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Unpopular opinion: a $60 drift punch beats a $400 press every time
Bought a fancy hydraulic press last year for punching holes in hot steel. Cost me $400. Used it twice before the seals leaked. Grabbed a cheap drift punch set for $60 at a swap meet in Ohio. Works perfect for 90% of what I do. Anyone else find the simple tools actually last longer?
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jade2711mo ago
What happens when you need a clean hole in quarter-inch plate steel?
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jana_davis901mo ago
Heard a guy at a welding shop say hydraulic tools are great until they aren't, and then you're stuck with a paperweight until you can get parts. That $60 punch set will probably outlast both of us if you treat it right. For quarter-inch plate, I've had good luck just sharpening the punch a little more often and using a solid hammer swing. Seems like the old tool guys knew what they were doing.
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