We bought a HF 1 ton arbor press yesterday, had a need and needed it quick, and they were the only game in town. Mike and I took it apart and scrubbed it down...removed the imitation lubrication from all the parts. The arbor needed the ends touched up with a belt grinder to get rid of burrs. All the slop adjusting screws and sliding pressure plate needed tip dressing and polishing...Used real lithium grease on reassembly, and so far so good, at least it is square. ...It was crap out of the box, but if you think of it as a kit and don't mind some work to do on it , it DID the deed and has been punching out tiny parts all day today.
Some HF stuff is VERY poor, but there are some gems hiding, and then there is the middle stuff, where you have to consider whatever you got as a kit of parts and with some work you arrive at a serviceable tool...
Snap-On still rules, and the local dealer stops here every Tuesday....He is like a drug dealer for tool junkies, with truck full of desirables.
Jennifer