Choosing a Harbor Freight Shop Press
 

Harbor Freight has a sale on a shop press this weekend along with a 20% off coupon, so I thought it might be time for me to pick one up. Turns out HF has two presses that are nearly identical and I seem to remember a discussion where one was considered to be a better choice than the other. Unfortunately search is no help. Here they are:

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton...ess-33497.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton...ess-60604.html

Can anyone help with how they are different and perhaps recall the discussion about which one is the better choice?

You couod also read the reviews on HF site. They are often decent reviews by knowledgeable people that can help a lot.

Those two you linked to are the exact same thing

They are different item numbers so there's probably something different about them. Plus, as I said above, I recall a thread where one was identified as being better than the other, but alas I don't remember what the difference was. The reviews are a bit inconclusive: the bottom link scores a little better, but not by a significant amount.

HF does that a lot. Same exact product, different part numbers. Same Exact.

I don't think there is any trickery intended, just something internal on their end where that somehow came to be.

Get the 20ton for like $40 more, dude.

The working distance and width between channels is different between the two according to the specs.

Definitely 20 ton. Better to have the 20 ton and not need it than the 12 ton and it not be enough. I read someone say this when i was trying to decide which one to buy and it sold me. Fast forward to 2 years later and i've used it on Civics, Integras and S2000's--all California cars with zero rust and i was shocked at how much pressure it took for some of these bushings to come out.

Thanks everyone. I read the fine print on the coupons and it looks like HF no longer allows stacking. I don't have a burning need for the press at the moment so am going to wait.

When I do buy it I guess it will be a 20T. I'm still a bit awed that 24,000 lbs (12T) isn't enough force to press out a bearing though :)

One item number is for the item in the store, the other is for the same item online. Don't ask me why. This is what was explained to me by a HF manager when I asked this very question....

Personally, I have the 20 ton. Works well.