I seem to always be toying with the idea of getting a bigger drill press. Why? Maybe I just suffer from "Tool Time" disease--always wanting more power!

Comparing, say, a 12" press to a 20", the bigger press will have a larger motor giving more power for drilling through bigger stock, larger swing and stroke--which are all positives in my book.

But are there advantages to a smaller drill press? Obviously, for those who don't have the floor space the size is an obvious drawback to a larger press, but I'm more concerned with performance advantages or disadvantages.

So, I thought it would be a fun topic to throw into the Creek for discussion: Assuming presses of equal quality (Powermatic vs Powermatic, or Harbor Freight vs Harbor Freight depending on your budget), and ignoring the bells and whistles of one model vs another (like whether Jet or Delta has a laser or better depth stop mechanism) is bigger always better? Based on performance alone, why might someone prefer a smaller press to a larger press?

Thanks,

Jim