If your siding brake isn’t good enough, you can’t cut and bend metal sheets perfectly. Among various brands of siding brakes, it’s not easy to find the one worth buying. It’s possible to bend the siding without using a siding brake. But, for the perfection of work, it’s a mandatory tool.
So, it’s time to get introduced to the best siding brake for your desired project. A good siding brake must be durable and full of advanced features. Besides, a good siding brake must minimize the marring of the dealing material.
However, remember that your final selected product must have a locking handle with a quick-release feature. Otherwise, it won’t be convenient to transport. Now, let’s elaborate on some of the best siding brakes.
| Van Mark Trim-A Brake |  | Check on Amazon |
| Tapco Pro-19 Siding Brake |  | Check on Amazon |
| TAPCO Pro – 14 Siding Brake |  | Check on Amazon |
| TrimMaster Siding Brake |  | Check on Amazon |
| Tapco Windy Special Siding Brake |  | Check on Amazon |
What is a siding brake used for?
A siding brake is mainly used for cutting and bending aluminum sheet metals. This tool is also highly used for cladding exterior soffits. It’s also fine to use for light-gauge sheet metal or vinyl. When installing windows or doors, bending or flashing is essential. And the work gets much easier with the help of a siding brake.
Can I rent a siding brake?
Yes, many people rent a used siding brake from different tool rental companies since the price of a siding brake is too high. These companies have their own used siding brake to rent. You can simply rent them when necessary and return them after you are done with them.
You may not want to invest such an amount of money if you are not a professional contractor. Go here if you want to rent a siding brake in case you cannot afford it or do not want to invest money in it.
Top 5 Best Siding Brake for You
Here you know a complete elaboration on the 5 best siding brake products. For a quick review, you’ll get the pros and cons of each product.
Best Aluminum Siding Brake- Van Mark Trim-A Brake
Van Mark Trim-A brake is available in five different sizes. But, the 10’6″ size is considered as one of the best siding brakes. This tool arrives with 13″ throat depth which helps to bring more perfection to the work.
Due to its little setup process, people prefer purchasing it eagerly. Besides, there is no dedicated maintenance step to do with this siding brake. This entry-level utility brake is extremely lightweight.
The tool comes with a silver color painting which is very eye-catching. Its color is perfectly coated and won’t disappear even after extreme use. This siding brake is constructed with military-grade aluminum castings. The castings are for solid clamping pressure.
The vinyl strip of this tool is highly protective for users. There is a unique toggle lock handle to prevent the tool from running suddenly. To ensure straighter bends, its full loop handle is highly useful.
This siding brake comes with rigid “I” beam base rails. It helps to keep the brake calibrated. Besides, the necessity of adjustments gets reduced with this feature.
Pros
- Slide lock system for easy transport
- Dual support rails for additional foundation
- High-end aluminum castings
- Comes with ideal bending capacity
Cons
- No color option
- Requires using converter except for the USA region
Best Vinyl Siding Brake- Tapco Pro-19 Siding Brake
This vinyl siding brake is a master at bending soft aluminum, galvanized steel, trim, and others. Due to its ultimate bending handle, the marring of material gets highly reduced. The bending handle is industrially improved and manufactured with quality materials.
Tapco pro-19 siding brake comes with siding pockets. The design of these pockets is patented. Besides, there is a 2 ⅜” mouth opening which makes this tool reliable in the bending project.
This siding brake can store material efficiently, so flipping the material is difficult. For this reason, flashing for any roof application also can be performed easily.
Its weight is only 121 lbs for the 10’6″ side brake. This weight is convenient for carrying this side brake to the workplace. Despite its metal build, it doesn’t seem extremely heavy. It’s because the weight is equally distributed over the side brake.
As it comes with dual locking handles, secure and fast clamping is easy to perform. This brake has a unique hemming capability of bending up to 180-degrees. As a result, Tapco pro-19 siding brakes can bend aluminum and copper sheets easily.
Pros
- Extreme bending capability
- Durable build
- High-end finishing in the body
- Industrially improved bending handle
- Almost zero flipping of material
Cons
- The metal may get affected by stain
- Its plug isn’t suitable for every region
Best Siding Brake for the money- TAPCO Pro – 14 Siding Brake
Tapco pro-14 siding brake provides the best features with reasonable money. It has a patented moving pivot hinge which comes with a unique design. With this feature, the bending power gets increased extremely.
Besides, the tool ensures that the material doesn’t get marred easily. An expert can bend the material at the fastest speed using this siding brake. Its inside working pockets come with a 6 cm mouth opening which ensures the best output.
Though it has a sturdy build, its weight is only 106 lbs. Its metal quality is authentic and highly resistant against stains. So, this siding brake will surely run in the long run.
Due to its 11x1x1 inches dimension, it’s super easy to carry the tool. This siding brake comes with an efficient security locking system. It uses the pulling motion rather than using the pushing motion.
As the siding brake comes with individual bending handles, it’s super easy to operate. It’s possible to bend various materials like vinyl, aluminum, steel, and others using this siding brake. For more rigid panels, you can use its 180-degree bending feature conveniently.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Advanced locking feature
- Convenient for bending different materials
- Patented moving pivot hinge
- Strong build quality
Cons
- An adapter is required for use in various regions
TrimMaster Siding Brake
TrimMaster siding brakes can be found in four different sizes. This product from Van Mark comes with extraordinary POWERslot technology. The technology is used to make the bending process easier and time-saving.
There is a locking handle advantage which is attached with the quick release feature. This feature makes this item reliable while transporting. Due to the aluminum construction of its cam locking system, it’s durable enough.
Its wedges are independently adjustable which makes it highly user-friendly. Even, the user can replace it depending on the convenience. Its wedges are made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene wedges for lasting long.
The weight depends on the size of the siding brakes. If it’s up to 10 feet, the weight isn’t a matter of concern to transport. The number of C casting also depends on the size of the siding brake. If the siding brake is 6’6″, then it will come with 3 C castings.
However, this siding brake comes with a quality electrical plug. The plug can’t be used all over the world but in the USA. Hence, you need to go for an adapter or converter for using it properly.
Pros
- Crisp bending without oil canning
- Easy locking feature to transport
- Comes in various sizes
- User-friendly wedges
- The electrical plug has a strong build
Cons
- Cam locking system could be improved
- Its electrical plug isn’t versatile
Best Metal Siding Brake- Tapco Windy Special Siding Brake
The lightweight and durable Tapco Windy Special siding brake comes with only 113 pounds weight. Despite its stainless steel build, its weight balance is adorable. The metal finishing is superb and guaranteed to last in the long run.
This siding brake is capable of 130-degree overbends, which is a unique feature. Therefore, handling materials like 0.030 soft aluminum or 29 gauge galvanized steel is simple.
The user can remove the bending handle just by twisting it. This feature improves the convenience of transport a lot. Like other brands, this siding brake doesn’t have many size options.
But, like other siding brake locking systems, this tool is highly reliable. The locking system provides more clamping power in comparison to effort. It can be locked on a wider variety of material thicknesses. Hence, it won’t require any advanced-level adjustment.
Due to its stainless steel bending edge, it’s not risky at all. As an extra feature, it has accurate built-in depth gauges. However, if you want to use it internationally, an adapter may be required.
Pros
- Ability to 130-degree overbend
- Easily transportable for lightweight
- Excellent stainless steel build
- Advanced locking system with extra clamping power
- No extra adjustments or maintenance
Cons
- Sometimes, a converter is needed to use it
- Fewer size options in comparison to other brands
How do you bend siding without a brake?
Bending siding without a brake is pretty simple. Follow the following steps to bend siding without a brake.
- By using a saw, cut two 2-feet long lumber.
- Then, screw hinges and place them accurately so that the other side and the board lay flat together.
- Lay the homemade brake precisely and apply the saw to cut the siding perfectly. Now, you need to align the bend point of the siding with the hinged joint.
- Lift the other hinged board carefully. Then, create some pressure on the siding. Keep bending the siding until you get the desired angle.
How to pick the best siding brake
To find the best siding brake, you need to follow some criteria. A value-for-money siding brake must be durable, handy, and good-looking. Let’s know how to select the best siding brake for your project.
Go for the user reviews
The user review can be found on various e-commerce sites as well as online platforms. You can easily understand the quality of a product by checking its rating. If the rating lies between 4.5 to 5, then it’s an excellent item. You can also review the desired product’s comment section to know the pros and cons.
Look at the brand value
A reliable product only comes from a reputed brand. You can get the siding brake with good build quality and finishing from the top-rated brands. Besides, a good brand will provide a tremendous after-sale service regularly.
Check specifications
The specifications should be checked carefully while purchasing the siding brake. If any of the major features are absent, you shouldn’t purchase them. A product with strong specifications must be prioritized.
Look at the extra features
Every brand tries to add extra unique features to compete with other brands. But, most of the features aren’t essential for the main purpose. Shortlisting the product with your desired feature is your responsibility.
Observe durability
The product from a reputed brand also lasts longer than local brands. Their build quality and high-end building materials ensure them to last in the long run.
FAQ
This part reveals some common questions related to the best siding brake.
Yes, a siding brake can easily bend .032 aluminum without any hassle. You need to use the brake properly to get the job done.
Yes, a siding brake can bend 24-gauge steel without causing any damage. They can even bend aluminum easily.
A brake will make your vinyl siding job much easier by ensuring an easy bending facility. But you can avoid it if you plan to bend a few sidings for your home projects.
The length of a siding brake varies from type to type, brand to brand. It can run from 10 feet to 6 feet or lower.
“Modern builders supply” offers a 10 ft aluminum brake for around $2368 price. A 10 ft siding brake from TAPCO pro is supplied at approximately $2482 price. The pricing varies depending on the size, brand value, and added features.
A Tapco brake is highly reliable for its lightweight feature. If you go for a 10’6″ Tapco brake, it’s around 121 lbs. An 8’6″ Tapco brake weighs only 96 lbs. So, it’s clear that the weight depends on the size. The bigger its size, the heavier its weight.
Time to wrap up
The siding brake is a slightly expensive tool with some enchanting features. Without this tool, you can’t cut or bend aluminum sheets appropriately. This tool is convenient, easy to transport, and not threatening to the material.
That’s why people remember this tool while bending or cutting aluminum sheets. But, finding the best siding brake is a difficult task. You can probably select the wrong one if you’re not an expert. Following the buying guide, you can easily get a suitable siding brake for your project.
The price of a siding brake varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. You won’t get the same design or the same features, so there is a difference in the price range. Whatever brand you pick, ensure the product is durable enough and has a great finish.