Vent: Bought a $200 book press that ended up being a total waste

Got it online six months ago. The screw threads were rough and it wouldn't clamp evenly. Tried to fix it with a wrench, but it just stripped. Now it sits in my garage. Anyone know a good brand for a solid press under $300?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lisa3mo ago

That "rough screw threads" thing is a classic sign of cheap cast iron. It's basically sand held together with hope.

hill.margaret3mo ago

Actually, rough threads are more about bad machining than the cast iron itself. You can have cheap metal that's cut well, or good metal that's cut poorly.

elizabethmason3mo ago

Okay but "sand held together with hope" is a bit much. I mean, I've had cheap tools that lasted years. Sometimes you just get a bad one, it doesn't mean the whole idea of a budget press is junk. Maybe the person just didn't grease the threads first, that can make any screw feel rough. Idk, I feel like writing off everything under a certain price is how you end up spending way more than you need to.