Replies

1. 
   Anderson | Jul 14, 2006 06:39am | #1

   John ... I've one of these!! Love it!! The quality cannot be beat for the price. I've had mine for almost a year. Went together easly, works great. It is a bit top heavy because the foot is small. I mounted mine on a piece of 4'x4' ply and no problems.

   Barry

1. 
   John_D | Jul 14, 2006 08:29am | #2

   Excellent feedback, thanks.  I will mount it as you describe, as I don't want to drill into my slab.

   EDIT: Do you run it on 220 or 110?  My inclination is to run it on 110 and switch it if there seem to be problems that might be solved by 220 (like overloading my 110 circuit, heh).

   My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

   Edited 7/14/2006 2:16 am by John_D

1. 
   cadiddlehopper | Jul 15, 2006 04:07am | #4

   I got a Delta 17-965 for a lot less money than the Griz, & considering shipping. Only 3/4-HP & no light. I have seen these on sale more than one place. I judge it superior to Grizzly, but take a look for yourself since you can probably find one on a sales floor nearby. As a wood hobbyist, I wish that I had discovered Delta's 17-950 before I made my purchase. LOL!Cadiddlehopper

2. 
   CarlMiller | Jul 14, 2006 05:13pm | #3

   I've owned and used aGrizzly G7947 for about 13 years.  Why I haven't replaced it long ago is hard for me to justify.  The table tilt is difficult to set, and the gears on the hand crank jammed and stripped out 5 years ago.  I'd buy almost anything else.

                                             Regards'

                                                           Carl

1. 
   John_D | Jul 25, 2006 10:08pm | #5

   The tilt does feel awkward but it's serviceable.  Which hand crank stripped out, the rack and pinion for lifting the table, or the quill travel?  What part(s) did/would you have to replace to fix it (rack, pinion, crank handle, or ??)?

   Thanks for the heads-up, though I've purchased the G7947 your feedback could be quite a help. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

3. 
   jrogerh | Aug 08, 2006 01:08am | #6

   I have owned a G7947 for about a year.  I have only one complaint.  The quil stop mechanism is absolutely primitive.  It uses to nuts which have to be tightened together (with a wrench) to form a stop position.  And there is no way to lock the quil down at a certain depth.  I use both these features on a drill press quite regularly and I was amazed that Grizzley would put out a good piece of machinery with such an obvious shortcoming.

1. 
   John_D | Aug 08, 2006 02:58am | #7

   Yeah, it's primitive, but so far it seems to work OK for me.  Find adjusting could be difficult, as you invariable turn the bottom nut when loosening the jam nut, so I might like it less if I had to drill holes to a very precise depth.

   But what do you mean, lock the quill down down at a certain depth?  Not sure what you mean by that or what operation that would support.  Maybe you mean, so you could plunge a bit in then move your stock while the bit stays plunged, sort of like you might do to cut a key slot with a plunge router?My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

4. 
   Anon | Aug 08, 2006 11:55pm | #8

   I've got a shop of Grizzly tools and I have been very disappointed with only the drill press (a 7948). The table is hard to move up and down, as well as to lock in place to prevent it rotating around the column, and I agree with the earlier poster who complained about the very cheap depth stop. (From what I see the 7947 has the same design that I think is flawed.) Not only is it a pain to adjust, the nuts bear down against a very slender slip of metal screwed to the motor housing and it's far too easy to pull too hard and move past the depth you intended.

   For a drill press, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.