Need drill press, have no money - how small & cheap is TOO small & cheap?

[sac02]

I'm in need - though not URGENT need - of a drill press.

Floor space is virtually non-existent, the budget is super-tight, and I've survived this far without a giant drill press, so I'm looking at very small bench-top models, like 8".

I would not be using this for precision machine work, it would instead be used to drill the occasional hole in the occasional bracket to make my life easier as an alternative to my bench vise and hand drill.

There's one or two on craigslist for $50, and there is always the Harbor Freight option (also around $50 after coupon) for the small 8" size drill presses.

Are these small and cheap units functional drill presses that can get me by and make my life easier (remember, the other option is a bench vise and hand drill), until I get more floor space/money?

Or do they tend to be utter disappointments and wastes of money?

 

[steelespeed]

My post might not help you much, but I can comment as someone who is often short on floor/garage space and/or cash.

I was in a similar situation with a bandsaw. I bought something small enough to fulfill my space/work needs but quickly outgrew the machine. It worked fine for many things, but left me wanting more (and larger projects ended up falling through). I sold the saw and started looking for something a bit larger.

My recommendation is to estimate your greatest need for the machine, then possibly go up one size. Or, go all out and plan for the worst and buy the biggest! Smaller machines force you to be creative in your work, but there are some things that just can't be done with inferior equipment.

For example, the physical size of the 8" isn't much smaller than the 10", which in turn isn't much smaller than the 13". In that case, if I could swing the cash I would go 13", but settle for 10" if the price was an issue.

 

[Kay_poops]

I have the lower priced Harbor Freight bench top drill press and have had good luck with it. Granted it has its limitations, but for drilling smaller holes in wood and in soft metal it's nice to have around. One thing the lady at the counter did ask when I bought it was that if I was planning on using it in an unheated cold garage. I guess that when the belt gets really cold it has a tendency to slip. I have mine in the basement utility room so it hasn't been an issue for me.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I think it depends upon your expectations.

I bought an inexpensive Craftsman bench top drill press about 20 years ago and still use it to this day. It isn't as precise as our big floor model at work, but it is very much better than a hand drill.

I get very acceptable results. A couple of recommendations if you go the cheap bench top model route:

1. Clamp the press down to a work bench so it isn't walking all over the place while you try to use it.

2. An inexpensive vise is a very handy addition to hold your workpiece in place. Don't try to hold it with your hand. Even a cheap drill press will put a hurting on you when the work piece slips in your hand.

3. Get a spring loaded punch to mark the exact centers of each hole you want to drill. It takes about 2 seconds per hole and increases the hole location accuracy by a factor of 10, IMHO.

Good luck!

Phil

 

[ecotec]

I found mine at an estate sale for $70ish. If you are in an industrial area, where it is easy to find tools at estate sales, I would look at estate sales first.

View media item 40576
Is it any better than Harbor Freight? Well, maybe not. But it has a lot of mid-century character.

 

[CV90]

I found mine at an estate sale for $70ish. If you are in an industrial area, where it is easy to find tools at estate sales, I would look at estate sales first.

View media item 40576
Is it any better than Harbor Freight? Well, maybe not. But it has a lot of mid-century character.

Very cool! But the top part looks suspiciously like a giant **** plug

 

[Zeke]

Very cool! But the top part looks suspiciously like a giant **** plug

That's one **** plug you can be proud of.

Lots of tools FS on CL and they don't sell that fast. Scroll down to some older ads with ph nos. and call them. If they are close go over and throw out a low price. Sometimes if you're genuinely interested and polite they will sell at a very good price just to not have to deal with the flakes and email low ballers.

 

[ecotec]

I always thought it looked like a giant squid, but to each their own.

I like that it was made in Michigan.

 

[ryolse]

I bought one of the Harbor Freight 8" 5 Speed Bench Drill Press in hopes of using it to drill some 1.5" notches through 1.5" galvanized piping for a welding project and it kept stalling/getting stuck regardless of the speed and how slowly I tried drilling through it with 1.5" hole saw bits made for metal. It turned out to be my worse buy from there thus far and I haven't used it in the 9 months since then. It was a 1 time project which was why I went the HF route.

Before I bought that one I gave their Drill Guide a shot and had much better luck, but it tends to twist and didn't provide a smooth straight cut. I was also going through a lot more battery life with my Milwaukee M18 1/2 in. Drill.

 

[Parrothead]

Are these small and cheap units functional drill presses that can get me by and make my life easier (remember, the other option is a bench vise and hand drill), until I get more floor space/money?

Or do they tend to be utter disappointments and wastes of money?

I have a cheap Skil drill press and I haven't used it much, but what I have used it for, it's done well.

 

[kf4zht]

I bought one of the HF benchtop units in college when I was broke. As long as you respected the limits of the machine it was a decent unit. Ran smooth with little runout.

Never tried to run hole saws or larger than 1/2 bits in it. For making smaller holes, perpendicular and without breaking too many bits it worked fine. I would use it to drill 1/4 holes, then use a hole saw with a solid arbor on a hand drill. This let me center and ensure the hole was straight, but eliminate the power issues.

If you buy one check the runout on it. If it is too bad just return it and get a new one till you find a decent one. You can slow the speeds down by adding a jackshaft and pulley.

 

[Voi]

Are these small and cheap units functional drill presses that can get me by and make my life easier (remember, the other option is a bench vise and hand drill), until I get more floor space/money?

Or do they tend to be utter disappointments and wastes of money?

I bought a cheap import bench top machine and regretted it but did use it some. When I finally found an older USA made DP I traded it away and was very happy with the trade value I got for it.

I didn't read the entire thread but don't shy away from an old floor model if that's all you can find. There is a picture somewhere here on GJ where a guy lowered the head on a floor model DP and used it as a bench top unit. You'd have to have ceilings tall enough to accomplish this, of course.

And Jack Olsen took an old Rockwell floor model DP and shortened the column, thereby turning it into a bench top press.

 

[erty67]

definitely deals out there on craigslist. I just bought a like new 10" craftsman for $40. I like it.

 

[wild cowboy]

Interesting story - when Harbor Freight first came out with Inside Track club, about 21 years ago or so, they had their 8" drill press on a deal for inside track club members for $15

back then they also had FREE shipping, no matter the weight or size of the order, and nothing was excluded!

so I ordered 100 of the drill presses at $15 each shipped, and sold them one at a time for $55 out of the classified ads in the newspaper, right out of the house!

The UPS man was cussing me the day those came in - LOL

those were the days!

 

[srmofo]

What's your location. I have one for sale

 

[Pantsfall_McFixit]

I was in the same boat. Hand drills couldn't make a straight hole so I picked up a 10" Craftsman drill press. And it performs the function well, if not for a bit of chuck wobble. If getting a small drill press get the one that has the largest HP.

 

[nine4gmc]

I used the 8" HF model for years back in the day, it held up but was a constant struggle to drill 1/8" or thicker steel. If you can pick it up on sale and use the 20-25% off coupon, it may be a deal but if I were you I would check out the CL for used machines, along with garage and estate sales etc. There are a couple 12" Craftsman bench models on CL here for the $50 range.

 

[mrwhite29]

my dads a blacksmith and has used the 8'' harbor freight for several years with no issues

 

[rbjenterprises]

I bought one of the cheap bench top Harbor Freight drill presses. It is nowhere near a precision device however it will drill holes in small metal brackets and car and bike parts. I have gone as big as 3/8" in 3/16" steel plate. One absolute must do modification is to replace the chuck with a good one. You will double the cost of the drill press or more but the drill bits will actually twist and not spin in circles.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

just watch cl, deals show up if your not in a hurry. I bought my atlas for $80 from the original owner. it's in original untouched condition and works perfect.