know more about cheaper options then me.
See, there’s this thing called the internet where people can ask questions and get knowledge from other people. I know a lot about doing the work, don’t know a lot about the exact models available and what most small shops buy.
That being said, I am personal friends with 2 big exhaust shops, and they use super expensive equipment for their benders/welders. I don’t want to be a full on exhaust only shop. I have my own specialities, and I have my money invested in the tools and training for those. Exhaust is more of a side thing to help my normal customers.
But thank you. I am aware of how to run a business and make money, and I know I need to be careful with money. That’s why I came here and thought I would get some more information!

 

[trpearcy]

Probably sooner than later, you are going to need a cutting torch ! You will find it INVALUABLE for cutting off various nuts and bolts. You can usually find decent rigs on CL for not a lot of money.

Spend some money and buy some kind of a shield. Torches are HOT and if you are new/not careful you will burn a lot of things !

There are some good manual benders out there for a fraction of the cost of a manual bender. The trick to decent bends is the CORRECT dies and practice.

A couple other tools for exhaust work are a pipe expander (to make one pipe slip over another) and

As I mentioned earlier, I do have torches. And I also have varias shields.
From what a lot of people are telling me, the manual benders just don’t work with the thin wall exhaust pipe

 

[joecon]

Manual benders will work if you have the right dies but they are most come with
pipe dies and if you use them on exhaust tubing it will crush the tube. If you have
the correct dies they will work. The dies are the most expensive part of the bender.

 

[four.cycle]

"... buy 500clamps and pay 50 cents ..."

No, I don't have my ******* in a wad, but:

Somebody buying 500 clamps at a time isn't paying anywhere even close to fifty cents a unit. If they're bulk packed, maybe 11 or 12 cents. Individually boxed high end would be about 20 - 25 cents.

As I noted above, the exhaust parts business is a ***** market. There is always another guy who can give you a better price if you beat the weeds and deal in quantity.

We were wholesaling 10-foot sticks of 2-inch pipe for about $5 or $6 bucks a pop, depending upon volume. Best deal was on full bundles.

I don't know if Oldberg is still in business in Toledo, but if you ever watched them make that stuff you'd know that production costs on the basics are minimal: the steel comes down off a roll about 12 feet in diameter, is sliced into strips, fed through dies to roll it up into a pipe, welded, ground, and polished by robots, cut to length by robots, and then dumped into a bin. The only thing the operator does is turn on the "ON" button at one end and jockey the wheeled bins around at the finish end.

 

[sberry]

Yes, i was simply putting a disclaimer in case i didnt have the math exactly right. When the guy came here telling us about pitiful markups in the parts biz i had to resist myself, ****, here a clamp is near a couple bucks for a heavy one over the counter. There is a reason they building these new stores.

 

[joe_pinehill1]

Need some advice on exhaust work tools.
I opened my own auto repair shop back in August, and I’m very busy. One of the things I’ve had a lot of requests to do is exhaust work. And by “exhaust work” I mean, custom exhaust. Not performance, just custom. Example from this week: 03 Honda Odyssey. Needs a new mid-pipe, the Walker one is $190, and I made one from 2 inch stainless exhaust pipe, and got the flanges, for $15 in parts.
So I need to make the investiment to get a decent welder that’ll do exhauast work, and a pipe bender.
I’m gonna go cheap on the welder right now, because it’s just a mig, and I’m going to spend big bucks later on for a stick/tig box for fabrication work. The little mig welder will only be used for exhaust work.
So I have the welder figured out. I want a Lincoln Handy mig k2185-1. Reliable and lightweight.
For the tubing bender. What’s everyone’s advice? Do I start with a little benchtop Harbor Freight model? The harbor freight model only comes with dies up to 2”, so that will be a big limiting factor. Jegs sells a similar model for a tiny bit more money, that does up to 3”, but it’s a bench top model also.
There are also manual models. Eastwood sells one, and several other companies, for 3-400.

Curious to see what input everyone has

Can you fabricate the exhaust for less time and material than just remove and replace? I could see if you want to keep a Cat, weld a new flange on the cat pipe, but other parts I would think its lower cost to remove and replace.

 

[Chevy-SS]

Seems like you're getting some decent advice here so far. My take on this is very simple: spend whatever you need to buy EXCELLENT quality tools that will serve your needs and produce EXCELLENT results.

Buying great tools means:

1. The jobs will go smoother.
2. The results will be better.
3. Customers will be impressed by the tools.
4. Customers will be happier.
5. You'll be happier.
6. Your employees will be happier.
7. And most likely, you'll be making more money!

 

[trpearcy]

Can you fabricate the exhaust for less time and material than just remove and replace? I could see if you want to keep a Cat, weld a new flange on the cat pipe, but other parts I would think its lower cost to remove and replace.

The problem I’ve run into is mainly the quality of the aftermarket parts, and nobody wants to pay for OEM parts. The walker stuff especially, which is what most parts stores around me stock, lasts for about 9-12 months before it that’s out completely and starts to leak.
The joy of living in the salt belt....

 

[trpearcy]

Seems like you're getting some decent advice here so far. My take on this is very simple: spend whatever you need to buy EXCELLENT quality tools that will serve your needs and produce EXCELLENT results.

Buying great tools means:

1. The jobs will go smoother.
2. The results will be better.
3. Customers will be impressed by the tools.
4. Customers will be happier.
5. You'll be happier.
6. Your employees will be happier.
7. And most likely, you'll be making more money!

Very true on all counts.
I’ve always bought good tools, and I always will. I try to only buy the best, because that’s what I’ve always made the most money with.

I think the info I was mostly looking for was about benders, but I learned about welders too, so that’s good.
Now I know that manual benders are ok, if you have the right tooling for it.