I need a new drill press
- Thread starter golfnut
- Start date
If you paid $300 for your DP600, you got a great deal. Rare to find both table and head elevators, plus production table. I sold mine a few years ago (when I retired) for $100 to the company I worked for, but it did not look anywhere near as nice as yours and had a JT33 mount so no tap head could be used. They use it almost exclusively for countersinking aluminum extrusions.Given that power tapping was nowhere in his description of needs, that seems to be a non issue...but I could always run a reversing tapping head if that was a concern. As for restoration....All I had to do to mine was plug it in, and buy a step down pulley setup. Old doesn't mean abused or worn out.
thats how i feel about it
So here is the project I'm working on. Not exactly "garage" stuff. It's my planter and all the holes on the parallel linkages are worn. Normal wear and since John Deere is so smart they make the linkages softer than the bushings. So I took it all apart and purchased an aftermarket kit that makes it all tight again. But every hole has to be reamed out plus an additional hole drilled to help stabilize a bushing. Machinery prices are insane these days. This machine, which has been upgraded to have the latest and greatest technology would cost me $240,000 to buy new today. That does not include the tractor.
So spend $4,000 in more tools to revive a planter that costs $240,000 to replace. Seems like a good deal.
I stopped by a friends place a couple years ago. I called him and he was planting corn. He was runing a 10 row planter and at the time he told me the planter he was using was a bit over $10,000 a row. I stood there and looked it over and jokingly told him that he got screwed! Crazy what some of this machinery costs. It certainly didn't look like $100,000!
I stopped by a friends place a couple years ago. I called him and he was planting corn. He was runing a 10 row planter and at the time he told me the planter he was using was a bit over $10,000 a row. I stood there and looked it over and jokingly told him that he got screwed! Crazy what some of this machinery costs. It certainly didn't look like $100,000!
The technology we put on these machines is amazing. There are "dumb" planters that are ground driven and don't tell the operator what is going on and then there are precision, high speed machines, which this is. Each row has hydraulic down pressure control to ensure the row unit maintains ground contact and delivers consistent seed depth. It reacts 200 times/second. The seed meter is electrically driven and paired with a seed "tube" that carries the seed to the bottom of the seed trench on a belt and places it on the ground at the same speed the planter is traveling. Gyroscopes report how each row unit is riding and if we need to slow down. The monitor reports and maps nearly every seed that is dropped, if it dropped a double or skipped a seed, what the soil moisture is, soil temp, and CEC. All seeding rates are GPS controlled and adjustable on the go or based on a prescription map.
I should also say that this planter was not worn out but I was doing some other upgrades and had it half apart already so this was the best time to tackle this job.
Here is my good old Powermatic 1200. When I first got it home and after I got the VFD mounted.
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/images/9939-B.jpg
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/images/9939-A.jpg
I drilled a few holes with it today. Only 1/2" but it drills them with ease, no deflection. It is really a pleasure to use. This drill press weighs 600 pounds. for example, this is a nice drill press fro Powermatic, currently available, it weighs 246 pounds. The Ellis the OP bought weighs over 600 pounds.
http://www.powermatic.com/us/en/p/pm2800b-drill-press-1hp-1ph-115-230v/1792800B
Someone asked what a heavier drill press will do that a smaller one will not. I had a 3/4HP Jet bench top drill press. Any time I drilled steel with it I could watch the table flex down from the pressure of the drill bit and quill pushing into the work. When the bit would break through it often would jam as the table would spring back up. With this PM 1200 it doesn't deflect, at least nothing visible. When the drill bit goes through the work, it just goes through, no stress, no flex, no jamming up.
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/images/9939-B.jpg
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/images/9939-A.jpg
I drilled a few holes with it today. Only 1/2" but it drills them with ease, no deflection. It is really a pleasure to use. This drill press weighs 600 pounds. for example, this is a nice drill press fro Powermatic, currently available, it weighs 246 pounds. The Ellis the OP bought weighs over 600 pounds.
http://www.powermatic.com/us/en/p/pm2800b-drill-press-1hp-1ph-115-230v/1792800B
Someone asked what a heavier drill press will do that a smaller one will not. I had a 3/4HP Jet bench top drill press. Any time I drilled steel with it I could watch the table flex down from the pressure of the drill bit and quill pushing into the work. When the bit would break through it often would jam as the table would spring back up. With this PM 1200 it doesn't deflect, at least nothing visible. When the drill bit goes through the work, it just goes through, no stress, no flex, no jamming up.
I bought both of my Bridgeports for under 2K each and they were near mint (one more so than the other which was only 1.5K). The deals are out there.
53Mike
Member
Hello Golf Nut,
New member here, I'm not sure if you watch the machinery auctions but my son and I just picked up a Nova Voyager 58000 for unbelievably cheap. During the pre-bid walk through I asked the maintenance guy why the control keypad and MCB were lying on the base. He said one of their past employees had some anger issues and damaged it. Nobody took the time to assess and it got pushed into a corner. I called the local Rockler guys and found a replacement was available for under $200.
My son and I watched the online bidding and saw no one was bidding. We bid the minimum of $25. To say we got lucky is an understatement. I was going to sell it, but my son said we have to keep. I'll add a keyless chuck and an LED machine tool task light and we should be good to go.
The Nova gets high reviews. Look at some of the YouTube video reviews. It's an amazing piece of gear.
There are some deals to be had if you keep a sharp lookout and are patient.
Cheers !
Mike K.
Busted_Knuckles
Well-known member
Thats some cool tech there, but at the end of the day, what is the yield difference per acre ? How many acres or years does it take to payback the extra moola, for the smart planter vs the dumb planter ? I get you gain allot of knoweledge as to whats going on with the planter, and then of course the same kind of info Im guessing you have at harvest time.. to compare that same sqft of ground, but does it put money in your pocket at the end of the year, after the smoke clears ? And roughly how much. Im guessing a salesman sold you X% of return over X time = X% of additional income, in some tradtional earning structure.. ( not asking for exact dollars, just rough talking points ).
That is a great question and my honest answer is that some of the upgrades are not done because of a potential yield gain. Some of them are done because original parts are worn and need to be replaced so the upgrade doesn't cost as much. The high speed upgrades are done so we can cover acres faster with the same results and driving slower. Others are done because they require less maintenance. Electric drive meters is a great example of that. A single wiring harness across the planter replaces 40' of drive shaft, three hydraulic motors and associated hoses, sprockets and chains, 16 cable drive units, and 16 air clutches for individual row shutoff.
Boogerman
Well-known member
My brother late 1980's or 1990's developed some GPS driven, computer controlled farm implements. His team fitted grain combines with GPS and grain delivery measurement to map yields as harvested. Similarly, used gps and computer controlled fertilizer to deliver fertilizer as maped previously using soil testing and GPS. And, gps data for herbicide use and planted grain using computer software/gps positioning to change seeding rate. Overall PROFIT (not yield, PROFIT) gain about 40% after optimized farm operations for 3 seasons. So, return this kind of technology quite good. Particularly if have 5,000 to 10,000 acres and want run it 4 to 6 family members, so don't have to try get good help. As said earlier, also speeds up work, so more done in short window suitable weather conditions.
He also developed grain moisture optimization systems, add or subtract moisture to stored grain; put it exactly at optimum price level. Very profitable add moisture to grain (at next to no cost) and then sell that added water for $.15 per pound as wheat or $.10 per pound as corn.
If you don't farm or work farm industries, easy to underestimate technology and knowledge goes into farming today.
Back OP's original topic; nice buy good machine. Nothing wrong buy good machine make/save money and work better. Smart guys do that; also rans or hobbyists do same old thing, buy cheap/make do, fix up instead of invest money to make/save money. Good for hobby, not best for business where production rate/effectiveness = more money made. I not use drill press enough buy good one; have two Craftsman, one Atlas, but also have mill to do more rigorous work. My presses similar to the Delta shown above, can get work done, but I know there lot better machines out there, just take money/time/effort to find and put in my shop, so haven't.
He also developed grain moisture optimization systems, add or subtract moisture to stored grain; put it exactly at optimum price level. Very profitable add moisture to grain (at next to no cost) and then sell that added water for $.15 per pound as wheat or $.10 per pound as corn.
If you don't farm or work farm industries, easy to underestimate technology and knowledge goes into farming today.
Back OP's original topic; nice buy good machine. Nothing wrong buy good machine make/save money and work better. Smart guys do that; also rans or hobbyists do same old thing, buy cheap/make do, fix up instead of invest money to make/save money. Good for hobby, not best for business where production rate/effectiveness = more money made. I not use drill press enough buy good one; have two Craftsman, one Atlas, but also have mill to do more rigorous work. My presses similar to the Delta shown above, can get work done, but I know there lot better machines out there, just take money/time/effort to find and put in my shop, so haven't.
whateg01
Well-known member
I would not do that. I'm all for the old iron. I love my WT 1100. But I learned the hard way that running a 2" hole saw in steel which the drill press has the balls to do will tighten that chuck tighter than, well, it'll be tight. Like, stuck it in the vise and made a special pin spanner and still need a cheater to get it to break loose tight. If you want to run a keyless for regular drills, go for it, but keep a spare keyed chuck handy for big stuff
whateg01
Well-known member
I bought my WT for$200. Needed a motor, which I have plenty of. Stick a 1" drill in the taper and let her eat!
53Mike
Member
Hello,
Like many, I've followed the online auctions for a few years now. Last December, my son and I picked up a Nova Voyager from a seafood products mfg. in Sumner WA. The story is that the picture showed it with the faceplate off and the description said, "needs repairs". I did a pre-inspection walk and happened to talk with one of the facilities guys. He told me that after they bought it a few years back, a fellow worker took out his anger on the drill, it stopped working, they couldn't repair it and pushed it into a corner.
I decoded the mfg. date (2019), looked at the warranty, called to see if parts were available.
Bid closing day came. I watched as the clock ran out, no one else bid, with a minute or so left, I bid the opening amount of $25 and it closed.
Got it to the shop, cleaned it up and sent the parts in. Bench test showed the software had locked it. Had to wait a couple of months but just put it back together last week. Was going to sell it as we have two benchtop drill presses (Wen and Jet) but my son said we must keep it. I'll be the first to admit that it's way overkill for what we need. However, it runs like a champ.
So there are some deals to be had, even more so with patience and knowledge.
Cheers !
Mike K.
Like many, I've followed the online auctions for a few years now. Last December, my son and I picked up a Nova Voyager from a seafood products mfg. in Sumner WA. The story is that the picture showed it with the faceplate off and the description said, "needs repairs". I did a pre-inspection walk and happened to talk with one of the facilities guys. He told me that after they bought it a few years back, a fellow worker took out his anger on the drill, it stopped working, they couldn't repair it and pushed it into a corner.
I decoded the mfg. date (2019), looked at the warranty, called to see if parts were available.
Bid closing day came. I watched as the clock ran out, no one else bid, with a minute or so left, I bid the opening amount of $25 and it closed.
Got it to the shop, cleaned it up and sent the parts in. Bench test showed the software had locked it. Had to wait a couple of months but just put it back together last week. Was going to sell it as we have two benchtop drill presses (Wen and Jet) but my son said we must keep it. I'll be the first to admit that it's way overkill for what we need. However, it runs like a champ.
So there are some deals to be had, even more so with patience and knowledge.
Cheers !
Mike K.
whateg01
Well-known member
Nice machine. I have a friend with a similar swedish built drill press. It's pretty bougie. That kind of thing is why I stick with older, simpler stuff, though. No special boards that can't be fixed by me. Pretty cool to pick it up like that though. So many people see something is broken and won't give it the time of day.Hello,
Like many, I've followed the online auctions for a few years now. Last December, my son and I picked up a Nova Voyager from a seafood products mfg. in Sumner WA. The story is that the picture showed it with the faceplate off and the description said, "needs repairs". I did a pre-inspection walk and happened to talk with one of the facilities guys. He told me that after they bought it a few years back, a fellow worker took out his anger on the drill, it stopped working, they couldn't repair it and pushed it into a corner.
I decoded the mfg. date (2019), looked at the warranty, called to see if parts were available.
Bid closing day came. I watched as the clock ran out, no one else bid, with a minute or so left, I bid the opening amount of $25 and it closed.
Got it to the shop, cleaned it up and sent the parts in. Bench test showed the software had locked it. Had to wait a couple of months but just put it back together last week. Was going to sell it as we have two benchtop drill presses (Wen and Jet) but my son said we must keep it. I'll be the first to admit that it's way overkill for what we need. However, it runs like a champ.
So there are some deals to be had, even more so with patience and knowledge.
Cheers !
Mike K.
53Mike
Member
Sorry guys, I didn't realize I posted the same thing twice.
Mea culpa !
Cheers !
Mea culpa !
Cheers !
Congrats on a fresh - YOU ****!
but seriously keep us posted on using that Nova, looks like a great machine.
Any more info on how it got locked up and what you did to fix it? Did you have to have the parts sent in and fixed by the mfg, did they warranty it? What was the cost of parts? Thanks
but seriously keep us posted on using that Nova, looks like a great machine.
Any more info on how it got locked up and what you did to fix it? Did you have to have the parts sent in and fixed by the mfg, did they warranty it? What was the cost of parts? Thanks
dutchgray
Well-known member
I have ruined good keyless chucks using them within their rated range, the bit only has to stick in the work once and they will lock up tight you won't undo them by hand.
I had a nice Italian made Jacobs 1/2" keyless on an R8 shank for the Bridgeport, I was using a brand new 12mm drill and it bit hard into the work, after that the chuck jams every time you try to open it over about 3/8"
I have several keyed chunks for the larger diameter uses but if you really want to get a good hold then ER collet chucks work really well.
53Mike
Member
Hello Tarbellb,
Going to pull the stock chuck off tomorrow and change to the Nova Keyless Chuck.
I have no idea how it got locked up. As mentioned, the front cover was off and lying on the table when I saw it in the catalogue. During the walkthrough, I happened to talk with the maintenance super and asked him if he knew what the issue was. After I got the unit back to our shop. I tried to power up without success. I called Teknatool, explained the issue, they sent me an RGA. I sent the parts (cover, HMI, PCB, rear PCB/heat sink) and they ran a bench test and sent a video clip of it showing it's test. No parts were replaced as far as I know, was a software issue. But it took a couple of months in the queue to finish.
For those who doubted what I paid, and frankly I would too, I've included a clip of the paid invoice. Take a look at the price of the Metro carts and utility carts. The Metro wire carts make great drying racks.
Again, there are some decent deals but every great once-in-a-while, you can get lucky, like I did with the Nova.
Cheers !
Mike K.
$25 for a Nova, with a little hassle and a few bucks to get it running? Pretty major suckage!