Drill press recommendations?

[hifi_hokie]

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a floorstanding drill press for my workshop - anticipated usage would likely be a 50/50 split between light metalworking (thin-gauge steel) and wood.

Would $800 be enough to get a decent unit that will last a while, and be able to have the RPM range to be able to do both kinds of work? Any specific brands I should look at? I've just used modern Deltas before.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Can't help you there. My daughter is going to Georgia Tech and I am forbidden to answer any questions from a hokie for a while........

 

[hifi_hokie]

Can't help you there. My daughter is going to Georgia Tech and I am forbidden to answer any questions from a hokie for a while........

Bad timing I guess

I'm an '09 grad.

 

[Gary S]

If you are running a production shop, you might need an $800 drill press. If you are a home user, you can be perfectly happy with a much cheaper one than that. I have a cheap Harbor Freight 16 speed press I've been using at home for over 20 years, and it does anything I could want working with steel.
I use my Shopsmith for wood because it is better suited for that job.
For a garage drill press, look at minimum speed. The slower it runs, the better. You want a press that runs under 200rpm on its slowest speed. Usually, that means you need a 16-18 speed drill to have the speed reduction to get that slow. I set my press to the slowest speed when I bought it 20 years ago, and have never looked at speed adjustment ever again.

 

[Blue Gator Six]

You can get them much cheaper than 800 bucks. Try a Jet model. I have had one for years and it has never let me down. Do your self a favor and get the matching vise for it as well. Mine is an aftermarket one. That thing has come in handy more than once.

 

[Zebu Fellenz]

Like others have posted $800 is more than you need to spend on a drill press unless you want to drill big holes in steel or work on really big pieces.

In our shop we have a Buffalo Forge No. 22 drill press that will power-feed a 1 1/2" twist bit through steel plate all day long and a Walker Turner baby radial drill that is exceptional for woodworking as it allows for easy working on large pieces and dead simple setup for drilling at angles, complete overkill for most garage usage and also somewhat overkill for what we do but if you have $800 burning a hole in your pocket you could probably find similar machines and be set for anything that comes your way...

Here are some pictures:

And the Buffalo (first pictures in her new home)

Go big or go home!

Erik

 

[Blue Gator Six]

Now you are talkin.I would love to have that.

 

[Steve_P]

I have a newer Delta, 17-959L, 3/4 hp. It's a nice unit for the $; think it was ~$600 from Amazon incl freight.

~200-2700 RPM spindle speed. IIRC the runout at the chuck is .0015".

I would not call this a production drill press- those are $2k+, so I disagree with the earlier post about getting a new production grade drill press for <$800.

 

[Zebu Fellenz]

I would not call this a production drill press- those are $2k+, so I disagree with the earlier post about getting a new production grade drill press for <$800.

I don't see where anyone said he could buy a production grade drill press new for $800?

 

[airbuff101]

This is a '36ish Walker-Turner 900 series I recently redid for my sons shop.
It's a smooth running 4-bearing head w/no slop.
Rob

If you can re-beautify a Vise, this stuff is only a click or two up.

Just make sure the spindle is straight on any old Drill Press.
This one was laying on it's side in the mud at a tag sale.....brush painted green.
I was going to offer 8 hunnert....but he took ..30.00.
Rob

 

[stricht8]

Now that is nice!

 

[airbuff101]

Now that is nice!

Thank you, it really is a sweetheart.
Just so you folks don't think I was hopin' to power it by telepathy or somethin.
I installed the pulleys a few days later with just a standard V-belt. 2 3/4" column and large castings make it a very rigid machine with no measurable runout. Original Jacobs chuck & key.

I have a 15" Craftsman floor model that I bought new 28 years ago and it has always been a flexi-flyer in comparison to this old gal.
Rob

 

[JASTECH]

I would like to have one of them for the angles and heavy duty drilling in pipe I do.
This one I won on Ebay and think was took?
The brand id Daytona I think, 16-speed, 5/8 chuck and 3/4 hp.

Thanks, JASTECH