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"The tools are basically small hydraulic cylinders," Giesler notes. "Hydraulic cylinders can withstand tons of abuse compared to electric motors. The EZE Bend power heads are lighter than most cutters and benders offered on the market and are much smaller with weight distribution in a manner that it can be used nearly all day long without two hands."

Giesler's company has adapted the equipment to meet its needs by using the hydraulic pump from the larger model on a portable unit, making it possible to bend a #5 bar 90 degrees in about three seconds.

ICF Builders also uses a gas saw for cutting entire rebar bundles to a set length. It speeds up rebar installation even more by using reverse yankee type zip tiers and forms that have integral reinforcing locks that eliminate tying splices. Badger Swimpools has a smaller Lobster machine it uses to cut out pipe penetrations and sleeve penetrations after the rebar has been installed. Its work goes faster by using rebar chairs and Max USA tiers, which are handheld electric rebar tiers that automatically tie the rebar in lap joints.

Planning ahead
Because the hydraulic pump can take about two weeks to repair, Cyr owns an extra one to keep his system up and running every day. He also bought an extra hydraulic hose as a precaution against downtime. He has found his EZE Bend machine to be reliable, with no repairs needed for the cutter or bender and only a few on the pump and hose.

Cyr's residential building company cuts and bends 90 percent of all the rebar it uses itself. That is partly because of the smaller sizes of its jobs but also because the nearest fabricator is 100 miles away, making pre-engineered rebar inconvenient. They plan all of the cuts first and then do them before attaching the bender and making the needed bends. Being able to prepare its own rebar is worth "thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars every year," Cyr says. "It saves a lot of man hours."