Drill Press--benchtop vs floor

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

What are the advantages of having a floor model drill press versus a bench top for the average woodworker? Thanks L

[Logan William]

Bench top will likely take up less floor space as its probably going on an existing cabinet or it'll get its own with storage underneath. However for saving floorspace(and likely money in purchase price) you're going to likely give up capacity(in both throat and quill stroke) as well as convenience in speed changes as most bench tops that I'm familiar with have stepped pulleys for speed changes, not an easier(and more expensive) variable pitch setup with a knob or lever to twist/pull to adjust speeds.

[John McClanahan]

I have a benchtop Delta with variable speed. I like it a lot. Its mounted to a small cabinet with drawers to store all the stuff used with the drill press and hand drills. After 7 or 8 years, I have never needed more height capacity, and am glad for the storage since I have a small shop.

John

[Russ Filtz]

you're going to likely give up capacity(in both throat and quill stroke) as well as convenience in speed changes as most bench tops that I'm familiar with have stepped pulleys for speed changes, not an easier(and more expensive) variable pitch setup with a knob or lever to twist/pull to adjust speeds.

My floor model has stepped pulleys.

[greg a bender]

My floor model has stepped pulleys.

My early 80's no-name floor model has stepped pullys too. But it does have a 6" stroke.

[Myk Rian]

I had a Delta DP350 VS benchtop, and always wanted more height.
Found and restored a Delta DP220, then sold the benchtop.
I had the benchtop on a stand, but the floor model takes up less room.

[Russ Filtz]

My early 80's no-name floor model has stepped pullys too. But it does have a 6" stroke.

Looks like only 4-3/8 on the scale. Never measured the actual full stroke.

[Bill Huber]

I have a floor model, at the time, it was on clearance on the floor at Sears and I needed a drill press so I bought it. This was in 1974 so it is an older one but its a good one.

If I had the chance to trade it for a new bench top I wouldn't do it. I don't use the table lowered a lot but when I do there is nothing else that will work.

With a bench top you have about 12" between the table and the chuck, but you put a forsner bit on it, I have some that are like 3 1/2", you are down to 8 1/2 inches.

With a floor model you can always build a cabinet under it that rolls out when you need to lower the table.

Bottom line is if you have the space and the money then go with the floor model,

[glenn bradley]

I started with a benchtop model but soon found the depth of throat a restriction and sold it. Like Myk, I have an old Delta/Milwaukee DP220 that grandpa bought new. At 14" it is great for many tasks. I also have a 17" floor model which meets nearly all my other requirements.

[steven c newman]

I have always had a benchtop. Small shop. My benchtop sits beside my benchtop bandsaw. Why??? Each will help the other when I need a longer surface to place stock on. With the DP's table height matched to the bandsaw's table, I can bandsaw long items. The same goes for drilling a series of holes in a long piece. Mine is a five speed, stepped pulley one.

One of my older DP's was a Monkey-ward's benchtop. If I needed to drill a long item (like into the end of a leg) the bench it sat on was notched to match the 'foot-print" of the DP. Long item could then even sit on the floor if needed.

[Neal Wells]

I have three drill presses, 2 floor models and one tabletop. The biggest advantage to the floor models is that I often drill in the end of stock and that would be impossible with the tabletop. Also, with a tilting table for drilling angled holes, the distance between the work and the quill drops dramatically with much angle. That said, for 90% of my work (wood and metal), the bench top model works just fine.

[mreza Salav]

I had a bench top. In a project (building a bed that is documented here) I needed extra height (and quilt travel). I since then have upgraded to a floor model. Won't go back to a bench top even though most of the time I don't need the maximum capacity of it (but when you need it it's hard not to have it).

[Steve Griffin]

I have a benchtop Delta with variable speed. I like it a lot. Its mounted to a small cabinet with drawers to store all the stuff used with the drill press and hand drills. After 7 or 8 years, I have never needed more height capacity, and am glad for the storage since I have a small shop.

John

Funny, I could have posted this same exact thing. 11 years of running my small shop building cabinets and furniture, and I can't think of single time I need more "throw" or "throat" or whatever.... Hmmm, maybe ignorance is bliss!

-Steve

[Jay Allen]

I have a floor model Delta much like the others here. It has been in my family longer than I have...and at age 47 that's saying something. It is far more "solid" than the bench top unit that I use at work, plus the benefit of drilling into the end of longer stock and the longer quill stroke.
I was told at one time that the first two digits of the serial number where the year of manifacture? Which makes mine a '57.
I suppose that if I had to drill into the end of something really long, I could lift it up onto the ShopSmith and do it horzontally.

[Bob Aquino]

I have a floor model Delta much like the others here. It has been in my family longer than I have...and at age 47 that's saying something. It is far more "solid" than the bench top unit that I use at work, plus the benefit of drilling into the end of longer stock and the longer quill stroke.
I was told at one time that the first two digits of the serial number where the year of manifacture? Which makes mine a '57.
I suppose that if I had to drill into the end of something really long, I could lift it up onto the ShopSmith and do it horzontally.

Your press is actually 10 years older than that, its a 1947. Here is the list out of the OWWM wiki for delta serial nos:

Year From - To
1941 13-0000 - 15-0000
1942 16-0000 - 21-6500
1943 21-6501 - 26-6900
1944 26-6901 - 33-6900
1945 33-6901 - 40-6600
1946 40-6601 - 49-5000
1947 49-5001 - 60-6000
1948 60-6001 - 74-6000
1949 74-6001 - 82-5500
1950 82-5501 - 91-5950
1951 91-5951 - 100-7044
1952 100-7045 - 105-4004