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Thread: How much does one really need to spend on a new drill press?

  1. #1
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    How much does one really need to spend on a new drill press?

    I'm searching for a new drill press. I am not interested in buying a used one at the moment. My budget goes up to $1400 out to door, but that is top dollar and less is better. It must be floor standing. The trouble is that I see rave reviews about models ranging anywhere from $350 all the way up to my $1400 maximum. I need some help to understand how models compare to each other and what I'm really getting for the extra money. Here are a few models I have researched, any other info you can provide about them would be great.

    1. Porter Cable 8-amp 12-speed (PCB660DP) - $320 at Lowes

    Reviewers are acting like this drill press is the best kept secret in power tools and claiming it compares to models three-four times its price. Is it really that good? I have actually used this press before, at a workshop in college, but it was very poorly maintained and couldn't drill a straight hole to save its life. Also depth adjustment was hard to use and sloppy (again probably because it wasn't cared for). How is it holding up for others in more "loving" environments? I prioritize quality and long-term durability over low price.

    2. Jet 17" Drill Presses (JDP-17DX and JDP-17) - $599 and $740 approx.

    I have some confusion over these two presses. The model numbers are nearly the same and the specs are nearly identical (I'm sure there are differences I'm not noticing)... but the design is wildly different. I would assume that the alien-looking JDP-17 is a newer model, but Jet still lists both on their website. Both of these presses are well reviewed. I really like the big woodworking-style tables. I like the price point... but are they high quality machines or are they about the same as the Porter Cable and being sold at a premium for the name? Also which one of the two do you like better?

    3. Delta 18" Drill press (18-900L) - $1050 approx.

    I am extremely impressed by the features of this press. On paper it seriously looks too good to be true. The table is big, it's extremely adjustable, the belt change system is easy, really long spindle travel, lots of different speeds, gooseneck light, quick depth-stop adjustments etc. My concern is that everywhere it is reviewed, people complain about quality control. This scares me a little... the most concerning was an Amazon review talking about the foot of the press snapping off the column (complete with photos). Although the features and specs look amazing, I don't want it unless it lasts for a LONG time... and I don't want to devote tons of effort into fixing defects that should have been corrected before it left the factory. I haven't seen this press in person so i don't know how sturdy it actually is. Has anyone on here had this press for a while and able to vouch for it?

    4. Powermatic (PM2800B) - $1400 approx.

    I don't have much experience with Powermatic tools, but I know they have held a good reputation in the past and they are a premium brand. I'm also pretty sure this drill press is made in China (presumably all the others are imported as well). So this press has me concerned that I would be overpaying just for the name. One thing I like is that you can adjust the speed with the lever on the side, but I'm also concerned that it overcomplicates a simple mechanism and would be more prone to issues. It does have a powerful motor and 6" of travel like the Delta, but the table seems kind of gimmicky and the expanding 'wings?' are supported by a plastic mechanism, which seems cheap for a tool that costs this much. I would have just preferred a larger table. Do you all think it's worth the price?

    Sorry for writing a novel about this... I spend a lot of time researching everything I buy and the creek has always been a valuable and trusted source of knowledge. Also I would love to know of any other good drill presses that I may have looked over.

  2. #2
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    Out of all those, Delta last, Powermatic first.
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Myk Rian View Post
    Out of all those, Delta last, Powermatic first.
    Ditto that. Delta DPs have received a lot of bad press lately (sorry ...). The Powermatic has gotten very good reviews. I have a Powermatic 14" bandsaw and love it. I'm not sure about now, but when I bought my bandsaw about 5 years ago, it was made in Taiwan, which was considered a step up from products from mainland China at the time. When tool manufacturers left the USA, many often went to Japan, then later Taiwan, and then mainland China. Frankly, unless you are looking at really cheap Harbor Freight stuff, a lot of mainland China products are very well built. (Harbor Freight does have a few gems. I bought one of their 7X14 mini metal lathes 10 years ago and it was very well built.)

    It is getting almost impossible to buy anything new that is not made in China. I'd like to get a 16" Laguna bandsaw for resawing, and dedicate my Powermatic for scrolling cuts. At this point I'd go for Laguna's Italian model, which does come at a premium price over their Chinese model.

    I was ready to get the Powermatic, but I am holding off until I see Teknatool's drill press that uses the DVR technology on the motor, like their Nova DVR-XP lathes. I'd love having a really big drill press over the benchtop model I have, but the Teknatool looked like such a great alternative to both.

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    Last edited by Lee Reep; 01-20-2015 at 7:25 PM. Reason: typos

  4. #4
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    Speaking of Chinese, I bought a huge industrial drill press with a 1.5 horsepower motor from Harbor Freight (don't laugh) several years ago. As I recall, it cost around $250 with super coupon. I have used it quite regularly since then and it has performed very well. You can hardly stall it with a 3 1/2 inch Forstner bit. I did have some initial problems adapting it to woodworking as it was obviously built for metal work. The only problem I have experienced is a broken power switch. The thing is extremely ugly. The castings are crude and the finish is pretty rough. However, the parts that really mattered were machined accurately. With the level of good service I have gotten out of it, it was a good buy for me.

  5. #5
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    What do you want to use it for? Wood or metal. Metal is more demanding in my experience.

    Don't laugh too loud, but while I have a 20" drill press that I use for metal, for wood my Shopsmith wins hands down for convenience and overall capability, including horizontal boring. Bought a couple Shopsmiths for under $200 used with accessories (including 11" bandsaws) so they are a great value used if you watch local adds.

    But for metal... Best to go the normal floor type drill press I believe.

    Lots of nice used drill presses and Shopsmiths seem to be out there if you watch/wait for them. As for new...do not know what is best...
    Too much to do...Not enough time...life is too short!

  6. #6
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    For an alternate view; the PM2800B has the same quill slop that its predecessor did but, they solved some of the other issues for only $400 more ;-) The Delta 18-900 was reigning supreme until Delta fell apart and now its anybody's guess as to how that will eventually firm up again.

    As to whether you can find a decent woodworking drill press at any price will depend on what you need one to do. Having made a habit of putting my hands on any drill press I see in a vain search for a quality tool I have found NONE that do not find 1/32" to 1/16" of up and down slop in the quill to be considered high quality. This makes drilling consistent depth holes with a greater tolerance than that pretty impossible.

    The new Steel City 17" is all about variable speed but, with a low end limit of 500 RPM it is useless to me. The new Jet 16-1/2" is also variable speed and with a low end of 230 RPM could be usable for most things but, the build quality was pretty rough for a machine in this price bracket. If it would have had a decently controlled quill I would have jumped at the price and to blazes with the rough casting edges that you can file off yourself.

    I know this sounds like pre-purchase sour grapes but, I have narrowed my testing down to about 5 seconds as to whether a drill press is on the list or not (right now there is no list, none make it). I lower the quill a couple of inches and grab it with my free hand. If I get a thunk-a-thunk-a-thunk when I lift up and down and there is no adjustment to correct it, I move on. Its been a long and lonely road. More depressing is that I know I will eventually have to replace my Delta 17-950 (overgrown Shopmaster format) and take the machine that meets as many of my needs as possible while learning to ignore the needs it doesn't ;-)

    Grizzly was supposed to come out with a new DP that would rock our WWing world but, the new release is a metalworking machine. Still I wait and think about the 1940's Delta I gave away that was superior to anything I have found today, just too short a swing . . . . List your priorities; speed range, power, accuracy, table attributes, etc. and review your list.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 01-20-2015 at 8:06 PM.
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  7. #7
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    I must be lucky because I bought the pm 2800 and have had no problems with it...

  8. #8
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    Oh man very bleak outlook here haha.

  9. #9
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    Based on the spec's alone I'd be looking seriously at the Delta. 170 RPM is pretty low. It's not milling machine low, but it's pretty low. Quill travel is the same as the Powermatic.
    I don't know if the negative reviews mentioned are specific to this drill press, but over the past few years a few folks here on the board have purchased them, and seem to like them. Sometimes a product can go to pot quick in just a few years so I would definitely do some looking and touching.

    However, at a grand plus for the Delta, and Powermatic at $1400.00, you're getting into intro level Milling Machine price range. $1400.00 gets you into a milling machine, based on the Rong Fu model that's been around for a couple of decades. Just painted different colors. Low RPM is 140, with about an inch less quill travel. Something to consider.
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 01-20-2015 at 9:10 PM.
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  10. #10
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    I myself own the Porter Cable and love it. I just don't see the need to spend a lot of money for a drill press. This is my opinion only though. As long as it drills straight, has enough power, what else do you need? The Porter Cable has plenty of power, drills straight, has a light and a laser. I will admit that the base that came with mine is a little warped and doesn't sit exactly flat, but a little shim fixes that right up.

  11. #11
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    My personal opinion, spending more than a couple hundred bucks on a drill press for woodworking is crazy. Woodworking is such an easy life for a drill press, you really don't need a feature laden uber press to make a very nice drill press. Don't we all make our own jigs/tables no matter what anyhow?

  12. #12
    re: quill slop
    Any of the new, "modern" drill presses are going to have lots of quill slop....or maybe none. That's because they are not split head designs, nor are they properly hard chromed and lapped like a Bridgeport mill, for example. So you get what you get what you get in terms of cheap, Chiwanese construction. I think Steel City might make a split head drill press, but the low speed is 500RPM, and that's just way too high for a woodworking DP, IMHO. The table is lousy too.

    I wouldn't touch Delta with a 10' pole...or 20' pole....or a 0.5 decametre pole (for my European friends). If you have any sort of problem, you may well be stuck with a $1000 boat anchor that is impossible to fix.

    In the $1000 to $1500 range, I'd be looking at a used Clausing.

    re: mill drills
    There's nothing particularly wrong with a mill drill, but there can be drawbacks depending on how you use it:

    1) larger swing gets expensive pretty quickly
    2) you often compromise the top end speed
    3) personally, I think you'll miss the ability to move the table up and down to accommodate your work
    4) no drill press table...you might be surprised how inconvenient it can be to do woodworking on a mill bed.

    And of course, there are all of the benefits too. It all depends how you use it.

  13. #13
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    I bought a cheap 12" Delta from Lowes about 10 years ago. It has been a good machine.

    I can't speak to the quality of their current machines. I have a 16 year old contractor's saw that's been an excellent machine.

  14. #14
    +1 on Harbor Freight (on selected items). I have their 38142 model drill press with 16 speeds and a one horse motor. I believe the lowest speed is about 225 rpm which is slow enough to swing some wide bits. Mine is a huge bench model but it also comes in a floor model. As an earlier poster said....it is ugly.......but it makes pretty holes. It has been very reliable for the past three years.

  15. #15
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    Steel City made a 17" press that is awesome and can still be found new. Large Bearings and MT2, 6" quill stroke, and split head to adjust for any wear throughout its life. There were even some models with a reeves drive VS. I had one (back when it was $4775 brand new no reeves VS) and only sold it when I bought a RF30 MillDrill (amazing drill press) and a King Seeley (only because it was a steal). I still 99% use the shopsmith drill press though for wood projects. That table is awesome and the VS is sweet too. Also Grizzly has some good imports as well.

    18-900L is nice and I would risk not needing CS in the future on it and not getting a rebate on it vs the slop I saw even on a local PM2800B. Both are a ton of cash for a WW drill press though.

    I would buy a used one.
    Last edited by Mike Heidrick; 01-20-2015 at 11:10 PM.
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