I would like opinions for those who have used flypresses for general forging work what sizes they prefered and why. Are you all happy with your press? If not, what size would you prefer?

Thanks

Josh

Sizes vary by manufacturer.  My Perkins 4e is the size of the Indian made #6.  I'd buy the biggest you can afford and easily run by yourself.  

My Hoskins #2 stands about 7' on it's original stand and the handwheel is several hundred pounds.

Can you explain to me what "general forging work" is to you;  as that doesn't seem to convey any information on what you need it to do to me.

Railings? Hammer Heads? Coining? Pattern welding patterning? Tool Making? Fullers on blades? Clips for wagons? Grillwork? etc and so on...

Sure thing! Mostly intend to do die work such as making wood chisel tang/bolsters, drawing out fullering of stock up to 1". Id like to punch hand saw teeth as well, but not sure if I will need a smaller press dedicated to this. Basically want to make many traditional woodworking tools, chisels, handsaws, perhaps a few axe or adzes in the future, and am leaning more toward the fly press rather than a power hammer for joint saving. What size would you get for all that jazz?

I would not use a fly press for drawing out as it would be hard on the joints...1" stock profits from a large press. 

My Hoskins can punch and drift 1" high carbon steel stock for a hawk in 1-2 heats. How I chose it was I found a used one cheap (under US$100) and bought it.

it looks a lot like the one shown here: 

 

Under 100 bucks!? wow most I'm seeing online are at least 15 times that...

Factory was being shut down, it was doing high tech stuff by then so all the auction attendees wanted to buy high tech stuff; nobody wanted the screwpress that was bought in the 1950's and was stuck in a corner of the tool room ever since. Pretty much unused as everybody wanted to use the hydraulic press when it was bought slightly later---I got to talk with one of the old retired tool room guys who showed up for the auction and was happy to talk---he was there when they bought it! I was the only bidder on it, I was hoping it was going to go lower but I could see the Auctioneer was about to lump it with some stuff that had been selling high so I jumped in with a bid of US$50 and got it!  Now I had to pay taxes and the 15% buyers reaming and a rigger $35 to load it for me so grand total was about US$100

There were lots of used ones around the old manufacturing centers for a while.  Got a favorite used machinery dealer?  Some may still have one in the "can't sell it" storage.

22 hours ago, Judson Yaggy said:

 I'd buy the biggest you can afford and easily run by yourself.  

I agree.

 

Often you will find flypresses in the most unexpected places  like in factories that pushed the flypress to the corner of a yard because they have a more modern hydraulic press, or in a garden of a private house because they are "beautiful". Sometimes people toss these presses outdoors and there they stay exposed to the weather for many years. I got my first flypress (3 ton)  in a junk yard for about 50 USD. People just do not know what these machines are and if the press is covered in rust and muck, they are very easy to restore. I would suggest you ask around factories in your area, you may find a press cheap and they may even be very happy you remove it from the yard for them...

Greetings 61, 

         Many old fly presses have the ball style weights which are a pain to re-index for tooling and debth changes. I have a P6 that I purchased from OWA years ago and has served me well.. I can do a multitude of operations and have tons of tooling. If you are considering a fly press for drawing out large stock a hydraulic press would be best. It all depends on your budget and available time you have. 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

Jim noticed your post in July on your P6. would you know where I can find a good used one. ken in Tennessee