[GKK]

I'm looking for a press to do axle bearings, pinion bearings etc.What do you recommend 12 ton , 20 ton, not sure what to buy or where to buy from Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's or somewhere else?

 

[NickP]

Axles require a depth, make certain the unit you consider has that.

 

[Rick_L]

I have a 12 ton HF floor mount press, not sure it could do an axle bearing (might not be tall enough), but it's done everything else I've tried to do with it. I could probably space it off the floor enough to do axles too if I needed to.

I broke two vises over the years trying to press u-joints, I finally said never again and bought the press. That alone was worth the price.

Once you have it, you find things you'll use it for that may not have crossed your mind previously. It's just a good thing to have.

I think this is one of the imported tools that makes sense for the occasional user. If I get in a real pickle, there's a 50 ton press at work that's about 6' tall that can do a lot more. So far I've not gone there.

 

[r66ss]

I hav a 20 ton press from HF, it was on sale cheaper then the 12 ton, at the time

 

[56Mark]

I have been wanting one too and was looking at this one that is 30 tons for about $300:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/30-Ton-Hydraulic-Shop-Press/H6228Z

 

[chevman57]

I have a 12ton HF press that i have been using for many years. It has done everything i`ve asked of it.........and then some.
Terry

 

[hotrodg726]

don't buy anything made by grizzly . we have there stuff all over our shop and it constantly breaks down .the harbor freight stuff is actually better IMO

 

[GKK]

Thanks guys...I will be going to HF this weekend to see what they have, it's only 50 miles away.

 

[D.S.]

I have a 55 ton and have had to use around 43 tons of it on some dozer parts before... A friend of mine has a press that will break parts in two, no clue how many tons that thing makes though...

 

[USA1]

I started with a HF 12 ton and moved up to the 20 ton. Now I had enough power but not enough adjustment. Plus it was uncomfortable for people over 5.5 ft tall to operate. I took it apart and drilled a hole in between each factory adj. hole and built a channel iron base about 8 inches taller and wrote across the top Remade in USA. My Buffalo #22 drill press made short work of drilling the channel even with a import bit.

A funny thing happend I was straitening something and shattered one of the HF press plates. I took it back and the manager of HF said I overloaded it. Probably true but if it could not take 20 tons why did it come with a 20 ton press. He did not answer that question.

 

[Chevynut]

Didn't I read somewhere that someone got hurt really bad when one of those HF press plates shattered? It was either here or on CT, I think.

 

[keith]

I have been wanting one too and was looking at this one that is 30 tons for about $300:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/30-Ton-Hydraulic-Shop-Press/H6228Z

Same one/style I have been looking at (or wanting).

Some of those Ch-ina company presses dont have the side guides/retainers for the press plate that the ram rides on, and to me those look like they could shift off of what you are pressing and send stuff explosively across the shop or ??.

On one episode of Mythbusters, the ram portion bent/layed over because these guides werent there, and it looked very dangerous. I made a mental note not to get that style.

 

[Rick_L]

Chevynut, I saw that somewhere too. Their plates are almost certainly cast, and cast from who knows what?

I should probably get some cut from real plate for mine, but rarely think about the press unless I'm using it.

 

[USA1]

Chevynut, I saw that somewhere too. Their plates are almost certainly cast, and cast from who knows what?

I should probably get some cut from real plate for mine, but rarely think about the press unless I'm using it.

Yes, they are cast out of some pretty crappy looking stuff. It flew clear accross the shop and dented the OSB board.I have some good ones made of usa made 1 inch plate now.

 

[GKK]

:confused0006: Maybe I think on it before I go to HF after reading some of the later posts.

 

[56Mark]

don't buy anything made by grizzly . we have there stuff all over our shop and it constantly breaks down .the harbor freight stuff is actually better IMO

Can you be more specific about what is breaking? I bought a couple of woodworking tools from them years ago and have been pretty happy with them. Maybe things have changed there. I thought about getting some channel and building my own press, but I have too many irons in the fire now and not worth the time it would take me to save $100.

 

[Rick_L]

Think about what it would cost you in time and materials to build the press they sell for $100-120. You have to come up with a bottle jack, springs, about 25' of channel, a few other pieces of steel, then you need to do a bunch of cutting and welding, then drill a bunch of holes. I'd think it would take you half a day or more to plan it, and a day and a half to build it. If you were efficient. Your time is only worth about $1-2/hr in this scenario.

 

[Tuned55]

A buddy of mine made mine for me. He had several pieces of 12'' I Beam. I bought a cable crank for a boat trailer to rase and lower the table. Bought a 30 ton bottle jack and use tri5 hood springs. I use it for more things than I ever thought I could or would.

 

[Troy]

Can you be more specific about what is breaking? I bought a couple of woodworking tools from them years ago and have been pretty happy with them. Maybe things have changed there. I thought about getting some channel and building my own press, but I have too many irons in the fire now and not worth the time it would take me to save $100.

Mark it's these press plates

 

[Jxnslotcar]

Mark it's these press plates

Use these as a template and make a couple out of good 1 inch steel. Also make sure that whatever press you get has enough space in the middle as some are made too small for certain bearings,ect to be rpessed out. I have a new 12 ton MAC press that we hardly use as it is too small between the side plates. Kinda an expensive mistake on my part. The 20 ton and larger usually does not have that problem.
Persoanlly,I don't recommend Harbor Freight anything only because I don't like to buy anything from Chi-na if possible. Just my opinion,I just feel we are letting them take our industrial edge away from us and we are going to pay for it in the long run. We are just giving away our hard earned success-Look at other countries who have done it in the past (Great Britain),ect