Replies

1. 
   mike4244 | Oct 02, 2004 04:42am | #1

   Janet , drill presses really do not make much noise, especially compared to routers ,saws, etc. Not sure what you are using it for?Let us know what types of work you think you will be doing on the drill press. Sometimes a $125.00 bench type will do the job, or maybe an $900.00 12 speed drill press with a 1 hp motor that weighs 3 or 4 hundred pounds  will be the right machine for the job.

   I'm just guessing, but I think a Craftsmen or Rigid drill press may be what your looking for. Delta makes bench tops and floor models from a small 8" to larger 20" machines with a number of sizes inbetween. Grizzly makes them too, I have several Grizzly machines but a delta and a craftsmen drill presses.I have never used a grizzly drill press, but have used a number of delta's. I like all the delta's that I used. The better drillpresses have a threaded rod arrangement for depth adjustment and a quill locking lever. Many newer drilpresses do not have a quill lock. This feature is missing on my delta, but I do have it on the old craftsmen.

   mike

2. 
   forestgirl | Oct 02, 2004 04:51am | #2

   Drill presses aren't generally all that noisy, so that shouldn't be a problem.  I learned the hard way what not to settle for, which was a very short clearance between the quill and the table, and a hand-raised table.

   You can get a Delta DP with a ratcheting table for anywhere from $99 to $200, depending on how big (10" - 12") and whether it has manual speed change (moving the belts) or electronic variable speed (using a dial).  I would strongly advise passing over the 8" DP.

   You might also consider the Grizzly and Shop Fox DPs.  The Shop Fox oscillating drill press is a big seller and seems to have lots of fans.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

3. 
   MichaelPB | Oct 02, 2004 05:38am | #3

   I use a drill press for a wide host of tasks and it is the only tool I have bought brand new.  I wouldn't buy a new press that didn't have a quill lock because they are so increadibly useful.  Also don't get one with short quill travel it makes a drill press almost useless.

4. 
   OverKnight | Oct 02, 2004 06:02am | #4

   Lowe's is currently selling the Delta Shopmaster floor-standing drill press for about $230.00. I bought mine a year ago for $300.00.  I think it's a good unit, especially for $230.00.  Noise?  A drill press is probably the quietest power tools there is.  I can't image noise being an issue with a drill press.

5. 
   notDusty | Oct 02, 2004 07:51am | #5

                  When you say inexpensive , what do you mean exactly ? Depending on your budget my recommendation for a wood workers drill press would be a Radial Drill Press, I have an old Delta but I am pretty sure some of the newer brands type also make them. Usually they have a 15 " throat and have the ability to tilt so you can drill on angles , like in a chair seat ,

                      good luck and happy shopping            dusty

1. 
   BG | Oct 02, 2004 01:07pm | #6

   Jyang949,

   I'll second what Dusty said, the Radial Drill Press provides great utility and flexibility for the wood butcher.  Mine is an inexpensive 17" Craftsman bench model which, I believe, are not made anymore...however, if doing it over, I probably would buy a floor model if the budget worked. 

   Dusty mentioned drilling at an angle.  I also like the fact that I can turn the whole top unit up to 90 degrees to the base and roll up stock on another table for drilling. 

6. 
   hammer1 | Oct 02, 2004 06:29pm | #7

   I agree with BJ and Dusty. The radial heads are not all that exactly precise for metal work but hard to beat for versatility. The capacity from post to quill is adjustable and you can do horizontal or any angle drilling. I've only seen them from York and Grisley now. Mines an old Rockwell 32".

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

7. 
   forestgirl | Oct 02, 2004 06:37pm | #8

   You've gotten some strong suggestions for a radial drill press.  Grizzly would be a good place to look for these.  Click here.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   jyang949 | Oct 02, 2004 10:27pm | #9

   My husband once bought a very inexpensive corded drill. Who would think that such a small tool could make so much noise? But I needed to wear earplugs and muffs with it.

   I just assumed that electric drills are inherently noisy, but come to think of it, the motor housing of a drill press is much larger than Mike's old drill. So it's not just a hand drill in a fixture.

   At any rate, I'm glad to hear that--heck, I'm just glad I can still hear!--drill presses are relatively quiet machines.

   Um--what is a radial drill press? Is Radial a brand name, or does it describe a particular design?

   Janet

1. 
   jc21 | Oct 03, 2004 05:38am | #10

   Radial describes the design of the drill press. The head of the drill press can be rotated to allow you to drill at an angle. Much easier than trying to move the piece to get the angle.

2. 
   BG | Oct 03, 2004 12:27pm | #11

   Jyang949,

   If you click on the link that FG provided and type in Radial Drill Press, looking at the instruction manual you can get a better sense for how they work.  As JC indicated the head pivots..I think it's 90 degrees to the left and 45 degrees to the right.  As important, however, the head moves in an out about 12" or so....and the whole radial arm can be rotated 180 degrees.  In other words...this baby can tango, cha-cha-cha or waltz.  Just be careful with the dipsy doodle, it's very top heavy. 

3. 
   forestgirl | Oct 04, 2004 09:23am | #12

   The motor in a hand-held drill is quite different from the motor in a drill press.  There's no comparison in the noise levels.  My drill press just makes a low-pitched sound somewhere between a hum and a rumble.  Kinda pleasant actually!

   Go back to message #9  http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=19442.9

   and click where it says "Click Here" -- that will take you to the Grizzly drill press page.  If you look at the 2 or 3 radial drill presses, you'll see the difference between them and a "regular" drill press.  The head tilts, head assembly constructed quite differently from the regular DPs.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   jc21 | Oct 04, 2004 01:27pm | #13

   As fg says, drill presses are pretty quiet- mine is the quietest piece of electric equipment I own. The difference in sound levels between a hand held electric drill and a drill press is mostly due to the type of motor used- handheld electric drills (and portable and many benchtop tools) use universal motors while most all stationary equipment uses induction motors. Some more info at this link: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/fea.asp?id=1090  My old Makita 2040 15" planer was a great machine, one I regret selling to this day but with it's universal motor, the noise was enough to raise the dead.

8. 
   PenobscotMan | Oct 04, 2004 09:57pm | #14

   I agree with ForestGirl.  If you don't have enough clearance between chuck and table you can't use long bits or a mortising attachment.  I guess I made the same mistake she did on my first purchase.

9. 
   mudman | Oct 05, 2004 06:34am | #15

   Lowes is closing out their shopmaster drill press. It has 3/4 HP, 16.5" swing, and I think 12 speeds. It is the DP400 I believe. It was 290, on sale for 230, and I got the floor model for 200!! Ive put it through the paces and it works great.

   Mike

   please excuse my spelling.
10. 
    forestgirl | Oct 05, 2004 06:51pm | #16

    Janet, you haven't indicated what your budget is for this purchase.  Mike's tip on the Lowe's close-out is a good one, but if you're in that price-neighborhood, I'd strongly suggest you consider one of the Delta's with electronic variable speed.  The joy of not having to move the belts for speed changes shouldn't be underestimated.

    Of course, if you want a floor-standing model rather than a bench-top, that may change the equation.

    forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
    Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   mudman | Oct 06, 2004 08:25am | #17

   Hey FG,

   Are you sure about the "electronic" varible speed. I think that they are mechanical. Some sort of expanding pullies.

   Mikeplease excuse my spelling.

1. 
   jc21 | Oct 06, 2004 04:08pm | #18

   Your right, it's a mechancal system and it might be something to stay away from. Iirrc, Delta had some problems with the pulley that varies the speed and some irate owners waiting on a backordered revised part. What I don't like about the variable speed system (such as in the DP 350) is more maintainance (weekly oiling according to Delta) and it's tougher to access- you've got to remove 6 screws to access the belt/ pulleys. The old stepped pulley system used on the DP 300 is simplicity itself and there's very little to go wrong. Plus access to the belts/ pulleys is much easier- lift the cover.

1. 
   MichaelPB | Oct 06, 2004 05:53pm | #19

   The "problem" Delta had with the variable speed is it isn't idiot proof.  You don't play with the knob until the machine is running, ever idiot who walks into the store just has to fiddle with the speed control.

   That system has been in use for decades in industrial shops where time is money.  Most people don't need it unless your using lots of forsner bits or drilling metal where being able to fiddle to find the best speed is important.

2. 
   jyang949 | Oct 08, 2004 11:03pm | #20

   I'm back...my lemon of a Compaq wasn't working for a few days.

   I don't have a tight budget; I'm the one who feels guilty about spending several hundred dollars, but he's okay with that. As to what features the drill press should have:

   radial--"I can't see us using that"

   belts--"I do NOT want to change belts by hand!"

   bench v. floor--"Get one that has a floor stand"

   oscillating quill--"What do you use an oscillating quill for?" "Dunno."

   speeds--I don't use a wide variety of drilling, so Slow and Fast are the only ones I really need!

   quill lock--yes!

   Are there drill presses that allow you to recreate a setup precisely? So I can drill several pieces in the same place and to the same depth?

   Janet

1. 
   MichaelPB | Oct 09, 2004 12:06am | #21

   Janet,

   Most drill presses (but NOT all) have a depth stop rod on one side, the kind with a coil stop are useless.  That depth stop will allow you to repeat hole depth.

   Spindles ocilate so that  you can use a sanding drum and not leave as many marks as with a standard spindle.

   Changing belts isn't a big deal, especially if you a slow or fast drill user...

2. 
   lwj2 | Oct 09, 2004 03:00am | #22

   Janet:

   You might look at buying a second hand drill press, you can probably get an industrial one for about what a new Delta or Grizzly 16½ inch goes for.

   The industrial (read metal working) presses usually have heftier quills and a longer reach. I've got an old Boice-Crane I paid $120 or so for several years ago, it's got a 4"+ depth, most of what's being sold nowadays to woodworkers usually has quite a bit less.

   Good luck.

   Leon Jester

   Roanoke VA