Drill press needs...

[john davey]

I am in the market for a new drill press. I am just wondering what are the options/features in the newer units. My 50 year old Craftsman still runs and drills but adjustments are getting to be difficult. It seems to me the newer units can have some or all of :

Laser guided. Is this a gimmick or does it really work
Table crank. This is the number one complaint with my current unit. It is just becoming a pain to move the table up and down. I have waxed the hell out of it???
Variable speed. Well I know how to change a belt but I guess it would be nice. My guess is this is only on the premium units.
A true woodworkers table. Again. I built one for the old Craftsman so I am not sure if they are a necessity or not. If you have one is it superior to a home built.
I am not sure about size. My current one is a bench top but it seems to be much bigger than the bench top units I see for sale today. Do I need to go with a floor model to get the size I have now. I am guessing it is 15inch???

It also seems to me there are 3 classes of drill press out there.

The $89 ~ $150 from HF, the borgs and Grizzly. I am not interested in these....

The next grouping I guess goes up to about $250 ~ 500. It seems everyone Including the borgs and Griz has a few models in this price range. Some bench top and some floor standing models. I am planning on this being the last drill press I ever buy. I am guessing there are a few gems in this grouping but maybe I should just hold out for group 3 which is...

Floor models around 1K. Like the Powermatic PM 2800 or the Delta 18-900L. I am sure these are going to be the best of the bunch but If I really do not need say the laser and the VS is there a mid range model just as good minus those extras???

I am 48 years old and want to buy a good quality tool that will outlast me. I am not looking for a throw away which is why the first group is out for me.

I would use this for general woodworking. I honestly probably do not need a floor model and might keep the Craftsman or another old project Craftsman that was my Grandfathers and repair it for metal and sanding needs. So the new unit would be drilling out mortices, boring holes in 4/4 and 8/4 stock for the most part.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Scott T Smith]

John, I was in a similar place to you a while back. For years I had used a bench top model, and then had a larger Grizzly radial arm press. I finally ended up with the Delta 18-900L (after vascillating between it and the PM2800 for a year).

Without question, the Delta is a joy to use and an ideal drill press for woodworking. I use the laser and light on just about every hole; it is not a gimick; rather it is a real asset.

I've had some tools that were just "ok; the Delta drill press is absolutely fantastic.

[Mike Wilkins]

I would love to replace my older Rockwell 4 speed; the one without the rack and pinion table height adjustment. The Delta is at the top of the list, and many have praised its virtues. But I think Powermatic has just come out with a newer version of the PM2800. Variable speed with 6 inches of quill travel. I may be leaning in this direction, as I really hate the belt change dance to get at the desired speed.

[John Lifer]

Find a Powermatic 1150 VS model.... Or an ex industrial model with 3 phase motor and add a vfd for infinite speed adjustment. I don't really think laser is a reason to buy or not to buy a model, I can't think of a use that it would really save me time or effort doing. May be wrong as I haven't used one.....

[Myk Rian]

You might be better off restoring the one you have. Never will find anything comparable, for a decent price.
I've heard about more people knocking the lasers than praising them. Seems like a gimmick to me.

[Ira Matheny]

A few years ago, I purchased a Delta Variable speed drill press. Possibly a 17-968. I got it home, set it up and have never looked back. I absolutely love the 'Speed adjustment -on -the-fly feature.

[pat warner]

Just wanna poke holes in wood willy/nilly or locate precisely (<+ or -.005 centers) and drill immaculate holes all the time?
Some quick notes:
Laser: Yep, folly, except for rough work.
Crank table: A good deal if there are no table character compromises.
Best buys: Are prefessionally rebuilt medium to heavy wt. machines.
New Quality, precise drilling machines start at 2$K.
Floor or table: Matters not with respect to accuracy & precision but there are some functionality differences.
Key here is to know and understand your machine and be able to prove its drilling health.
Then it's home work, lots of it. I study drilling and fasteners for wood, plastic and aluminum everyday.
And I still don't know diddly.

[glenn bradley]

The good news is that if the laser works for you, run-out is probably not a problem for you. What I mean is that the beam is wider than my drilling needs will tolerate. Your price ranges may not serve you well. One maker currently offers a DP for around $600 that is superior to another maker's $1000+ offering. I would say Pat's estimate of new offerings in the $2K+ range could prove interesting. With a decent belt changing mechanism/method, variable speed is pure luxury, not necessity.

I would try some TLC on your machine first:
- Chuck if required
- After market or shop made table/fence
- A trailer wheel-jack to raise and lower your table
- Link belts may make speed changes easier as they climb off and on easier IME.

[Jeff Duncan]

My personal opinion is to buy a used press that meets your needs. I've been using 2 presses in my shop for years....a borrowed Craftsman from the late 70's early 80's I think, and a Powermatic 1150 that's much older. The Craftsman is actually my daily driver as it's smaller and just a bit easier to set up quickly. The Powermatic has the features that I need every so often though. It has a longer quill travel, a table that rotates, a larger chuck capacity, and the ability to quickly go through speed changes. Both get the job done and both are plenty accurate for my wood working tasks, but they're different ends of the spectrum as far as their new values. I personally couldn't stomach spending what it would cost to buy something like a Powermatic 1150 new, which is why almost all my equipment has been bought used.

just another opinion though....good luck,
JeffD

[Stew Hagerty]

I thought about going small but I ended up buying a Delta 17-950L and I've never looked back. I vassilated between a bench model and a floor model before taking the plunge and I am very happy that I bought the later. It really is so much easier when working on larger and longer items. I also didn't think the laser would be that big of a deal, but I find I use it for approximating setups before I dial it in. The best thing though is the big "We Had Woodworking in Mind When We Designed it" table! It is AMAZING. I know they have now upgraded this model to the 18-900L but I'm pretty sure you can still find some at outlets and such.

Delta 17-950L.jpg

[John C Bush]

I have a Sears 15" DP likely from the early 70's. I looked for a reasonable replacement a few yeards ago and couldn't find anything as heavy duty as the Sears for less than $800. I rebuilt it and added a trailer tongue jack to raise the table and couldn't be happier. I'd hang on to it and buy a big screen HDTV for the shop instead.

[Danny Burns]

I like the Delta 18-900L over the PM2800 because it has a slower low end speed, which is handy for large Forstner bits, and it has a full 6" of quill travel with just one rotation of the feed handles. Something to keep in mind.

[pat warner]

& appreciate, the longer the quill travel, the more likely your drill will squirm, scream and burn the walls of the hole.
6" travel in an industrial press is a welcome feature.
In a lesser machine, it's a means of losing accuracy.
How many x do you need a 6" deep hole? Easier to manage table ht. and multiple drilling tool changes? Yes, but at the expense of precision and accuracy.

[john davey]

OK, I have read through all of these posts and have a few questions. If I decide to keep my current press and add a trailer jack how well does this work? Can someone post a picture of this if it isn't to much trouble. Hey If I can keep mine I will as I am not made of $$$. 2K drill presses are out of my range. Honestly the 1K presses are as well but I would stretch to it if I had to. This will be a woodworking machine only and I think some of the tolerances spoken of here might be higher than I will need... I am a hobbiest woodworker and strive for the best I can do like anyone but may not need the best of the best. Honestly I am happy with the performance of my Craftsman just not happy with messing with it every time I need to use it. Am I hearing that the table crank is bad as it could make the table hard to keep square??? Maybe I miss understood that. Seems the laser thing has followers as well as detractors. I don't think I need it as I am fine without it now. Any love for the Jet JDP-17MF?? Is there a comparable Bench top unit to this? Can be Delta, Griz or anyone if it is a good machine. Just looking at all options. Thanks, John

[Al Currano]

Take a look at this from the woodworkingtalk forum -- Craftsman DP with trailer jack mod:

Craftsman DP Trailer Jack Mod.jpgTrailer Jack Mod 2.jpg