I know it’s not a glowing recommendation, but I have a Craftsman 10-inch benchtop drill press, similar to the one shown here, and it’s not bad. It’s decent actually.
But the table is too small for [easily] supporting larger workpieces, and also too small for certain accessories, such as woodworking drill press tables and the such. I replaced the stock chuck with a Rohm keyed-type chuck, although the stock one wasn’t bad.
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I have more workspace now, and have been debating whether to step up to a larger benchtop drill press, or if it’s a good time to move to a floor-standing model. Previously, I had debated whether to upgrade from a 10-inch benchtop model, to a 12-inch one.
Benchtop or Floor-Standing, What’s Your Say?
There is much greater selection of floor-standing drill presses than benchtop, and now I have the space for one. Which direction to go in?
Once that question is answered, do I go with a general purpose drill press, one that seems designed specifically for woodworking applications, or one that seems more designed for metalworking applications?
I don’t care much for gimmicks. The laser on my Craftsman drill press isn’t as accurate as other positioning methods, and if I need a worklight, I’ll add my own. A digital readout might be convenient, but I’ve not been terribly impressed with the one on my smaller Micro-Mark drill press.
Some drill presses offer electronic speed control, which seems like it could be a useful feature. Not only would they be quicker and easier to adjust than those that require moving a belt between pulley sets, but they should allow for dialing in speeds to in-between settings. What’s not to like?
My search has led me to quite a few options, but none of them really stand out to me. Most of them have a mixed tone of user reviews, with some being encouraging, and others urging potential buyers to stay away.
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I thought my search would be a lot easier if I went with a woodworking-specialized machine, but after looking into Powermatic, I’m seeing mixed reviews even on their $1400 model. That’s also more than I was initially looking to spend.
My needs are almost as varied as they come:
- Wood: sheet goods, 2x lumber, thick hardwood
- Aluminum: plates, angles, T-slot extrusions, occasional solid bar stock
- Steel: bar stock (I don’t work with steel as much as aluminum)
- Plastic: sheets, thick bar stock
I don’t really need much more capacity than my 10-inch can provide, but it would be nice to have slightly more throat depth. My main interest in going with a larger size is for the larger table.
I never really pushed the motor of my 10-inch Craftsman bench press to its limits.
Do I go with a 12″ benchtop or 15″ floor-standing? There are also 15″ benchtop models as well. Or do I spring for a higher capacity machine and never have to upgrade again? Decisions, decisions!
I keep getting roadblocked in my drill press upgrade decision. I don’t need to upgrade, but I have good reasons to at least consider it.
Eventually, I might just build my own height-adjustable table that attaches to the column of my 10-inch drill press. But given how many projects are on my to-do list, it’ll be a long time until I could seriously consider this.
At this point, I’m almost ready to give up the idea of an upgrade for another couple more months. This isn’t the first time I’ve revisited the decision to upgrade, and it might not be the last. But before I give up, I figured I’d ask for your recommendations. Plus, I’m sure I’m not the only one looking to buy a new drill press.
I thought about reaching out to brands for loaners or test samples so that I can better explore the intricacies of different models in a roundup post, but I don’t look forward to the prospect of having multiple drill presses to test and evaluate equally. That would be a major project in itself, and I already have too much on my plate.
I certainly wouldn’t mind it if the perfect drill press magically appeared at my doorstep, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.
I wish there was a place I could go to, armed with a box of drill bits and raw materials, to try out all the models I’ve been researching.
If you bought a new drill press in the past few years, which one, and would you recommend it? Extra gratitude if you can describe what you use it for.
And yes, I know that there are plenty of vintage models on Craigslist and Ebay, but that’s not what I’m looking for right now.
Blake
Fine Woodworking I believe recommended the Porter Cable floor standing model at Lowes that is about $320. At that price there maybe more QC issues but it received their Best Buy award.
Travis
I second what Blake says. For the money, this drill press has been great. The quality seems great at that price.
Tom
Porter Cable is also my pick. Best bang for buck and it’s actually pretty well made.
Mike
I think I’d go for the Jet 15″ floor standing drill press.
http://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/15-floorstanding-drill-press/716250
I have a delta benchtop that works ok for a lot of stuff but I’m using more and more forstner bits and I run out of power fast because I don’t have enough flexibility in my speed. To me the ability to dial in the speed of the bit is the most important thing on any drill press.
Derek
Feel free to ship me your 10″ Craftsman when you upgrade! Grizzly has a bunch of drill presses. One of them was rated the best buy from Popular Mechanics.
jimmie
Drill presses and other large tools are excellent candidates for buying secondhand. Set up some RSS agents to scan your local Craigslists in a 100-mile radius and arrange for them to notify you when something interesting pops up. Occasionally you’ll find a jem.
I got my 17″ Jet model for $175 from an estate where the gentleman had bought a bunch of woodworking tools but passed away shortly afterwards.
Drill presses are pretty simple so there’s not much to inspect. Check the spindle for runout, run away from any drill with bent/broken feed levers (evidence of too much force having been applied). Make sure the table doesn’t bind when raising/lowering. Look at the pulleys, make sure the belts are good. Other than that, there’s not much that can go wrong.
fred
Good advice
I bought my home shop Walker Turner Radial Arm drill press in 1977 at an auction – no Craigslist or eBay back then. Brought a dial indicator and a known true drill rod with me to check runout – which was a bit out as I recall. I also had a straightedge with me (was looking at other machinery too) and checked the table for flatness.The motor starter was also a bit sketchy – but the belts and pulleys (16 speed) were good – motor had been replaced a few years back to run on single phase 220, The cast iron base was really rusted but otherwise in good shape and there was no play in the radial arm – and I got it with the opening bid of $100. Once loaded in a truck and home – pulling the “Jacobs chuck” – cleaning the chuck, spindle, Morse taper and doing some fiddling with the orientation when remounting the chuck I got it to run pretty damn near true. The starter was a different issue and I ended up replacing it – I Think it cost me more than the $100 I paid for the drill press- but it was still a bargain. Considering that this WWII vintage drill press is older than me, it still runs pretty good – certainly not as well as a new Claussing – but great for a home shop woodworker.
jimmie
Nice find.
A while back, my Craigslist agents triggered on an old Northfield jointer…a 16-incher. Almost wide enough to sleep on. Shame I didn’t have room for it. One of these days I’m going to snag a WWII-era Unisaw.
fred
My Unisaw with a sliding table along with a Delta 8 inch jointer was purchased new form a local machinery company in 1976. I wangled a deal that included delivery and set-up. With quite a bit of swearing, the delivery guys got both machines through my Bilco doors and down into my shop without incident. That is an issue when purchasing large machinery – unless if you are a rigger with a flatbed truck and yard crane. When I bought the Walker Turner – I got help loading it into a cargo truck – and 5 other guys to help get it out and put it on a riggers dolly. Planking, a big old maple tree , block and tackle and lots of grunt work got it down into the shop. Like the Unisaw and Jointer it will likely get sold with the house after I’m gone.
jimmie
Yeah. Transporting big tools is an issue. I’m not sure how I would have transported that jointer even if I did manage to find room for it. I figure it probably weighed close to 2000 pounds.
Tom
I agree with buying used. I inherited mine from my grandfather (machinist by profession, woodworker hobby). I spent some time last summer doing some maintenance and upgrades. New link belt, clean, paint, etc. The table was always a beast to adjust (no cranks on those old ones) but after cleaning, waxing, and adding a HF trailer jack it goes up and down easily.
Plus it has a 2-speed washing machine motor so I can do low or high by flipping a switch if I don’t feel like moving the belt.
P
Similar story, I inherited a 1950’s Delta Drill Press from my Engineer turned Woodworker GRandfather. Man that hunk of iron can drill. Other than keeping it oiled, there’s been little to no maintenance ever done on it, and it just keeps going.
I look at the new models in the store, and the only new features I can find are lasers and digital read outs. Neither seem like they are actually very useful on a drill press. Buying something today with the quality of one of the old models just get’s expensive.
Kurt
About 7-8 years ago I was looking at the Jet 17 inch or Steel City 17 inch.
Both had been out of stock for months, ended up getting HF 20 inch drill press (it’s Ok).
The thing I most wanted was longer quill travel. There are some machines that only have about 2 inch travel, my current machine has 5-1/2. Much prefer not having to move the table as much. I have liked the large table as well. I find it is easier to clamp jigs and work to it since I have slots that extend further that on a smaller table.
I don’t know that I have used the extra length of the floor sized press though.
I don’t change speeds too often, so moving belts isn’t too bad once in a while.
Tom
I desperately want to buy an old Craftsman 150. I see them on Craigslist all the time. I don’t know much about drill presses, but there is just something about that old design….
Cameron
This. I LOVE the old Cman 150s and 100s. I picked up a floor version for about $75 off eBay, and spent another $60 for some missing parts. This weekend I’m checking out a benchtop 100 with the Veri-Slo option. Guy’s asking $100.
Jim D
I would definitely recommend the Palmgren 9680174.
http://www.palmgren.com/product/62/Floor-Model-Drill-Presses
It is a 17″ floor standing drill press with a 1hp motor and we sell it at Bay Verte Machinery for only $629.99. It has a digital readout, a large working table, and a side mounted handle making the drill press easier to operate. The price difference between the 15″ and the 17″ is only about $60 so almost everyone goes with the 17″. The machining quality is quite good in comparison to all of your other Chinese made presses (which is almost all of them).
Most importantly for your application is the low speed value for metal cutting. The Palmgren goes all the way down to 138, so it works much better for metal working.
Enjoy!
Nathan
I’m on the search for one second hand as well. And I’d also say since you have the space – go big or go home. I too have a benchtop and it has very minimal use to me. Same reasons you mention – not enough depth, not enough table space, for most of my current projects.
moving to a standing model – fixes most of those issues. I actually intend to keep my benchtop – but I might give it to someone.
another thought I had- doesn’t fix the depth issue – is to buy a large tube and turn it into a floor standing model – but alas – I don’t know it work work well.
Nathan
edit
don’t know it will work as well.
Good GOD I can’t type.
P
I have an 11″ bench-top model, and I just make sure to mount it to the edge of a work table, so I can swing the head out over the floor for drilling longer stock.
Porphyre
Others have covered most of the basics.
My opinion is that the spinning bits are the most important part of a press. I would go into this EXPECTING to replace the chuck. I would buy a lower priced 16 speed machine (or 12 if the low is really low, 200 or less) with the biggest swing I could afford and then buy a good quality $100-$200 chuck.
Although, I’ve had really good luck with my $90 Glacern Machine Tools chuck. Keyless, smooth operation, great bit gripping strength.
Josh
Arguably the most important part of a drill press is the quill travel. There’s a Lowes at Home Depot with 4″ quill travel, a lot of the less expensive presses only have 2-3 inches.
I’ve got the older Rigid DP1500, which is serving me quite well for the $150 I picked it up for.
fred
I’m not 100% sure why radial arm drill presses are not more popular – but maybe its like an RAS , the cheap ones may not be rigid enough or have beefy enough sliding ways to maintain accuracy. Sort of like comparing my old Craftsman RAS with the big old Dewalt we had sitting in one of the shops. My old WT’s head can tilt, travel along ways on almost a 3 foot arm, move up and down on its shaft and swing left and right (necessary since the table is stationary). Its quill travel is about 4-1/2 inches and speeds range from 160 to something like 8000RPM. With its cast Iron table (almost 3ft x 2 ft) and base – it probably weighs something like 800 to 1000 pounds – so there is no fear of tipping over.
Josh
When I last researched this, people complained about radial presses not staying square to the table. Most of the radial presses I’ve seen are cheap lighter duty Grizzly/Sears imports, yours is likely a different breed altogether. Grizzly sells a heavier duty radial press that actually looks pretty nice when you need to drill in the middle of a 34″ circle.
Jon
Fascinating. I’ve never seen a Lowe’s at Home Depot. 😉
James
I bought this one when the Grizzly store here was closing:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Speed-20-Floor-Drill-Press/G7948?utm_campaign=zPage
Seems to be great: extremely well built, lots of power compared to the Porter Cable I replaced with it, but about 2x the cost as well.
Scott
You might consider a used 15 or 17 inch Clausing. These are variable speed and great power. They are heavy but the best DP I have ever used. It took me a year to find a good one and I would not trade it for any of the Chinese imports. I think only two companies still make smaller DP’s in the US, Clausing and a smaller company, Ellis in Wisconson. I don’t believe that Clausing currently makes anything smaller than a 20 inch DP today, but good used 15 and 17 inch models are available on the used market. Either of these machines are great for wood or metal work and both are variable speed. With either of these you will never need another DP or regret what you paid for it. That is unless you decide to step up into a milling machine. But that a whole different story.
Scott
fred
+1 on the Clausing brand – but as I recall – both the Clausing engine lathe and drill press that we had in one of our shops were quite a bit more costly than any of the other machines being talked about here. I guess if I had bought my Walker Turner new (remarkable since it was likely sold new just before I was born) it also might have been in the Clausing price range.
M
I had a Clausing that I picked up used. It was a heavily built machine but came with a checkered past. A set screw came out during a simple operation and I could not find any help in fixing it outside of seeing a machinist. I went with a new Powermatic (that shipped broken the first time but – CPO has good customer service and sent us another). I am very happy with it and it makes drilling operations enjoyable.
ScubaSteve
Some of the smaller milling machines might fit the bill and add a heck of a lot of capabilities to a home shop. Just be sure to cover your ways and manage the sawdust closely. Grizzly makes a few mills with quills that are about the same price as some of the floor standing models….and can accept R8 collets and tooling so you can bore, flycut, facemill, etc. in addition to drilling holes.
JMG
If you have the space, find yourself a good used milling machine. It will make a great stable drilling platform with the ability to easily add many different attachments and clamping accessories. I mounted an old craftsman compressor inside of the base on mine and mounted the controls and attachments on the face with a switch to turn it off when not needed. Overall it made a great multi-use station. It’s a killer to move though…
Stuart
I have my small Taig, and at least one chuck for it. I went on a Rohm-buying spree, buying new chucks for all my benchtop tools.
I might buy a mini mill for heavier work than my Taig can do. But a full-sized one? I can’t handle that. I’d rather invest in a small CNC mill and small manual one than a larger manual one.
JMG
My setup is also on heavy casters to facilitate moving it around inside the garage. As it was used, the cost, as I remember, wasn’t a large deal, it was just the moving it from location to location. This was minimized with the use of an engine hoist and heavy tie-down straps to lift it on and off of transportation. Also, it is just a mid-sized unit and it came with a variety of tooling as the previous owner was retiring from his business and felt no need to keep any of it.
John Sullivan
I was actually a little surprised that Mill/Drills didn’t even come up until halfway down the comments. With Stuart’s (excuse me, Dr. Stuart’s) background, I’d have thought this to be an easy choice. Admittedly, this would stretch the budget a bit beyond the Powermatic drill press, but the milling versatility should justify the extra cost, right?
To be honest, I don’t have enough machining background to understand what draws the lines between categories of mill, drill, and mill/drill. Is there any chance of a ToolGuyd article on the distinctions?
Stuart
My understanding is that a mill/drill is similar to a mill, but with the addition of a traditional 3-arm handle that’s found on drill presses, for quicker Z-axis action.
Drill presses are heavy, but even small milling machines get really heavy really fast. You get greater capacity with a drill press, and also mill/drills are usually used exclusively for metalworking.
A Little Machine Shop mini mill is on my radar. It has an R8 spindle and drill-style handle. I’ll likely wait until I have my garage insulated. But that machine wouldn’t be a substitute for a majority of what I use my drill press for.
Drill: used exclusively for drilling holes, some accessories can increase versatility, such as drum sander bits.
Mill/Drill: a milling machine with enhanced drilling functionality?
Mill: a multi-functional metalworking machine that can be used for milling applications, and also drilling applications.
A lot of mills have drill handles. Honestly, I can’t easily tell the difference between the mill/drills I’ve looked at, and comparably sized mills.
ScubaSteve
A mill/drill is used for light milling and has a quill for frequent drilling. The spindle bearings are designed to take the side load, unlike a drill press. They generally do not have the ability to move the table in the Z-axis, but they are compact and offer a lot of versatility for a home shop. A true milling machine will allow the table to be moved in all axes, and may or may not have a quill (but very handy if they do). They will also generally offer automatic feeds where a mill/drill may not.
Grizzly offers the G0704 which is at about the same price point as a nice floor press, but offers a heck of a lot more precision and control over feeds, speeds, etc.
SawdustTX
For myself – who like you uses my drill press for a wide variety of purposes – the single biggest feature is variable speed without belt changes. Saves my bits, my time, ruined workpieces, and yes, flinging things across the shop. Obviously I could do the same with a belt change model, but too often I just didn’t bother messing with the belts, and I’d ruin things.
Regarding models designed for woodworkers, I don’t see the need. I find it better to make my own simple drill press table exactly the way I want it, using the same design for fence, etc. that I use on my other tools, so parts, stops, and hold downs are interchangeable. I want a wood surface over the metal table anyway, so the size of the underlying metal table is irrelevant.
I was very hesitant to buy the Delta I ended up with, b/c a lot of online reviews were bad. But I have had zero issues with the unit, and the accuracy is spot on. I really think too many people jump on a bandwagon, or maybe focus in on specific issues at the micron level that in real-world use just don’t matter. I do some fine detail small box making, and my holes are nice and tight.
I do limited furniture making (1-2 pieces/year in oak, maple, mesquite, walnut), limited fine box making, lots of cabinet work (solid and ply stock), light metalwork (steel, brass, aluminum), and home DIY everything.
What I did: after 20 years with a 14″ belt change model, I found a good deal on a used Delta (17-968) floor standing 16.5″ with a speed control lever (didn’t want electronics on what I consider a lifetime tool). 14″ table, 5″ quill travel. Not a vintage machine, it was only 5 years old. With 4 years of use, I absolutely love it and see no reason to ever need another.
Good luck with your decision – let us know what you do!
Brian
porter cable is a compelling offer among the lower model drill presses, price is right, convenient, built well enough.
When I shopped for a floor press, I found you couldnt really differentiate between drill presses until you stepped up to the Delta and powermatic. Of course these were 900 and $1300 respectively. The key feature of these 2 being 6″ quill travel and then the powermatic has a CVT drive.
These are pretty nice features IMO. I may not often drill 6″ deep, but that extra room is nice for clearance under the bit when your setting up.
Or hunt for a steel city that had all of the above for $700… too bad they went belly up.
Mike
Would it be worth going to a Drill/Mill style tool. The concept seems like a nice combo for those of us that need a drill press and want a mill but know they don’t need a full dedicated mill.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill/G0463?utm_campaign=zPage
Chris
Hi, I’d reccomend the Porter cable floor model drill press from lowes. It’s actually really well built and the motor is nice and strong. It only stalls if I try to force a 2″ forstner bit into material but at a moderate speed it’s fine. The controls are smooth and assembly is easy. I was able to do it myself but I do reccomend you have one other person as the head is very heavy. It has a nice chart on the belt cover to direct you to proper speeds for a variety of materials. It’s probably the best drill press you could find at a hardware/ big box store, unless it’s a specialized hardware store. Overall I’d say it’s a great drill press. The only thing I’m not fond of, is the Chuck. There seems to be some wobble bit I don’t do precision work so really it’s not noticeable in the work piece.
Yadda
I’ve considered building a larger table on one of the two bench top drill presses I own so I can work on larger pieces. You can also consider mounting a bench top on a separate stand and except for clearance and the size material you are in fine shape.
DH
I’ve been looking at getting a drill press here lately too (not upgrading, just don’t have one) and the PC at Lowes caught my eye – except it’s sold out everywhere near me…. Anything comparable?
Bill K
A couple of years ago, I was in the market for a benchtop drill press and after accessing the market, I ended up buying the largest bench top at Harbor Freight. Despite early skepticism, I have not had any regrets. The unit is unique in that it has a rotating table which has proven to be a great feature as it effectively expands the work area. I also like the larger vertical travel than the norm for bench tops. I’ve actually set-up my bench top to make a small vertical lathe…. It worked great.
All for less than $100! As compared to the Craftsman units, my HF unit looks very robust. One disclaimer, is I’m not heavy user as I don’t use it a lot….. but when I do, it doesn’t let me down. Right now i have a project where I’m drilling holes in 3/8 inch plate with ease.
Bill K
As a follow-up…..
Mentioned earlier that I was presently drilling some holes in steel for a current project with my drill press. While continuing today, by accident I drilled thru the steel being drilled and went 1/4 inch into a piece of nickel I was using as a standoff…. by mistake. I was wondering why my drill had not broken thru, when I discovered I was drilling into the nickel. My drill press with a HSS drill bit was doing an amazing job (This particular nickel alloy is a tough material to cut, and work hardens if not cut properly.)
Evan
If it were me I would get a milling machine. If you don’t have that kind of room get a bench-top mill. You won’t regret it. I have both a mill and drill press but if I could only have one it would definitely be the mill.
P.S.- Don’t waste your time and money buying some thing like a Jet. They are junk and made in Taiwan. If you are going to buy new tools make sure they are built with quality.
Emma
I have recently purchased the Powermatic 2800b drill press. Its very nice. Well put together and the variable speed setting is extremely useful. If you are looking at Amazon reviews on it make sure you are not looking at the reviews for the older version which I think had some issues. I was thinking about going with a mill but since I will be mainly using it for woodworking it seemed like going with a standard press would be more convenient.
Rick
I’d go with a larger floor model if you have the space. I have a 8″ older model Delta bench top drill press. It’s worked great but when I recently started woodworking and using it a lot I ran into trouble. Im part of a local woodcrafters club that makes small wooden toys for needy kids at Christmas. Some of the toys require a lot of drilling. The table on my drill press is very similar to the Chraftsman model you have pictured. The table is small and height is adjusted by lifting it by hand. I made a 1-1/2″ thick drill press table that I attached to the table on the press. While I love the benefits of the drill press table I’ve run into 2 issues. First I’m limited to smaller workpiece sizes due to the length of the drill press support column. Second, I have to raise or lower the drill press table by hand and make sure my hands are pushing against the metal table that the drill press table is mounted to. This makes it somewhat difficult as the workpiece size increases due to limited space from the workpiece to the drill bit tip. The table wants to move in chunks rather than smoothly moving up or down. Most bench top model drill presses I’ve seen with cranks to adjust elevation, seem to present a problem of the crank hitting the drill press table unless you are lucky or design the drill press table to consider this. Most floor models I’ve seen not only have more power, but also seem to have enough room for the elevation crank not to interfere with a drill press table.
Jim Felt
My only experience with a table top variable speed DP was the first Delta 350 (I believe). Maybe 12-14 years ago. It spent time at the local Delta repair station once or twice and eventually I just accepted the weird noises it created.
Until it shattered a pulley inside the head. And Delta claimed to have no repair pulleys. Zip. And I found a shop on Michigan that specialises in aftermarket out of stock parts. And was very familiar with Delta’s shortcomings. They finally contacted me about availability a few months after I gave the crappy thing away on Craig’s List.
Hopefully the newer models have better spec’d materials.
Jon
I couldn’t be happier with my Delta benchtop drill press. It is the most accurate drill press I’ve ever used (except the silly depth stop), and it runs like a top. I would estimate that it is a late 90’s or early 2000’s model.
Tony
I second what Porphyre says. Buy a chuck, the OEM chucks that come with cheap drill presses are not very good. I bought a $30 SB1372 and new arbor which eliminated most of the run out (less then .001 now) on a cheap Delta drill press. I also recommend replacing the belt with a link belt to remove vibration.
Rob
Do you have any nearby shops that carry the likes of Jet/Powermatic, Rikon, Delta, Steel City (defunct) or General? Most of the stationary machines are pumped out of the same factories in Taiwan; made to order with different quality components. A lot look the same, but don’t feel the same.
If you’re buying new: Jet, General or Grizzly. In that order.
I’d recommend Steel City, first, if they hadn’t gone under.
I haven’t seen the Delta drill press in person that people rave about.
Nor have I seen Baleigh stuff in person.
The Powermatic has a nice table (and fence?) from what I recall.
Maybe I’ll have time to stop over at a few stores to refresh my memory.
I’m going to be honest, the vintage machines are much more expensively built, but that also means they weigh as much as a tank and don’t have some of the awesome newer tables I’ve seen.