# Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press (Central Machinery (Harbor Freight)) and JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press (JET) among hydraulic shop presses. Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press is the cheaper of the two at $269.99.

## Side by side

| Spec | Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press | JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $269.99 | $1860 |
| Brand | Central Machinery (Harbor Freight) | JET |
| Capacity tons | 20 | 5 |
| RAM stroke (in) | 5.5 | 4 |
| Frame type | H-frame (open-side, floor-standing) | H-frame |
| Working width (in) | 27.5625 | — |
| Bed height adjustment | Raise/lower table via pinned positions for working distance | 19 in. vertical table travel |
| Pump type | manual (hand pump) | manual (hand pump) |
| Pressure gauge | — | Yes |
| Weight (lb) | 175 | 159 |
| Screw stroke (in) | — | 3 |
| RAM diameter (in) | — | 1.75 |
| Screw traverse | — | — |

## Key differences

- Capacity tons: Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press 20 vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press 5
- RAM stroke (in): Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press 5.5 vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press 4
- Frame type: Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press H-frame (open-side, floor-standing) vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press H-frame
- Bed height adjustment: Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press Raise/lower table via pinned positions for working distance vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press 19 in. vertical table travel
- Weight (lb): Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press 175 vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press 159

## Sources

- Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press: https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-h-frame-floor-shop-press-70603.html (harborfreight.com, verified 2026-08-12)
- JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press: https://brightsteelsolutions.com/jet-5-ton-hydraulic-shop-press-hp-5a.html (brightsteelsolutions.com, verified 2026-08-12)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/hydraulic-shop-presses/central-machinery-70603-vs-jet-hp-5a/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Central Machinery 20 Ton H-Frame Floor Shop Press ($269.99) vs JET HP-5A 5 Ton Hand-Operated Hydraulic Shop Press ($1860) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/hydraulic-shop-presses/central-machinery-70603-vs-jet-hp-5a/
License: CC BY 4.0.