Need help with checking out old drill presses off of CL.

[mroneeyedboh]

So Im interested in old drill presses now. There is an old Craftsman drill press model: 103.23130 that Im going to look at. Looks to be in good condition, but is there anything I should check before taking possession of it? Anything with the chuck? ( I know I can replace it ) what about the bed/deck ( not sure what its called )

Also I see many vintage table top units, but what about floor standing ones? Whats the differences between the obvious ones, as in drill depth and things that you can drill into? Are the table tops good enough for home use? I use floor standing ones at work, and honestly never put much into the thought of what Ive drilled into vs. what I couldn't drill into. Basically, all in all are the table tops enough for most things at home? I think the craftsman is only 4" depth.

Any help here is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Richard Cranium]

start it up and listen to it for bearing noise, Watch the chuck for movement from bad shaft bearings.

 

[Bill Ramsey]

Look for broken castings, particularly the motor mount.

 

[tool_scrounge]

So Im interested in old drill presses now. There is an old Craftsman drill press model: 103.23130 that Im going to look at. Looks to be in good condition, but is there anything I should check before taking possession of it? Anything with the chuck? ( I know I can replace it ) what about the bed/deck ( not sure what its called )

Also I see many vintage table top units, but what about floor standing ones? Whats the differences between the obvious ones, as in drill depth and things that you can drill into? Are the table tops good enough for home use? I use floor standing ones at work, and honestly never put much into the thought of what Ive drilled into vs. what I couldn't drill into. Basically, all in all are the table tops enough for most things at home? I think the craftsman is only 4" depth.

Any help here is appreciated. Thanks!

Bench top 100/150 series has a smaller base and a shorter post. Otherwise the same as far as I know.

 

[Roberts210]

Extend the spindle all the way down, grab the chuck and see if you can wiggle the chuck back and forth. If so the bearings are bad.

 

[CalsXS2]

Even if the bearings are bad, they are easily changed. And you can use that for negotiation.