Drill Press: Floor or Bench Sized? Which do you prefer?

[Mikeshums]

Looking at beginning a search for a drill press. What's your preference for general work? Floor size or a bench mount? I've got some space, but it always becomes a consideration.

Discuss!

 

[Musicinabottle]

For me..... Bench. I'd never try to stick something so large as to have a full on floor model. Plus I like having the bench right there to put my work on as opposed to having to reach over to a bench or cart. Mine is about 40 inches tall, older 1940s or older American made Craftsman.

 

[Augus7us]

For general work I would get a used floor model. An older powermatic would be a great score. I have a 20" Jet and Procut. The Procut is actually a tad nicer, both are made in Taiwan I believe.

I rebuilt the Jet with the intention of selling it but I've actually kept it after rebuilding it. It's not bad at all, all metal construction and now new bearings and everything. I think it weighs in around 300lb.

I personally would stay away from any of the big box store models. They are just too cheaply made for me.

-Clint

 

[Musicinabottle]

If...... you do happen on an older drill press, and you live near Spokane Washington, I have the inside track on a super nice older 1930s or 1940s and hell for stout Delta. Not mine.

 

[ken w.]

I'm lucky to have both. I have a floor model in my garage and a bench model inside. If I had to choose one it would be the floor model. I seem to have more room to move around it.

 

[Davefr]

Bench real estate is the most precious IMHO so I say floor. Floor also gives you much more versatility.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have three floor drillpresses and two bench units. Each drill press has a duty in the shop. My biggest and oldest drill press is a WF and john Barnes 22 inch. This drillpress was made in USA in 1883. It is almost 7 feet tall and 1150 pounds. Four of the drillpresses are 100 years old or older. The newest floor DP is 5 yo.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Bench real estate is the most precious IMHO so I say floor. Floor also gives you much more versatility.

X100000...bench top is a total waste of space.

 

[bob15]

Bench real estate is the most precious IMHO so I say floor. Floor also gives you much more versatility.

X100000...bench top is a total waste of space.

^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^

Floor all the way!!

 

[AZ Pete]

floor model for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[77Mini]

I had a small bench model which came in handy now and then. I upgraded to a good size floor model and find it to be 100 times better. I use it more and it works much better!

 

[Wolfman6]

Floor model. Just makes more sense. jmo

 

[GaryM909]

I have a bench model mounted on a metal cabinet with 3 drawers. The footprint is only about 6" larger then the base of the drill press. Works out well and I have extra storage that I wouldn't have with a floor model.

 

[ar2stp48]

I have an older Craftsman floor model; a Delta bench model (early 70's model); and a older Delta bench model radial style. I find uses for each of them. If I had to pick one for a starter choice, think I would go with a floor model

 

[PassnThru]

The only real difference between the two is how big of an object you can fit between the bit and the table. Why buy a floor standing model when the table will always be way off the floor? Buy the largest bench top you can find - build a base for storage to put it on with wheels to roll it around.

 

[Parrothead]

Bench, but I have almost no floor space, not much bench space either. I have my bench grinder, drill press and some other things on one cabinet and get them out when I need them.

 

[Jason280]

I went with the largest "bench" drill press HF sold, and it has served me well. I also have two other smaller bench models that I use for smaller stuff, but the next one I get will be a floor model.

 

[James-W]

I have both but I use the floor model almost all the time. In fact, right now the bench model is at a friend's house. He needed a drill press to do some work on a project so he borrowed it from me.

 

[James-W]

Looking at beginning a search for a drill press. What's your preference for general work? Floor size or a bench mount? I've got some space, but it always becomes a consideration.

Discuss!

By the way, welcome to the forum.

 

[lis2323]

I have both but prefer a bench model as you have an adjacent work surface for your drill press vise, other parts to be drilled etc.

 

[Farrier]

Also look for bench top Chinese mills. Can be found used for relatively decent price. XY table, less run out on the spindle, more possibilities than a drill press.

 

[Tom Sestito]

I just bought a floor mount. I have a small shop 21x21. I debated the question for a long time but then decided to build a cabinet on wheels at my bench height. I’ll cut a u-slot at the back of the cabinet and in any drawers in the cabinet.

I’ll have the best of both worlds. I’ll be able to roll the cabinet out of the way when I need the full size capability of the press but most of the time the cabinet will stay in place.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I bought a floor-mounted one, hated wasting the space, and cut the thing down to bench height. I have more benches than floor space, which is maybe unusual.

 

[tarmy]

Here is my take...floor with a cabinet to hold all the various associated tooling...

 

[bimmer1980]

I think the better thing to look at is the actual head of the drill press.

What are you going to be drilling? Wood, Steel? What size of drill bits?

Drilling a 1/2" hole or larger in steel is going to take a slower speed and more horsepower. You will also need a larger chuck. That will push you into a certain size and class of drill press.... that may not come in a bench model.....

Hence, size the drill press to your planned projects and buy accordingly....

 

[Aaron_W]

You will have more options in machine with a floor mount. I don't recall seeing a bench mount larger than 15" or greater than 3/4hp. I would guess this is adequate for the average home shop, but if you need bigger you probably need to look at a floor mount.


Beyond that I think it is just personal preference, the two styles take up about the same floor space. A comparable floor mount is obviously a little heavier, but usually not by a lot.

A bench top DP could potentially be stored under the bench freeing up bench space when not needed, but that will limit you in size. A 10" or smaller DP that weighs 50lbs that is a practical idea. When you start getting into 100lb+ units that theoretically remains an option, but realistically most probably will leave it on the bench after the novelty wears off.

A floor mount will almost certainly give you more room under the chuck, allowing for long drill bits for deep holes, and larger (taller) items to be drilled.

Floor mounts usually cost a little more.

 

[lilscorpion]

I like bench tops for their compact size. Unfortunately the compact size frequently comes with reduced durability and capabilities (HP, table size, Z-travel, work table height adjustment, component strength, precision, safety, etc). It’s for that reason I don’t have either a bench top nor a floor model and, instead have a Knee Mill.

When drilling, it’s all about needs and you’re ability to compromise on your needs vs one or more of the above categories.

 

[nadogail]

My Taiwan Made bench drill press, purchased in '77 from an advertisement in Mechanix Illistrated is mounted on a wheeled platform, just the right height for use while sitting on a roll around medical examining stool from Office Depot.

My shop has more equipment than room for the equipment.

 

[ford33]

Bench top on a cabinet. You have the best of all worlds. Room to store tools in the cabinet and a small footprint on the cabinet top. I have a vintage 1950's Delta that works well.

Floor models waste floor space.

 

[shopnut]

I have both and use each a lot.

I decided to mount the "floor" mounted drill press at the big shop on a post to keep the floor clear. Some truck fuel tank L-brackets are buried in the wall offering the cantilevered arms. I spaced it away from the post enough so the head can be swiveled to either side, depending on the shop arrangement and access. I like the height of this one over the bench mount because I have the chuck a bit higher.

I have a bench model at my home shop. To allow a bit more workbench space below it, I swiveled the base 180 degrees.

I added an angle to capture the base and keep it from tipping if I really was leaning on the press. You could also simply mount it to the surface, but I found there wasn't much tendency to tip this thing over anyway.

 

[driftpin]

I prefer my 17" floor model, easier to use for me, & fits more uses. I do have a quality bench-top but it sits in storage, as I just use the floor model. I sold a WW II era Delta DP220 which had a foundry date of Nov. 1944, it looked like the ones lis2323 has, and still had the long tapered belt cover, often missing. I called it my Alien because of the resemblance to the sci fi mother Alien creature.

 

[metalmagpie]

Put me in the floor category. I have a pair of 15" Orbit benchers that I'm going to restore and then mount them on stands and sell them. They sell a lot better that way.

 

[rburke65]

I am real happy with my bench mounted DP. I'm not doing machine work, just an occasional job where I might need a press. It's an older, heavy, Bullalo DP.

 

[crewchief888]

i have a bench top.
but it's not on the bench.

i re-purposed my toolcart for the base.

 

[A**holes Garage]

I would do a floor model if I had the room. But, since I don't, I ended up buying a Grizzly bench style. It's really their floor style without the pedestal. Can't complain on this one;

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Speed-Heavy-Duty-Bench-Top-Drill-Press/G7943

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I bought a floor-mounted one, hated wasting the space, and cut the thing down to bench height. I have more benches than floor space, which is maybe unusual.

Jack, That's beautiful! It's almost exactly like one I was going to bring home from work. When they eliminated the wood shops at the middle schools, a lot of the vintage equipment was marked for disposal and we were allowed to tag things we wanted. Unfortunately, the vendor doing the removals apparently couldn't read the tags and labels and scrapped everything.

Tommy

 

[EOC_Jason]

Three things come in to play...

1. Material you will be drilling.
2. Size of material.
3. Available floor space.

Metal of any real thickness needs low RPMs and decent HP which can be tough to find on your average bench top.

If you have something real big or will have part hanging off / below the table then you will have to get real creative with a bench-top.

If you are just drilling small / average stuff, then a bench top will work equally as well.

If you have no free floor space, then a floor model is moot...


I was lucky to find a floor standing drill press with some extras in like-new condition for cheap. It has come in very handy numerous times where I would have had to fight using a bench top to get things to fit because of height. I did not bolt mine to the floor, it has a small base which I have a box of scrap metal sitting on top of it for weight. It's tucked in a corner and works fine there for most little things but I can move it very easily to have more room. It has 3 pulleys and goes down to a decent RPM for metal drilling.