I'm looking at getting a small (1 Ton) press, whats the best type to get, arbor or fly?

Is there a reason to get one type for specific jobs or are they interchangeable?

Thanks
Chris

For me it would have to be a fly-press for ease of use and ease to apply different pressures to the workpiece.

Most fly presses have quite a small throat depth so no good for doing panels etc.
Hydraulic press is best if you can find one cheap enough, or even a locost frame with a bottle jack depending on what you want to do with it

As I see it, a fry-press and a mandrel press are two different beasts for doing different jobs! To ask the question is a bit like asking "trolley jack or shopping trolley"?
If you want to press arbours into workpieces or gear sets etc, then use an arbour press. If you have some flies that need pressing.........or some dies, punches, press tools etc, then use a fly-press.
For general workshop use (or mis-use as the case may be) use a mandrel press. Personally, I could find more uses for a hydraulic press. Pushing bearings, flattening/bending bits etc....

It's surprising the power needed to move metal.

I turned a former for swaging 2" exhaust pipe in my home made hydraulic press.

The power unit, an 8 tonne bottle jack, wouldn't look at it.
A 12 tonne one does the job with ease.


Cheers
Paul G

We have a fairly large fly press at home which has achived most of our pressing requirements. Though straigthening tines made from solid 50*30 steel the hard way on does make the sweat fly. It still has more than enough control for more delicate jobs, though like all tools there is no substitute for operator experiance.

A hydraulic press would be nice, mainly because of most of them can have the throat set a lot wider. Though for us the cost for a suitable hydraulic press isn't justified.

General jobs like pressing bushes hasn't been a problem. One of the main things with any press the supply of old bearing shells and steel blocks to jig the work piece. With some scrap steel its also possible to make handy specialist tools such as crimping jaws for large battery cables.

A fly press can also be a got out let for frustration at times, kind of like a sledge hammer.

[Edited on 29/8/09 by clbarclay]