hello all;
i’m in the market for a rather inexpensive drill press. as we are all aware, the more you spend, usually the better the product. at this point in time my funds are rather limited. the machine will be used for light weight/repetitive drilling. would hate to buy something so cheap as to be throwing my money away, but… what is needed will be a press that that has a depth stop, benchtop model is fine, but the chuck has to run fairly true. any suggestions?
thank-you
Replies
It all depends on what you will be using it for. If you need more than 2 inch quill travel (depth of hole) you will need to go with a floor unit - they usually have 3 inch
If you will be doing a lot of drilling at a time, a bench top usually only has a 1/3 - 1/2 HP motor while a floor unit will have a 1HP motor. Typically a bench top will have 5 speeds while a floor unit will have about 16. If you will be using forstner bits, you will need a real slow speed, slower than most bench tops have.
Cost wise, a good bench top will run about $200 while a good floor model will run about $300.
I have a bench top and have regretted the wasted money ( I only spent $100 ) as I am now having to save up and get a floor model to do what I want - I may be able to get $40 - $50 for my used bench top and I have only had it about a year.
You can spend a lot more but the $299 Ridgid got a good review last time I checked.
Last couple of advantages to floor model are that you dont have to lift that heavy iron up and down or leave it on the bench and take up space (if you build a stand for it you almost have the cost of floor model) and that you get the longer table travel allowing longer pieces. If you want to use mortising attachement (as opposed to a dedicated mortiser) a floor model with the higher HP will work better.
Look for a used floor model. For the price of a new cheap one, you can get a quality used one.
Regards,
I've got a Delta DP300 12" benchtop model and have been satisfied with it. Runs about $180 online. Two year warranty. It uses a stepped pulley system for the five different speeds, 620, 1100, 1720, 2340, 3100 rpms, moving the belt is easy even for these arthritic paws. I also looked at the DP 350 but shied away due to issues with the variable speed drive on earlier models. My only real complaint is lack of quill travel- 2 3/8" but I knew that going in. I originally intended on buying Delta's 17-965 floor model drill press (4+" of quill travel) but instead bought a dedicated mortiser and used the balance to buy the DP300. For most of what I do (wood boring and ocassionally aluminum plate) it works well. For 4x4 stock, drill as far as you can and then raise the table.
nomad.
I was also trying to find tools that were cheaper, yet of quality. after months of searching, i had found the brand Mastercraft. They are tools that are manufactured and sold in Canada. Being from Minnesota, i found a store that sells these tools new and remanufactured called Retool.
I have been using these tools, including my 8-inch drill press, 1 3/4hp router and belt/disc sander religiously for 1 year and i have found them very reliable and accurate.
if you can't find a store anywhere, i will gladly give you information on one.
email: [email protected]
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