which drill press

[Robert Culver]

Hello all I am in the market for a new drill press... Im looking for a bench top and cant seem to make up my mind on a model I would like to keep the price around 200.00. I do mainly wood working but would be using it for drilling metal as well Im sure. I have looked at skill and Ryobi at my local big box stores and have looked into rikon and wen though amazon and non of these seem to wow me they all seem to be lacking something the wen don't seem like to bad of a deal but I have never heard of them. I know its just a dp but I don't like buying things twice because what I got really was lacking what are your thoughts?

[Rich Riddle]

I briefly owned the Ryobi and sold it. It's more of a toy than tool if that makes sense. With your need to cut metal you should be considering one that can cut slow as well as fast since you will cut wood. A one or four speed machine won't meet your needs. Other than the Ryobi what options are you considering?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I bought a Ridgid floor model to finish a job 7 or 8 years ago, and it has really grown on me. Excellent bang for the buck. Are you stuck on benchtop? You can find the Ridgid on sale sometimes for under 180.

[Brian W Smith]

No help here.....we're a Walker/Turner shop.

Have fun,shopping for a new(preferably old)DP should be savored.If I was going pac-rim,would seriously consider a used mill/drill.If Euro,a nice Gear head.

[Jeff Duncan]

Just my opinion, but there's really nothing your going to buy new for $200 that isn't a toy….so I wouldn't expect to be wowed. At best you may be able to find something on sale that'll get the job done…..barely. If it were me, I'd spend $200, (or likely less), on a used press and have a much better machine that's capable of doing some work. There are older Delta's, Walker Turners, Atlass', heck even the older Craftsman presses will be significantly better than anything your going to buy new under say $500.

but that's just my opinion,
JeffD

[David Masters]

The drill press models I've seen in the big box stores in the $200 price range really appear to me to be too light duty to be happy with for long. At a little over $200, I've looked at the Harbor Freight bench-top models and they appear pretty heavy duty, and Grizzly have pretty decent prices on their models. Of course Craigslist always has a number of used drill presses in the price range your after. Locally there is a 12-inch Delta with a nice table for $150. If you buy from a hobbyist that is upgrading, you can probably find a good deal.

I found a 1/3 hp Craftsman 12-inch bench-top drill press at a Sears outlet that I picked up for $100. I'm getting every bit of my $100 out of it, but I'd really like to get a good used floor model. There is a place locally that sells used industrial machinery for what appears to be reasonable prices ($130-$300). What makes me hesitate on buying an old Delta or Clausing drill press is my lack of knowledge on how to assess whether I'm picking up a drill press that has a reasonable amount of life left in it or a maintenance nightmare.

Dave

[Ben Kiefer]

I'm in the camp of buying a vintage dp.
My first drill press was a Hitachi, and it was a toy. I sold it, and bought an old, rusty Walker Turner for $100. This thing is a tank, and will outlast me.

[Will Boulware]

Here's another vote for vintage. I got my Delta for a whopping $50. Needed some work and a different motor, but it functions wonderfully for around $100 total. Seriously, give the used market a look. Be patient and you can find something great for that $200 you've got.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Jeff and David, that little Ridgid I referred to is around $200, and is a better machine than the old craftsman that it replaced, by a significant margin. Especially for wood. I wouldn't want to use it for metal much, but it's perfect for woodshop duty. In my shop at least. BTW, I'm an old iron guy too, this is my metal drilling press. Grrr, I couldn't get the pic of mine to load, so this is a much prettier example of the same model that I borrowed off OWWM. The Ridgid weighs around 1/10 of this beast. We regularly use ours to drill up to 2 1/2"

[John Downey]

You won't find anything impressive in that price range. While there are still some heavy bench models made, they all sell well above $200.

I too would be looking for an older one. I have a 15" Rockwell that I paid about $250 for, that is all I need 90% of the time. It too is a bench model, but it's heavy enough that this is not a drawback. Before I started making long holes in gunstocks, I never needed more height than a 15" bench model provides, and even now I've never been at a total loss, there's always a work around.

[glenn bradley]

Since it is difficult to find a decent new drill press for under $1000, I think your $200 may be off target for a lot of folks here. I would approach it differently; "whats the best you can do for $200?". A used floor model can have the post cut to make it a bench model but, bench models take up so much more room I would go for a floor unit. In the bake-offs Grizzly's G7943 usually comes out high on the list or on top. It is a bench version of their floor model but, is twice your budget. Going used would be my preference given your price limit. An old Delta Milwaukee DP200 can usually be had for $100 - $200 depending on condition and accessories. They bring such a low price (due to availability I suppose) that I simply gave mine (bought new by Grandpa in the 40's) to a friend who I new would care for it.

[Bill Space]

Hi,

This may be out of the box thinking...but have you considered watching Craigslist for a used ShopSmith? I love my ShopSmith as a drill press and horizontal boring machine! I should say Shopsmith(s) as over the last few year I have bought three of them for between $100 and$200. All the mark5 models...recent 2 bought within the last year.

Anyway, I am sure you could drill metal with them too, but I have another drill press that I use for metal so I don't really use my SSs for metal. Granted a SS requires 2' by 6' of floor space, but all of mine came with casters so they are easy to move.

Just a thought...I can tell you how great the SS is, if you have the space and can find one for $200 or less. One I found had a band saw with it, and the most recent had two bandsaws with it. All included for less than $200 for each SS!

Bottom line is a used SS gives a very large bang for the buck if you can buy one within your $ 200 budget like I have been able to do...

Worth considering as an alternative to a bench top drill press if you have the small amount of extra floor space needed...

[Andrew Joiner]

I know its just a dp but I don't like buying things twice because what I got really was lacking what are your thoughts?

My ideal drill press would have:
1-Minimal runout/quill slop.
2-Full 6''of quill travel.
3-A simple vertical threaded rod and stop with a quick "button thread nut".
4-A quill lock. I really miss my old drill press with the quill lock.

In shopping around I've found no consistency in #1. Of the new drill presses that vary in price I've checked most have unacceptable runout. Two of the same model varied a lot in runout. My friends Delta 18-900L came from Amazon with almost 0 runout. I'd only by a new drill press if I could check it in person. If the seller allows a free shipping return on a drill press with unacceptable runout, that may work.
Many older used drill presses come with all 4 of my must haves(except 6'' quill travel).
I've remade my 18 year old Grizzly drill press so it meets most of my needs,but it's hard to tune the quill slop completely out of it.

[Doug Ladendorf]

+1 for vintage. A few years ago when I was looking for my first drill press I found the new models extremely disappointing (at least anything I could afford). I went used and haven't looked back. There is a wide range available and you do need to evaluate for runout and moving parts, but you can get so much for your money. They also tend to have much more character and interest. Good luck.
Doug

[Ron Kellison]

photo 5.jpg+1 for vintage. I picked up this old 15" Buffalo Canadian for $45. Dirty, a bit of rust, a complete "arc of shame" but the motor is very quiet and the runout at full 4 1/2" drilling depth is about .001 or less. It weighs over 100 pounds and there's almost no vibration using a link belt.

Ron