diy press or harbor fright?

[fusername]

Someday in the next year or two I want to expand my metal working ability by adding a press. Would make a nice sheetmetal brake, although I am quite good with a hammer and vice. Also plan on taking a shot at rebuilding a transmission or two, so it will be needed eventually. Keeping my budget in mind I see two options:

Harbor frfreight 20 ton, which I know flexes at higher loads and has kits issues 305 to my door
build my own from scrap steel, I have a 12 ton air bottle jack already

I realize I will need to buy arbor plates if I diy but I hear the HF option needs replacement plates as well, so that seems a moot point. Just wondering if anyone has any input on this or has done it before. I doubt the scrap would add up to too much, and even if I upgrade to a 20 ton bottle that's 40 bucks.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... shop+press

Look down about 6 or 7 posts and I have some pictures there of the one I got.

I just got the HF flier for this month and their shop presses are on sale again but this month (after several months) HF has them on sale but the $170 price tag they had for a sale price is now $200 (reg $250) #32879.

Fuser, it is not the pressing stuff in that seems to be the problem; it is the pressing stuff OUT that is the pain in the butt. Their 12 ton and 6 ton units are on sale too but I wouldn't mess around with those two. If you want a compact unit that is OK (notice I did not say great) for the home shop, then consider the HF unit. Also, there are several other companies that sell the same unit but under their own name... as usual and usually for more $$$.

I have also heard the problem with the plates but that can be resolved from what I have been told. I did not buy their bearing splitters but got one at NAPA. They are not giving them away but they are supposed to be better than the HF unit. Look at the comments on the HF site made by others, HF does not hide them which is good.

I still have to add the bracing bars that were suggested but I have not been using mine for a while. A good idea to do; Dale and others suggested it and I was planning on doing it anyway.

Lee

[winifredevw]

Fuser, I just did an edit for the press I built from scratch a few years ago, it ain't pretty, but it's OK. I don't see any reason why you couldn't roll your own.

[fusername]

I have a suspicion a home built one will be significantly better, if only marginally cheaper than just buying one. 105 shipping probably covers all my material costs, then its just time and hardware