H F 20 Ton Shop Press Reviews?

I'm finally pulling the trigger on one of these this weekend with a 25% off coupon, and the 20-ton air/hydraulic jack is on sale for $90.

I plan on seriously abusing this thing as a makeshift ironworker, and I'm considering some preemptive structural improvements to the framework.

My question is, do any of you have horror stories... from small cracks to catastrophic failures? The floor model in my local store is shoddy. It's not exactly confidence-inspiring, but for $142....

 

I've heard back things about the arbor plates being a poor casting and likely to explode but supposedly that issue has been fixed by HF. I have a 20T with the stock arbor plates and always wear safety glasses. If I'm doing some really heavy duty pressing I have a piece of 3/4 plywood I put between myself and the press.

 

I have the 12 ton HF press, seems fine for most Jeep related applications. I recently saw the 20T on sale for $99...I will see if I can find the ad or coupon...

 

I have an older 20 ton and it works ok. Heavy pressing you can watch the frame twist a bit. My only complaint is it's too short to do axle bearings on longer shafts.

 

It looks like the cheapest the 20t has ever been is $140, according to this...

Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - Free coupons, 25 percent off coupons, toolbox coupons - 20 TON SHOP PRESS

 

Oh great, I REALLY have to find it now...or forever doubt myself!

 

We have an old HF 20 tonner at work that I have witnessed being abused by the mechanics. I think they're alright. I bought one about a year ago but have not assembled it yet. The future garage will see it put to use.

 

I'm pulling for you!!

 

I bought the 12 ton one several years ago. It has worked ok. The plates that came with it are garbage at best. The 20 ton ones look to be a substantial improvement. I do not think mine would be very good at anything but simple pressing procedures.

 

Thanks pal! Pretty sure it was a one page ad with the junk mail pizza coupons and such. I remember looking at it and thinking to sell my 12T and upgrade at that price. Just got home and due to my efficient wife's cleaning habits, we may now never know.

I did find this though, yikes...

Just one stroke away from death with Harbor Freight 20 ton hyd press

 

Yeah, that's what I was expecting.

I just read that thread; I guess the upper cup was 3/4" off center and put most of the forces on 1/2 the beam.

 

I have used and abused mine enough to have replaced the jack once. Many,many uses and I also found a little short for doing some axles.

 

I had one of the HF 20 tons about 10 years back that came with a shop buy-out. They used it for compacting oil filters to get the last oil drained out. The first time I used it, I shattered one of the cast press plates. It literally exploded.
A while later, the jack quit working, and I ended up giveing it away.
I replaced it with a 30 ton frame (made in USA) out of a friend's salvage year, and bought a 30 ton bottle jack from Northern Tool, HF's competition.
-Donny

 

Lots to read here - https://www.google.com/search?sourc......0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.jPThyjA8PN0

 

I'm most likely going to jump on one of these when I get my Drivers bonus next month. Then off to Ebay for the longest V black that will fit it. So I can use it as a sheet metal brake.

 

This is in my cart...

20 TON Finger Brake Heavy Duty DIY Builder Kit

 

That is the one my girlfreind got me this past Christmas! It comes shipped in a flat-rate Postal box that was so heavy, she literally couldn't move it. I feel real sorry for the Postal emplyees having to move that slab of steel neatly layerd in that box!
-Donny

 

It never occurred to me to use it to bend steel. Sometimes i am a bit of an idiot. Seems like this would be the best use of this press too.

 

Here is a picture of my homebuilt hydraulic press and my 7" press brake I built to use on it. The 2nd picture is of a set of dana 30 spring plates I made on it, they are 3/8" thick A36 hot rolled material.

 

The press works well, I had one of the plates shatter when pressing a wheel bearing. I would put them right in the scrap barrel and buy good ones.