If any of you were to buy a new drill press, were looking for a life span of 2 decades with modest use (I’m figuring I have 20 years of woodworking left in me) and were willing to spend $500 to $1,000.00, what would you buy?
On my list are a Steel City VS, a Delta VS or a Powermatic VS. Any positives or negatives with any of these?
Thanks,
T.Z.
Replies
jay-zo tony,
a mere 20 years?!? on the good days, i'd not mind, in the least, some imagined eternity o'this.
as for the drill press, i'd get me a floor model for certain. been getting by with a bench-top, kind of a pain in the booty.
eef
The twenty years are for me! That will put me into my late seventies, and after that, my kids can decide where my toys go!
i'd get me a floor model for certain..
I agree.. Sort of...
Not sure if all floor drill presses do, but at least some I have used will not take the smaller bits like a bench top one can..
Tony,
If you have enough room, definitely go for a floor model, which I believe you are looking at. I own the 17" SC drill press and am very happy with it. But it was only $475, under your price range.
Belt changes are simple so I don't put too much value on variable speed. Then again, I've never used a variable speed drill press. Maybe it's one of those things that once you use, you never go back. Maybe.
One of the best features of the SC drill press is the 6" stroke. It saves a lot of table adjusting. The table tilt is a nuicance, requiring a large socket and a bolt. I've only tilted the table twice, and I will look for other ways to drill the hole like build an angled table rather than tilt the table. BTW, I believe that one of the Delta drill pressed has a compound-tilting table which may or may not be useful to you.
I prefer the post-style depth stop found on the SC. It is quick to adjust and holds it's position. And I don't trust lasers.
I put a momentary foot switch on my drill press, so to turn the drill press, I simply step on the pedal. It's hands free and I like it very much.
and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Thanks Chris,
The SC is actually highest on my list. I like the 6" stroke, as well as the 24" table movement. The other feature I like is a throw-back to a feature of decades ago--the split head. Finally, I will not purchase a drill press without an external depth gauge.
T.Z.
I'm looking for a used SC or a major deal on one and have been for several months. My current DP is fine but I could use the 6" quill travel on occasion but I would not want it unless it had the split head as that matters down the road. The SC has just that as you know.
Good luck...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Hey Sarge,
How you doing?
I've been looking for the DP deal since our last SC conversations. In 2004, I purchased a bunch of equipment from a high school woodworking shop, that was updating their equipment (NOT closing the shop). In that lot I got a good, old 19" Delta DP, probably 25 years old, American arn, with a split head. I stored the equipment in my plant and one of my machinists put the DP in use. Well, I never took it out of service and sad to say, it's much worse for the wear.
As soon as I pull the trigger on the DP, it will show up on sale, so watch all the tool vendors!
T.Z.
Sarge, might you 'splain the benefit(s) of the split head? I saw the SC drill press at Sumner when it first came out, but was concentrating on a mortiser choice at the time. I'm unfamiliar with split head.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
From what I understand with the split head once you start getting any amount of wear you can tighten the head up a small amount to compensate for the play the drill has developed. I'm sure Sarge will be able to explain this better than myself.
Mike
Coffee break as I got started in the shop early today so.. here we go. A split head has been used in industry for many.. many years. The guys who designed the SC press knew that and put in on board when they decided to go with 6" quill travel. Delta at one time had a long travel but.. they didn't use the split head and the results showed up latter to bite them with that press.
A split-head (as Mike has touched on) allows adjustment of slop that can develop with that long of a stroke over time. 6" is a lot of travel and if a press is used enough it will wear. That long of a stroke magnifies the slop 6" out so some method had to be devised to accommodate that fact years ago by industry. The split head was the result of there efforts so... any time you consider a DP with that length of travel you should highly consider one with a split head as it has been "Time Tested" by Industry to be the solution of a potential problem down the road.
Regards... Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sarge,
Does this SC press come in a benchtop version? Or could one simply amputate to fit?
Brent
No bench-top press from them. Could you amputate it? I suppose you could but frankly I wouldn't. The head of a floor model has got some major weight. If you were to do so I would be absolutely sure you get it anchored and anchored well. Two reasons I wouldn't remotely consider amputation.
You marry the machine so to speak as few if any would purchase it if you attempted re-sale down the road. And.. IMO a floor drill press takes up no more room than a bench-top. You still take the basic same space on a work-bench for the top.. amputation would simply eliminate the bottom. But..... as already mentioned you could build a base that just rolls under the press table up to the column to utilize that space being taken up.
If you mount on a table or work-bench... the same amount of space is taken by the table or work-bench bottom. So... six of this... half a dozen of the other. Equality if you do the math.. :>)
Good luck...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sarge, amputating a floor model would make it more stable than it was. Its center of gravity would be much lower relative to its base.
The rest I can agree with except that in my personal case, I have a surplus of bench space and a deficit of floor space. Rollers only make it more tedious to use. I have yet to ever need a floor model, though that could change some day, I suppose.
Brent
Once upon a time I bought a Ryobi 10" BT for $99 when they first came out to use in a small shop I prepared for my BIL. I sold it latter for $50 to the guy that ran the Restoration Shop at Year One which is one of the largest Old American Muscle Car restoration part suppliers in the world. He still has it in his home shop as there is a large DP in the shop at work.
Strangely enough.. that thing had extremely low run-out and was very well built. I wish I had it back on occasions. I run a simple Ridgid 15" and it's worth every penny at $300 new. The only reason I am looking to upgrade is for the 6" quill travel which I sometimes need. If I can't find one used or in a cheap deal I will stick with the Ridgid 15" as it does everything I have asked it to do for about 6-7 years and the run-out is minimum. I use it at least every other day as I am in the shop 5 days a week and sometimes 6.
So... if you don't really need a larger press.. why not invest the money in something you need more? Just a thought.
Again.. good luck.Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Tony,
If this is the only DP you will have my choice as a woodworker would be a radial dp . This is truly a woodworkers tool and gives you the ability to drill 15" out instead of the normal 6-9" .
The way the head angles can aid in drilling for many different applications.
Not knowing what your specific needs are but knowing what the normal needs are this is the one dp I never want to be without.I have several other regular dp an old Delta and and older Atlas , they are strong and heavy duty but cannot do the special stuff .
regards and good luck dusty
Thanks Dusty,
I have had more than my share of drill presses over the years. Currently I working with a bench top Delta (ain't a bad little machine and takes care of 75% of drill needs very well--issues are lack of table movement downward and short stroke of quill) and a small Grizzly bench top mill (PIA to change from mill cutters).
I've had several floor models, but all have had limitations worse than the small ones (all were cheapies!), and so it's time to buy a good drill press. I would love to find some good old arn, but most I've seen are pretty well used up and I really don't have the time to spend on a rehab.
T.Z.
My vote would be radial, floor mounted, split head and variable speed. I have variable speed and wouldn't be without it and sadly I my DP lacks all of the other features. I have often needed these features and have had to find work-arounds or change a design to accommodate what I have. If you really want a tool that will fit whatever needs you have over the next 2 decades I would seriously consider the tool with the greatest versatility and quality.
Doug
Edited 9/17/2009 6:57 pm ET by DougGF
I found on a near by CraigsList, a floor model Walker Turner, which is old American iron. Split head design, with a single phase motor that looks like a replacement. Price is almost a give-away for a DP like this, if the condition is as good as the picture looks. I will visit it on the weekend.
Tony , The Walker Turner is a find , if its all there grab it .
Clean it up , if you don't like it sell it to an old Iron junkie like me ,,
happy drilling dusty
It must be the first time the guy who had the Walker Turner advertised anything on CraigsList! He doesn't answer his phone, although he did respond to an email. I asked where he lived and the only info he would give was the town listed in his ad! Has not responded with any details about the DP, or anymore photos than the single poor photo on the list. I will try a few more times, though.
I got to say that I was in a local Sears this morning, and they have a drill press that may warrant consideration: 4-7/8" quill travel, a single spoke arm that readily adjusts to the most comfortable drilling position and a keyless chuck. Seems pretty similar in other respects to most import DP. Price is $539, and if it were a bit less, I would jump on it. As it is, it is too close to the price of the Steel City (although I'll freight on the Steel city).
May have to do some junk yard digging for some old arn it that Walker Turner turns out to be a dud.
Dear Tony,
As suggested, I would stay with a floor model. I have a Jet and it's OK, I stay away from Delta. I don't know much about Steel City, but you aren't going to go wrong with a Powermatic. You might look at Grizzly or General Tool.
Best,
John
I almost bought the powermatic, but got the Grizzly radial arm drill press. I had to drill large circles ( like 6" circle) on large stocks, so only radial arm drill press meets my needs. The quality of Powermatic is very good as with all of their tools. Their customer service is top notch.
Q
Although the split-head design of the Steel City is attractive, I keep looking at the 20" Delta VS, which also has a 6" quill travel.
Good presses today start @>$1500 (for precise metal working). For wood, with miles of slop tolerance, would check the low end General, Jets, Powematics.
In my view, a rebuilt 60's or 70's Rockwell has the value, quality and accuracy of new press selling for <$1G.
Drills all day long.
I have concluded my drill press search. I mentioned I purchased a Delta industrial drill press 4 or 5 years ago at a school auction. It was stored at my plant for about a week or two until one of my guys put it in service.
This morning, I looked it over and other than being three phase, the DP will fit the bill in spades! I told my machine shop foreman that I wanted the DP taken out of service and cleaned up. It will be in my basement shop by this time next week! The DP is a beast--appears to have close to 6" quill travel and there is no "mickey mouse" depth stop on this thing: got what appears to be a micrometer head that screws in and out. Plus a split head design, although when I pulled on the quill while all the way down, there was no movement whatsoever.
The choice I have is to either buy a VFD to convert my single phase to three phase, or just change the motor to a single phase.
T.Z.
Hi Tony,
I am just starting out on a replacement for an old Craftsman I sold a week a so ago. I am considering either a Delta or Powermatic VS (Steel City doesn't have one). Based on your research, would you have had a preference for one or the other? I know the Delta has a 6" travel - don't recall offhand what the Powermatic has. TIA.
Well, I'd hate to offer an opinion, because I'm just a ham-fisted ameteur! There are fare more qualified guys/gals here than me to give valid reasonsfor your choice.
With that said, I still can't keep my pie hole shut! First, where I live I have no tools to look at in person, so all I can go by are posted user opinions, ad copies and catalogs. I wish there were reviews that gave long term reliability assessments.
In a purely subjective manner, I seem to recall more adverse comments over the past few years about Delta, it sems Powermatic is always held in high esteem and for being the new kid on the block, I've heard a lot of good about Steel City and very little bad. Along with the features of the various presses, my choice would be the Steel City.
But please take my comments with a grain of salt. If I really knew anything about drill presses, I'd be designing and building them!
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled