Multi-speed Drill Press

[micromind]

How many of you who have a multi-speed drill press use more than one speed?

Mine is just a simple 4 step pulley type but I don't remember ever using anything but the slowest speed in nearly 50 years. maybe I have but I don't remember.

 

[FrankLee]

Mine is just a simple 4 step pulley type but I don't remember ever using anything but the slowest speed in nearly 50 years. maybe I have but I don't remember.

Ditto!

 

[oldmachinenut]

I converted my Wilton drill press to DC, Dayton 2M169 3/4 hp pmdc motor and a KBMG-212 DC drive. I frequently change the speed, it’s just a twist of the pot. I use it for drilling soft wood to hard steel. It’s an easy upgrade.

 

[thunderskunk]

I’ve got a husky mill I use as a drill press. I swapped the old motor for a new one paired with a VFD from another project. If your drill press is VFD compatible, I totally recommend it. No more belt changes, and drilling in metal requires a slower speed.

But that’s not a universal recommendation. It’s counter to the target market of a drill press. To each his own. I like it, but I’m also selling this mill. I want to use machines to finish projects, not make projects out of machines.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I used to follow the “Garage Journal Goldilocks principle”. Leave the drill press at one speed and switch drill presses if you needed a higher or lower speed!

There days I have semi-reformed and have variable speed industrial DC motors on the drill presses. But out of principle I still have the same number of drill presses!

 

[The Cobbler]

I do change mine occasionally , but I just guess at speeds ; smaller drill bits=higher speed, larger bits=slower .

 

[bassJAM]

Mine's infinitely variable, so I use different speeds all the time depending on what material I'm drilling into since it's as easy as turning a lever.

 

[whateg01]

I have a wt 1100 for big slow stuff but my smaller drill press gets used on a few different speeds. Depends how many holes I'm drilling at a given speed whether I bother to change. I've thought about building a motor plate with a toggle for the tightening to make it faster but haven't done so yet. 6 Pole motor makes it easy to leave alone for a lot of stuff where a lesser motor would have to be pulley'd down to get the torque to run some drills in some materials.

 

[racecougar]

I change mine all the time, and I really mean all the time. Speeds and feeds!

 

[Cjb1979]

Both of mine are from Nova and are both dc motors that are controlled via rheostat. I use different speeds constantly. They both also have an automatic start feature and electronic depth stops.

 

[Aaron_W]

I think much depends on what you do with it. Wood and metal require significantly different speeds.

If you do woodworking and use hole saws and Forstner bits you will also be more likely to adjust speeds. Mostly wood or metal and 1/4-1/2" drill bits I doubt many bother to change speeds.

Also +1 on the multiple drill presses. Metal I tend to drill on my mill saving my drill press for wood. I've got a small high speed drill press for the really small bits.

 

[no704]

I have 2. Bridgeports so the DP seldom sees any use. I usually keep a 4” wire wheel in it in high speed. Last use was a 6” hole saw into plywood so that got the lowest speed.

 

[niget2002]

Rarely. The middle speed works well for almost everything I do.

I change it even less since getting the mill as all my metal work is done on it now and it has variable speed.

 

[couch67]

I converted my DP600 to use a 3 phase motor and VFD, and change the speed for every situation. Before that, I would be lazy and keep it at a low speed for pretty much everything.

 

[jives]

Rarely. Most of my DP work is now metal, and most woodwork drilling is sufficient with a cordless drill. If I have a large woodworking project, or one with more precision needs, I'll change the belt pulleys.

 

[JuncleJohn]

If you want to get the longest life from your drill bits (especially when drilling metal) you should change speeds accordingly. I believe my drill press has 10 or 12 speeds From 80 rpm to around 2500.

Get yourself a drill chart to provide you a good reference for the best results.

John

 

[MongoTA]

I started with a drill press I got from my father. Probably bought at Spag's in Massachusetts, if anyone from that area remembers that place. Best place to shop. Anyhow, it's probably the equivalent of a typical Harbor Freight entry level drill press. Stepped pulleys. I used to change speeds, one for drilling wood, another for hole saws, even slower for metal. Not hard to do, but yeah a bit of an invconvenience. But if drilling metal, a slower speed helps so you don't overheat and smoke the drill.

Several years ago I picked up an old school Delta Rockwell 17-600, 3-phase. Put a VFD on it and as others mentioned already, a VFD is a dream on a multi-use drill press. I use that almost exclusively for metal these days, but still change speed especially for large drills.

A couple years ago I picked up a small benchtop Delta old school drill press. Step pulleys, I use that for metal but only with small drills, less than 1/4" or so, and because of that I set the belts and leave it there.

Big thing? Metal. If you're drilling metal, watch your rpm. Drill wood at an undesireable speed you might get tearout or smoke the hole, burning the wood. Drill metal at an undesireable speed and you can overheat or even fracture the drill. "Drill" meaning the "bit", not the machine itself.

So the clear answer? You need several drill presses!

 

[drmarkr]

Big thing? Metal. If you're drilling metal, watch your rpm. Drill wood at an undesireable speed you might get tearout or smoke the hole, burning the wood. Drill metal at an undesireable speed and you can overheat or even fracture the drill. "Drill" meaning the "bit", not the machine itself.

So the clear answer? You need several drill presses!

Proper terminology. I like it...

 

[RoninB4]

-Drill speed does depend on size and material. For wood I slow down when I notice scorch marks. For metal there's a couple of visual clues for when you don't have a speed indicator. Spindle speed should be fast enough to just barely make the twist drill flutes start to disappear. The final clue is always what color the chip is, especially if you don't know for certain what type of metal it is. Plain carbon steel can be cut at higher RPM than tool steel or stainless steel. The chips/curls should come out silver, if they're turning yellow you need to slow down or you'll burn your cutter. If the chips are turning blue your spindle speed is way too fast. Running too slow puts excessive pressure on the twist drill and risks breakage. It's what I do when I don't feel like calculating cutting speeds. Chip coloration works for drills, milling, or lathe operations. I change the belt/pulley settings in my Bridgeport for each operation. Hope this helps someone.

 

[mikegt4]

If you want to get the longest life from your drill bits (especially when drilling metal) you should change speeds accordingly. I believe my drill press has 10 or 12 speeds From 80 rpm to around 2500.

Get yourself a drill chart to provide you a good reference for the best results.

John

^^^ This It makes a big difference both in the quality of the hole and the life of the drill bit if one uses the correct drill speed range. The rpm recommendation is different depending on the material and hole size. It doesn't have to be exact but if your DP changes speeds easily it's worth the effort. The lost time will be made up by not having to sharpen your drill bits as often. They are easy to find, just Google "drill speed chart".

 

[PoorUB]

I have a Powermatic 1200 with variable speed pulleys, just turn a big knob to change speeds, plus it has a 3 phase motor running off a VFD. All kinds of speed adjustment, and I change speeds every time I use it.

 

[drmarkr]

I have a Powermatic 1200 with variable speed pulleys, just turn a big knob to change speeds, plus it has a 3 phase motor running off s VFD. All kinds of speed adjustment, and I change speeds every time I use it.

Core!! A real GJ member, lol!!

 

[My Old Tools]

3 phase with a VFD on an older Delta 17 inch DP600 Very handy...

 

[Mike65]

I think I changed the speed on my current drill press once; my last one I never changed the speed.

 

[matt_i]

Yes, it's fast with the geared head. Different speeds needed for 1/8" pilot holes vs 1-1/4" thru holes...

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I started with a drill press I got from my father. Probably bought at Spag's in Massachusetts, if anyone from that area remembers that place. Best place to shop. Anyhow, it's probably the equivalent of a typical Harbor Freight entry level drill press. Stepped pulleys. I used to change speeds, one for drilling wood, another for hole saws, even slower for metal. Not hard to do, but yeah a bit of an invconvenience. But if drilling metal, a slower speed helps so you don't overheat and smoke the drill.

Several years ago I picked up an old school Delta Rockwell 17-600, 3-phase. Put a VFD on it and as others mentioned already, a VFD is a dream on a multi-use drill press. I use that almost exclusively for metal these days, but still change speed especially for large drills.

A couple years ago I picked up a small benchtop Delta old school drill press. Step pulleys, I use that for metal but only with small drills, less than 1/4" or so, and because of that I set the belts and leave it there.

Big thing? Metal. If you're drilling metal, watch your rpm. Drill wood at an undesireable speed you might get tearout or smoke the hole, burning the wood. Drill metal at an undesireable speed and you can overheat or even fracture the drill. "Drill" meaning the "bit", not the machine itself.

So the clear answer? You need several drill presses!

This is why I love the GJ forum! Where else can you find mention of Spag’s in a thread related to drill press speeds? I grew up in western MA and my father loved the place. I went to college in Worcester and was surprised at how many of my fellow students loved going there too.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

I converted my Wilton drill press to DC, Dayton 2M169 3/4 hp pmdc motor and a KBMG-212 DC drive. I frequently change the speed, it’s just a twist of the pot. I use it for drilling soft wood to hard steel. It’s an easy upgrade.

I did the same thing, I left the step pulleys on still and found a good happy medium with the belt. I change speed all time time. I do find it’s either all the way down or all the way up. BCD.

I converted my Wilton drill press to DC, Dayton 2M169 3/4 hp pmdc motor and a KBMG-212 DC drive. I frequently change the speed, it’s just a twist of the pot. I use it for drilling soft wood to hard steel. It’s an easy upgrade.

 

[WisJim]

I only have 2 drill presses any more, and I change speeds often, because I might be drilling 1/8 holes in steel and next drill 3" holes in pine with a hole saw, or almost anything in between, and the hole sizes and materials do need significantly different speeds. If I had more room, though, I'd have more drill presses. I also use my mill-drill for larger holes in metal, and speeds on it are easily change. I do have a speed chart near each of the machines so I can see what speeds are recommended for the material and hole size.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I have two powermatic 1150s & one 1200, all vs & typically change speed as needed. The reeves drives are easy to change speed on as you're drilling with plenty of low speed power.

 

[HARDBITS]

A variable speed drill press is essential if drilling different metals.
Check out drill bit speed charts before drilling or if unsure drill slow and only increase speed if you feel you can. Speed and pressure are the enemy of drilling metals as it quickly increases temperature and can damage bits. Always use a good lube also.

 

[gorilla]

My drill press has a DC motor and speed controller so I change speed every time I use it. I think that would rather change belts than sharpen burned up drills.

 

[cmandp]

I have a WEN 12" variable speed drill press at home. I use it for wood, metal plastic so I change speeds all the time as needed. I would change belt speeds on the 4 speed drill press my Dad had or even our old step pully Bridgeport at work.

One speed doesn't work for all materials or sizes of hole.

 

[nadogail]

My Drill press has three step pulleys on the motor, idler and spindle. it is a Taiwan Special I bought in 1978.

 

[Mike65]

I bought a Delta benchtop drill press about 1 year ago. It has 3 step pulleys & I think I changed the speed once in that time.

 

[rharman]

Change speed all the time depending on material and bit size.

Mine is a Craftsman from the 1970's with the multi-step pulley. 8-10 speeds? Don't recall off hand.

edit 3/5/26 - 8 speeds.

 

[Uncle murph]

How many of you who have a multi-speed drill press use more than one speed?

Mine is just a simple 4 step pulley type but I don't remember ever using anything but the slowest speed in nearly 50 years. maybe I have but I don't remember.

If you’re using a 5/8th or 3/4” bit in steel,trust me,you’ll be slowing it down.

 

[Pen & Wrench]

I have a Jet 20 inch drill press and I change the speeds all the time, depending on if I'm drilling a 5/8 inch hole in quarter inch steel, or maybe a small hole in wood, it has to do all my metal work and wood work. I had a small 5 speed drill press for many years that did pretty well on wood, but would not drill deep enough for my pen making, and wouldn't go slow enough to drill steel. I really like being able to change the speed for the particular application.

 

[lund]

Drill speed depends on what you drill (metal, wood, etc), the size/diameter of the bit, and how fast you want to go. With small bits typically want higher speed or be very patient (go slow and do not jostle) to avoid breakage.

I have an old Walker-Turner drill press that is a beast, but also a royal pain to change belt positions to adjust speed. So I bought a VFD and 3 phase motor that I use on it for electronic speed control. That helps. BUT it is not perfect. You lose some power if you drop frequency a lot for lower speeds as you would with a big bit where you want power. I tend to leave it on a mid-belt rang and adjust down using the VFD. DC motors with speed control may be a bit more flexible. Old continuously adjustable belt systems are probably not so bad for drill press use.