Best Budget Drill Press?

[DIY_Guy79]

I'm shopping for a drill press. I'm looking at the bench top models (to save space) and looking to spend as little as possible.

So far I'm looking at the Grizzly G0925 8" 5 speed which is $94 on their website. As well as the Harbored Fart Central Machinery 8" 5 speed which comes in at $69 without any coupons.

The Grizzly seems more attractive due to the name, but at the end of the day they're both made in China. The Grizzly has a 1 year warranty the Harbored Fart has a 90 day warranty. And the Harbored Fart has a light where the grizzly does not. Is the Grizzly worth the price difference?

Are there any that you'd recommend over these? The Wen brand seems to be popular on Amazon.. Dont know anything about it, myself.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Yes, both are over priced.

 

[Don1357]

The best bang for the buck is usually used. If your location was listed I could have done a quick search on CL, Offerup, FB Marketplace, and heck even eBay local sales.

 

[Robby321]

Harbor freight. There all made china now. had my HF 26 years now no problem.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

Yes, both are over priced.

So, point me to one that isn't overpriced.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

The best bang for the buck is usually used. If your location was listed I could have done a quick search on CL, Offerup, FB Marketplace, and heck even eBay local sales.

Yea, I've been keeping an eye out. Nothing much in my area so far. Unless I want a big one, which I just dont have the room for at any price.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

Harbor freight. There all made china now. had my HF 26 years now no problem.

I've heard good things about the HF ones. Thank you for responding. Will go along ways in making me more confident in purchasing one if I go that route.

 

[Cruzan80]

Help if we know where you are. I just responded to a small group about a benchtop drill (Craftsman 150) for $75.

Sent from my IN2015 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[DIY_Guy79]

Help if we know where you are. I just responded to a small group about a benchtop drill (Craftsman 150) for $75.

Sent from my IN2015 using The Garage Journal mobile app

The best bang for the buck is usually used. If your location was listed I could have done a quick search on CL, Offerup, FB Marketplace, and heck even eBay local sales.

Just updated my profile. I'm in Tulsa, Ok.

 

[thickhead]

I picked up a Wen 4212 a couple years ago and it has worked really well for me - the lever operated variable speed makes it simple to change speeds and that was the main reason I chose it. Would buy it again.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

Help if we know where you are. I just responded to a small group about a benchtop drill (Craftsman 150) for $75.

Sent from my IN2015 using The Garage Journal mobile app

Those old Craftsman 150's are beautiful. Was looking for one to restore a few years back, never had any luck though. Much rather go that route than with some new chinesium.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

This was an enlightening video for anyone choosing between Wen & Harbored Fart:

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

So, point me to one that isn't overpriced.

Sadly you have hit a price point where quality and low price are mutually exclusive. Anything more than free is over priced. I feel the same about bench grinders, to the point of even refusing free. I have been burned twice with imported drill presses, once a Taiwanese made Delta, you would expect some QC from Delta, and a Taiwanese made Jet. You are more likely to get lucky with the Grizzly. Even a ****** drill press is good to have.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I had a tool shop from menards. It was a turd. Had to braze the main shaft back together. Although i had a wire brush on it so i suppose it might have been a bit to much side load. I also had some other off brand i got new from an auction. Believe it was a pit bull brand. The chuck fell off and then I believe the handle fell off. I got angry and gave it away

 

[niget2002]

I've had the same HF since the wife and I got married 13 years ago. I keep thinking to replace it, but still haven't.

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk

 

[M6erfan]

I sheepishly admit I bought a HF a couple years ago. Within a year that POS basically fell apart and the runout got so bad it was unusable. I'd love a good used delta or C'man but around here they're rare, and expensive.

 

[Don1357]

Yea, I've been keeping an eye out. Nothing much in my area so far. Unless I want a big one, which I just dont have the room for at any price.

Often there is a direct correlation between patience and the price you get stuff for on the used market.

I got the walls and roof of my garage erected last year, this year is to work on windows, doors, and God willing some insulation and heating (it was -11f yesterday morning...). Since the beginning of the year I have been hunting for the woodworking tools that I'm going to need but that I'm not in a hurry to get. So far I snatched a '74 Unisaw with nice aftermarket fence and extensions for $250 (have seen them usually north of $1k), a 15" 4 post planer for $400, a 12" Delta radial arm saw for $150 (and that was me paying a premium because I really like the 12"), a 13.5CFM@90PSI 60 gallon compressor for $150, so on so forth.

bottom line if you are not in a hurry and you sharpen your bargain hunting game you would be amazed at what you can accomplish. For example I found my unisaw bargain by setting up my CL alert so I could contact the person within minutes of him posting. By the time I made it to his house that afternoon (don't lollygag, get there money in hand ASAP) three other people contacted him about it.

My giant sand blaster? By the time I called I was 4th in line. I jumped to 1st in line by telling the guy "If the person you are meeting fails you, as people from CL are prone to do, known that I am a responsible adult that will be there when you tell me to be there, ready to complete this without a single complication". He gave the dude until noon. When he called me back at noon I was already on the road within 15 minutes of his house (ad had enough info for me to guess the general area) ready to stop by, pay and load.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Good used American made drill presses are scarce around here. Because there simply wasn't that many sold. Even the 8" home shop was rare. Tablesaws and Radial saws yes, jointers maybe, drill presses, no. It wasn't until the Japanese designed a cheap drill press that drill presses became more common. Now every body has a drill press in their shops. In fact that's how Grizzly got their start, importing drill presses.

One of those American made 8" home shop would be ideal for you. I paid $100 for a 12" bench top for my son. I considered that a steal.

 

[darkzero]

I had an 8" 5 speed Craftsman China that I bought 20 yrs ago new & it served me well. A year ago I came across an older yellow 12" Wen 4214 with reeves drive. Also made in China & I've been happy with it. But then again I tore the whole thing down & "rebuilt" it before I even put it to use. Also repainted it cause I couldn't stand the yellow. I don't use a drill press that often so I'm fine with a cheap one.

If you plan on drilling any larger holes in metal forget the 5 speed. Look for a 10 or 12 speed. The variable speed reeves drive I have now still doesn't spin as slow as I would like but I sure don't miss changing/moving the belt for speed changes. I'll use my mill/drill for larger holes in metal.

 

[dogdog]

Go liberate those drill presses from the store with you wallet.

**** of cause Budget and Quality is Budget Quality...

dam those ingratiate should give it to me flee


As far as small drill press...

Some guy on youtube that does a lot of fabrication love his Royabi...

 

[lafester]

This is probably the worst time of year to be looking for a used one.
Best bet is an older Taiwan press with 3 pulleys and a table lift.
They usually have a round table and unfamiliar branding, and often go cheap.

https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/tls/d/yukon-vintage-drill-press/7252637049.html

 

[montanafordman]

I purchased the 10" Wen drill press a couple years ago from Home Depot and have been very happy with it. Out of the box and assembled it had almost zero runout measured with a dial indicator and has worked well for my small uses.

I had no illusions about doing 3/4" holes in 1 inch thick steel all day and if you take your time it works fantastic for most of my uses which are primarily thinner (3/16" or less) mild steel. It was inexpensive, compact, and I was able to have it picked up at my local HD within a few days.

I would love to have found a 60 year old heavy duty floor or bench top drill press that was either restored or taken the time to tackle it myself but at the time I don't have the funds, space, time, and expertise to find one and get it right without a lot of costly trial and error. A project I might take up in the future when space, time and money allow.

The WEN drill presses fit casual consumer home use quite well and mine runs far quieter with less runout than the Harbor Freight model I borrowed from a friend.

 

[lardy1]

I bought a Wen a few years ago and have no regrets.

 

[cjarvis]

DIY_Guy, If you're ever in the OKC area, I have an 8" drill press from Northern tool that I'd give you, but it has either a start/run capacitor problem or the motor is shot. Not sure which, because when it started giving me problems, I bought myself a Jet 17" floor mount.

ETA: I have a capacitor on the way for it. If it solves the problem, I'll give you the drill press for the cost of the part.

 

[11b30b4]

DIY_Guy79, I started off with an 8” Craftsman 113 machine that served me well until I needed something larger with less run out. I now have 4 drill presses (2 floor and 2 bench models). All are Craftsman, two are 113 Emerson era 1980s and two are 100/150 series King Seeley era 1950s-1960s. I can honestly say that I like both eras and the Emerson’s are more available. I have the King Seeley’s because they are awesome machines. They look great and run amazing, but they are harder to find and Lafester is correct, the market is very dry at the moment. For the money you should be able to find a used Emerson 8”, 10” or 12” locally for around 50 bucks.

The real problem will be if there is anything wrong with the used machine and the lack of available parts is a major issue. Before I went down the Craftsman road, I considered a Rikon VS 12” bench top but the price is insane (400) and that’s another made in China machine. When you consider the price, quality, parts availability and the current market, I recommend you give the Wen a shot. I know lots of people who have them and they love them. Get the Wen now and continue to search for a Craftsman 100/150 press. Once you find a Craftsman (and you eventually will), you can rebuild it then sell the Wen.

Done correctly, the Craftsman 100/150 should have less than .003 run out, my 8” Emerson never came close to that; however, the 15.5” Emerson is running around .004.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

My Jet I bought new has at least .010 run out. The Delta had so much it was visible, the grain in wood would throw it off.

 

[lafester]

Looks like WEN is bringing back the 10 inch variable speed model.
I would try and get a deal on one of those if you want new.

https://wenproducts.com/products/10-inch-variable-speed-drill-press-4212

 

[cjarvis]

My Jet I bought new has at least .010 run out. The Delta had so much it was visible, the grain in wood would throw it off.

IIRC, mine only has .003 run out.

 

[lilredex]

Best bet is used. Look for an early eighties HF #38142 (yellow handles) or others. Mine was $40 a few years back. They have a low speed for metal drilling. Really happy with mine.

 

[dogdog]

Best bet is used. Look for an early eighties HF #38142 (yellow handles) or others. Mine was $40 a few years back. They have a low speed for metal drilling. Really happy with mine.

I got a funny feeling HF drill presses are too good for him or something from his OP...

 

[jayemm]

I think you're better off checking out the WEN or other one's that have a CAST IRON head assembly. And get at least a 10" for more power and bigger table. I bought a Harbor Freight 8" that was cast aluminum and had atrocious runout. I returned it and noticed one (8") in a box with a different label (HF has multiple vendors for the same item but each has a different part number) and upon opening it, it was cast iron so I got it. The runout was less than 0.001 " with dial indicator.
On lowest speed it could drill a 1/2" hole through a piece of 1" mild steel if you cleared the chips a few times. But when it stalled on high speed (instant dead stop) without breaking a 1/8" bit, I gifted it to a friend. These cheap drill presses are built with no margin for performance and are sold with different colors at different prices for the same thing. Just my experience. Heed the advice given above.

 

[cmandp]

I bought the WEN 10" Variable speed lafester linked to above. I really wanted an old american made press but I just needed a drill press that worked and had some capacity to drill steel.

I think for the price it's quite good, acceptable runout, and a good range of speeds, variable speed is convenient.

Be sure to get a vise or some kind of clamp too.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I'm shopping for a drill press. I'm looking at the bench top models (to save space) and looking to spend as little as possible.

So far I'm looking at the Grizzly G0925 8" 5 speed which is $94 on their website. As well as the Harbored Fart Central Machinery 8" 5 speed which comes in at $69 without any coupons.

The Grizzly seems more attractive due to the name, but at the end of the day they're both made in China. The Grizzly has a 1 year warranty the Harbored Fart has a 90 day warranty. And the Harbored Fart has a light where the grizzly does not. Is the Grizzly worth the price difference?

Are there any that you'd recommend over these? The Wen brand seems to be popular on Amazon.. Dont know anything about it, myself.

I'll just throw in my 2 cents, if you get a griz they really have great customer support, I've bought a few machines including a G7948 DP. I had a few small issues that they resolved & I had the replacement parts in a couple of days, they even sent me a part for a 3 yo machine NG.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

I got a funny feeling HF drill presses are too good for him or something from his OP...

I have no problem with HF products if they're good. Some of them are even great. And alternatively, some are really bad. Sometimes there's a better deal elsewhere. You never know until you ask. I'm here asking for advice in order to find the best option for my money. If you're refering to my calling HF "Harbored Fart", lighten up, its called a sense of humor.

And I disagree, with your "budget quality" statement. There are many instances where budget products are a great deal(Maybe not so much in the realm of drill presses). It's a matter of figuring out which of them are. Not to mention the option of shopping for used items on a budget.

 

[DIY_Guy79]

I bought the WEN 10" Variable speed lafester linked to above. I really wanted an old american made press but I just needed a drill press that worked and had some capacity to drill steel.

I think for the price it's quite good, acceptable runout, and a good range of speeds, variable speed is convenient.

Be sure to get a vise or some kind of clamp too.

I think you're better off checking out the WEN or other one's that have a CAST IRON head assembly. And get at least a 10" for more power and bigger table. I bought a Harbor Freight 8" that was cast aluminum and had atrocious runout. I returned it and noticed one (8") in a box with a different label (HF has multiple vendors for the same item but each has a different part number) and upon opening it, it was cast iron so I got it. The runout was less than 0.001 " with dial indicator.
On lowest speed it could drill a 1/2" hole through a piece of 1" mild steel if you cleared the chips a few times. But when it stalled on high speed (instant dead stop) without breaking a 1/8" bit, I gifted it to a friend. These cheap drill presses are built with no margin for performance and are sold with different colors at different prices for the same thing. Just my experience. Heed the advice given above.

Looks like WEN is bringing back the 10 inch variable speed model.
I would try and get a deal on one of those if you want new.

https://wenproducts.com/products/10-inch-variable-speed-drill-press-4212

I appreciate all the help. I'm not in a a major hurry, I've been watching for used stuff as well. But if I do end up buying a new machine, I'm likely going with that 10" WEN. It looks to be the best bang for your buck and seems to get a lot of love.

 

[Outahere]

I was looking at the WEN 12" variable speed bench top drill press on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09253MVXN/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Amazon is listing two versions: the standard model 4214 and a 2021 model 4214T. The only difference I see between the two is that the 4214T costs $34 more, and is "temporarily out of stock".

A google search did not turn up any information about the differences between the models. WEN does not show a model 4214T on their website.

Anybody here have some information??

 

[Lwel9226]

As far as small drill press...

Some guy on youtube that does a lot of fabrication love his Royabi...

I loved my Ryobi.... Until the belts wore out.... OBSOLETE.... NO LONGER AVAILABLE.... cannot find suitable replacements anywhere.....

LynnW

 

[dogdog]

I loved my Ryobi.... Until the belts wore out.... OBSOLETE.... NO LONGER AVAILABLE.... cannot find suitable replacements anywhere.....

LynnW

Belts? are they different than the other drill presses? I have Jet 14" and a no name sears 10" that is still in the box... the belt looks the same on on both.. When the one on the Jet sets due to a period of none-use I just replace the belt with the linked

https://www.harborfreight.com/vibration-free-link-belt-43771.html

I think there are only few variation for power tools.. you'll just have to find what it is and the size then order from the internet.

Type-A Type-B or v-belt..

My Jet from 1990 manufacture date is the type B.. don't remember the size. that HF belt worked... Used to be $19.99, I changed my Delta 14" band saw with that same type of belt too..also a type-b .... If you search ACCU-LINK belts, they do sell Type-A and V-belt as well I think in other places not HF... don't quote me on this too much, but at least it give you a lead to search.


Was going to say, these belts are not vendor/manufacturer locked in... it's generic by type and size.... just a lot of variation, there was a book that I saw a local HVAC supply guy uses when I was hunting for some other belt for the whole house gable fan ( he charged me $50 for that belt, probably including services fees, and I found one on line for $10) . It means you don't have to get it from Ryobi if you know what type of belt it is and size.

 

[jonesg]

I loved my Ryobi.... Until the belts wore out.... OBSOLETE.... NO LONGER AVAILABLE.... cannot find suitable replacements anywhere.....

LynnW

try a lawnmower service shop, they will measure and cross reference the belt.

 

[Prospecter]

Here's another option. https://www.vbeltguys.com/search