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Arbor Presses - Dake vs. Greenerd

GregSY

Diamond
Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Location
Houston
I'm looking to buy an arbor press and have narrowed my search to a Dake 1-1/2 3 ton press or a Greenerd 3BR 3 ton press. Both are ratchet type.

Is one particulary better in terms of quality or operation or reliability?
 
I am not familiar with them but I have a Greenerd #3 1/2 ratchet type with a round ram. There is no take up for slop and the ram falls when I am trying to remove the work. I would recommend a square ram type arbor press over a round ram.

I am thinking about putting a spring on the ram to lift it but then it would be hard to keep on the work. I thought about a friction collar on the top of the housing also and that may be the way I go.

It's always nice to have the ram fall on your hand or fingers as your trying to get a part out. It would help if I had three or four arms or just two of me.

My arbor press is a necessary evil.
 
I just upgraded from a Dake to a Famco, after looking at the various makes models for a couple years (searching for used). I could not really see much difference between them quality-wise (I'm talking about older, used ones, not new, presumably Chinese models.)

I would say however that bigger is better. You can use a light touch on a larger press, but not the other way 'round.
 
We have all three makes. A large floor mounted Famco F4 which is great for broaching, a 1 1/2 Dake ratchet good for general press work and I have a small Greenerd round ram unit with a "boat wheel" to push with.

They are as good as one another but the Greenerd is far and away the handiest because of the wheel which lets you have better control.

Charles.
 
I have Dake's 1-1/2, 1-1/2B, 3 and 4 presses. Nice stuff if the castings are solid.

The only thing I can comment about is that the Dake design has shims which can be removed should the ram get sloppy (guessing after years of daily useage). A Greenerd with the round ram does not have that option. I also considered the Dake gear rack slightly stronger by virtue of the full-width contact rather than a chord of a circle.

All in all, any of the 3 brands are going to be great stuff, I highly recommend ratcheting arms over the smaller straight-geared presses. Ratcheting arms mean you are always in an ergonomic position.

Don't forget about Atlas and Eames in your search, they are the nearly identical ancestors to the Dake.
 
not sure which brand, possibly Greenard that has a weak casting where the lever goes into the ratchet. I have seen several of these broken and repaired. obviously a point that gets the brunt of abuse. so watch for cracks.
 
Arbor Presses

Carl,

A few years ago, I put a friction disc on the pinion shaft of a friend's big press to protect him from a falling ram. It was like a disc brake with adjustable friction. It was adjusted to just sufficient tension to keep the ram from falling. I incorporated a ratchet so that you did not have to overcome the friction when the ram was lifted. I don't have photographs or sketches, but it would be a simple design exercise for anyone in fitting a press.

Jim
 
BINGO, Disaster has the solution. I don't know why I didn't think of a counter balance. I have a bolt in the top of the ram I can put a cable on and pulleys in the ceiling. That may be the best way to solve the falling problem.
 
After a couple near misses on Famco presses I found and bought what appears to be a decent Dake #2 6 ton press. Now I just have to take it apart, get it blasted*, and repaint it.

*In the nation's 4th largest city it is nearly impossible to find anyone who will sandblast anything unless you have a large project then they'll do it for almost free. Same goes for powdercoating.
 
GREENERD NO 5 YOU'LL LOVE IT.

160/1 GEAR ratio and rachet.
bed can move up and down
swivel base with different sixed slots.
hand wheel on left side

Broaching
pem nut insert 3/8-16
forming
pressing bushing in/out
straighten things
Crushing stuff
It doesn't tip over, 1500 lbs

look around, some of them are beat to hell, sledge hamer on top of ram, castings broken, parts missing.

mine was $525.00 that included $125 for loading.

Others I looked at where $1200 and $2400 and both where not as good as the one I bought. The $1200 one was junk.

WIZ
 
I'm looking to buy an arbor press and have narrowed my search to a Dake 1-1/2 3 ton press or a Greenerd 3BR 3 ton press. Both are ratchet type.

Is one particulary better in terms of quality or operation or reliability?

I think the driving force will be what you can find in your area. Shipping can be a deal breaker. I had a Greenerd #2 (2 ton) that I recently sold when I upgraded to a Greenerd #3 (3 ton). The #3 is almost 2X the sz of the #2 in several respects. I had been looking for a 3 ton for quite some time. They are somewhat rare around here and go for big $$. Found the 3 ton in MA. Had a friend pick it up and hold it. It was delivered on a trip down to me 6 months later.

Look for:

* Rack teeth abused/damaged/missing
* Was the top of the ram hammered on (mushroomed)?
* Cracked casting
* Swivel plate included? (I made the one on the #2 below)
* Handle bent? Sign of making a smaller press do the duty of a larger one?

Other than that not much to worry about. Both of my Greenerds worked fine for me. The #3 is now on a pedestal in my shop and is working just fine.

When I got the #3, I was at first dissapointed to find that someone welded a 3/8 sq drive socket to the handle (see pic). But quickly realized that for small jobs, attaching a 3/8 drive ratchet would allow a sensitive "feel" for say pressing in a 1/16 dowel pin or other light job.

I would have bought any US made press, but I just happen to have these two Greenerds present themselves when I was looking for an arbor press.

The ram of both Greenerds are drilled and tapped to take a "sacrificial end piece". Over time I lathe turned a few special shapes for some jobs I had.

Good luck w/ your search.

greenerds.jpg
 
OK, At work we have like 10 or more Greenerds, and a few square Dake, Famco and Atlas types. Greenerds win hands down in my book. The round ram "self-centers" and becomes very rigid when the load from the pinion gear is applied. On new arrivals, I mill the the gear teeth away at the pusher end of the ram. This allows the ram to be brought all the way up, and re-indexed. Very handy. I also install a grease fitting in the front of the casting, in plane with the pinion shaft. This keeps the gear area nicely greased. Greenerd rams are hardened, never put one on the Rc to find out, but I would guess 30Rc.
--Doozer

PS- These pics are of Hydraulic Greenerds. Not the ones in question, but I thought I'd include them cause they are cool. 100 ton, I think. They are servo foot control, run very quiet and smoooth!
 

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We have a couple floor model Dakes in the plant. The brake system for the ram is crap, they will slide down and smash you or the part you're working on regardless of how you adjust it. It's just a bolt with a brass dowel under it against the spur gear shaft.

Been there, felt that...
Jamie
 
Do any of you guys here own either a #4 Greenerd or a #5 Greenerd floor model press?
I need some help with a missing part on my big #5, and anyone with a #5, or possibly even a #4 will likely be able to help me with identifying the design/shape of the missing part I am in need of.
Anyone?
 








 
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