I have a VFD on my drill press, so the foot switch doesn't carry motor
current and is just some old thing that I found at the dump. One thing
about it is that it is a rocker switch that closes different contacts by
stepping on the right side or the left side. So I have forward &
reverse. Reverse does get used, but seldom.

I use the foot switch when I want to be able to turn the drill press off
quickly, without moving my hand from the feed lever. Since I pretty
much never clamp the work, my other hand is busy holding it.

I power tap in the drill press & always use the foot switch for that.
Right hand brings the tap down to the hole with left hand holding. Foot
switch starts, stops, and backs up the tap.

Bob