Kits · DIY tool · not a kit
Hoop bender DIY vs prefab high-tunnel kit
A hoop bender is a jig for rolling EMT or fence-yard top rail into arches. A commercially manufactured kit arrives with bows, warranties, and installation instructions. This page copies live tool prices and two prefab kit SKUs already on the index — and keeps the EQIP DIY answer labeled. It is not USDA and not a shop drawing.
Sources retrieved 26 September 2026, about 03:04 UTC (25 September 2026, America/Los_Angeles). Bootstrap Farmer hoop-bender and Round All-Metal Shopify JSON, Farmers Friend Haven HTML, and Johnny's Selected Seeds 12′ Quick Hoops bender were fetched live tonight (HTTP 200). Amazon mobile featured prices were copied the same night. B0DCC33ZS1 / B0DCC2PKQ6 / B0DCC37RQC returned HTTP 404 and were skipped. Pipe-yard dollars and labor hours that a page does not state stay an em dash.
What a hoop bender is
You mount the jig, mark the pipe, and pull. Bootstrap Farmer’s live page tonight splits the tool by pipe: EMT on the small sizes, 1⅜-in top rail on the walk-in sizes.
4' and 6' benders work with 3/4" EMT or 1/2" EMT10', 12', 16', and 20' benders work with 1 3/8" Top RailSource: Bootstrap Farmer greenhouse hoop bender. Shopify JSON tonight: 4′ / 6′ $105.99; 10′ / 12′ / 16′ / 20′ $142.99. Vendor line
this is the strongest pole bender on the marketis marketing, not a test we ran.
Bend your own hoops to create a 12'-wide, 7' or 8 1/2'-high tunnel of any desired length out of locally available 1 3/8" chain link fence top rail.Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds Quick Hoops 12′. In stock. Price reduced from $119 to $107.10. Manufacturer page — not Amazon.
This bender does not bend the peak arch itself. It bends the pipe from the ground post up to where the gothic peak arch connects. The peak arch (included in our DIY Gothic High Tunnel Kit) is a separate pre-formed part required to complete the structure.Source: Bootstrap Farmer gothic hoop bender ($105.99). The gothic jig does not form the peak arch.
Vendor pipe counts and heights
Copied from the Bootstrap Farmer hoop-bender page tonight. Heights are the vendor's “approximate height” column — not a snow or wind rating. A 4′ / 6′ EMT hoop on that table is caterpillar-scale; see caterpillar vs high tunnel.
| Bender width (BF) | Approx. height (vendor) | Pipe per hoop (vendor) |
|---|---|---|
| 4′ | 47″ | 1 × 10′ of ¾-in or ½-in EMT per hoop |
| 6′ | 40″ | 1 × 10′ of ¾-in or ½-in EMT per hoop |
| 10′ | 8.5′ | 2 × 10.5′ of 1⅜-in top rail per hoop |
| 12′ | 8′ | 2 × 10.5′ of 1⅜-in top rail per hoop |
| 16′ | 9.5′ | 2.5 × 10.5′ of 1⅜-in top rail per hoop |
| 20′ | 10.75′ | 3 × 10.5′ of 1⅜-in top rail per hoop |
Setup, not hours: Install the bender 5-6 feet above the ground to provide enough working space. To keep the hoop steady, mount the bender on a flat surface that's at least 4 feet long.
Johnny's includes “extensive illustrated instructions.” No labor-hour figure is copied here.
DIY path vs priced prefab kits
Re-opened tonight. Compare this with the kit index, 14×20 kits, and 20×40 kits. Do not add a blank pipe cell to a kit list price.
| Path | What you buy | USD tonight | EQIP note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY tool — 6′ bender (Amazon) | Bootstrap Farmer 6′ hoop bender for ¾-in EMT. Tool only. Pipe, film, and fasteners are not in this price. | $118.99Amazon featured priceAmount tonight. | A bender is not a manufactured high-tunnel kit. |
| DIY tool — 12′ bender (Amazon) | Bootstrap Farmer 12′ hoop bender for 1⅜-in top rail. Tool only. | $154.99Amazon featured priceAmount tonight. | A bender is not a manufactured high-tunnel kit. |
| DIY tool — manufacturer 6′ / 12′ | Same Bootstrap Farmer hoop-bender family on the manufacturer page: 4′ and 6′ $105.99; 10′ / 12′ / 16′ / 20′ $142.99. | $105.99Shopify 6′ variant $105.99. The 12′ variant is $142.99 on the same JSON — not this cell. | Buying the jig from a commercial source does not make a home-bent frame a manufactured kit. |
| DIY tool — Johnny's 12′ | Quick Hoops™ High Tunnel Hoop Bender – 12′. Locally sourced 1⅜-in chain-link top rail. In stock tonight. | $107.10Page: price reduced from $119.00 to $107.10. | Manufacturer tool page. Still a DIY frame unless the county writes a manufactured kit. |
| DIY pipe / EMT | ¾-in or ½-in EMT (4′ / 6′ BF benders) or 1⅜-in top rail (10–20′ BF; Johnny's 12′). Count is per hoop on the vendor pages — not a house bill of materials. | — (not stated on the vendor page)Local lumber-yard / fence-yard price. Not stated here. | FAQ: used materials and home-built kits may not be funded. |
| Prefab kit — BF Round All-Metal 14×20 | Commercially manufactured kit on the live Shopify handle already on the kit index. | $3,624.99Variant 14′ / 20′. Kit dollars, not a bender. | This is the manufactured-kit path the FAQ describes. The county still decides. |
| Prefab kit — BF Round All-Metal 20×40 | Same handle. Larger SKU already on /20x40-high-tunnel-kits. | $6,277.99Variant 20′ / 40′. | Manufactured kit. Not a hoop-bender project. |
| Prefab kit — Farmers Friend Haven | Displayed kit price with Free Shipping * / FREE delivery in the contiguous USA on tonight’s page. | $3,348Displayed $3,348.00. Length is a configurator. Do not treat $3,348 as every length. | Commercial kit page. Vendor NRCS language elsewhere is marketing, not a county letter. |
Haven displayed $3,348 with Free Shipping * on farmersfriend.com. Length is a configurator — do not treat that dollar as every length. Round All-Metal 14×20 and 20×40 are the prefab SKUs on tonight’s Shopify JSON.
EQIP: DIY is usually not the kit
No, high tunnel kits must be obtained from a commercial source in order to receive NRCS funding. Commercial sources available in Oregon and across the nation provide high tunnel system kits. You may install a commercially obtained kit yourself.Source: USDA NRCS High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ (Updated November 2024; Oregon-branded). You may install a commercially obtained kit yourself. Home-bent pipe is not that kit. Longer DIY / used limits: what EQIP will not pay for and used vs new for EQIP.
No, used materials and high tunnel systems may not be funded under EQIP. Structures need to be obtained from a commercial source and planned, designed and constructed in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.Source: USDA NRCS High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ (Updated November 2024; Oregon-branded). Hardware-store EMT is not a used kit, and it is also not a manufactured kit.
The high tunnel structure must be planned, designed, and constructed from a manufactured kit in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations.To receive assistance for high tunnels, applicants must be agricultural producers, and use commercially manufactured high tunnel kits.Sources: NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 325 High Tunnel System; USDA NRCS Pennsylvania — Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops. No payment dollar on those pages.
Parts · not kits
Amazon hoop benders and hardware
Featured prices copied 26 September 2026, about 03:04 UTC. Kit CTAs stay on manufacturer URLs above. Film and lock channel are also compared on 6-mil plastic replacement and wiggle wire.
Amazon Associate disclosure. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
| Kind | Listing | ASIN | USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoop bender | Bootstrap Farmer 6' Wide Hoop Bender for 3/4 Inch EMT Conduit | USA-Made Steel Jig for Low Tunnel Greenhouse HoopsIn stock. Featured priceAmount $118.99. Manufacturer 6′ sibling is $105.99 on Shopify tonight. | B06Y4W2984 | $118.99 |
| Hoop bender | Bootstrap Farmer 10' Wide Hoop Bender for Greenhouse Arch Construction | Bends 1-3/8 inch Top Rail PipeIn stock. Featured priceAmount $154.99. Manufacturer 10′ sibling is $142.99 on Shopify tonight. | B06Y4TVPZJ | $154.99 |
| Hoop bender | Bootstrap Farmer Hoop Bender for 12' Wide Greenhouses | Bends 1 3/8 inch Steel Top Rail for DIY High Tunnel and Low Tunnel HoopsIn stock. Featured priceAmount $154.99. Manufacturer 12′ sibling is $142.99 on Shopify tonight. | B06Y4X5N8W | $154.99 |
| Hoop bender | Bootstrap Farmer 20' Wide Hoop Bender for 1 3/8 Inch Top Rail Pipe | Heavy Duty Steel Tool for DIY Greenhouse Frame ConstructionIn stock. Featured priceAmount $154.99. Manufacturer 20′ sibling is $142.99 on Shopify tonight. | B06Y4W33KV | $154.99 |
| Snap clamp | Jiggly Greenhouse® Snap On Clamp for Securing Plastic Film, Shade Cloth, Greenhouse Coverings to 3/4" [1" OD] EMT Conduit or PVC Pipe (Pack of 20)In stock. Featured priceAmount $21.50. Compared on roll-up sides. Not a bender. | B08DXXJX9Y | $21.50 |
| EMT strap | SIGMA ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS ProConnex 1901 EMT One-Hole Strap, 1/2-Inch, 100-Pack (Gray)Featured priceAmount $15.99 (a $17.48 also printed). Already on the site Amazon parts list. Not a kit. | B00C3YCDF6 | $15.99 |
| 6-mil film | Bootstrap Farmer Greenhouse Plastic 4 Year 6 mil UV Resistant Clear Polyethylene Film 16' x 90'In stock. Featured priceAmount $269.99. Title on the page is 6 mil. A 16-foot-wide roll is a short sheet. | B07D22SZCQ | $269.99 |
| Wiggle wire / lock channel | Bootstrap Farmer Spring Wire & Lock Channel 20 of Each Wiggle Locking Greenhouse Plastic Shade ClothIn stock. Featured priceAmount $190.99. Film that is not held in channel is not a finished cover. | B01BC4HBQI | $190.99 |
| 6-mil film | VEVOR Greenhouse Plastic Sheeting 15 x 40 ft, 6 Mil Thickness UV Resistant Clear Polyethylene Film, Hoop Green House Cover for Farms, Agriculture, GardenIn stock. Featured priceAmount $50.90. Not a 20-foot gothic roof takeoff. | B09HCHZNCL | $50.90 |
Opened and skipped tonight: B0DCC33ZS1 (HTTP 404 on the Amazon mobile PDP tonight.) B0DCC2PKQ6 (HTTP 404 on the Amazon mobile PDP tonight.) B0DCC37RQC (HTTP 404 on the Amazon mobile PDP tonight.)
FAQ
- What is a hoop bender?
- A hoop bender is a steel jig you mount to a bench or other flat surface and pull pipe around to form arches. Bootstrap Farmer’s live product page tonight: 4′ and 6′ benders work with ¾-in or ½-in EMT; 10′, 12′, 16′, and 20′ benders work with 1⅜-in top rail. Johnny's 12′ Quick Hoops bender uses locally available 1⅜-in chain-link fence top rail. It is a tool, not a commercially manufactured high-tunnel kit.
- Is a hoop-bender DIY house EQIP-fundable?
- The High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ answers “Can I construct my own high tunnel?” with no: kits must be obtained from a commercial source to receive NRCS funding. You may install a commercially obtained kit yourself. Used materials and used systems may not be funded. CPS 325 requires a manufactured kit planned, designed, and constructed per manufacturer recommendations. Pennsylvania requires commercially manufactured kits. A bender plus hardware-store pipe is the DIY path, not that kit. Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.
- Does a cheaper bender beat a prefab kit on price?
- Only after you price the pipe, fasteners, film, and your time — and this page does not invent those blanks. Tonight a Bootstrap 6′ bender is $118.99 on Amazon and $105.99 on Shopify; 10–20′ Amazon benders are $154.99 against $142.99 on Shopify. Johnny's 12′ is $107.10 (reduced from $119.00). A Bootstrap Round All-Metal 14×20 is $3,624.99 and a 20×40 is $6,277.99. Haven displays $3,348.00. Those are not the same width × length, and pipe dollars are not stated here. No invented landed-cost race.
- How long does bending hoops take?
- This page does not copy a labor-hour figure. Johnny's says the 12′ bender includes extensive illustrated instructions. Bootstrap Farmer tells you to mount the bender 5–6 feet above the ground on a flat surface at least 4 feet long. Those are setup sentences, not a house-hour table.
- Is a 6-foot bender a high tunnel?
- Bootstrap Farmer’s own table lists the 4′ bender at about 47 inches high and the 6′ bender at about 40 inches — caterpillar / low-tunnel EMT, not a 6-foot-at-the-peak high tunnel. The FAQ and CPS 325 require at least 6 feet at the peak for the high-tunnel practice. The 10–20′ top-rail benders are the walk-in sizes on that Bootstrap table. Vendor heights are vendor copy, not a snow-load rating.
Tunnel Spec does not sell benders or write EQIP contracts. Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.