How to read this comparison
Every figure below comes from the maker’s own published material: Spiro’s product pages and general brochure, and Taokron’s product catalog page for the SBTF-1602. Where a maker does not publish a figure, the cell says so rather than guessing. Spiro belongs to the Lindab group and builds the Tubeformer in Switzerland and, for the Americas, at Spiral-Helix in Illinois; Taokron is an Australian supplier and the SBTF-1602 is our machine. Neither fact appears in the spec table, but both matter for service, which gets its own section.
The specification table
| Specification | Spiro Tubeformer 1602/3600 (standard build) | Taokron SBTF-1602 |
|---|
| Diameter range | Ø80–1600 mm | Ø80–1600 mm |
| Galvanised steel | 0.4–1.3 mm (Heavy Gauge build to 1.7 mm) | 0.4–1.3 mm |
| Stainless steel | 0.4–0.6 mm standard; PRO build 0.8 mm; Heavy Gauge 1.0 mm | 0.4–0.8 mm |
| Aluminium | 0.4–1.3 mm (Heavy Gauge to 1.7 mm) | 0.4–1.3 mm |
| Strip width | Not stated on the product page (1602-class norm is 137/140 mm) | 137 mm (0.4–1.0 mm), 140 mm (1.1–1.3 mm) |
| Cutting system | Flying Slitter H (Spiral-Helix patent, 1987) | Patented flying slitter |
| Corrugation | Option | Controlled corrugation unit, one or two beads (option) |
| Tube length | Standard run-out; option to 20 m | Run-out table 2450×1200×1200 mm; longer run-out on request |
| Guaranteed output (3 m ducts) | 180/h at Ø100/0.5 mm; 53/h at Ø500/0.7 mm; 23/h at Ø1250/0.9 mm (PRO: 250/85/40) | Quoted per diameter and gauge on your coil and written into the factory acceptance test; not published as a brochure figure |
| Main drive | Not stated on the product page | Mainframe 11 kW; cooling-water pump 0.25 kW |
| Machine weight | Not stated on the product page | 2,900 kg |
| Footprint | Not stated on the product page | Mainframe 2000×1700×1450 mm; decoiler 2000×1100×1300 mm |
| Electrical | Per market | 380 V / 50 Hz / 3-phase standard; other voltages and 60 Hz on request |
| Control and connectivity | Touch-screen HMI; Spiro Connect production planning | Touch-screen PLC control |
| Fittings machines from the same maker | Gorelocker Combi-T, Fittingshaper 1250, Spiro Shaper, plasma and curve cutters, stitch and spot welders, Ovalizer | Fitting shaper (Ø90–400 mm), elbow welder (Ø80–250 mm), spiral duct flanging machine, ovalizer, oval roller, stitch and seam welders, plasma |
| Service model | Spiro Care contract: annual inspection, parts warranty, priority service, remote support, T-Box emergency rental; US subsidiary; partner network not published | Direct engineer support, commissioning on site, stocked wear parts, WhatsApp and email to the engineering team |
| Certification | Not stated on the product page | ISO 9001:2015, CE |
| Owner | Lindab AB (since 1992) | Independent, Australian supplier since 1995 |
Brand and product names are the property of their respective owners, referenced here for honest comparison only. Ownership, positioning and published ranges are as verified in September 2026 from each maker’s own publications; confirm current specifications and support with each vendor before buying.
Where the two machines are the same
On the envelope that defines the class they match: Ø80–1600 mm, 0.4–1.3 mm galvanised and aluminium, a flying slitter rather than a saw, optional corrugation, touch-screen control. Both make the standard spiral lock seam, so duct from either machine couples with duct from the other and with everything already in your building. Both sit inside a fittings ecosystem from the same maker, which is the right way to buy round duct.
Where they differ, and what it means
- Heavy-gauge builds. Spiro offers the 1602 in PRO and Heavy Gauge variants to 1.7 mm galvanised and 1.0 mm stainless. Taokron does not stretch the 1602 frame; for heavy work we move you to the SBTF-2020 (Ø80–2500 mm, galvanised to 2.0 mm, stainless to 1.2 mm, plasma plus flying slitter, 22 kW). If your work is 1.4–1.7 mm on diameters under 1,600 mm, that is the honest comparison: a heavy-gauge 1602 against a 2020-class machine.
- Published output. Spiro publishes guaranteed ducts per hour and stands behind them. We quote throughput for your diameters, gauge and coil and put it in the factory acceptance test, because output depends on strip quality, diameter mix and the operator’s changeovers. Ask both vendors for the same figures at your top three diameters, and compare like with like.
- Stainless. Taokron’s standard SBTF-1602 runs 0.8 mm stainless; Spiro’s standard build stops at 0.6 mm and needs the PRO build for 0.8. Kitchen-exhaust and marine shops should price the build that actually covers their stainless gauge.
- Connectivity. Spiro Connect is a production-planning layer across the shop; Taokron’s SBTF-1602 is a PLC touch-screen machine without a shop-level planning suite. If you run a multi-machine round-duct plant on order data, that is a real Spiro advantage; a shop running one machine from a cut list will not use it.
- Price and tier. Spiro is the premium benchmark and priced as one; Taokron sells at export-competitive capital cost. Neither publishes list prices. The difference is typically large enough to fund the fittings machines around the tubeformer, which is where most first-time round-duct shops are under-equipped.
- Service geography. Spiro publishes a US subsidiary and a partner network whose members are not listed; Spiro Care is a strong offer where a partner is near. Taokron supplies direct engineer support and commissioning from Australia to 100+ countries, with wear parts stocked and shipped to your door. Ask both for the address of the nearest stocked forming head and the name of the engineer who would fly in.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the Spiro Tubeformer 1602 if you are equipping a high-volume round-duct plant, want published guaranteed output and Spiro Connect planning, sit near a Spiro partner, and the premium price fits the business case. Buy the Taokron SBTF-1602 if you want the same envelope and a full fittings line from one vendor at export-competitive cost, you value direct engineer support over a partner network, and you will verify throughput in a factory acceptance test on your own coil rather than from a brochure. In either case, count the forming heads for the diameters you actually sell before you compare prices; heads are where the real money sits. Our Spiro alternatives guide covers the wider field, including Lockformer and Tormec.
Ask for an SBTF-1602 quotation with your diameters and gauge →
FAQ
Is the Taokron SBTF-1602 a copy of the Spiro Tubeformer 1602?
It is built to the same industry class: Ø80–1600 mm, 0.4–1.3 mm galvanised, flying slitter, 137/140 mm strip. The class is defined by the round-duct diameters and gauges the market buys, and several makers build to it. Taokron designs and builds its own machine, publishes its own catalog specs and holds its own patent on the flying slitter.
Will duct from the SBTF-1602 fit duct made on a Spiro 1602?
Yes. Both produce the standard spiral lock seam on the standard diameter series; match diameter and gauge and the duct couples as before. Test-fit a sample to be sure.
Does the Taokron machine publish guaranteed output like Spiro?
Not as a brochure figure. We quote ducts per hour for your diameters, gauge and coil and write it into the factory acceptance test, which you witness before shipment. Ask both vendors for figures at your own top three diameters.
Which machine handles heavier stainless?
Standard build for standard build, the Taokron SBTF-1602 (0.8 mm) runs heavier stainless than the standard Spiro 1602 (0.6 mm); Spiro’s PRO build reaches 0.8 mm and its Heavy Gauge build 1.0 mm. For 1.0–1.2 mm stainless Taokron moves you to the SBTF-2020.
What about the fittings around the tubeformer?
Spiro offers the Gorelocker Combi-T, Fittingshaper 1250 and cutters; Taokron offers the fitting shaper, elbow welder, spiral duct flanging machine, ovalizer and oval roller, welders and plasma. Price the fittings machines as part of the decision; a tubeformer alone does not make a round-duct shop.
Who owns Spiro?
The Swedish Lindab group, since 1992. Spiral-Helix in Illinois is Spiro’s own North American company. Taokron is independent.
