Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: What is a used drill press worth, Delta 11-990

  1. #1

    What is a used drill press worth, Delta 11-990

    I did a job for a man today and while there he offered to sell me his drill press. It's a bench top model, Delta 11-990, but he also bought the stand for it and has it mounted on top of it. He offered it to me for $150. It looks in good shape but I don't know if that would be too much to pay for it or not. I'm trying to outfit a modest wood shop on a limited budget and thought this would make drilling precise holes for dowels easier. Also my brother was wondering about using it for drilling bowling balls as part of his hobby as well.

    While typing this I just received a call from the owner of the press. He says it has a 2 3/8 inch travel depth for drilling. This seems shallow to me but I don't know all that much about these things, or what my needs for a press will actually be. Online, the description says a 12" throat, so I'm assuming that's how much clearance there is from the tip of the chuck to the platform below, or is it from the center of the chuck to the post at the back??

    Thanks for any input I receive.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    A 12" Drill Press can drill a hole in the center of a 12" board. That is; there is 6" of depth from drill bit to the column. Your average Forstner bit is 3-1/2" long overall. Jobber bits in 1/16" through 1/2" run 1" to 4-1/2" of flute length respectively. Here's a chart that can be somewhat helpful but, when I had that DP I found the stroke short. My larger DP only has 4" of quill travel but, it always seems to be plenty . . . go figger? The price doesn't sound like a screamin' deal but, I don't know that it is out of line either if the little guy is in decent shape.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 10-03-2012 at 8:50 PM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  3. #3
    Look and see what a new one costs. If it is in good shape, should be worth half that.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Grottoes, VA.
    Posts
    905
    FWIW, I bought a used Ridgid 15501 floor model drill press for $150. Its spindle travel is 3-3/4". Overall it's s nice DP, and the spindle is nice and tight with no play that I can find. I did rewire it, as I found the original 18 gauge cord be, well, kinda small for my liking.

    I found an online review where the author bought the 11-990 new for $179 back in July 2000. If that is correct, then used and 10+ yrs old, it's not worth $150 IMHO.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Virginia and Kentucky
    Posts
    3,364
    It's not worth even close to what he wants. Unless you're in a remote area you can wait and find a floor model for that price or a similar drill press for far less money.

  6. #6
    This is what I decided as well. I also found online a review where the guy bought it for $189 a long time ago so I figured it wasn't worth it. I would like one with more travel anyway. I was mostly interested because I don't have one now and "could" use one and that one was available. After looking around some though I found I can get a decent bench top model at Lowe's for $130, Skil brand. At least the reviews say it's decent. It should get me by to start out on, or I could look around for a used one but I don't necessarily know if I could rely on a used one (don't know what to look for to check them for wear or abuse).

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    2,252
    Duane,

    My recommendation: search on craigslist with search tempest for units near you

    Post choices here

    You will get lots of comments and feedback and questions to ask. And in the process you will learn.

    I would guess you can get a decent floor model for $150, or maybe even $100. A bench top for $75

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    10,304
    When you're shopping for a drill press, the spindle travel and the distance from bit to column are obvious. The other major issue is quill play. You want the quill to travel up and down, but not go side to side. Cheap drill presses may have too much play when they come off the production line. It is possible for older presses to wear to the point that the play goes up. You can test a press by extending the quill, and rattling it side to side by hand. Raise the table, so you can see the movement against the non-moving table.

  9. #9
    These are nice if you can find one.
    I forget what the travel is, but it's greater than many of the newer ones.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Grottoes, VA.
    Posts
    905
    Quote Originally Posted by Duane Bledsoe View Post
    This is what I decided as well. I also found online a review where the guy bought it for $189 a long time ago so I figured it wasn't worth it. I would like one with more travel anyway. I was mostly interested because I don't have one now and "could" use one and that one was available. After looking around some though I found I can get a decent bench top model at Lowe's for $130, Skil brand. At least the reviews say it's decent. It should get me by to start out on, or I could look around for a used one but I don't necessarily know if I could rely on a used one (don't know what to look for to check them for wear or abuse).

    Where are you located? I was just browsing ebay, and there are quite a few used drill presses that I thought weren't a bad deal. You may just get lucky and find one listed locally that you can pick up. Even one very similar to that which Anthony has.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •