20 Ton H-Frame Industrial Heavy Duty Floor Shop Press

[Paul Checa 2]

Hi all, 

 

Has anyone ever used one of these presses for forging?

Does it work?

Is it a good alternative so I don't spend a lot of money on a regular press?

Can I have your feedback please? 

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

 

Thanks a million. 

[Cody Killgore 43]

The key with forging presses is speed. The longer those dies are in contact with your work, the more heat gets sucked out of your work. Usually those things move too slowly and you can't get anything done because by the time you start squishing, the steel is already cold and won't move.

 

There have been a number of people convert log splitters so I guess that's one potential alternative.

 

Edit: also there's this topic pinned here

 

could be of some help.

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Cody Killgore

[Alan Longmire 2,638]

What Cody said.  Those are too slow and too wobbly.  Good for straightening leaf springs, pressing bearings, that sort of thing, but that's about it.  

[Paul Checa 2]

Ok. I'll keep saving money. Haha. 

[dragoncutlery 45]

i used the a frame 12 ton did a lot of moving for me  i was getting results similar to sledgehammer work trick was making a tee handle on the relice so it would cycle quicker and it was faster than hand hammering by far right up till it shear the bolts i rebuilt it useing better bolts then it ripped the bolts from the frame .......then i just built a real press both times it broke in the same evening of forging like maybe an hour of help then boom done with that