I want to buy a drillpress for my woodworking shop and need some sugestions what to buy. Table top or floor modell, how big, how much HP?
Don’t need it to make a living but want to buy good professional quality.
Thanks Martin
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Source control, ventilation, and filtration are the keys to healthy indoor air quality. Dehumidification is important too.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
for woodworking, versatility is pretty nice. So is a nice deep throat for the work to fit in. I'm kind of in your boat - the shop only gets periodic use. So I don't tend to spend the same there as I do for the things that ride to the job. I'd love to tell you to spend a grand on a nice Delta but I got a 17" Craftsman (I know, its a sin) which does fine for the things I need and was under $400. That was a few years ago, but not too far back.
"A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
floor model, table tops are jokes, take up too much work space and will tip over.. 2+3=7
I had a 12" Delta bench top it was adequate. It did everything I needed it to do. BBBBBuuutttt and friend of mine gave me a floor model 1940's Rockwell.
He originally paid the same amount I did for the 12" bench top.
Depends on what you want to spend. Drill presses can be had on the cheap. I have two upscale Delta floor models. I used these every day so I went the extra bucks for the variable speed model, 6 inch spindle travel and table crank. Check out the grizzly. for $215 plus shipping. They have other models for less as well.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.aspx?itemnumber=G7944
a friend of mine just bought one a month ago, it's a nice machine, does everything my higher priced model does minus the variable speed.
You may get more replies if you told us what you are planning to do with the drill press.
Any drill press can be used to make 1/4" holes for shelf pins but if you plan on adding a mortising attachment you'll want something beefier. If you plan on drilling 3" holes with a forstner bit for clock faces you need something that can turn at just a couple of hundred RPMs.
Let your current and future needs dictate the specs of the drill press then choose one that meets them.
Rich Knab
1/3 HP is plenty for wood unless you plan on using 10 inch fly cutters. up to 2" forstner bits are OK with 1/3 HP.
Actually prefer a benchtop (bolted to the bench) although also have a floor model for big articles that need the height. The advantage to the benchtop is that if your shop is all benches along all walls, the benchtop takes up less space.
Already said but bears repeating, get at least a 6" quill travel.
If you are ever going to drill any holes bigger that 1/2" in steel plate, get a #2 or better yet, #3, morse taper quill, use good vise and clamp setups, 1 HP motor and 16 speeds minimum or variable speed motor.
Even one of the $39 HF specials is better than no drill press.
edit- forgot to add about quill drop Not to important on wood IF you always use a backup piece of scrap for thru holes. You can start to get real pricey finding a machine with no quill drop, you want to have double row bearings to start with and adjuctable rack/pinion, etc.
Edited 12/27/2005 1:15 pm ET by junkhound
I have a 17" Delta floor model that I'm really fond of.
The good news is that we'll be out of them in no time.
I have a Sears that's probably 1950s. Weighs a ton, works great.
No rack and pinion though, that can be a pain in the butt, but I got it free from a friend so no bitching.
Joe H
"I have a Sears that's probably 1950s. Weighs a ton, works great. "
I have one of those too - got it from a machinist friend whose shop was upgrading. When I jibed him about using Craftsman in a pro shop he said they actually have the "best perpendicularity" go figure.
We then modified it by adding a light inside the casting to shine on the workpiece.
See if you can find one of those babys.