Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press. Therefore, I am asking for input
on what I should look for...but two specific questions...what is a
minimum HP rating I should get and what is a "swing"?

Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Thank you for your help

Hi SBH,

Drill press criteria:

- Spindle runout
- Table flatness
- Ability of the table to be squared up to the spindle
- type of drill chuck/spindle interface (morse taper or screw-on, taper
is best if it's done right)
- quality of the chuck (does it operate smoothly, is it a name brand
(Jacobs, Albrecht, etc.))

I have a video demonstrating how to measure/check these things:

http://www.ts-aligner.com/videos.htm

If you can do all the tests and are satisfied with the results, then
the brand (HF or otherwise) isn't going to matter much. That said,
I've never seen a HF drill press that would satisfy me with the results
of these tests. But, I have seen a number of "made in China" machines
with unexpectedly amazing accuracy.

Minimum HP is going to depend on the sort of work you want to do. I
would get one with no less than 1 HP. "Swing" is twice the distance
between the center of the spindle and the front of the column. It's
the largest width that you can drill a hole in the center of.

Hope it helps! Let me know if you have any other questions or need
some help.

Ed Bennett

http://www.ts-aligner.com

SBH wrote:
Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press. Therefore, I am asking for input
on what I should look for...but two specific questions...what is a
minimum HP rating I should get and what is a "swing"?

Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Thank you for your help

SBH wrote:
Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press. Therefore, I am asking for input
on what I should look for...but two specific questions...what is a
minimum HP rating I should get and what is a "swing"?

Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Besides Ed's list...

Quality motor/pulleys
Number speeds, ease of changing, quality of belt tensioner
Depth stop (many cheapies have gauge but not actual stop)
Quill travel
Size/shape of table (for w/w'ing in particular, square and larger are
significant advantages)

Sizes and hp are dependent on what you intend to do of which you give
not even a hint. In general, bigger is better and for w'w'ing I
frankly would really far prefer a variable speed.

Never heard of Sunes so absolutely no clue. Delta and HF don't belong
in same room together as comparison, so don't have a clue what you're
_really_ after. If you're thinking of buying historical Delta quality
at HF price, doesn't work that way. As Ed says, some imports are
pretty decent, but best look at somebody like Grizzly if that's the
game...

"dpb" wrote in message
ps.com...

In general, bigger is better and for w'w'ing I
frankly would really far prefer a variable speed.

For what? Generally, the harder the material, the more critical the speed.
Wood is so soft that speed makes little difference as long as it's not to
high. Mine stays at 500 RPM 95% of the time.

I'm probably going to get this one for myself:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G7944

It's heavy-duty, has a larger motor than other floor models (unless you
spend much more money), has a nice speed range, and a good price.

Mike

I've had (the equivalent of) a "Harbor Freight Chinese" 5/8" Chuck Table
Mount Drill Press for nigh on thirty years. I replaced a quill bearing the
first year and haven't done a thing to it since. One of the collars holding
the "rack?" has been cracked for years without so seriously affecting my use
as to warrant even the investigation of a "fix."

When I found a deal on a DELATA Mortising attachment at Lowes a few years
back - it fit and worked fine.

No idea of the "quill travel." And, though it does appear to have a "stop,"
I have yet to figure it out/use it.

The tables on most of the drill presses under two-fifty are the small round
variety from my shopping experience.

I would suspect a replacement could be constructed to allow swapping out the
round steel table for the home made replacement. Mine employs a round tube
protruding at the bottom into a collar that allows it to swivel 360. I've
though I could use some standard pipe fittings to mount a "wood working
table" while retaining the functionality of the original (swiveling).

Never having owned a "precision drill press," I may not know what I've been
missing - but so might hose folks who assume price equates to quality /
serviceability and regularly pass up the opportunity to own a fine specimen
of Chinese Prisoner Labor.

Full disclosure demands I add that I have HF's close by and fear not the
added shipping costs a Grizzly decision would incur.






"SBH" wrote in message
ups.com...
Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press. Therefore, I am asking for input
on what I should look for...but two specific questions...what is a
minimum HP rating I should get and what is a "swing"?

Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Thank you for your help

Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Thank you for your help


For the price I don't see any risk in Harbor Freight equipment if you
purchase selectively. They do have a two year extended warranty. From HE, I
have the rotary hammer, jack hammer, concrete vibrator, 6-1/2hp
plate compactor, close quarters drill, 1/2" right angle drill, portable band
saw, electric chain saw sharpener, mortiser, hydraulic pipe bender,
hydraulic equipment kit and some hand tools. I have not broken a HF tool yet
but I have broken a B&D cordless drill (****ty drill, only lasted a few
hours) and commercial grade B&D worm drive circular saw (great saw taken
much abuse, almost indestructible much like the Skill 77), broken a
Craftsman corded drill within 5 minutes of use (what a Crapsman POS) and
even broken top-of-the-line Panasonic cordless (great drill but pricey).

I don't have a HF DP but I do have two 3/4hp, 5/8" chuck floor standing DP
from China properly much like the ones in HF. Don't need another DP but just
couldn't refuse - new in the box two floor standing "heavy duty commercial
duty" 3/4hp DPs for under $150! Ok for my needs as I'm just a repair kind of
guy and not a real woodworker so + or - 1/32" tolerance on my woodworking
projects would be just fine.

CW wrote:
"dpb" wrote in message
ps.com...

In general, bigger is better and for w'w'ing I
frankly would really far prefer a variable speed.

For what? ...

I use mine as an overhead pin router and other operations amongst other
things...
It's a feature I like although certainly one can get by without...

"SBH" wrote in news:1166806948.156806.307070@
73g2000cwn.googlegroups.com:

Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press. Therefore, I am asking for input
on what I should look for...but two specific questions...what is a
minimum HP rating I should get and what is a "swing"?

*snip*

One important thing I was looking for in my quest for a drill press was
how far the drill press allowed me to sink a bit into the wood. Most of
the inexpensive ones give you 2", but I wanted another inch or more
because many of my bits (just standard bits) are longer than 2". You
never know when you need to drill through a 2x4 and 3/4" of plywood.
(Somewhere around 2 1/2" max.)

Puckdropper


--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press.

A couple comments - I have a really old (40-50yrs?) Atlas DP, which is
actually a benchtop model, but it's built like a tank. So first, I'd
recommend looking around for a used one. All I did when I inherited it
a year or so ago (other than a thorough surface cleaning) was to
replace the drive belt with a LinkBelt.
As far as what to look for, I wouldn't worry about HP ratings -
anything in the large floor-standing style should have sufficient power
for drilling wood. I wouldn't worry about the table style - I added a
larger woodworking table on top of the little metal one - some t-tracks
and easier clamping ability at the edges make it work a lot better than
the std ones. If you don't want to make a table (melamine-coated MDF
worked for me), there are a few commercial versions
(mlcswoodworking.com, rockler.com) available.
I'd say quill travel would be one of my first considerations if I were
buying a new machine (assuming runout was minimal). Mine has about
4.5" of quill travel, and at times I would have used more if it were
available.
I have heard good things about the HF floor-standing models, but
haven't used one. See if you can turn one on in the shop and possibly
measure quill runout.
Good luck, and have fun with your new DP - mine is one of my most
frequently-used tools in the shop.
Andy

SBH wrote:
n
Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Thank you for your help

Whatever you do ... don't try to undercut HF's price! I bought an even
cheaper model from ACE hardware and it's worth every penny I paid for it
.... and I paid about 1/2 of what I should have.

One thing I don't think was mentioned is quill travel ... this controls
the deepest hole you can drill. The more the merrier. IIRC, the Steel
Cities DP seems to have good numbers in several regards.

As concerns the table size ... you're doing woodworking, right? Build a
larger table yourself! Shop Notes has a pretty nice one that I built
(altering dimensions to suit my purposes and available stock) that
consists of a table atop a box. The box bolts to the existing table and
has a channel for a shop vac port. This leads to a removable plate that
allows you to get really great control of dust and chips. Their design
also allows for a sliding fence / stop for easier repeat drilling.

This is one of the few 'shop-builts' I've made that gets frequent use
and every time I uuse it, I'm glad I built it.

Bill


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"Bill in Detroit" wrote in message
...

One thing I don't think was mentioned is quill travel ... this controls
the deepest hole you can drill. The more the merrier.

Mentioned again and again.

"See if you can turn one on in the shop"

I have been VERY PLEASED with HF returns policy. I ran over my pressure
washer hose and was treated to a replacement out of their returns bin at no
charge.

I've returned battery chargers and electric meters with and w/o my receipt
in hand (swap out for another) in FL and NC without a hassle. I bought the
angle drill and was told I could return it if it was not up to snuff (for
drilling 1+" holes in dozens of floor joists to run conduit and pipe.

If you have a store local and they do not have the unit setup and powered,
ask them if you can take it home, assemble it, test it and return it
(assembled) with the packaging for full credit before the purchase.

I suspect they will agree to those terms.


wrote in message
ups.com...
Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press.

A couple comments - I have a really old (40-50yrs?) Atlas DP, which is
actually a benchtop model, but it's built like a tank. So first, I'd
recommend looking around for a used one. All I did when I inherited it
a year or so ago (other than a thorough surface cleaning) was to
replace the drive belt with a LinkBelt.
As far as what to look for, I wouldn't worry about HP ratings -
anything in the large floor-standing style should have sufficient power
for drilling wood. I wouldn't worry about the table style - I added a
larger woodworking table on top of the little metal one - some t-tracks
and easier clamping ability at the edges make it work a lot better than
the std ones. If you don't want to make a table (melamine-coated MDF
worked for me), there are a few commercial versions
(mlcswoodworking.com, rockler.com) available.
I'd say quill travel would be one of my first considerations if I were
buying a new machine (assuming runout was minimal). Mine has about
4.5" of quill travel, and at times I would have used more if it were
available.
I have heard good things about the HF floor-standing models, but
haven't used one. See if you can turn one on in the shop and possibly
measure quill runout.
Good luck, and have fun with your new DP - mine is one of my most
frequently-used tools in the shop.
Andy

"CW" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Bill in Detroit" wrote in message
...

One thing I don't think was mentioned is quill travel ... this controls
the deepest hole you can drill. The more the merrier.

Mentioned again and again.


I buy my acid brushes (you know, those little brushes with metal handles)
from Harbor Freight. I would never consider buying anything with moving
parts from them.

gw

"Gwidman" wrote in message
...


I buy my acid brushes (you know, those little brushes with metal handles)
from Harbor Freight. I would never consider buying anything with moving
parts from them.


That's a shame. Some of their electric tools and air tools are worth
buying. Not all of them, but that's pretty well known. Not buying anything
past the likes of acid brushes leaves you out of quite a few other good
deals at HF. Of course... it also save you from quite a few frustrating
junk purchases.

--

-Mike-

Just ordered this one for myself...Merry Christmas to me.

http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=136&p=6127

3 7/8" quill travel...

Puckdropper wrote:


One important thing I was looking for in my quest for a drill press was
how far the drill press allowed me to sink a bit into the wood. Most of
the inexpensive ones give you 2", but I wanted another inch or more
because many of my bits (just standard bits) are longer than 2". You
never know when you need to drill through a 2x4 and 3/4" of plywood.
(Somewhere around 2 1/2" max.)

Puckdropper

I bought a Delta 16 1/2" model 17-950L and am very happy with it. 12
speed settings (goes as low as 250 RPM, great to keep forstner's from
burning up), it's already set with t-slots on the table so you don't
have to make a replacement one, and it has adjustable laser crosshairs
to help line up your bit. I think it could probably stand to have more
power but it has worked well for all the tasks I've put it through. I
bought mine through Lowes using a 10% discount coupon, which knocked it
down to about $350 US.

Some specs:

Speed Range
· 250-3000
Quill Travel
· 3-7/8"
Step Pulley or Variable Speed
· Step Pulley
Motor
· 1/2 HP, 120V, single phase, 60 Hz., 1720 RPM
Spindle Speeds
· 12 (250, 360, 410, 540, 590, 650, 1090, 1280, 1450, 1820, 2180 and
3000 RPM) Table
· Tilting table with C-clamp edge and diagonal slots
· Size: 14" x 18"
Quill Diameter
· 2"
Capacity
· Key Chuck: 5/8"
· Max dia. hole in steel: 5/8"
· Max dia. hole in cast-iron: 5/8"
Overall Dimensions
· Height: 66"
· Width: 12-3/4"
· Depth: 25-1/4"
· Weight: 194 lbs.


SBH wrote:
Since becoming more involved with woodworking, I find the need to
upgrade from my table top drill press to a floor model. Upon doing some
minor research, I lack a bit of knowledge as to what main ingredients
do I need to for a decent drill press. Therefore, I am asking for input
on what I should look for...but two specific questions...what is a
minimum HP rating I should get and what is a "swing"?

Also any input on Harbor Freight presses (yes, I know some HF products
are risky while others have made it for years), Delta presses and a
Sunex brand I am curently viewing.

Thank you for your help

Pat Barber wrote in
:

Just ordered this one for myself...Merry Christmas to me.

http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=136&p=6127

3 7/8" quill travel...



I got one that does 3" for Christmas. I guess if I run out of 3" I'll
have to use a hand held drill.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm