Hydraulic press

[whindy]

What would be the best size of press would be ideal for a farm work shop?
What make ?

 

[bovrill]

I've got a 20t, which is usually powerful enough, but sometimes lacks room to get big stuff under it in the right place.
Next door has an ancient leaky 50t, which you can only pump up to about 25, but the extra room to work is very handy.
Having said that, I managed to get a complete pick-up hitch assembly off a JD3050 in mine the other day to straighten it.
Best thing I did for mine was to put quick-fit fittings on the hydraulics so I can use the foot operated air/hydraulic pump from the tyre bead breaker on it.

 

[Pan mixer]

I bought a 30 tonne Sealey one, floor mounted, I am not sure that I am strong enough to pump it more than 10 tonne though.

Been very handy, would miss it if it wasn't there now.

 

[Dave W]

Go for the biggest you can afford. Not so much for the tonnage but for the room to get big things in

 

[David.]

I've got a 30 ton, as already said the more room to manoeuvre workpieces within the frame, the better.
A proper cast iron heavy duty industrial one would be best, but will take up a lot of shop space. My machine is handy enough to keep along the wall and move as necessary.

 

[Fendtbro]

Churchill 50 tonner is what you want. Old but super H/D. Just a case of finding a half decent one. Can be £1k but worth it when on top of the job.

 

[Dave W]

This is mine. Was £750 new off eBay about 6 years ago. I’ve looked and can’t see them still for sale now.
it’s been brilliant for the money.
it’s50 ton but I’ve never needed to get it over about 20

 

[Farmer_Joe]

This is mine. Was £750 new off eBay about 6 years ago. I’ve looked and can’t see them still for sale now.
it’s been brilliant for the money.
it’s50 ton but I’ve never needed to get it over about 20View attachment 1146816

I’ve One that looks identical to that but the 20 tonne version,(off eBay to ages ago!) often thought if you were inclined/had time you could make a good one

I’ve really only ever used mine for re bushing car stuff and car wheel bearings

if you can find a good second hand one that would give you best bang for buck

 

[whindy]

I have spotted a 20t one £400 on offer.
I have some 2.5m long box off a stubble rake tine bars to straighten out banana shape.
Bloody students!!

 

[cousinjack]

I bought a 30 tonne Sealey one, floor mounted, I am not sure that I am strong enough to pump it more than 10 tonne though.

Been very handy, would miss it if it wasn't there now.

We’ve got the same…. Does everything we need …

 

[clbarclay]

I’ve One that looks identical to that but the 20 tonne version,(off eBay to ages ago!) often thought if you were inclined/had time you could make a good one

If anyone does, then bear in mind that it's not so much about making a frame strong enough as making a frame stiff enough. If you made one twice as wide to get bigger stuff in then you need to use much bigger channel for the horizontal parts.

A lecturer summed up making test rigs that unless someone's first impressions seeing it is "***king hell, that's a brick shithouse" then you probably haven built it hefty enough. The same can apply to presses.

I used a cheap hydraulic press once to push a bush out and it was very awkward to support in the press. The frame deflected slightly under load and would spit the part out as pressure built up.

 

[David.]

I was going to say, that a guard made out of 2" weldmesh would be a useful addition between workpiece and operator, just a swing out frame or something.
Potential to be bloody dangerous.

 

[clbarclay]

The less flex, the safer it is. Everything is elastic to some extent. It it is so stiff it hardly compresses at all then it stores next tono energy. It it is super elastic like air the compressed to the same force then it can contain the phenomenal amount of energy.

Supporting odd shaped items in a press is where a lot of the flex can come from, rather than the frame of the press.

For pressing bushes, I would ideal turn up tooling the right size for the size of bush than trying to sit a suspension arm on a load of blocks. A working lathe is on my wishlist alongside a hydraulic press.

 

[Charlie M]

I have spotted a 20t one £400 on offer.
I have some 2.5m long box off a stubble rake tine bars to straighten out banana shape.
Bloody students!!

We just have a Spaldings one, fetch a tine bar up and have a play with it to see if it’s anything like what you want.

 

[whindy]

Might give you a shout tomorrow if it's raining. Thanks Charlie

 

[Lakesdigger]

The less flex, the safer it is. Everything is elastic to some extent. It it is so stiff it hardly compresses at all then it stores next tono energy. It it is super elastic like air the compressed to the same force then it can contain the phenomenal amount of energy.

Supporting odd shaped items in a press is where a lot of the flex can come from, rather than the frame of the press.

For pressing bushes, I would ideal turn up tooling the right size for the size of bush than trying to sit a suspension arm on a load of blocks. A working lathe is on my wishlist alongside a hydraulic press.

My rebuilt and now far stronger and stiffer log splitter is far far better and safer to use now than it was when splitting knotty stuff as like you say less stored energy means fewer logs springing off when split.
A fella told me once with presses than if you're doing anything involving a casting line pressing bearings in or out if it needs much over 20 ton it's likely to f*ck something.

 

[Suckndiesel]

Churchill 50 tonner is what you want. Old but super H/D. Just a case of finding a half decent one. Can be £1k but worth it when on top of the job.

One on eBay, serious money tho, I would fancy one of those older looking type presses for the odd job but they are pretty rare here in NI

 

[milkloss]

One on eBay, serious money tho, I would fancy one of those older looking type presses for the odd job but they are pretty rare here in NI

We’ve got one of those. Never knew what make it was and needed some new seals for first gear….. now I know.

can get a pallet fork slipped in the side too. Don’t ask why I had to work that out!

 

[Dave W]

One on eBay, serious money tho, I would fancy one of those older looking type presses for the odd job but they are pretty rare here in NI

I saw that. That’s probably not expensive when you get into the world industrial tools. Don’t see many under £2k

 

[YELROM]

Truecraft 20 Tonne Hydraulic Press

I have the 50t Spaldings press but would think this is good value and as davew said most things move with less than 20t pressure
If you are or know someone in a buying group you might get some more off the price as mine was on special offer when I got it a few years ago and I think I got another 10% off through the buying group