Drill Press Use

[Herb Smith]

My small shop is strictly a hobby operation. I'm an old guy who makes everything from boxes to the occasional piece of furniture but am not in the shop every day nor even all day when I'm there. How useful and how necessary do you find the drill press in your shops? I've been looking at both the Rikon 30-217 and the Jet JDP-95 (those are both right about what I want to spend) but wonder how needed either tool might be. Let's not get into whether to buy new or used, I'm wondering about whether the tool itself is important. As always, I appreciate your thoughts

[Van Huskey]

I personally consider it one of the 6 primary machines, (TS, BS, jointer, planer, DP and router table/shaper). That said if you are able to build the things you build and rarely if ever think "I really could use a drill press" then maybe you don't need one at all or could very well get away with a cheaper benchtop model for the rare use.

[Larry Edgerton]

Out of the two the Jet in my opinion is the better of the two. The Rikon is the same as the Tiawan model that I just gave away because it annoyed the hell out of me. I kept it around because my other DP is three phase and I had to start the converter to use it, but it just annoyed me one too many times.

I looked over the Jet closely at Johnsons Supply, and it is a darn nice press for the money. thought about buying one but bought a VFD for the Clausing instead.

[Chris Hachet]

I find it absolutely necessary and I ahve two that I use on an almost daily baisis for something or another. I ahve a Fleetwood (Taiwanese) HD bench top and a Buffalo 18 floor model very HD.

There are so many used American drill presses that sell for small money I would have a hard time buying used. Clausing, Delta, Powermatic, Walker turner, older American craftsman...

If you go new I would agree on the jet being the better of the two.

However, I would be absolutely lost without a drill press.

[John K Jordan]

My small shop is strictly a hobby operation. I'm an old guy who makes everything from boxes to the occasional piece of furniture but am not in the shop every day nor even all day when I'm there. How useful and how necessary do you find the drill press in your shops?

It certainly depends on what you make and how you work. Some people are happy with a hand-held electric drill, using guide blocks when perpendicularity is important.

I would hate to do without a drill press for many reasons. Holes related to woodturning, making jigs and tools, drilling and tapping, wasting wood to make a pocket or slot, household and farm repairs. I actually keep two, one reserved wood and the other mostly for steel since drilling steel is messy.

JKJ

[Chris Hachet]

It certainly depends on what you make and how you work. Some people are happy with a hand-held electric drill, using guide blocks when perpendicularity is important.

I would hate to do without a drill press for many reasons. Holes related to woodturning, making jigs and tools, drilling and tapping, wasting wood to make a pocket or slot, household and farm repairs. I actually keep two, one reserved wood and the other mostly for steel since drilling steel is messy.

JKJ

...the same reason one needs both a metal cutting and wood cutting band saw....

[pat warner]

Want to make jigs? The life's blood of woodworking.
Jigs are held together with fasteners, rarely joinery.
Can't drill? Can't make jigs.

[Nick Decker]

My drill press (a cheap Craftsman) is not something I use every day, or even every week. But when a drill press is needed, and it often is, a hand drill just won't cut it. Oddly, it was one of the first machines I bought, though that was before I started taking woodworking as seriously as I now do. I was doing a project that called for dowel holes to be drilled accurately and absolutely perpendicular, and after messing about with a couple half-assed solutions, I bought the right machine for the job.

Now I find myself lusting for a better drill press, even though I don't really need it. Yes, the slope is slippery...

[Ben Rivel]

I love my drill press and consider them a necessary "general" tool. Like one would have a cordless drill or hammer. Currently I have a Delta 18-900L. I use drill presses for much more than just woodworking too. Anything that needs or could use a perfect 90 degree hole drilled in it!

[Ole Anderson]

The DP is one of my more frequently used tools. VS would be nice, table crank a necessity, too bad it is so hard to find one with a quill lock, I find it very useful.

[John K Jordan]

...the same reason one needs both a metal cutting and wood cutting band saw....

Absolutely! I have several bandsaws for wood and several for metal - the big horizontal metal-cutting saw with a coolant pump makes a REAL mess! Fortunately, I built the shop big enough for a metal-working room to keep drilling, cutting, grinding, and welding separate from the wood.

For drilling wood, I don't even like to use the same bits I use for steel. I'm afraid I'll get some contamination on the wood and affect glue or finish.

JKJ

[Brian Tymchak]

My drill press (a cheap Craftsman) is not something I use every day, or even every week. But when a drill press is needed, and it often is, a hand drill just won't cut it..

+1. Same with me. I bought a Jet benchtop DP because I wasn't sure how much I would truly use it. It's one of those machines that you will end up finding ways to use that you aren't thinking about now.

Now I find myself lusting for a better drill press, even though I don't really need it. Yes, the slope is slippery...

Yep, that new Nova DP is lookin' mighty fine to me. It's on the <1 year list.

[Mark Carlson]

Its in my top 5 most used tools. Use it on every project.

[Stan Calow]

I'm in the same range of usage that you are. I use mine more often than I thought I would, mostly drilling precise holes with forstner bits. Some things are easier to drill on the lathe. I'd pay close attention to the table and how you would attach an auxiliary table for woodworking. DPs don't seem to be designed with woodworking in mind.

[Chris Hachet]

I'm in the same range of usage that you are. I use mine more often than I thought I would, mostly drilling precise holes with forstner bits. Some things are easier to drill on the lathe. I'd pay close attention to the table and how you would attach an auxiliary table for woodworking. DPs don't seem to be designed with woodworking in mind.

I would also go larger and heavier-boring out holes for large mortises, as well as detail work like boring for mounting hardware on musical instruments, seems to work better with a larger saw that has some mass behind it. Plus not having vibration and run out will make things much easier.

It does not even have to be old American iron, plenty of really decent commercial drill presses available sued if you are careful for what the cheapie bench top models sell for.