Drill Press Recommendations (late-2014)

[Dave Flagg]

I am in the market for a drill press for both woodworking and metalworking. I'm not an expert and don't plan on putting out pieces one after another, but I've found that I use my current drill press constantly on one thing or another and I need more precision first and foremost (my current machine is terrible: second hand homemade, wobbles all over the place). I don't have any other precision machines (except a second hand Jet jointer), but I'm willing to put a decent amount into this drill press to get decent precision.

With that in mind I honed in on a Grizzly G7943 benchtop which had some good overall reviews and was in the price range I was thinking. But then I over-research and find it may have some runout issues and the depth-stop is not great. Those 2 issues seem to go against my precision pet-peeve, although I am sure it's outstanding compared to what I have.

I also researched more and found I don't know all the advantages to things like floor standing vs. bench (I have the space for a floor but what's it get me for the extra $$: will it help me in the future even though it doesn't seem I need it now?), advantages/disadvantages of a spindle type press, etc. Even though the Grizzly seems like it would be a great machine for me today, would spending an extra 100/200/300 (probably don't want to go over 600 at this point) be worth it and if so, what's that machine?

I know there are a lot of threads like this and I attempted to search and find answers, but figured times change, opinions change, etc. Bottom-line: looking for recommendations on best value drill press suitable for wood/metal in the $325-$600 range where precision is my personality type (I don't need a $600 press right now, but I also don't want to invest in a $400 machine now and then want/need a better press when I take my skills/work to the next level).

Thanks in advance,
Dave

[Julie Moriarty]

I recently bought a Jet JDP-17DX from Woodcraft for a bit over $500. It has the laser cross-hairs and a work light. Speed adjustment is done by adjusting the belts but it's pretty easy to do so. I've done some precision drilling with it and it came out perfect. I'm pretty happy with it.

[Don Parker]

I recently bought the same drill press as Julie, and I am very happy with it. Some thoughts:

In terms of features, I think you need to plan for the unanticipated, but not to the point where it puts you way beyond your budget. A floor model gets you the ability to work on longer stock. You don't necessarily get to make deeper holes (that is another differentiating factor among drill presses), but you get to make them in the ends of longer pieces of wood. More "swing" (double the distance from the steel column to the chuck) allows you to drill to the center of larger pieces of wood. More power, greater accuracy (meaning less runout), more speed adjustment, decent depth measurement and depth stops, an integrated work light, a laser cross-hair system, and a great table, all are features to consider, along with the price of having all these things. What will you use? What do you need?

Myself, I was upgrading from a really wonky Harbor Freight radial drill press. I did not use the adjustability of the radial drill press enough to justify the price I was paying in less accuracy (being able to adjust too many things means more things need to be adjusted). I really, really was drawn toward the work table on the JDP-17DX. It is ideal for woodworking, and it will do as well as anything else for metalworking. All the other features are great, but the table sealed the deal.

Now, some folks will come on at some point and tell you that any drill press sold these days is garbage. They will recommend that you buy an old used drill press, because you get more for your money. That may have been true for them, but where I live, nothing used was worth the hassle or the cost. And I think the whole "everything made these days is garbage" thing is hyperbole. Yeah, a 500 lb. industrial Rockwell drill press in good condition can probably be bought. Whether you can afford it, or fix up one that needs work, or can even carry such a behemoth home, are all things to consider.

Good luck with your search.

[Earl Rumans]

I have the Delta 18-900L and I am very happy with it. The table is great, has a 6 inch spindle travel and will go slow enough for using large bits to drill in metal, one of my requirements. The drill stop setup is about the best I have ever used, the laser guides actually work and the built in work light helps a lot. I think it's a great press for both metal and woodworking. The 6 inch quill travel really is nice for woodworking and it's absolutely necessary to have the slower speeds to handle the larger bits when doing metal drilling. A floor standing setup is just way more versatile then a bench model. It allows you to work with almost any size piece and just gives many more options then a bench model. The Delta isn't cheap but i think it's well worth the price.

[Dave Flagg]

Thanks for all the feedback thus far. I have a few follow up questions:

- Julie mentioned that you adjust speed by moving belts on the JPD-17DX. Is this typical? It doesn't seem that. Ad to have to move belts other than inconvenient.

- I guess I've done more metalworking than wood with my current press: what makes the work table better from one unit to the next (I know the answer probably depends on what you work on)?

[Earl Rumans]

The Delta has a very nice large sized table that pivots not only left and right but also front to back, making about any position possible. You can even get away without a drill press table if you want to, that is how nice the table is. Changing belts to different pulleys, for different speeds, is the standard procedure on a DP, except for the high dollar electronic motor DP's. The Power Matic PM 2800 does have the feature where you just move the lever and the belts will change by themselves but it's still belts and pulleys.

[Don Parker]

Changing speeds on the Jet is pretty easy, but it is manual. You flip the lid up, release the tension on the motor pulley (this just involves loosening a knob that holds the motor far enough away from the rest of the drill press to put tension on the belt), move the belts around based on a diagram on the inside of the lid, put the tension back on the motor pulley, lock it, close the lid. I can do it in a minute.

On the table question: Most drill presses have a table that is designed for metal work. There is a small flat surface (hopefully flat), a few through-slots, and a round hole right under the chuck. A table that is better geared for woodworking has a larger flat surface; some regular through-slots; some T-slots; and a square hole under the chuck into which you can place sacrificial pieces of wood. I think both the Delta and the Jet have these features. Delta's is probably nicer than Jet's, but I like Jet's just fine. If you take a look at after-market drill press tables made out of wood (you bolt them onto a regular drill press table), they tend to have these features, because they make woodworking easier.

[Mike Wilkins]

No one has said anything about chucks. Some of the newer drill presses have keyless chucks for ease of mounting a drill bit. But a lot of folks have found that a keyless chuck does not hold a bit tight enough to drill into metal. What you get is a chuck that spins when the bit bites into the metal. I have had that happen when using a hand-held drill with keyless chuck. Personally, I would want a keyed chuck. Not that hard to keep up with by using a lanyard.

[Peter Kelly]

The cheap "import" keyless chucks might slip, genuine Albrecht chucks do not. Well worth the money imo.

[Don Parker]

The Jet comes with a regular keyed chuck. There is a handy little chuck key holder on the left side of the housing.

[Glenn Howard]

I've been plenty satisfied with the Steel City drill press I picked up circa 2008. And that was the model before they added the variable feature.

[Julie Moriarty]

The Jet comes with a regular keyed chuck. There is a handy little chuck key holder on the left side of the housing.

The chuck key holder is nice. Just don't put the chuck key in your shop apron pocket. You could lose several hours looking for it. Don't ask me how I know. The key is now tied to a string that's tied to the drill press.

[Dave Flagg]

Thanks again for the guidance: I ended up picking up a Jet JDP-17DX. Due to being in a rush I thought I would try out a cheap Craftsman bench press and I hated it, so I can't wait to get the jet set up!

In the meantime, do you have recommendations for a drill press vice? Possibly an X-Y?