Help - Buying a New Drill Press
Hey everybody,
I need a little help figuring out which drill press to buy. I do hobby/semi pro work in my garage. I am looking to spend about $600-$800. I work with a lot of burl, exotic hardwood, and other dense unpleasant to mill woods.
I want a drill press with 1. 5" - 6" spindle travel, 2. power, 3. large table (preferably with mdf insert).
Right now, I am deciding between the following models.
Jet 17" DP (JDP-17) ($740) - 5" quill travel, 3/4 hp, large table with replaceable mdf insert
NEW - Rikon 17" DP (30-236) ($750) - 6" quill travel 1.5 hp, smaller table with what looks like no insert
Grizzly 20" DP - (G7948) ($670 w/ freight) - 4 3/4" quill travel, 1.5 HP, large table with no insert
If anyone else knows of any other good drill presses with long quill travel and large tables, I'm all ears.
I have a couple of questions besides feedback regarding pros/cons of each model:
1. If the table only has a certain size hole, do I have to make some sort of jig to drill large holes? (i.e. drilling a 2" or 3" hole with forstner bit?)
2. Will 3/4 HP be powerful enough to drill large holes through exotic hardwoods? I don't do much with metal, so that's a minimal concern.
3. Does anyone have any experience with the new Rikon? It seems pretty great with the 6" quill travel, but I don't like the smaller table and haven't been able to track down any reviews.
4. What fence (with dust port) works best with a larger drill press?
Again, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. My garage is starting to come together nicely, and it's great to have a resource like this when it's tough to track down reviews.
John Akerblom