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Thread: Nova Voyager drill press

  1. #1

    Nova Voyager drill press

    This drill press from Teknatool was introduced, I guess, in 2014 and seems finally available here;

    http://www.novatoolsusa.com/NEW-NOVA...ress-58000.htm

    I have been looking around for a drill press, which has been a topic of this forum many times; Delta 18-900 looks good but there is some doubt about the company and Powermatic PM2800 is receiving mixed reviews. Anything better than these, especially made in USA, are for industrial uses with $4,000+. Anything less than these look like copies from the same manufacturer.

    I wonder if anybody has purchased this drill press from Teknatool. For the function it offers, the price seems competitive. I believe their lathes are considered as premium although I'm not a turner and not quite familiar with this company.

    Any info would be appreciated.

    thanks.

  2. #2
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    I will be following this as a decent drill press for under $2500 has been one of my goals for years. The Nova goes slow enough for woodworking which is one failing of many offered for that purpose today. The swing is wide enough so it will boil down to the current offering's main failure (for me); vertical quill slop. If Nova has addressed this very simple function and the low end torque is there, they will probably get my money.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  3. #3
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    Nova lathes are usually considered mid to mid-high grade by most experienced turners I believe.

    I commend them for trying to add new technology to machinery designs that have remained very stagnant for years.

    The drill press sounds great on paper! I would be concerned with the proprietary DVR motor and all of the electronics. I would be curious to know how many issues they have had with their DVR motors/controllers to get some idea about long term reliability.

    In the case of electronic variable speed lathes like the Jet 1642/40 and Powermatic 3520, their speed controllers (VFDs) are not proprietary.

    Have you two considered buying a used three phase metal working DP and adding a VFD to it?
    Last edited by Dick Strauss; 06-02-2016 at 9:37 AM.

  4. #4
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    I have restored a fair amount of old iron and ended up selling all of it for one reason or another so I don't normally suggest it. The only piece of old iron that I will keep until I probably die is my PM1200 drill press. I can't get anything better then it for 2 x what I paid for it. I would have bought a 20" Clausing also if it would have presented itself first. If your are east of the Mississippi they are all over the place compared to out here.

  5. #5
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    It looks like you can tell it the hole size that you are drilling.... Is that to let it then choose a speed at which to drill?

    Looks nice.

  6. #6
    Yes, it looks almost too nice for the price.
    I want somebody to try it before I do

  7. #7
    just bought one ill get u guys a full review once it arrives at this price it better be magical compared to my $300 from lowes.

  8. #8
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    I read every word I could find on it, not much, and really like what I see, but without seeing one first hand I am uneasy. I have a big Walker Turner, but want something smaller, quicker.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by David T gray View Post
    just bought one ill get u guys a full review once it arrives at this price it better be magical compared to my $300 from lowes.

    That's great David! Looking forward to it.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
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    Looks like a nice DP. I wonder what the price increase will be on the production machines.
    Please help support the Creek.


    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
    Andy Rooney



  11. #11
    " boil down to the current offering's main failure (for me); vertical quill slop."
    **********************************
    Has mechanical (nuts) stop and a readout (+ audible signal) of where the drill point is!
    So it signals the operator that he's nearing the end of travel, (total 6" quill up/down).

  12. #12
    David, you are the man!!

  13. #13
    That "On" button looks like the membrane is going to get broken in no time, and the pictures of the screen look like the contrast varies pretty badly between pixels/lines. Hopefully the production units look better...

  14. #14
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    Dan, not necessarily. The programmable DRO buttons on my milling machine are the membrane type and they have been pushed hundreds, if not thousands of times. No failures.
    Please help support the Creek.


    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
    Andy Rooney



  15. #15
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    Susumu, David, is the pre-production price $1499-20%, or will the price increase 20% from there when in production. If it is 20% off of the $1499 I will order one.

    Thanks, Larry
    Last edited by Larry Edgerton; 06-03-2016 at 7:14 AM.

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