shop press question

Okay...

So here's the deal, I currently have a rented bit of shop space. Typical back alley city garage, fits two small cars. I share the space with a friend from work. His semi-working street corolla (it lives there) and the Justy or the MG fit with just a bit of space to move around in. One wall has a work bench, another wall has the drill press, engine hoist, grinder etc against it. We're running out of room.

But we're throwing around the idea of getting a small shop press for bushings, bearings etc. I'm debating whether a small arbor press, a 6-ton A-frame bench mounted press or a full floor press (12 ton-ish) is the way to go.

In your general experience how small can we go before it's useless... I love big floor presses, but um... just not sure if we can fit it in.

Thanks.

Matt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2012 12:43PM by Mad Matt F.

I have a 10 ton bench top hydraulic press from Grizzly. I cut a hole in my bench to fit long parts. Works good.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

I have a small garage, and I got an inexpensive 20ton press off craigs list....the key is I mounted casters on it, so if it needs to move around, its very easy to do so.

It doesn't actually take up that much space, but the fact that its mobile is clutch.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Quote
Rallymech
I have a 10 ton bench top hydraulic press from Grizzly. I cut a hole in my bench to fit long parts. Works good.

I've got a similar setup, hole in the bench and all and it's never been a problem getting the job done.

No half measures, my man!


Put the shop INSIDE the press.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Jon,

The casters idea is not bad... I did that with my drill press. Makes sense that the shop press could have the same set-up.

But I do have more bench space then floor space right now, odd I know.

JVL, that press, while functional, would probably leave me with nothing but Justyfied sheet metal from which to form a new shell!

I have removed the thought of the 1-4 ton arbor press from the equation. I think too small to do anything worthwhile other then new shift rod bushings...

Cool

Quote
Mad Matt F
Jon,

JVL, that press, while functional, would probably leave me with nothing but Justyfied sheet metal from which to form a new shell!


Cool

Yeah, but for sure it would get the bushings in there.

That 6 ton Harbor Freight thing is a useless POS. Not big enough to do anything useful, when I was doing Subaru bushings this year, I ended up driving to a friend's house to use his 30 ton press.

I'd consider a 20 ton press the minimum useful setup for doing automotive work. YMMV.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Agree - I've broken my HF 6 ton A-frame a couple of times - ended up taking the front knuckles to a real shop to get the old bearings pressed out and new races in. Absolute waste of money.

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"Talk about drugs. Driving a car like that, going that fast, it’s like all the drugs at once." - Tommy Byrne

"Now, Pinky, if by any chance you are captured during this mission, remember you are Gunther Heindriksen from Appenzell. You moved to Grindelwald to drive the cog train to Murren. Can you repeat that?" - The Brain

i had the hf 20 ton back in MD. It worked well and did just about everything I asked of it besides pressing on the bearing/retainers of the super88 kit I had for the jeep. That required about 35 ton IIRC.

I've got the 12 ton now. It takes up a little less space and it isn't quite as sturdy. It does however do what I've asked of it. Carrier/pinion bearings on 2 Jeep diffs, and most recently 8 studs for the 14 bolt in the tow rig.

That said.. I'd get the 20 again if I was making the purchase now. I think that one just needs 2 wheels welded on the back (think hand truck) and it could just be tilted and rolled about anywhere.

You can also get handy things like this for the 20 ton:

http://www.swagoffroad.com/20_Ton_Press_Brake.html

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Quote

This isn't floor mat anarchy

I have a HF 6 ton and 20 ton. The 6 ton is useless for literally everything.


Spend the extra money on the 20 ton vs. the 12 ton, you wont regret it. I've had some bearings that I needed to heat up to get it moving even with the 20.

Quote
john vanlandingham
No half measures, my man!


Put the shop INSIDE the press.

I've seen a press even bigger than that! The Alcoa plant up in Ferndale has one thats about 80ft tall and has a ram AT LEAST 6' in Dia. It's used for pressing carbon pellets into electrodes for the smelting process.

Second biggest one I've seen is at the Steel mill in West Seattle, I've seen shit go horribely wrong in that thing....

Quote
czwalga

Spend the extra money on the 20 ton vs. the 12 ton, you wont regret it. I've had some bearings that I needed to heat up to get it moving even with the 20.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/tls/2891530639.html


not sure of your budget, but I got option C for around $350....no name brand, but certainly better than HF stuff.

just a data point for you while shopping around.

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Quote
Jon Burke

Quote
czwalga

Spend the extra money on the 20 ton vs. the 12 ton, you wont regret it. I've had some bearings that I needed to heat up to get it moving even with the 20.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/tls/2891530639.html


not sure of your budget, but I got option C for around $350....no name brand, but certainly better than HF stuff.

just a data point for you while shopping around.

Hmm...

1.) Interesting.. and the 20 ton is the same price HF is currently selling their 20 ton for.
2.) The pic they post makes the 20 ton look a whole lot like an HF one.

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Quote

This isn't floor mat anarchy

Quote
alosix

Quote
Jon Burke

Quote
czwalga

Spend the extra money on the 20 ton vs. the 12 ton, you wont regret it. I've had some bearings that I needed to heat up to get it moving even with the 20.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/tls/2891530639.html


not sure of your budget, but I got option C for around $350....no name brand, but certainly better than HF stuff.

just a data point for you while shopping around.

But its certainly better. CERTAINLY!

Hmm...

1.) Interesting.. and the 20 ton is the same price HF is currently selling their 20 ton for.
2.) The pic they post makes the 20 ton look a whole lot like an HF one.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.