Jet vs. Steel City vs. Delta drill press
I'm looking at new drill presses. The jet JDP-17DX is on sale right now and looks to be a good buy. I like the quill travel on the Steel City but it is more expensive and the Delta is a little more than the SC. Any experience with these drill presses? Thanks for any help.
Bill
I have the SC and really like it
What I like about the SC:
6" travel
Depth stop is super easy to adjust
No slop in quill, plus it has a split head to adjust if needed.
What is not so great:
Belt cover is flimsy
Work light falls down without additional support
A few speed combinations are hard to adjust because the belts are too tight. SC now has a variable speed version available for around $600 that would be worth considering.
Bottom line:
The mechanical parts that matter are well made on the SC. The things that are not so great are mostly cosmetic.
The Jet has a similar 3/4 HP motor with a slightly larger table. If I was buying a DP today, it would be a tie between the Jet on sale and the variable speed SC. Without the sale, I would buy the SC.
Steve