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drill press opinion

bronc3buster842001

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Dec 1, 2009
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Somewhere in Missouri
What do you guys think of this drill press. I have a coupon for 10% off at Lowe's. Will be doing mostly metal work.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_78742-46069-PCB660DP_0_?productId=3162489&Ntt=drill%20press&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=drill%20press$y=15$x=2%208
 
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Az Scooter

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Dec 30, 2009
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I have been looking at the press, as well. The table is a little small, but Porter Cable makes some decent tools for the price. Not high end stuff by any means, but for a home shop, perfectly adequate.
 

russlaferrera

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Nov 24, 2006
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Central Virginia
I could not see Lowes drill press. The Grizzly press drill press is a good machine. My dislike is the type of stop for the quill. I find that that type moves when you are drilling holed to a specified depth. The better DP have a screww type adjustment on the left side that will not move.
 

Keep

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Jan 1, 2009
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Oshawa, Ontario
Fixed your link:
Lowes drill press

Check the local classifieds. I picked up a Floor model press for $30. Of course I got lucky but they are out there.

Best thing I can recommend is find one with the most speeds possible.
 

Falcon67

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Jun 11, 2009
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Merkel, TX
The Lowes model looks very much like my Craftsman - it's been a good workhorse. It's a bit lonely now that I bought the mill/drill.
 

OldCarGuy

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Nov 29, 2005
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Ohio
The spec’s on the Grizzle falls short in two important areas. Porter Cable has a14" compared to 12" of the Grizzly. And has 4" of quill travel verses 3 1/ 4". However the Grizzly low spindle RPM is 140 compared to 300 RPM’s of the Porter Cable. The lower speeds are better drilling bigger diameters in steel of using hole saws.

You may want to consider a good used drill press, preferable old American iron. I paid $250.00 for this Delta 20" floor model drill press. Though I replaced the three-phase motor with a 120 Volt single phase, replaced the quill return spring, added a 5/8" Jacob chuck, and fabricated a down feed handle. What’s nice about this Delta is that it has a 10" of quill travel and a huge table...

DSCF1000.jpg



I sold this 16 speed 16” Central Machine Floor Model Drill Press that was made in Taiwan for $220.00 to another board member. .. The spindle speeds are from 170 to 3800 RPM.

DSCF2945.jpg


Here’s a Taiwanese floor model drill press that I picked up in some fella’s front yard for a few months. It has I HP 120 Volt motor, 12 speeds and a 3/ 4" chuck. When I get around to it, I’ll clean it up, replace the motor bearing and repair the down feed handle. And will sell it off. I surely didn’t need it; but I couldn’t bear watching it sitting out in the weather... I gave him $125.00 and he loaded it into my truck.

Picture017.jpg
 
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bronc3buster842001

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Dec 1, 2009
Messages
232
Location
Somewhere in Missouri
Ive been watching craigslist. Only ones I find are small bench top models. I prob. just go with the one from Lowes and put new pulleys on it. Unless I find a nice one on craigslist. I wont be using it a whole lot.
 

BoostedOne

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Mar 4, 2010
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Osteen, Fl
I have this one from harbor junk:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=39955

Quite a bit more than what you are looking at, but the large table really helps out. I also have the cross slide:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32997

The thing about harbor freight is they are always having them on sale, and somehow I got on their email mailing list and they are always emailing me 10, 20 30% off coupons as well which is a help...

Im not a fan of HF, but I needed a drill press for my business and general metal fab and it works good. it gets used drilling on steel several times a week, and is about 4 years old now.
 
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Teken

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Jan 2, 2010
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The Bad Lands
I have this one from harbor junk:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=39955

Quite a bit more than what you are looking at, but the large table really helps out. I also have the cross slide:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32997

The thing about harbor freight is they are always having them on sale, and somehow I got on their email mailing list and they are always emailing me 10, 20 30% off coupons as well which is a help...

Im not a fan of HF, but I needed a drill press for my business and general metal fab and it works good. it gets used drilling on steel several times a week, and is about 4 years old now.

Question for you . . . Would you buy another of these units, if you had the chance to do so assuming no other constraints . . .
 

MarshallGirvin

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Nov 13, 2009
Messages
100
Location
Upstate NY
You may want to consider a good used drill press, preferable old American iron. I paid $250.00 for this Delta 20" floor model drill press. Though I replaced the three-phase motor with a 120 Volt single phase, replaced the quill return spring, added a 5/8" Jacob chuck, and fabricated a down feed handle. What’s nice about this Delta is that it has a 10" of quill travel and a huge table...
+1. thousand. You can not go wrong with good ol' iron. Check out http://www.owwm.com. The quality of tool you can buy for the price is insane. Browse CraigsList and be patient. Something will show up.
 

krooser

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Jun 3, 2005
Messages
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Location
Waupaca, Wisconsin
Sit tight and be patient... look for industrial auctions in your area... an old USA drill press will do a much better job than any cheap Far East import... those ChiCom drill chucks are garbage and the motors are vastly over-rated on HP...

I bought my 40's vintage Rockwell on Ebay for $160.00.... weighs over 300 lbs... great unit.
 

crewchief888

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Dec 3, 2009
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Location
NW indiana
the main problem i see with most of the cheaper drill presses is low end speeds. i'd use one for mainly drilling larger holes with hole saws, and 300 rpm is a little fast

:beer:
 

peterj

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Jun 14, 2006
Messages
80
Location
NC
I found my Clausing on Craig's list 250 miles away, but it is all there and works great. It too is a three hundred pound beast. I have been looking forever one and there it was.
 

wineslob

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Oct 22, 2009
Messages
233
Location
The Northstate
One issue with the Lowes (P/C) unit, it's not 1 hp as they claim, it's 1/2, that will effect the largest size bit you could use.
If it were me I'd wait for a used machine.
 
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