shop press

[junkyardwarrior]

I'm gonna have to buy a new press. At my old shop I had a harbor freight style H frame 20 ton which did almost everything I needed it to do including axle bearings on my old ford truck-which was nice not to have to pay to have it done (9" ford). But I went into HF recently and noticed that they have gotten considerably cheaper in quality, they're a little smaller too-and I can just about bet that a 9" axle won't fit in the smaller version. I have already needed a press here at the house about 15 times in the last 3 years.

What's decent without breaking the budget?

 

[kctyphoon]

I'm gonna have to buy a new press. At my old shop I had a harbor freight style H frame 20 ton which did almost everything I needed it to do including axle bearings on my old ford truck-which was nice not to have to pay to have it done (9" ford). But I went into HF recently and noticed that they have gotten considerably cheaper in quality, they're a little smaller too-and I can just about bet that a 9" axle won't fit in the smaller version. I have already needed a press here at the house about 15 times in the last 3 years.

What's decent without breaking the budget?

Those HF models actually get good reviews on here, both the 12 ton and the 20..

 

[1982fxr]

I've read online people bitching about the new 20 ton. I have the old orange one. Maybe run a wanted ad to try sniffing out an old version?

 

[ndnchf]

This is the first time I've heard anyone say the old orange 20 was better than the new gray 20 ton ( especially the #60603 version). I've not compared physical size, but I found the new 60603 model to be much more robust (and it has cut steel arbor plates) than the old one. What dimension/s do you find smaller on the new presses?

There are a lot of the old orange 20 tonners out there. It shouldn't be hard to find a used one if that's what you really want. Maybe place a "wanted to buy" craigslist add. I bet a lot of guys would be glad to sell their orange press to buy the new 60603 version.

 

[gdocktor3]

I bought one of the orange ones about 2 years ago and returned it before even using it. To start with, it was missing hardware and about 3/4 the way through, I realized how cheap and flimsy everything was I didn't even want to deal with it. Besides the press, I had the cast base of a drill press vise completely split in half, 2 air hose whips leak right out of the package, and a small submersible pond pump fail in about 20 minutes. All these problems occurred around the same time, about 2 years ago, and vowed since then never to buy anything with moving parts or motors from there. If I were you, I'd check Craigslist and even put a wanted ad up. I usually put a wanted ad in the wanted section and make a regular ad, with WANTED in the title.

 

[ndnchf]

This is the new #60603 version. It's the bolted together version, the other is welded. I've been very pleased with it. I made a few modifications to suit my needs. I think it's a great press for the money.

.

 

[Mhyde52]

That does have a "lighter duty" look to it than the orange one i had years ago. I won't tell you mine was a good product though. I bought it when I absolutely needed it, and it ended up having the post (thing that you press with?) welded crooked out of the box. I still got done what I needed to get done, but it was kinda crappy to use. Sold it a few years later for most of the sale price I paid for it. We have an ATD model at work. While chinese also, its way better built with better fit and finish. Would not do a current HF press unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Showkey]

Not sure what the ***** is about on newer 20t model.
The bolted together may actually be a benefit.........as the user can decided to make it straight during assembly. Then weld if you think it's needed.

Not a HF fan most of the time.........but the 20t for the occasional home shop use can get the job done. I pushed 60 year old king pins and straightened a 1/4" plate bumper with ease. Those kings pins were not moving without a press.

Then used the jack pump with a home made fixture to bend the front axle to correct a severe camber problem. Just like the factory tool used for alignment.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I'm gonna have to buy a new press. At my old shop I had a harbor freight style H frame 20 ton which did almost everything I needed it to do including axle bearings on my old ford truck-which was nice not to have to pay to have it done (9" ford). But I went into HF recently and noticed that they have gotten considerably cheaper in quality, they're a little smaller too-and I can just about bet that a 9" axle won't fit in the smaller version. I have already needed a press here at the house about 15 times in the last 3 years.

What's decent without breaking the budget?

As with bench vises, you can find used US made presses (such as Nugier, OTC, Dake, Baileigh, etc.) that are way better built than the HF imports.

I found a 12 ton Nugier press without the bottle jack for $20. The steel c-channel is 2x thicker that the bent metal Summit (Taiwan built) 12 ton press I owned. Nugier is made in Los Angeles too (and still in business).

 

[ken w.]

Here's one for you. $ 75.00 on CL.

https://buffalo.craigslist.org/tls/6011037129.html

 

[ChevyEFI]

Go for item #96188.

 

[toolferone]

I like the HF bolt together one too. Unfortunately when I bought my 20 ton I forgot about that and had my put together a modified before I realize I bought the wrong one

 

[Will S.]

This is the new #60603 version. It's the bolted together version, the other is welded. I've been very pleased with it. I made a few modifications to suit my needs. I think it's a great press for the money.

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Is this the small ($22.) winch that HF sells? I am going to follow your lead on this mod.

Also, FWIW, be wary of those small casters, and high COG on your press. It wouldn't take much to trip a caster, and cause the press to go over.

 

[kctyphoon]

This is the first time I've heard anyone say the old orange 20 was better than the new gray 20 ton ( especially the #60603 version). I've not compared physical size, but I found the new 60603 model to be much more robust (and it has cut steel arbor plates) than the old one. What dimension/s do you find smaller on the new presses?

There are a lot of the old orange 20 tonners out there. It shouldn't be hard to find a used one if that's what you really want. Maybe place a "wanted to buy" craigslist add. I bet a lot of guys would be glad to sell their orange press to buy the new 60603 version.

Ditto. Never read of any real complaints from people that actually own them.

 

[ndnchf]

Is this the small ($22.) winch that HF sells? I am going to follow your lead on this mod.

Also, FWIW, be wary of those small casters, and high COG on your press. It wouldn't take much to trip a caster, and cause the press to go over.

Yes, the winch was about $20 from HF. Item 62592. I also bought the winch mounting plate they sell for about $5. It had the needed holes already drilled. I just cut it down to fit the side rails and then welded it on.

<a href="http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/ndnchf/media/20%20Ton%20Shop%20Press/IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/20%20Ton%20Shop%20Press/IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg"/></a>

 

[kctyphoon]

Yes, the winch was about $20 from HF. Item 62592. I also bought the winch mounting plate they sell for about $5. It had the needed holes already drilled. I just cut it down to fit the side rails and then welded it on.

<a href="http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/ndnchf/media/20%20Ton%20Shop%20Press/IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/20%20Ton%20Shop%20Press/IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg"/></a>

I'm still trying to figure out how that winch is pulling both sides of the press up or down with both sides attached to one drum.. do you have two different cables wound up in opposite directions?

I also like the wheels you added... that's a pretty awesome setup. I almost wish I had a need for that.. lol

 

[ndnchf]

It took a little head scratchin' to figure out how to make a double cable set up. But it was actually very simple. Look close at the side of the drum. The cable comes out the side and the end is anchored by that clamp you see. All I did was remove the clamp, then pulled the cable to about the half way point. Then used the clamp to anchor the cable at the half way point, then ran the other end back into the drum. Then I had 2 cables of equal length on the drum. I made them exit at each end. At the bottom it exits under a bar and then down to keep it snug against the drum. At the top there was no bar since it wasn't designed for a cable to exit that way. So I put a 3/8" bolt through the frame above it. On that bolt I made a roller from 1/2" steel tubing. I added an oil hole to the roller too. So now the upper cable runs under the roller, keeping it snug on the drum.

.



So it's actually quite simple, it just took me a little while to work out the details.

 

[duwem]

I have the silver one, I like it, only think I did was I went and bought a higher grade bolts for the big top ones.

I HATE that puke orange harbor freight color, not the look of quality.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

Used my brother's yesterday...had no choice since the workplace was closed. His is an old HF unit, identical to my old one. It's about 6 foot tall from floor to top, and much wider and MUCH heavier steel C-channel than the new gray HF units. The width came in handy when pressing out a part of a lawn mower front axle.

I can see the HF gray ones working for 90% of what I need. But the other 10% is what would frustrate me to no end. Kinda like having a 4" vise and needing a 6". Which, by the way, everyone on the boards said a 4" would be plenty for basic home mechanicing and that sort; but I bought a used 6" and have used all of it-and then some-many times over. Did U-joints on my F250 last year; good thing I didn't get a 4" because there's no way a 4" would have opened wide enough to get it done.

I don't know. I'm gonna look around some more. There's a tool store about 10 minutes from the house that I may have a look at next time I'm off work. Then there's another one about 45 minutes from me. I figure they all have the same stuff; and it appears that to get anything decent, it's going to be $800+.

Already put an ad on CL..did it several months ago, looking for an oxy-acet torch set and a shop press. Not a single response. I also have a wanted ad on a few local facebook groups as they seem to get more attention than CL nowadays. No response.

Thinking if I can find some I beam or C channel locally I may just make one. Doesn't look too hard.

 

[ndnchf]

Please post a photo of this much heavier and wider older HF press. I've seen some in the past, but don't recall them being bigger as you describe. Not doubting you, i'd just like to see it. Thanks.

 

[Will S.]

Yes, the winch was about $20 from HF. Item 62592. I also bought the winch mounting plate they sell for about $5. It had the needed holes already drilled. I just cut it down to fit the side rails and then welded it on.

<a href="http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/ndnchf/media/20%20Ton%20Shop%20Press/IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/20%20Ton%20Shop%20Press/IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20170117_182343_edit_zps1tmkbhnv.jpg"/></a>

Thanks for the info, and the pic.

 

[Will S.]

Please post a photo of this much heavier and wider older HF press. I've seen some in the past, but don't recall them being bigger as you describe. Not doubting you, i'd just like to see it. Thanks.

I was at the home-shop of one of my neighbors, and used his "20 T H.F." press that he brought with him when he moved here from Arizona. It is labelled at 20T. It is much heavier-duty steel, larger, and has a side-mounted pump with air-over-hydraulic, connected to the ram where our bottle-jack is located on the gray one. The ram even has a pressure gauge whiche he said came with it.

It's much more massive than the 20T they are selling now. Next time I'm over, I'll take a pic of it.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

I was at the home-shop of one of my neighbors, and used his "20 T H.F." press that he brought with him when he moved here from Arizona. It is labelled at 20T. It is much heavier-duty steel, larger, and has a side-mounted pump with air-over-hydraulic, connected to the ram where our bottle-jack is located on the gray one. The ram even has a pressure gauge whiche he said came with it.

It's much more massive than the 20T they are selling now. Next time I'm over, I'll take a pic of it.

Sounds identical to the one that I was speaking of, that my brother has.

I looked at #60603 at HF yesterday. It is cheesy. It may work for little stuff, e.g. home use. And it's roughly 2/3 the overall height of my old one, and half the weight.


Here is the one I used to have. No gauge; but much bigger, heavier, beefier than the 60603 or whatever the "better" HF one is.

 

[454ragtop]

Sounds identical to the one that I was speaking of, that my brother has.

I looked at #60603 at HF yesterday. It is cheesy. It may work for little stuff, e.g. home use. And it's roughly 2/3 the overall height of my old one, and half the weight.


Here is the one I used to have. No gauge; but much bigger, heavier, beefier than the 60603 or whatever the "better" HF one is.

That's the spittin image of my press, right down to the color, which is actually USA made with an import bottle jack, decent press.

 

[ndnchf]

That is a nice press. Too bad they don't sell it anymore.

 

[R W]

[QUOTE)

It is cheesy. It may work for little stuff, e.g. home use. And it's roughly 2/3 the overall height of my old one, and half the weight.

Looking at the photo I would totally agree, appears far to light for a
20ton jack , looks more suited for a 10ton.