Any Tips or Cool Mods for a Harbor Freight Shop Press....

[Fordf150]

Well I made it back to the "Big City" yesterday and swung by Harbor Freight and picked up a few things. The main thing I was after was the grey 20 ton shop press and they had one in stock. Along with some 3in casters.

I'm quickly running out of room in my shop and I was thinking of putting the casters on the press to move it around. Either bolting or welding them on. Would that be a bad idea?

I also grabbed a set of those car dollies to set axles on so I could move them around the shop. Any other creative uses for them or modifications?

[TheTurtleLab]

Swag Off Road has an awesome brake for that press. I got the heavy duty finger brake. and it works great!

Also, you can replace the hydraulic jack with an air/hydraulic jack from harbor freight. It saves a bunch of time, and you don't have to sit and pump the stupid thing all day.

If you are adding wheels, I would ditch the angle feet with square tube, because with wheels attached to the angle, they will want to twist a lot when you move the press around.

[Fordf150]

Originally Posted by TheTurtleLab

If you are adding wheels, I would ditch the angle feet with square tube, because with wheels attached to the angle, they will want to twist a lot when you move the press around.

I hadn't even thought about that. When I get it to gather I'll see how flimsy it is. Might have to add an angle brace or 2.

[vetteboy79]

I put my HF 20-ton on 3" casters, works fine. Although my garage floor is pretty nice...if you have to take it over a bumpy surface you might want to reinforce the bottom as mentioned.

I also have the SWAG 20-ton press brake kit, definitely a nice thing to have. I've used it way more than I thought I would.

[Swag Off Road]

Thanks for the kind words.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Troy

[Brian1]

Here is how I modded my orange 20 ton press; Harbor Freight 20 Ton Press Rehab - OFN Forums

I have heard the grey one is better built but a few things I did to mine would still apply. I use castors with a larger base and no problems so far. It makes it nice to move around.

[R.DesJardin]

Originally Posted by vetteboy79

I put my HF 20-ton on 3" casters, works fine. Although my garage floor is pretty nice...if you have to take it over a bumpy surface you might want to reinforce the bottom as mentioned.

I also have the SWAG 20-ton press brake kit, definitely a nice thing to have. I've used it way more than I thought I would.

Yep this is it. Added an air over hyd. cylinder of course.

[Fordf150]

Originally Posted by Brian1

Here is how I modded my orange 20 ton press; Harbor Freight 20 Ton Press Rehab - OFN Forums

I have heard the grey one is better built but a few things I did to mine would still apply. I use castors with a larger base and no problems so far. It makes it nice to move around.

That turned out nice! I really like the basket on the bottom.

I grabbed a few end pieces of bar stock from the scrap pile at work and trued the ends up on the lathe to use for pushers and spacers. Some kind of basket that is attached would keep everything right there when you need it.

[Fordf150]

Originally Posted by R.DesJardin

Yep this is it. Added an air over hyd. cylinder of course.

I looked at them while I was there, just about picked one up. Now I'm wishing I would have.

[dirtydawgZ71]

Originally Posted by vetteboy79

I also have the SWAG 20-ton press brake kit, definitely a nice thing to have. I've used it way more than I thought I would.

That is definitely a nice piece. Too pricey for me at the moment though. As a makeshift, I made a full width punch and die out of 20' of 2x2x1/4 angle and a scrap of DOM I had laying around. A little tedious to use, but gets the job done if dimensions are not real critical. I've used it on up to 1/4" a36 plate.

To the OP, for your jack stands/axle stands, make an angle iron frame you can set the base of the stand in, mount some casters on it, and you'll have a roll around axle cart. But you can always just pull the stands out if you need them for their intended purpose. If you plan on using the stands for not just storing, but actually working on the axles, you may want to devise a pinion support to keep the housings rotated to the position you need. You can use a third jack stand for this, but a support will free up a stand and probably be less trouble in the long term.

[rocklobster87]

I went to the local steel yard and had a few various size blocks with different dimensions cut in pairs from scaps out of a bin. They are perfect for building up the base and will not bend.

cost ~$20.

edit: btw that press is the best thing I ever bought from HF.

I also use the ram all over the shop, particularly as a floor jack for anything tall enough to straddle it.

[not2hye]

Isn't there also some risk of the harbor frieght plates shattering?

[CO80jeep]

Originally Posted by not2hye

Isn't there also some risk of the harbor frieght plates shattering?

Yes. Get some quality arbor plates.

Sent from that shitty app that is exactly like tapatalk but now has advertisments

[Cplourde10]

Originally Posted by not2hye

Isn't there also some risk of the harbor frieght plates shattering?

Yup haha

[Fordf150]

Originally Posted by Cplourde10

Attachment 1150081

Yup haha

I was under the impression the new ones are steel instead of cast.

[CO80jeep]

Not when i was in our store a week ago. Was the new style gray press with the same old shitty plated.

Sent from that shitty app that is exactly like tapatalk but now has advertisments

[smewhtguy]

Originally Posted by rocklobster87

I went to the local steel yard and had a few various size blocks with different dimensions cut in pairs from scaps out of a bin. They are perfect for building up the base and will not bend.

cost ~$20.

edit: btw that press is the best thing I ever bought from HF.

I also use the ram all over the shop, particularly as a floor jack for anything tall enough to straddle it.

Great advise, same thing I did. I got 8"x8" cut in pairs from 1/2"-3/4" and 1" and also 2"-3"-4"x8" in pairs out 3/4" plate. Best $30 ever spent after one of the hf plates exploded and almost killed me.

[Harold Phipps]

First purchase should be the SWAG press plates! I am sure he would combine shipping if you order along with a brake or any of his other cool accessories!
Just looking at the press plates in pictures, they may seem pricey, but when you get them in your hot little hands, they are worth the money!

[southernfriedcj8]

Originally Posted by not2hye

Isn't there also some risk of the harbor frieght plates shattering?

You would think HF would be concerned about liability and swap the plates out for decent ones.

[71Dauntless]

This thread on Garage Journal says that the new plates are plate and not cast like the old style

Harbor Freight 20 ton press is changing - Major Changes - Info inside - The Garage Journal Board

[D45]

They are still cast plates at my local HF store

[Fordf150]

Originally Posted by 71Dauntless

This thread on Garage Journal says that the new plates are plate and not cast like the old style

Harbor Freight 20 ton press is changing - Major Changes - Info inside - The Garage Journal Board

That's were I read that the new ones are steel and not cast.

[Fordf150]

Originally Posted by D45

They are still cast plates at my local HF store

Could it be the ones at your local store are just left over plates from the other presses and just in use for display purposes?

I will get mine opened tomorrow and we will get to the bottom of this.

[rocklobster87]

i got steel plate arbor plates with my 20 ton (~5/8" x 2" x 6"), not the above pictured. they bent easily under the power of the ram unless on end and were useless.

edit: that was 2+ years ago.

[locost7]

Originally Posted by southernfriedcj8

You would think HF would be concerned about liability and swap the plates out for decent ones.

I dont think they are, its the cheapest that they can get them with the hi-est profit, all from china. got to love/hate nafta. i have one of these too and just scraped the plates and jack and bought decent ones.