I know the conventional wisdom is to buy as big a press as you can afford, but I'd like to have some change left over for beefing up other parts of my shop. Is there a good reference for the capabilities of a #4?  I'm willing to come down from the desired #6 if I can do some of the work hot instead of cold. bending 3/4" - 1" bar stock and 1/4" plate are my upper limits. Punch/drift 1/4" bar.  Maybe punch/drift smaller hammer stock, but that would be on the dream side, but probably unlikely.  

I'm still working my way through this topic area, so my apologies if I've missed a related post.  

Happy Holidays to everyone,  Dave

 

Aren't you assuming that a particular manufacturers numbering system must be the only one used all over the world and for over 100 years?

My Hoskins #2 stands 7' tall and has a 42" Toroid as the drive weight; a #4 must be over 10' tall!  Is it electromechanical?

#4 what Dave? Press isn't enough info, heck I have a #2 potato ricer that says it's a pomme press #2. I'm sure I got the syntax wrong on the name on my ricer and I'm not getting up to dig it out and get the name correct. I do remember it's for pressing pommes though and there's something in there about "perforations or perforated" in French.

We aren't trying to be pains Dave but we need a little more info.

Frosty The Lucky. 

Well you seem to be in the us so i will assume you are purchasing new from owa so a# 4 press would roughley equate to 4 ton according to the guys at owa it will do quite alot . I just recently purchased a #5 press for simular reasons ( wanted to have cash left over to build the stand and tooling). 

Ps i am very happy with it so far