Can we all agree on a drill???
- Thread starter Bootybug
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tonydanzah
Well-known member
Vinko
Well-known member
They're out there, but they're super expensive. I was at a trade show, and a couple of German firms make some. There's some American stuff too.
Depending upon you're doing, I figure you just go with an old Delta, Turner, or even Craftsman of 30 or 40 years ago, and you've gotten better quality than any of the junk out there.
That said, a machine shop owner I know bought a $300 Harbor Fright press for a particular job, and he's had it for a few years and is surprised by how well it's worked.
mrpowderkeg
Well-known member
I've got a small delta bench top drill press, and about the only thing it's good for is wood. When you're drilling holes in metal, you want to turn to a DP because of the accuracy and bigger motor for more torque. Well I can drill better holes with my cordless Milwaukee because the DP has a bunch of slop in the quill (sliding part that allows the downward travel), and it chatters pretty good anything over 1/2 inch even with pilot holes. I don't have a solution to the problem but I wanted to say the delta bench drill presses ****, mine is from 1992
Gary S
Well-known member
There is no "best" drill just like there is no "best" tool of any kind. If there was one "best" one, the others would no longer be on the market. You will find someone who has a particular brand that they like and another person with a brand they hate, but that doesn't make either of them best or worst.
If you are looking for the most expensive one, we can probably help you find it. If you are looking for the cheapest one, we can probaby help you find that too because cheapest and most expensive are measureable. "Best" isn't a measureable quality.
If you are looking for the most expensive one, we can probably help you find it. If you are looking for the cheapest one, we can probaby help you find that too because cheapest and most expensive are measureable. "Best" isn't a measureable quality.
rsanter
Well-known member
yes we can
as long as you will all go along with what I say....
bob
as long as you will all go along with what I say....
bob
rsanter
Well-known member
benchtop drills now are all 'toys' in my opinion
you either find an ols one from when they were decent. just get a good stand up model (what I recomend) or I have seen a few people that take a stand up model and cut the post to make it a benchtop model
bob
you either find an ols one from when they were decent. just get a good stand up model (what I recomend) or I have seen a few people that take a stand up model and cut the post to make it a benchtop model
bob
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDF...T4NO=0&PMITEM=09508011&PMCTLG=00&PMT4TP=*LTIP
If you look at the Servo model in the above link you will find a super benchtop drill press. Do you agree? Probably not, each person here will have different needs, skills, budgets and measures of what makes an acceptable tool to THEM. So I stick with my origional post, NO we cannot agree on one tool as each of us unique, just like everyone else.
lg
no neat sig line
If you look at the Servo model in the above link you will find a super benchtop drill press. Do you agree? Probably not, each person here will have different needs, skills, budgets and measures of what makes an acceptable tool to THEM. So I stick with my origional post, NO we cannot agree on one tool as each of us unique, just like everyone else.
lg
no neat sig line
You guys are funny.
Nothing too thick, no more than 1/4 steel, 1 inch aluminum possibly.
Agree there is no "best" but usually one just pulls away from the pack as the "gold standard", but everything is made in China these days and lacks torque. Sure we got horse power, but not much hits the road, if you know what I mean.
Maybe I just buy Jet or a Harbor Freight and call it a day. I am currently using a hand drill and it's getting dangerous with the drill torqing to the left or right instantly. I don't want to break my wrist.
I'm headed to Norther Tools for some stuff so will check out what they have. Funny how no one carries any inventory any more, it all has to be ordered. Keeps down on the overhead, obviously.
Nothing too thick, no more than 1/4 steel, 1 inch aluminum possibly.
Agree there is no "best" but usually one just pulls away from the pack as the "gold standard", but everything is made in China these days and lacks torque. Sure we got horse power, but not much hits the road, if you know what I mean.
Maybe I just buy Jet or a Harbor Freight and call it a day. I am currently using a hand drill and it's getting dangerous with the drill torqing to the left or right instantly. I don't want to break my wrist.
I'm headed to Norther Tools for some stuff so will check out what they have. Funny how no one carries any inventory any more, it all has to be ordered. Keeps down on the overhead, obviously.
mrpowderkeg
Well-known member
I've seriously been thinking about buying a magnetic base drill and using that in place of my drill press, I hate it that much.
EdT
Well-known member
Magnetic base not so good for aluminum. I have an old Chinese DP that I got about 30 years ago and it has been fine for my needs. I don't make my living with it, but I use it a lot more than most people would (several times a week). I think the majority of the small, big-box stuff is intended mostly for woodwork and, consequently, the speeds are too fast for metal, so that's an important factor for what it sounds like you're planning to do. The suggestions above about finding something pre-owned are good ones and you can get some great stuff IF you know what you want and have patience. I got a big Powermatic 3/4 horse unit for $75 at an auction; so they're out there if you look long enough. Available torque at the point where you're cutting is important and comes. in part, from how far down the speed of the motor is "geared" for a given motor the slower the spindle turns relative to motor speed, the more torque you will have. The real issue with speed is if you got too fast, you will burn the end off the drill esp. in steel. A 1/2 -3/4 hp motor appropriately geared (pulleys and belts) should be plenty for all you want to do.
drmoonshine
Well-known member
It's a shame but there has to be one good one?
RbrtAWhyt
Well-known member
Edlund, Strands, Pratt & Whitney, Arboga, Alzmetall, Allen, Powermatic, Cleereman, etc. all made bench drills so far as I'm aware. They would be my first choices.
The newer lightweight geared head maintenance drills, such as the Strands S-25-B/BM, Alzmetall AX series, Arboga A-2608 might be a good choice.
New prices start at around $4,000
The newer lightweight geared head maintenance drills, such as the Strands S-25-B/BM, Alzmetall AX series, Arboga A-2608 might be a good choice.
New prices start at around $4,000
Gary S
Well-known member
I'd love to see a photo of a 30 year old chineese drill...
I can't help you with a picture of a 30 year old Chinese drill, but this is my 20 year old Chinese drill.
As an alternative to a drill press consider a Mill Drill. They aren't the best of mills but they can be a perty good drill press esp. if you get one with a power down feed on it.
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=1543&PMITEM=80181555&PMCTLG=00
There are tons of these machines out there and often for sale as beginning machists move up to more traditional machines.
lg
no neat sig line
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=1543&PMITEM=80181555&PMCTLG=00
There are tons of these machines out there and often for sale as beginning machists move up to more traditional machines.
lg
no neat sig line
HarashoPuck
Active member
I have a bench top from Harbour Fright. It does the job well. I don't do a lot of precision work with it, but it has performed well in each application I have used it for.
I also have a floor mount Craftman drill press. It is useful for end drilling and for drilling into the side of large boxlike fixtures.
Vinko
Well-known member
Posts like this are deceptively biased while purporting to be even-handed and balanced.
No. Because this assumes that everyone knows, wants or cares about the best, when they assuredly do not.
a banal truth inserted in here to lend credence to the idea that your view is somehow objective.
Sure it is. You just have to know what best is a metanym for. Maybe it's quality of materials or processes of manufacture. Maybe it's something else. But these things can be measured.
No. Because this assumes that everyone knows, wants or cares about the best, when they assuredly do not.
a banal truth inserted in here to lend credence to the idea that your view is somehow objective.
Sure it is. You just have to know what best is a metanym for. Maybe it's quality of materials or processes of manufacture. Maybe it's something else. But these things can be measured.
Theres no bench top drill that is worth a $hit. The floor models that are good are expensive. Thats just the way metal working tools are big, heavy and expensive. After all they have to cut steel.
I would agree a bench top Mill/Drill will be the only good choice.
I would agree a bench top Mill/Drill will be the only good choice.
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jclem40c
Well-known member
Go online and find an old Walker-Turner benchtop and start drilling.
John
John
Sure there are! They just don't come out of the Sears catalog or the Harbor Freight store.
Here is one such animal, an Edlund 1F7:
mcdtommy23
Well-known member
My suggestion would be either the one like posted above (old school), or a newer mill/drill. The mill/drill makes one hell of a drill press with the added ability to do some light milling when needed.
nissan_crawler
Well-known member
If you have to have a benchtop one, you're going to be getting something like what ap mech posted, and spending some dough.
If you can settle for a floor one, your options open up greatly. I would avoid hf ones, personally. I've knocked the bearings out of two of them after a year or two of use, and burned up the motor. They also had quite a bit of slop.
My 1.5hp Jet has been doing great. I had issues with the chuck, but they replaced it, and after that, the runout is under .001. Again, an old US one would be excellent, but I can't find them around here.
If you can settle for a floor one, your options open up greatly. I would avoid hf ones, personally. I've knocked the bearings out of two of them after a year or two of use, and burned up the motor. They also had quite a bit of slop.
My 1.5hp Jet has been doing great. I had issues with the chuck, but they replaced it, and after that, the runout is under .001. Again, an old US one would be excellent, but I can't find them around here.
For the work you discribed I think one of the cheap ones will work
IF
you go into it planing to add a jack shaft to slow it down.
All the current bench tops are to fast for metal work.
Even at the slowest belt adjustment they are about twice what you want for steel.
IF
you go into it planing to add a jack shaft to slow it down.
All the current bench tops are to fast for metal work.
Even at the slowest belt adjustment they are about twice what you want for steel.
Packard V8
Well-known member
only true if one were to add, "coming from a big box store and made in China."
There are many high quality bench drill presses; the Edlunds and their industrial ilk are expensive and rare. However, for 99% of home shop use, an older Delta, Walker-Turner, Boice-Crane, Powermatic, or Atlas 15" with the slow speed pulley setup will do any drilling most of us need done.
I have two of the Deltas, both at least 50-70 years old. The first I've had for forty years and thousands of holes. The latest one I got for $35, did a bit of tuneup on the chuck and she's good to go. Just watch craigslist and they're out there.
jack vines
hetkind
Banned
My old standby on machine tools are enco, www.enco.com and wholesaletool at http://www.wttool.com/
I have worn out a couple table top models and could use a stand drillpress that runs on 220 single phase
Howard
I have worn out a couple table top models and could use a stand drillpress that runs on 220 single phase
Howard
7echo
Well-known member
Clausing, or the old Delta with the thrust bearings, can't remember the model # off hand. Some of those old bench top DPs were simply floor models with the post cut down. You can cut the post down yourself or have a machine shop do it.
7echo
Well-known member
Oh, forgot about this one, but google up the Delta Unidrill.
Here's a good place to find some older tools around the country. There's about half a dozen drill presses on there right now.
http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm
http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm