4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Low quality arbor press,
February 10, 2012 welder314 - See all my reviews
This review is from: Palmgren 61301 AP30 3-Ton Manual Arbor Press (Tools & Home Improvement)
This a low quality, poorly made arbor press. It is advertised as '3 Tons' but should be sold as a 1 Ton press. Why? Do the math:
The handle is 18" when inserted; your hand sits about 16.5 inches from the pivot. A full rotation is about 104 inches. A full rotation moves the ram 6.5 inches. That's a 16 to 1 mechanical advantage. 3 tons is 6000 pounds. 6000 / 16 = 375. That means you need to press on the end of the handle with 375 POUNDS OF FORCE to achieve 3 tons at the ram. If you want 3 tons of force, you'll need to fabricate a 40+ inch handle.
My press had lots of casting sand in the crevices, held in place by the cheap ugly paint. The casting is very rough, not finished, and rather thin especially on the base. I seriously doubt that this is a Meehanite casting as it states.
The ram adjustment consists of tiny set screws that press against the ram, a poor design. There are no gibs.
The rack and pinion machining is fair to poor...Read more
(1 customer review)