Tool recommendations? Bead rollers/welder/misc

[YJ4Rox]

Can you guys recommend some brands/models for me? I love doing sheet metal work and want to get into it a little more. Just personal projects and race car stuff for race car friends. My buddy and his two sons have dirt cars and I help them a bunch.

I am looking to buy a bead roller. Probably an 18-24" throat, at this point i need to stay within reasonable budget so a manual unit will have to do.
Eastwood, Baleigh, mittler, etc... all have similar units. Who has the best bang for the buck?

The use will be primarily for race car bodies. .040 and .050 aluminum. I am sure there will be mild steel uses as well. Standard step dies, bead dies, maybe hemming dies at some point.


I am also looking for dimple dies, who has the best product and price?
Anyone using the Baleigh shrinker stretcher? I like the foot operated model, suggestions, other brands?

Can I open up the welding machine can of worms?

I have a little Lincoln 135amp 110V MIG and a Hobart 187A 220V MIG and a shitty Harbor freight TiG.

I really want a decent TiG machine. Research has lead me to Everlast machines and the PowerPro 205Si to be exact. I have no plasma so the Tig/Plasma combo looks great for my use. the ac/dc Tig looks good too. Duty cycles are acceptable.
Chassis repair (thin wall race car stuff) normal offroad fab stuff, etc...

Are the Everlast machines complete crap? They have a five year warranty and appear to use normal consumables. Anyone running to 205Si?

Would I be better off ditching my current light duty machines and getting something like the Esab Rebel 285 and a stand alone plasma?

I am just kind of brainstorming right now.

 

[gt1guy]

I have the Mittler Bros 24" bead roller. Probably have had it for 10 tears now. Haven't had a single problem with it. For thin alum the standard motor will be fine, doing 16ga and thicker mild steel and stainless you'd want to step up to the industrial motor.

Shrinker/stretcher, you definitely want the foot operated setup. I don't have that and it's a pain in the ass on larger parts. You'll wish you had three arms.

 

[jamscal]

I have the baileigh shrinker stretcher as well as the 36" powered bead roller.

I haven't used the bead roller as much as I thought I would but use the shrinker stretcher all the time. I like it.

Back in the day I modded a HF bead roller to do thicker material. It worked ok. If you're hand cranking you need two people or set up a fence (not always but it helps.)

Apparently the mittler bros and baileigh dies are interchangeable (The 3/4" shaft ones anyway). I'd probably recommend the Mittler bros because they're US made though I haven't tried it.

I have the eastwood dimple dies which I think is the best value I've seen in general.

 

[YJ4Rox]

Thanks for the info guys. Much appreciated