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Changed my mind about those cheap headset presses
I bought a $25 press from an online tool shop thinking it was good enough for my home shop. It bent on the third headset, ruining a brand new Chris King lower cup that cost me over $100. What's the cheapest press you've used that actually holds up?
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rileybarnes5mo ago
Learn from your mistake and stop buying cheap tools. That bent press just cost you more than a decent used one would have. Buy a solid used Park or shop press once and be done with it.
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spencerw724mo ago
Not to defend cheap tools, but the real issue here often gets overlooked. A lot of these inexpensive presses have terrible slop in the ram and the frame flexes under load, which causes the bending dies to misalign. That misalignment is what actually snaps the rod or bends the press frame, even if you're within the weight limit. You could buy a top of the line Park press and still wreck it if you're not checking that the ram is straight and the dies are seated right. I've seen guys spend good money on a used press only to bend a fork because they didn't shim the dies properly. The mistake isn't just the brand, it's not understanding how the tool actually works.
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martin.jessica5mo ago
Wait, did @rileybarnes say a used Park press? Those are crazy expensive even secondhand, right?
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