Hello everyone…. I’m new to this forum and pretty much a newbie to this fine hobby. I am in the process of outfitting my first shop and need to purchase a drill press. I’m leaning towards a benchtop version as they seem less likely to tip over as well as being lighter and cheaper. Any reason I shoud get the full size version? Who makes a good benchtop? Some of the smaller ones Iv’e seen do appear pretty cheesy.
Thanks….Mike
Replies
Dear Mike,
You hit upon one thing that rings true, in that the bench top models can be a bit cheesey. I have a Jet 16" floor model, that would pretty hard to tip over, but it could be bolted to the floor if you were that concerned. It is smooth, accurate, and includes a light, which may seem like a small point, but to me it's important. Being a floor model, it takes up no bench space. All in all I like it. If you are a Delta person, you can't go wrong there either. A word of caution if you are new to this. All power tools deserve respect, but a drill press can be deceptive. It is quiet and can be run at slow speeds, so it can lull a person into being brave with it. Always clamp your workpeice to the table and work with a fence. This will avoid the "helicpotor effect" of a workpeice being lifeted and spun by the drill.
Good Luck!
John
Hi Mike:
I don't know what you mean by "cheesy" but take a look at the Shop Fox HO626. I have one and it's not badly put together. Run out is less than .002 TIR. It has twelve speeds and an added feature of an oscillating spindle for use with small sanding drums. I've had no occasion to use that feature, but the press does everything I need, for about $200.....Len
Mike,
I bought a 17" radial drill press a few years ago which is a table top and I wish it was a floor model. Space is the issue and a floor model can be placed almost any place....as well as positioned to bring the stock over to it. I keep mine on a seperate base (not countertop), but still, fairly large footprint.
Mike,
Welcome to the forum. I have a 50 year old Rockwell benchtop drillpress, seen its better days but it was free, family thing. Anyway, I wish it was a floor model. It takes up bench space and therefore limited in where it can be placed.
Enjoy, Roy
I have a benchtop Delta model, with a ratcheting table (DP200 I think, 10" model) and it does fine for my purposes -- drilling Forstner holes for picture frames and (soon) clock inserts, making my lumber rack (spade bit), other miscellaneous stuff. Have to say, I agree with the people who vouch for floor models -- I find having the drill press on a counter top inconvenient. Not only does it take up counter space, always at a premium, but also the shavings go all over the place. If I had a floor model, I'd station it well away from the pegboard and countertops, let the shavings fall on the floor and then vacuum them up.
Another good reason for a floor model is that it might well handle a bigger/better auxiliary table than a baby press. Not a huge point, necessarily. Really depends on what type of work you end up using it for.
If you look at bench-tops, be sure an investigate the Delta DP250 or 350 -- true variable speed DPs. You don't have to move belts around to change speeds, just turn a dial on the front. (Dennis, where are you!?? ROFL!)
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Mike, a bench-top press is perfectly fine for most woodworking and metalworking applications. I believe the drill press, as we know of today, was originally designed for drilling holes in metal. Just don't mill metal on it or even hardwood for that matter.
I prefer the floor model because it's more stable than a smaller bench-top version and you have the advantage of drilling longer/larger pieces of wood or project. The base on a floor model tends to be bigger and heftier, which creates more stability. Just have to use some common sense when placing large pieces on the table. Grizzly has a 14" floor version for $199. It's a bit small but seems adequate for most woodworking applications. You can also get a decent dial indicator with base from Grizzly for $20, for checking runouts on all your machines. FWW had an article on 17" presses few months ago. It rated the Delta a good buy for $399. Of course that's just one man's analysis.
Since most drilling operations don't require the entire length of the press, many woodworkers build a cabinet on casters, for storing drill press accessories, that slide right over the base and under the table. I personally don't think you need the variable speed model, unless you're changing bits constantly or doing production work where speed/ease of changing the belt is a must.
I got a flyer from Rockler yesterday, they have a sale on for one of the Jet floor models. Don't have it here at home, but you might want to check it out. Seemed like a pretty good deal.forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I like the floor model because it take up less space, but also because you can drill the end of a 4 foot piece of wood on the rare occasions it's necessary. Mine is a 15" Craftsman bought new in 1980. I use it for metal and wood. After years of real abuse( I also do light milling on it) I replaced the 4 ball bearings 2 yrs ago, in a couple of hrs and for less than $20. It's now good as new. I've looked at the new Sears stuff and it's not really a bargain anymore. I'd look for a used one about 20-30 yrs old, check the runout with a drill bit in the chuck and if the runout's OK it will do everything you want it to.
Mike
If you bolt a B/T down for stability, you take up as much space as a floor model. So, all things are even here. The larger table, throat capacity and vertical spindle travel is where the B/T gets left behind.
Assess your own needs, you may or may not need a floor model, but for a few $ extra, you got it if the need arises and it usually does. Murphy's Law!
sarge..jt
Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Mike,
Before I got serious about woodworking I had the really cheap Harbor Freight benchtop model. I'm now using the Delta benchtop with variable speed--the one Jamie (FG) talks about. I personally prefer the benchtop model, as I made a cabinet that doubles as a storage unit--very handy for the myriad drill bits, circle saws, clamps, etc. I also built a wooden tabletop and fence that is much better for woodworking applications.
I also want to reinforce the info about being lulled by the apparent simplicity of the machine. I have never had an injury from a table saw, band saw or router. But I have had cuts and even injured fingers from the drill press. Some say this is the most dangerous machine in the shop, and I second that. An aluminum plate--or even a thin wooden piece--spinning at 600 RPM (or higher) is nasty, nasty! So be very careful and ALWAYS clamp your work pieces.
BJ
Hello Mike:
My bebch top is cluttered enough without adding a drill press.
I have an ancient floor model that I bought used about 35 years ago. After a major rebuild,it has served me faithfully these many years.In addition to its original purpose I also fitted it with the necessary added items to allow for its use as a hollow chisel mortiser. Using a mounted grinding wheel and a shop made jig,I still use it to sharpen jointer and planer knives.
What ever you decide ,I reccommend that you be sure that it has a crank to raise and lower the table. Mine doesen`t have that feature, and adjusting
the table height after all the setups have been made is a bitch to do.
Work safely ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Edited 2/6/2004 2:40:14 PM ET by Pat
Hi Mike and welcome to the forum. 'NEWHUH' (post #7) basically said what I was going to say. From one BAD experience, stay away from the new Delta benchtop Vari-speed unit. A good buddy got one. First day of use the the chuck was out of 'round' but we were drilling holes for inserting a jig saw blade so it wasn't a major item. Second day the variable pulley broke. Brought it in for repair. 2 days later the whole chuck jammed. Returned it !!! If your wallet can take the hit, go for a floor mounted unit with the LONGEST spindle travel you can get. You don't know how frustrating it can get when you have to drill a 5" deep hole and only have 3" of spindle travel. Don't be afraid to ask questions from this group of splinter-makers. You may get three different oppinions, (due to our varied backrounds and experiences) but you will always get good advice.
SawdustSteve in soggy Long Island, NY (E of NYC)
Mike,
I agree with much of what has been said. In my own shop, I have a Delta 17-965 and like it very much. It has the longest quill stroke among the $400 approx. Drill Presses. It is made in China, so fit and finish is not top of the line, but runout is good and it is a very solid performer. If I have any complaint, the action to loosen the belt tension to adjust speed is not the smoothest. Even with that, I would not trade it for variable speed. Changing pulleys is not that much trouble and is a whole lot less that fixing a variable speed drive.
Where I work in a shop for adult mentally ill, we have an old Craftsman 15" floor model which has seen much better days, and I am looking to replace. Runout is not good, and the rack for raising and lowering the table is broken. Given its condition, the best I can say is it works -- sort of.
Table size and throat clearance are important, but what you also get with any of the 17" (16 1/2") machines is longer quill stroke and a little more power for smoother cuts.
One thing I did not see mentioned is a depth stop. The Delta has a good one with a threaded post and locking nut stop. I'm not sure I would like a dial type stop as well, but have never used one. The Craftsman does not have a depth stop (although maybe it once did,) and I really, really miss it. I'm sure Jet, Grizzly and others also have a depth stop. Just be sure you get one.
Happy hunting,
Doug
Doug, do you mean the mentally ill patients do woodworking or you happen to use the machines for work purposes?
"Where I work in a shop for adult mentally ill, we have an old Craftsman 15" floor model.."
The patients had a wood shop when I was in the loony bin.
Not to sound offensive but I know that I'm partially mental and if I heard voices in my head, I'd drill my cranium to let 'em all out.
I work as wood shop facilitator at a community based facility for adult mentally ill. The members live in the community and come into the "clubhouse" for daily structure, support and socialization. Some may be with us a short time, other for many years. Some have part time jobs. Others have gotten to the point that they have full time jobs and "graduate" from our program. For some it is a major victory just to be able to leave their bedroom and come out in public and interact with other people.
The advantage of this type of program is that the members function at a higher level than they would in an institution and it is much less expensive than institutionalization or hospitalization. (Since most are state supported that is good for us.)
In the woodshop, some members are quite talented, but the objective we have for all is to have them be able to complete a project, look at it and say to themselves, "I made this, and I'm proud of it."
I tried to attach a picture of a rocking horse one of the members made, but the "attach" button does not seem to work. Any ideas?
It is from the sale of the projects the members have made that I will have the money to buy a new drill press. A few more projects and I can replace the Delta benchtop jointer with something more useable, but that is another story.
Thanks for asking.
Doug, my apologies for the bad humor. I think it takes a lot of patience to work in an environment like yours. Where are you located?
No Problem. No offense taken. I love woodworking but am not good enough to make a living at it. This gives me a chance to do woodworking and help people.
Isn't that what all wood working is about -- doing something you like that someone appreciates.
We are in Frederick, MD http://www.waystationinc.org/
Edited 2/7/2004 8:44:32 AM ET by Doug
I want to second the reqquirement for long quill travel. Many of the imports have only a 3 inch quill travel and if you clamp a square mortise bit to the quill you will have even less travel. Look around for an older domestic make.
BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland
I found a drill press handier than I thought it would be. I've set up jigs so I get precise and repeatable holes. It's great for larger holes. And metal drilling goes much better and cleaner, even without forcing the bits. I've used a square mortising attachment, too, though it takes a few minutes to install it.
I got the cheap set of Foerstner (sp?) bits at Woodworker's Warehouse and they work well when used in the drill press.
It's one of the few tools that can do good work even with a low end machine. I don't think its one to splurge on -- I'd get a basic one and splurge on something else.
By the way, mine is a floor model and I like it.
I use 3 drill presses in my small shop, the big one being a Delta and a smaller Black and Decker that I love because it has nearly 4 1/2 quill travel.
As a few have mentioned the drill press causes the most industrial accidents because most of the time it is really safe. Drilling through thin sheet metal cuts off more fingers than anything else.
Get the most quill travel you can afford regardless of what sort of machine you get. You can jerryrig solutions to nearly everything but that. I drill a lot of holes within holes in my gunstock work and nothing is more frustrating than using one tool to locate a hole and then not being able to get the cutting tool in because there isn't room!
If you lacking bench space, as I am, I removed the column from my benchtop and threw away the base. I then mounted it directly to the bench right on the edge. When I have to drill something long, I swing the head over the side and clamp the part to the bench and drill away. Gives you the best of a floor model and a benchtop.
Get a 2 axis milling vise from Shopfox, they are increadibly handy! I do a lot of milling on my drill press. Modern drill presses are not built to do that forever but most people never do enough to matter.
I have a 12" square piece of flat 3/8 aluminium plate that I clamp in the vise to give me a surface to clamp odd shapes to, works out great.
I love my drill press and it is one of the only new tools I have bought.
Michael
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