I am looking for a drill press to replace my current department store 10 inch swing, benchtop unit. This is strictly for hobby use. I have another day job, and have no intent of getting into any kind of production work. I live in <!—-><!—-> <!—->Quebec<!—->, <!—->Canada<!—-><!—->, so my choice of brands is limited to Ridgid (at HD), General International, King Canada, and Delta. I want something with about 17 inch swing, preferably a floor model. I do not need variable speed. Ridgid’s only model is a 15 inch swing, ½ HP, so it does not fit the bill. I am hesitating between the GI 75-200, the Delta 17-965, and the King Industrial KC- 118FC. The Delta has the longest strokes at 4.75 inches. The Delta and King both have a 3.25 inch stroke. The King has the most powerful motor at 1 HP, whilst the Delta and GI have ¾ HP motors. The GI has the best overall finish and appearance. The King is about $80 cheaper than the other two, but budget is not an issue. All of my other machines are either General, GI, or Delta. I have been happy with all of them. I have no experience with King Canada, although oddly enough, I was one of their lawyers several years ago. So, which one should I buy?
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Replies
17" swing is a pretty big machine for hobby use, but if you have room for it, you'll definitely appreciate it sooner or later.
Be leery of horsepower ratings as they sometimes get overrated. Make sure the listed horsepower makes sense relative to the amps the motor draws.
Nice used machines should come up for sale on a constant basis in a big city. You could probably get a high quality machine much cheaper than the ones you cited. Just make sure it's mechanically sound unless you're interested in broadening your hobbies into machine restoration.
Pete
FrenchGuy,
You might want to take a look at a radial arm drill press. For a hobbiest, I find them particularly flexible especially with compound angle drilling and geting the bit exactly where I want it to drill (move the head instead of the stock). Having a floor mount means taking up little space and means I can jig up a stand(support) and drill the coffee table after its been glued up...(ahem, sometimes plans change).
I own the GI 75-200 and I'm very happy with it. I'm in Calgary so I had the same choices. In the end I was very happy with the rest of the General Machines, and that helped my decision.
I've been drilling lots of 3/4" holes in hard maple for my latest project. It's worked great. I did have to adjust the belt tension when I got it, but that's to be expected.
Come on , man, still hesitating after all that ground work? And a lawyer to boot(;)
Seriously , I suggest you go for a radial-much more versatile, but try not to get a flexible one....If General do a radial then I would compare that with what Delta do, to narrow down your choices.
So, I took the plunge this weekend. The dealer had the new Delta 17-970C, 17 1/2 inch drill press. What won me over is the ease with which the table mechanism (Easy Arc) allows the table to be tilted and returned to perpendicular afterwards, without losing the adjustment. I noted two negatives though: the plastic lid over the pulleys vibrates when the motor runs, and there is no built in light to illuminate the work. The latter issue will be resolved by installing a projector lamp close to the DP. None of the local dealers carried any Radial arm models.
Thanks to all for the input.
Guy L.
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