Hydaulic shop presses

[bmwpower]

I would like to get one of these. Any recommendations? I see a bunch of different styles: floor standing, bench style, hydraulic jack style, hand pump with remote reservoir, etc. I'm eyeing up the AC Hydraulic models, but they pricey (and probably no longer available). I'd rather avoid the HF models. Last thing I want is to ruin one of my parts because the ram came off axis or something.

[W-Cummins]

What are you going to use it for? Also how much are you going to use it? once a year, every day... many times a day, etc... How many tons of pressing power do you need? For low use HF crap works fine. All day long Dake electric over hydraulic is nice. I have a 50 ton Dake manual hydraulic and it's nice BUT if you don't need 50 tons the smaller 20 ton dake I sold is better as it's much faster to pump it down.

William...

[REFLEXX]

BMdub,

I always consider the used route too. A press is a press, and if you find an american made one, you're getting a lifetime of quality.

I've got a HF unit, but I don't use it very often. Seems to work fine. It was a hundred something dollars and it's one of those "simple" tools HF couldn't really screw up. Yet.

[bmwpower]

Probably out of all the "big" tools you could have in a garage, it seems like a press is the one I've needed the most. Most recently needed one for rebuilding the front brakes on my F250, resealed/rebushing'd my 5 spd BMW trans, rebushing'd my friend's Mustang 5 spd., driveshaft work, etc. Nothing that requires big power, mostly bushing/seal type work. I've been using the old socket and hammer method, which works, but...

I'd hate to eat up floor space. Maybe I should look for a table top unit?

I'm not opposed to used. Hell, most of my tolls are used. Just finding something used can take a while.

[Uncle Buck]

I would not want to limit myself to a bench unit if I were to take the plunge! Sure as I would, my first job would require the capacity of a floor model!

[banzaitoyota]

Define your use. I find the Arbor Press gets used more in than the hydraulic press for my needs

[Rrumbler]

Not wanting to use floor space is important, but the first time you need to press a bearing on or off of a full length axle, you'll be glad, if you get a floor model.

[AndrewM]

I have a 20 ton HF unit, been using it for years (well, I'm on my second unit, as I gave my first one to a good friend, and bought a second one a year later because I missed it that much). I understand your concern about going off axis - it does tend to want to go off in its own direction sometimes, depending on what I'm pressing.

But thus far, it's never proven a problem. I use it for axle bearings (on is no problem; off - well, I had to make a jig for helping with that, as it's just a wee bit short), ball joints, bushings, and pressing transmission parts on/off the shaft. It's held up to my abuse thus far, so I consider it well worth the money. None of my stuff really required much accuracy, just force.

As a weekender in the shop, I think it's great, and I don't really see a need to purchase something more expensive.

[Charles (in GA)]

I always wanted a good hydraulic press. Really admired the Dake 25 ton H frame (would like more tonnage but cannot justify it). Found one on Ebay almost exactly two years ago. It was mis advertised as a 10 ton (Dake doesn't make a 10 ton in this design, and a Dake tech rep looked at the listing and confirmed it was indeed a 25 ton) and Dake was mispelled as Drake, so no one else bid on it. Got it for $192, and spent about $250 going from Georgia to NJ to pick it up. A real bargain for a press that sells new now for $2750!

And old KR Wilson model 37 would be a good find. It is a H frame hydraulic, with a double pump, large and small pistons, for speed or power, and also has a built in manual arbor press, capable of about 4 tons.

Here are a couple on Ebay, the first is a 37E 50 ton. They did also make a 25 ton.

http://cgi.ebay.com/K-R-Wilson-37E-H-FRAME-HYDRAULIC-PRESS-buySAFE_W0QQitemZ7598219635QQcategoryZ31372QQssPag eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This second one is a 100 ton, they also made a 75 ton. K R Wilson went out of biz in the '80's. Many of these presses are WWII vintage.

http://cgi.ebay.com/K-R-Wilson-37K-H-FRAME-HYDRAULIC-PRESS-buySAFE_W0QQitemZ7598220115QQcategoryZ31372QQssPag eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The four way handle on the RH side of the 50 ton, near the top is the arbor press handle and shaft, almost invisible in the pics. The handles have been removed from the 100 ton, but the shaft is still there.

Charles

[fourspeed]

I've been looking at one of these for a while now. Not enough space in the garage right now though. It's $329 at Northern Tool. At least the frame is made in the USA. The ram is Chinese, but it's not hard to replace if it craps out. Am I crazy to avoid Chinese steel & welding?

I had one of the benchtop presses. It didn't have enough room under the ram to replace my lower control arm bushings. It lasted for exactly one use. On the second use, the rod bent.

[REFLEXX]

fourspeed,

that looks EXACTLY like the HF unit. IF you're going to buy American, I'd go the other way. USA hydraulics and China steel. But I don't know if such a thing exists.

[vonruden]

that one from Northern Tool looks exactly like mine...except mine says made in america. either mine wasn't , or the makers all copy each other

i've had it for 20+ years and has served me well

[fourspeed]

that one from Northern Tool looks exactly like mine...except mine says made in america. either mine wasn't , or the makers all copy each other

i've had it for 20+ years and has served me well

Good to hear. I'll pick one up when the time is right. There's a Northern Tool pretty close, so I don't have to pay freight. BTW, I have not seen one with an American ram. Maybe the air/oil ones are, but I can't justify the cost of those.

[AndrewM]

For the Northern Tools one, no, it's not like the 20 ton HF unit. Note that there are vertical supports on the NT one, and there are not on the HF unit (it only has springs and the jack in that section). The alignment on the HF ram is provided by riding between the uprights. The alignment on the NT unit looks to be provided by those vertical tubes.

So, I'd say that the NT unit will make a 'straighter' press if you're pressing something tough.

[W-Cummins]

Here is the dake

[Charles (in GA)]

Unique thing about the 50 ton and up Dake presses like the one pictured above is that the entire ram/pump assy can be loosened, via the three handled "wing nut" on the top, and the unit rolled left or right on rollers to align with somthing that is to be pressed on a a bulky item that you would not be able to press from the center.

My 25 ton Dake is identical to above, just a little smaller, and the ram/pump is bolted in place on the 25 ton model.

Charles

[maa139]

Define your use. I find the Arbor Press gets used more in than the hydraulic press for my needs

If you don't mind my asking, what are some examples of things that you used the arbor press for instead of the shop press?

Thanks.

Matt