Thoughts on Ryobi drill press

[Travis Hirst]

Got a little cash to spend at the home depot for christmas so I was looking at the ryobi bench top drill press. Just wondering if any one has experience with these. The one they have at the store has the laser and a built in work light but I did not get the model number. The dp120 on the web site looks just like it but does not have these features. Any input would be greatly appriciated.

Travis

[David G Baker]

Got a little cash to spend at the home depot for christmas so I was looking at the ryobi bench top drill press. Just wondering if any one has experience with these. The one they have at the store has the laser and a built in work light but I did not get the model number. The dp120 on the web site looks just like it but does not have these features. Any input would be greatly appriciated.

Travis

Travis,
Bench top drill presses are handy and I do not have any complaint with any of the Ryobi tools that I own. It really depends on what your needs are and will the Ryobi full fill those needs.
I personally prefer large floor model drill presses but I do quite a bit of heavy metal work so I need the size and power. You may not have the need.
David B

[Keith Cope]

Travis,
I have an older model Ryobi benchtop drill press and have been pretty happy with it. I think it's good for a starter, and for the price. No experience with the laser, but it seems to me that would be a nice feature to have.
Keith

[Travis Hirst]

I don't do alot of heavy work but the little less than harbor freight press that I have now just won't cut it anymore. I would like to do some mortises with it as I have the attatchment for a drill press. I know that won't take the place of a dedicated mortiser but I don't do enough to justify that.

Travis

[Teri McCarter]

We have a 4 year old Ryobi bench top and haven't had any problems but we don't do any heavy duty stuff. My husband has used it on drilling holes in angle iron as well as wood. Don't have a mortiser attachment so don't know how it would do on that. I wanted to get one but I wasn't sure how universal they really are. Let me know if you get it and it actually works.

BTW, the laser would be great to have. Ours doesn't have that.

Teri

[Joe Petersen]

The Ryobi with the laser and vice is a DP102L. I have been looking at this for some time now. I bought with C-mas money. It is pretty solid. I bought for metal work and tested on a piece of angle. Made a beautiful circle. (This is a big deal because the small Tawian crap I've been using had too much play in the spindle and made egg shaped holes)

The vice is the smallest drill vice I have ever seen. 2". The laser works Ok but is mounted at a point where the bit blocks the point of intersection about an inch before contact. Not a big deal if you now how to use one in the first place but kind of defeats the purpose. Also I am using jobber length bits so might make a difference.

Funny. came with a vice. batteries for the laser. but not the $.05 - 15 watt work light.

[Art Mann]

I have a benchtop drill press among several Ryobi tools and it is the only Ryobi tool I have been truly disappointed with. The runout on the spindle makes precision work hard to do. You don't need a dial indicator to see it - you can see the tip of a straight drill bit wallowing around. Maybe I just got a lemon but if I were you, I would check it out carefully before or immediately after buying. HD is very good about taking back bad tools and I should have done so with this one.