Do you have a press?

[fridayman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close fridayman]

I want to swap out my control arm bushes again, and this time I am going to do it all myself - last time I had to get someone else to press the bushes in and out. So I'm in the market for a press. What do other people have at home? And are you happy with it, or wish you had bought something else?

I was thinking of maybe getting a 30t, but the 20t units are significantly cheaper (half the price). Will a 20t do all the jobs that I will need it for at home doing all my own servicing and repairs, or is better to buy once and get the 30t?

[Pugaree Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pugaree]

I have a 20t press and now that I have it I wouldn't be without it. I have saved so much money over the years by doing my own work as well as mates trucks, radius arms, panhard bushes, wheel bearings etc. 20 tonnes seems more than enough for everything I have come across so far and it also a bit easier to store over the next size up.

[Guest Close Guest]

A 20T should get you through most jobs. We have a 20T here and a 150T and the big one rarely gets used.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Our main factory has an 8,000 tonne press. Freight might be an issue though.

20 tonne should be ample.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I built my own, http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...l=1#post299342 20 tonne and it has done everything I have wanted with ease.

Cheers Andrew

[fridayman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close fridayman]

I like the idea of making my own, but I'll need a functioning press long before I have the spare time to gather materials and make one

So 20t it is then. What are the advantages/disadvantages of bottle jack vs hydraulic ram?

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I used the bottle jack because I had it, also had all the steel which I happened to get for nothing, so my design was based around the fact that the paint was the most expensive part

Cheers Andrew

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Assuming you are talking about a hydraulic jack for home use bottle jack is easy. I designed and made a 250t press for one of our sites using a portapower ram and pump again because that is what was available. If you go for a ram you need a fluid supply.