Drill Press Question

[HaroRider]

Ok, so I have an option of choosing one of the following drill presses (Free) Yes I know, lol
However, I know nothing about them and would like to choose the "better" one.
Can anyone offer me any info/advice on which one to choose?
I'm not sure if the Rockwell one can even be wired up to a single phase power?
Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Tom

 

[HaroRider]

Drill Press #1

 

[HaroRider]

Drill Press #2

 

[The Cobbler]

DP1 will need a phase converter or a new motor
DP2 is a very common Taiwanese DP that is decently regarded among the GJ brethren

 

[slowtwitch73]

#1 all day long.......

 

[shawhite]

Drill press 1 with vfd

 

[HaroRider]

Hmm, so what exactly would it cost me to convert to a single phase motor, or a phase converter. The converters don't seem too cheap.

Would a VFD like this work?

Amazon.com

 

[Mr.N]

Ok, so I have an option of choosing one of the following drill presses (Free) Yes I know, lol
However, I know nothing about them and would like to choose the "better" one.
Can anyone offer me any info/advice on which one to choose?
I'm not sure if the Rockwell one can even be wired up to a single phase power?
Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Tom

Tom,

What are you going to use these for?
If like once a year, go with the knock-off.

 

[shawhite]

I generally stay clear of the cheap vfds on Amazon as they tend to have short lifespans and horrible instructions. Telco, weg, kb invertec are some I have dealt with and had good luck. You should be able to stay under $200 in the sub 1hp class

 

[The Cobbler]

for most hobbyists and home shop use, the Taiwanese press will be fine, providing some basic operational checks are done. ( chuck operation, runout, bearing condition etc )

 

[HaroRider]

Id be willing to spend the $200, no problem. Biggest issue is I dont know if the drill is any good. I could test the other once since its just a regular 120V plug.

Could there be anything detrimental to the Rockewell that would make it complete junk, and not worth repairing?

 

[shawhite]

Id be willing to spend the $200, no problem. Biggest issue is I dont know if the drill is any good. I could test the other once since its just a regular 120V plug.

Could there be anything detrimental to the Rockewell that would make it complete junk, and not worth repairing?

Short answer is no especially for free

 

[Ricky Joe]

Forget about the vfd and just replace the motor. Used, maybe $25.

 

[PoorUB]

I am a large promoter of VFD's but with a tiny 1/2 HP benchtop I would just replace the motor. A used 1/2 HP motor shouldn't be hard to find.
The older Delta Rockwell is a USA made drill, better quality than the Import, but older and parts are hard to find other than eBay or tools forums.
The import is ok, again if you need any parts, good luck.

I lean towards the Delta Rockwell, but wouldn't argue much about taking either one.

Keep in mind they are both pretty light duty and you will not be drill 1" holes in steel with either of them. 1/2" in steel would be pushing either of them.

 

[RoninB4]

Just an additional thought about which one, should a bearing be in questionable condition it may well be easier to locate a standard bearing replacement in the Rockwell than the import. Of course it will depend upon whether the Rockwell had outsourced the components but even then I would expect Rockwell to have used a common sized bearing whether metric or inch. Lots of imported goods may/may not use bearings that can be difficult to obtain here in the U.S. If you (the OP) are only going to use it a couple of times a year then go for the one that's ready to use and requires the least amount of repairs. I'd go for the Rockwell but I've been a toolmaker for decades and usually prefer a better made machine because I'm going to use on a regular basis. I also detest poor build quality because it will fail when I need it most. Congratulations on whichever one you decide upon.

 

[slowtwitch73]

1/2" in steel would be pushing either of them.

That's a bit pessimistic..

 

[PoorUB]

That's a bit pessimistic..

Having owned drill presses of that size I disagree. Sure you may do the occasional 5/8" hole in steel, but it is seriously pushing it. The table deflects badly, even the column deflects. 1/2" is about all the will do comfortably.

 

[jmarkwolf]

Drill press #1 if you can only snag 1. It's head and shoulders above the other in quality.

It's been a few years since I bought a VFD for my Bridgeport mill, but I would be surprised if a VFD with adequate capacity for that motor would be $200. I paid approx $100 6 or 7 years ago.

It's pretty remarkable that neither table looks like it's got any drill hits. It might mean both were used by concientious people, and/or seldom used.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Having owned drill presses of that size I disagree. Sure you may do the occasional 5/8" hole in steel, but it is seriously pushing it. The table deflects badly, even the column deflects. 1/2" is about all the will do comfortably.

I've owned a few too, and disagree. Chicom tables deflect to the point of absurdity, but the Deltas are pretty good if you know what you are doing. If you have a good selection of bits and some mechanical empathy you can run demmings in them.

 

[PoorUB]

I've owned a few too, and disagree. Chicom tables deflect to the point of absurdity, but the Deltas are pretty good if you know what you are doing. If you have a good selection of bits and some mechanical empathy you can run demmings in them.

I worked in a machine shop for a few years so I have a bit of machine tool experience. I agree the Delta would be more rigid than the import, but with 1/2 HP and a single 1/2 belt drive they are lacking with larger sizes.

Looking online, Delta rated this 15 drill press for 3/8" in steel.

Like I said, I had both, now I have this,

 

[nadogail]

Just put a larger single phase motor on it and enjoy a good piece of equipment.

 

[dr_clyde]

The Rockwell is far and away a better drill.

Replacement single phase motors are cheap, as are VFDs.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Looking online, Delta rated this 15 drill press for 3/8" in steel.

Like I said, I had both, now I have this,

Tell me you don't drill larger than 3/8 holes in steel with that

 

[PoorUB]

Tell me you don't drill larger than 3/8 holes in steel with that

This one is rated for a bit more!
The one rated for 3/8" the OPs.

 

[FMB4]

You need both in the best of the traditional GF forums.

But, all kidding aside, the quality of the drill bit are sometimes more important the the quality of the DP. As long as the DP isn't too worn-out and as long as it has a lower speed range option (preferably less than 100 rpm) you'll be OK with most work applications.

 

[HaroRider]

I didn't consider getting replacement parts for the Delta will be much easier. Getting it for free, I'm perfectly ok spending a few hundred to get the Delta up and going.