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Press decisions. How big

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zkdiesel

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Oct 6, 2013
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8,294
Location
chicagoland cornfields
So my 20 ton red arrow tow bar press is getting pretty haggard at this point. Does most of my general pressing. Crappy to use with a shorter stroke, no quick take up and no winch system.

My big dakes a PITA for anything smaller or normal. If you forgot to remove something to press, it removes it for you with parts flying

I can get this 25 ton dake for money owed
Or do I look for a 50 ton? The width of the frame for objects under press is small at 6” but can be rectified with welding work

Or buy a cheapy 50 ton and run it? Otherwise a dake or otc is my choicesFED58757-1B9C-4BBF-BF65-3FD6F8B1D0ED.jpeg6073C015-C5DA-490C-93A9-264D6D0FF006.jpeg
 
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S

speed bump

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May 28, 2008
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6,317
Location
Butte Montana
The Dake is a nice press, if that fits most of your needs and you don't use it a lot I would roll with it.

For a lot of use I would look at something with a power pack or that I could add a power pack to. Never realized how much I would miss it until I had to do wheel bearings at home and needed 3 hands/work to run a manual press.
 
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dutchgray

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Sep 28, 2014
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Dorset. England.
I think It would depend on what else you could have for the money owed.
The 25 ton Dake will be much nicer than the 20 ton you have been using.
 
V

vwpieces

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Apr 28, 2020
Messages
5,925
Location
Hills, PA
I put a chinese air/hyd pump on my HFT 20T. Best shop upgrade in a long time.

Also have had too many instances where the 20T was not big enough to hold many things. Spacing between bottom channels too narrow.

But I like your pic on that press on the trailer. I could never move that, you have the equipment to do it. Love to have it but off the table for me.
 
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GeoBruin

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F

Firebrick43

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May 12, 2015
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Location
West central Indiana
We had a dake exactly like the first pictured where I worked. Nice press, but slow. We also had a 100 ton otc that had a hydraulic pump and a rolling bed. We used it close to capacity a couple of time, visible people got scarce.

While I wouldn't see really the need for something that big for you, it was nice. A 50 ton press with electric pump would be the berries and a real time saver.

Where I work now is a lot smaller equipment so we just have a little baby 10 ton press, and an 8 ton arbor press.

Which brings me to my next point, you do have a 5 or 8 ton ratcheting arbor press right?. Even in my last job, the 8 ton dake arbor got used 10 to 1 or more compared to the hydraulic presses. Nothing is faster and has good feel than a larger arbor press. For most light and heavy automotive vehicles, it will do the majority of work with exceptional speed.
 
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GeoBruin

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Messages
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laser3kw said:
I made that mod to my engine hoist (all round hoist) Best money spent ($70). I am waiting on a HF super sale to do the 20 ton ^^^ mod to my press.
Click to expand...
If you're an ITC member, I don't know that it will get any better than $40 off the 20 ton. Expires tomorrow.
 
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matt_i

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Mar 14, 2008
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10,725
Location
SE Michigan
The top's a pretty nice press, Dake usually makes solid stuff and has repair parts if its not too ancient.

What is the 2nd pic on the trailer (?) That looks like a significantly heavier structure.

A 30 or 50 would of course be nice but one has to be careful...I worked in a plant where they had a full chain-mail curtain surrounding a 75t or 100t (forgot now) electric-hydraulic press.

I have 30t electric-hydraulic Enerpac in my shop and it has helped me quite a bit with chassis stuff.
 
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GeoBruin

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laser3kw said:
Thanks for the heads up! I am a ITC member and will be there tomorrow! $99
Click to expand...
No prob. I just grabbed one and got it set up in my press today. Weird copper/grey paint color but seems to work well and a lot better than pumping!
 
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laser3kw

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Joined
Nov 17, 2012
Messages
7,276
Location
northen IL
GeoBruin said:
No prob. I just grabbed one and got it set up in my press today. Weird copper/grey paint color but seems to work well and a lot better than pumping!
Click to expand...
Got it! went in yesterday.
Because I was a new member, I got an additional 40% off! so $59.40
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the last part about 40% is an April fool :thefinger
 
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T

tester19

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Apr 25, 2021
Messages
225
Location
chigago
Yes another BIG vote for the air over hydraulic jack mod from Harbor Freight. I actually got it by accident too. My hand pump jack started leaking very soon after I got the Harbor Freight 20T press. Typical of HF I brought just the pump back and they said no parts but if you bring the entire thing back we will swap all of it out. Well I had already assembled the press and used it several times with the leaking jack and did not feel like taking it all apart again!

Just too big and awkward to return but I was in the store with the leaking jack and decided to look around. Found the 20T air over hydraulic jack is a drop in replacement and went to talk to the store manager. Told them I was not mad but could we work a deal so I did not have to drag the assembled press back down to the store? Manager thought for several minutes and started doing some paperwork. Told me he wrote it up as if I purchased JUST the hand pump jack. Then he gave me a store credit on that price against the air over hydraulic version.

One other thing I do which again makes all the difference in the world is to use my blast cabinet foot pedal to control the air to the jack. So much better have both hands free to guide and hold things as the ram comes down. Again one use and you will be sold. It's just a big step up in the how useful that cheap 20T press is.

A VERY satisfactory outcome and I am very pleased with Harbor Freight. If you have a manual jack only one or two times using it and it will be VERY obvious that you need the air powered jack!
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GeoBruin

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tester19 said:
Yes another BIG vote for the air over hydraulic jack mod from Harbor Freight. I actually got it by accident too. My hand pump jack started leaking very soon after I got the Harbor Freight 20T press. Typical of HF I brought just the pump back and they said no parts but if you bring the entire thing back we will swap all of it out. Well I had already assembled the press and used it several times with the leaking jack and did not feel like taking it all apart again!

Just too big and awkward to return but I was in the store with the leaking jack and decided to look around. Found the 20T air over hydraulic jack is a drop in replacement and went to talk to the store manager. Told them I was not mad but could we work a deal so I did not have to drag the assembled press back down to the store? Manager thought for several minutes and started doing some paperwork. Told me he wrote it up as if I purchased JUST the hand pump jack. Then he gave me a store credit on that price against the air over hydraulic version.

One other thing I do which again makes all the difference in the world is to use my blast cabinet foot pedal to control the air to the jack. So much better have both hands free to guide and hold things as the ram comes down. Again one use and you will be sold. It's just a big step up in the how useful that cheap 20T press is.

A VERY satisfactory outcome and I am very pleased with Harbor Freight. If you have a manual jack only one or two times using it and it will be VERY obvious that you need the air powered jack!
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Click to expand...
Do you have a recommendation for a foot pedal?
 
C

cannuck

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Nov 30, 2021
Messages
4,606
Location
Rural SK
I have 20 ton air over hydraulics in all of our shops (I built a commercial run nearly 40 years ago and the buyer backed down, so gave one to all of my friends - since I work in their shops. There are a few things I consider critical to any press: rigidity, clear side access (for shaft straightening) and FEEL. Thus the air over hydraulic so one can feel what is going on on critical pressing. For larger presses I want the cylinder to move on tracks and for all tables, I want a clear hole in center for large things to go through. I often use an electric 50 ton in a customer shop, and it only meets some of the needs, but VERY easy to break things since you lack almost any feedback until it all goes "bang". So, out of respect for that, will always have my 2 ton rack press and 20 ton hydraulic to be in control of critical work. I was prepared to buy a Chinese 50 ton to scrap for parts to build it "my" way but ran into an open frame 100 ton last year at auction (once more made of Chinesium) so home it came. I will need to move the winch clear of its mounting as it prevents shafting from going through the sides at some table heights (a BIG concern for me as I also use press to make connector pieces for tension fabric building members with a "peak" at the roof top). I also need to make a new table as it has stiffeners RIGHT below the centerpoint (mindless but typical of Chinese copies - they seldom understand what it is they are copying). But at 100 tons, REALLY important to me to have the option of manually running the pump. This one has a nice guard and with my 10 year old shop helper (grandson) mastering the 20 ton he has big ideas about working with the 100....but a whole lot more dangerous at those kinds of loads!
 
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laser3kw

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Nov 17, 2012
Messages
7,276
Location
northen IL
My HF 20t started leaking a couple of years after purchase.
I have used air / hydraulic before and use the air to run the ram down rapid and the lever to "finesse".
I like the foot valve thing, will have to look at that.
 
M

M635_Guy

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Dec 5, 2019
Messages
4,333
Location
NC
laser3kw said:
Got it! went in yesterday.
Because I was a new member, I got an additional 40% off! so $59.40
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......
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the last part about 40% is an April fool :thefinger
Click to expand...
Was that a manager thing or is there a coupon somewhere? That alone might push me in to the ITC...
 
M

M635_Guy

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Dec 5, 2019
Messages
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Location
NC
How grumpy a compressor does that thing need? I've scaled down to just my Cal Air Tools (5.3CFM @ 90PSI)
 
L

laser3kw

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Nov 17, 2012
Messages
7,276
Location
northen IL
laser3kw said:
the last part about 40% is an April fool :thefinger
Click to expand...

M635_Guy said:
Was that a manager thing or is there a coupon somewhere?
Click to expand...
Yes, the original price was $140. The ITC was a $99 deal good thru 3-31-22 (yesterday). The 40% was an April fool (- sorry)
As far as air compressor, about an will run them. They don't draw a lot of cfm, but need pressure as the encounter load.
 
T

tester19

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Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
225
Location
chigago
I use the foot pedal I got from Skat Blast. It's $119 and if I did not have one on my blast box already I think I would have a hard time spending that JUST for the press!
Foot Pedal

Foot Pedal.JPG

BUT I already had it and the HF air over hydraulic jack comes with a hand air valve. That takes another hand so does not solve the problem. I have very good feel with the air jack too. But that's another reason why I went with the HF air jack. It still has the manual handle. So you can use the air to rapidly put the ram in place and then use the hand pump for the feel you need.

This makes a good tool a great tool with a few mods.
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leadfoot415

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Joined
Nov 28, 2012
Messages
1,253
Location
Livonia, MI
I have an OLD 50 ton manual dake at work that I bought from a local auction for about $550+ fees or so a few years that now needs some repairs, leaks fluid faster than I can get the press job done. Haven't gotten around to tearing it down and doing a rebuild. I have used the 25 ton dake's at other shops and they are plenty capable, but some junky ford explorer bearings used to max it out and you had to literally hang from the handle and pray. 50 ton gets it done no problems. The only issue I have with my 50 ton is the work surface beam is a motherf*cker to move around and reset to a good height without the optional crank lift and cables; almost need 2 guys to get it done.

Ill try to snap a picture on monday.
 
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