A C-frame press includes a C-shaped frame having a crown part and a bed part defining an opening therebetween, and spacers positioned in the opening and being sufficiently long for urging the crown part and the bed part apart in the vertical direction a distance sufficient to cause the frame to exert on the spacers a load which is at least a substantial part of the normal maximum press load exerted by the press on a workpiece. The press further has a slide reciprocal between the crown part and the bed part, a main shaft having a flywheel thereon and positioned laterally of the slide within the frame, eccentric discs rotatably mounted within the frame and driven from the main shaft, connecting rods extending substantially horizontally from the eccentric discs towards the upper portion of the slide and reciprocated by the eccentric discs, and a toggle mechanism mounted between the slide and the crown part and having a central shaft portion to which the connecting rods are connected.