I am considering the purchase of a bench top drill press. Rockler has a Delta shopsmith for $79 and then there are the 10″ and 12″ Craftsman presses which can be purchased relatively cheap used. What would be the best choice in a portable machine? Basic drilling operations along with some mortising would be required.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Erik-
Replies
any tool that has a removable seperate motor is good idea.
Erik, I saw the Delta. I wouldn't even give it a second glance. Absolutely terrible fit and finish. And if that's what it looks like on external inspection, I shudder to think of the machining on critical parts. Delta equipment is junk anymore. Can't comment on the Craftsman machines directly, but Craftsman quality has been non-existent for quite a while. The sad truth about smaller machines is that they tend to be just toys. They are not simply smaller versions of shop machines with equivalent tolerances and dependability on a smaller scale. They are often useless in terms of accuracy, repeatability and dependability. Mortising with a small press? not likely. My 2c. Rich
Rich, you are probably right on your assesment. Real estate is at a premium in my garage so the smaller size is very attractive. Why isn't mortising performed well on the smaller machines? Sears has a clearance on last years 12" model (dosn't have digital depth gauge) for $159. I normally shy away from craftsman products, but since there table saws seem to have improved, I was hoping some of there other tools would as well. Anyone have input on the craftsman press?
Erik, "Why isn't mortising performed well on the smaller machines?" Because mortising, in particular requires the machine to be stiff and robust enough to handle the forces imposed by the chiseling. I don't think even many large drill presses are really up to the task of mortising. I think the quality of current production of Delta and Craftsman equipment is at an all-time low (except for some newer Craftsman table saws). Grizzly is good value for the money, much better than the other 2. But I stick by my recommendation that a small machine from any manufacturer can be an exercise in frustration. Manufacturers figure small machines are bought by hobbyists who don't have experience and who don't know the difference between good equipment and bad. Sad but true. Good luck. Rich
You can get the same Delta drill press at Lowe's for th same price. Unfortunately, last week it was $161 on sale.
Erik,
In my workshop I have a floor drill press for the heavy work. But, for lighter duty, more throat depth, and angle drilling, several years ago I bought a Craftsman benchtop Radial drill press. It has a 1/2" chuck with a light duty 1/3hp no capacitor-start motor.
The main thing about a benchtop drill press is to make sure your BOLT it down because they are so top heavy.
The flexibility of a Radial drill press (Grizzly sells them) can give you many options from 2"-3" diamete drum sanders, to tilting the head so you can drill angled holes. In fact, I mounted the Radial drill press on a quick made rolling cart to allow me to drill all my bench dog holes on the workbench I built. I tilted the head 2 degrees toward the vise to give the bench dogs a bit of a tilt so when pressure is applied over time, if the hole stretches the bench dog will still be at a 90 degrees.
Consider a Radial bench top drill press.
Bill
bill, silly questions, but what does the "radial" part mean in the radial drill press?
I guess like a radial arm saw moves up and down, angles left and right for cuts in and out, and the head can tilt (swivel) up to 90 degrees, the radial drill press does the same things.
Because the head can move, unlike a fixed size of a 16" drillpress has a distance of 8" from drill to frame support, a radial can perform a larger distance from frame to center of drill. They have their limits due to size of sliding tubing becoming flexible and the drill press table has to be enlarged to support the work when the spindle is extended to its full distance, usually 16".
The benchtop Craftsman Radial model comes with a fullsize printed template for the owner to make an enlarged table from plywood or MDF.
Go to Grizzly's site and take a look at pictures of their radial benchtop and floor models. I wouldn't use a radial drill press for mortising or boring large holes, but for most everything else, it's an advantage.
Bill
evanover,
Whatever you do, stay away from Grizzly. Unless you want to spend hours fixing it, then losing money sending it back!
I had a Grizzly drill press (long story) which is now in a trash bin somewhere. Now I have a Ryobi drill press, which I bought as a temporary measure until I got a better one. I've been using it now for several months, and I like it.
Laugh if you want, but the Ryobi outperforms the Grizzly in power, fit and finish, and longevity.
Edited 1/16/2007 11:19 am ET by MatthewSchenker
Erik,
Here's a photo of the radial arm drill press used to drill my bench dog holes. I could not have drilled all those holes with the same angled accuracy, fairly far inboard on each side of the workbench top, and completed in a timely manner without this type of bench top drill press.
Bill
Bill and Matt,
Thank you for your input. Bill that radial arm press looks intesting but appears to be larger than the space I have. It appears to be a floor model. Is that correct?
Erik,
No, it's a bench top model, but mounted on a steel stand with rollers.... The picture was taken with a throwaway camera I used as I worked on my workbench, so the glare and the lens may cause it to appear larger.
The radial drill press isn't going to be anything close to a Hog, but for holes less than 1", it will do the job and give you flexibility when it comes to drill angled holes.
Bill
i bought one of those bench top's you are considering about a year ago. Total waste of money. The quill is nowhere near stiff enough and the travel is only useful for working with steel in my opinion. Seems like most woodworking requires the large heavy floor models to be useful.
I have never been able to think of a drill press as a portable machine. Unless it is heavy it won't have the stiffness and strength that an effective design requires. You can buy a bench press for around $150 which takes up little space, but it won't be portable. It will be very heavy and will have a capacitor start induction motor. I won't disparage certain brands as others do. I got a fair tool at Big Lots in the past and my big Delta is great. You have lots of choices.
Cadiddlehopper
Erik: I've seen good quality bench top drill presses as I've surfed the web. When I saw your post I tried to find them and couldn't. They were in either jewelry or electronic manufacturing equipment sites. KDM
"... Buy the best and only cry once.........
Several years ago, I bought a Ryobi DP120 12" table drill press. One on the reasons was that it had a 3 1/4" travel which was greater than all other models except the Delta. The only advantage the Delta had (in my opinion) was that the speeds could be adjusted more readily. I mortise with a router so I've never looked to the drill press to do mortising. I've been satisfied with the Ryobi...
I have a ~3-year-old Delta 12" DP, and it's a fine little machine for basic drilling, even with larger Forstner bits, but I would never attempt mortising with it. I don't get the prices I'm seeing at Rockler, though.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
All,
Well contrary to most of the sound advice I have received here I purchased the craftsman 12" bench top press. I believe its part number 29194. I will probably regret the craftsman purchase and maybe the bench top thing all together but for $179 bucks it's not a ton at risk here. It appeared to be of better quality than the Delta counterparts I saw. I hope it will do a good job for basic drilling operations. Thanks for all the input.
Erik
I went through the same dilemma a couple of months ago. Someone pointed out that for $100 more I could have the full-size Ridgid from Home Despot. I splurged, got it, and don't regret it - I cobbled up a mobile base for the thing, and used the cutout from my kitchen sink base counter to enlarge the table. Handy as heck to have that big sucker.did<!---->Cure Diabetes - Whitefish, Montana, 2007!<!---->
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Erik, Go stand in the corner!
LMAO...
Im returning that piece of junk today!
now thats darn funny.
Erik, shame on you, we will talk about ya, Just kidding.
I bought a Tawian pile of 15" size bench top cast iron in the '60s as a poor ex sailor with three kids and a saintly wife. I drilled engine parts to 4x6's , it was $69.
Now I have a (no joke) a Ryobi 10" for the "watchmaker" type jobs like hinges,brackets, light steel, brass thats no more than a 5/8" hole and it's deadly accurate. The fit and finish is super and it was $99. (they TTI also make the craftsman and others)
Next is a 1920's 15" bench tool used in a shop (my cousins auto repair it came with the building) to only drill out brake lining rivets -for the old guys, remember riveted linings- it was made with a 1/3 hp universal motor, built like a tank and massive SKF bearings. I just rewired an Emerson 1/3 hp induction motor on to it and it humms. No runout. Cost, a birthday present.- after we put all the pieces through the the parts cleaning tank-.
Last week I stole a Ridgid 15" 1/2hp 5/8" chuck floor model for $215 from home dopey as they are selling off their floor models and will no longer have any stationary tool displays(the bookeepers strike again) so you will look at a picture and buy a $400+ table saw in the future. (NOT)
Not all stores are cutting the prices, some just let them sit and rot in blank space on the street side of the checkouts. Their 14" band saw was only $239 IIRC.
Please don't think that a lite duty bench top will cut mortises OR do heavy drum sanding. The drum sanding is a sidways pressure and their bearings are for lite vertical pressure -at best- there is no free lunch. I hope you find something that suits your needs. All the best, Paddy
Your Craftsman should perform just fine for the basic drilling tasks for wood. When you are making your mortises, I assume you will be using a brad point bit and finishing the cut with a sharp chisel. If you are/were planning on using a mortise attachment, go back and read the previous posts why that size and style of machine will not satisfactorily push a mortise chisel.
Erik,
I am sure you will find that your machine works well, within the limitations of its size and possible adjustments. Be careful, however, if you are going to follow the suggestion that this is a tool that can be used for drum sanding. It is true that there are all kinds of sanding attachments on the market for drill presses, but the drill press is designed to drill. It is not designed to take the lateral forces that sanding exerts. Once you sand, then the next thing you will think of is using the machine as an overhead router. Long story short, your chuck will no longer turn true and then your holes will not be as round as you would like them to be. I also do not agree that you need to limit yourself to 1 inch holes. As long as you can adjust the machine to the proper speed, then you can drill much bigger than that. JL
JL,
Thanks for the info. I atually returned the unopened press I bought from Sears and have not bought a replacement yet. I liek the idea of a small (put away when your not using) type of a drill press as space is a MAJOR issue in my garage. However, most advice seems to feel it was a waste of money. Your point on the sanding drums is well taken as others have made the same observation. I already have the ridgid spindle sander which works great.
Thanks for all the responses.
Erik
Erik,
Try to find a machine that allows you to regulate the speed that the drill turns at and has a chuck that can accept 1/2 inch diameter drill shafts. Check the chuck. If it wobbles in the store, don't buy it. Other than that, they all work. JL
What kind of mortising ?? I would not recommend a bench top DP for use with a mortising attachment even if you could find one that would fit the quill. Just too under powered and too shallow of a throat(Chuck to bed) to be of much use. If your mortising with bradpoints or forstner bits and then paring out that mortise with chisels it will work, But very slow going.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
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