# Which Drill Press Do You Use?



## hobby_dale (May 10, 2005)

Hey folks, I am looking to get a benchtop drill press (as space is limited) and wondered what you all are using?  Sharing brands, models, etc would be helpful.  

I am concerned about the stroke and as I saw in the FAQ, 3" is a good amount.  Most of the 10" drill presses have a 2 1/4" or 2 3/8" stroke.  I don't think this will be enough to drill through the blank, without having to move the bit, table, etc.  I really don't want to do that for each blank.  Some 12" drill presses (Ryobi, Delta DP300 VS) have a 3 1/4" stroke, which seem better, but the cost does go up.

So if you have a moment, I would greatly appreciate any thoughts and/or advice you have for a newbie.

Thanks in advance,
Dale


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## JimGo (May 10, 2005)

I have a little 10" Harbor Freight drill press, and it has something like a 2.25" stroke.  I do have to move the blank/table/bit for most of the stuff I drill, but it was about 1/4 to 1/5 the price of the ones with the 3"+ stroke.  I use a self-centering vise, and am careful to line every up as well I can.


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## its_virgil (May 10, 2005)

I used a bench top for a few years and I would drill as far as I could, stop the bit leaving it inside the hole and raise the vice, slide a shim made from plywood squares under the vice and finish drilling. I found this easier and more convenient that raising the table. I used the HF central machinery 8" drill press. It worked just fine e3xcept for quill travel.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## ctEaglesc (May 10, 2005)

Two points.
If you have the foot print for a floor model get on and build a cabinet around it.
The problem with a bench top is that is where it stays, on the bench.It is not like other bench top tools that are easily stored away when not in use.
I'm a big guy but my Ryobi 12" is unwieldly and top heavey and there is no other place to put it.
A floor model can accomodate some nicely designed cabinets for  bits and other storage.
My ryobi and comparable models have a 3&1/4 quill travel.
If the specs don't say what it is chances are it is a 2 or 2&1/4 travel.
They'll work but are a pain.
Take a tape measure with you and check it out.
Either that or go borrow one from the end cap in the store and use it.


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## rtjw (May 10, 2005)

I use a ryobi and it does a great job for me.


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## Daniel (May 10, 2005)

From what I have found by the time you get to a bench top drill press with enough quill travel, you are into the price of a decent floor model. If possible seriously consider the build around it idea shared above. if a bench top is all you can fit in then go the extra distance for enough quill. although the block idea is a good answer to a short quill.


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## Travlr7 (May 11, 2005)

The local Sears store, several years ago, was moving. They sold off all their tools at a great price reduction. I bought their 34" tabletop, radial drill press. It has served me well, both for drilling pen blanks and other things, even horizontal boring.

Bruce[]


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## ryannmphs (May 11, 2005)

I have a VERY old Enco bench top drill press.  I picked it up at an estate sale for $50.00 and I have used the fool out of it.  I am now looking at a grizzly floor model when I can get the funds.  It will have a 3 1/4" quill travel.  I would opt for the model with the 4" travel but the price jump is a bit too steep for me, and I don't think I have yet had a reason to drill more than 3 1/4" (longwood).
I agree with what everyone else has said get yourself the floor model and build a cabinet around it, upgrade the drill press and get more storage space.
Ryan


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## wayneis (May 11, 2005)

Variable speed Delta.  I love it as all I have to do to change speeds is turn a little lever and it has plenty of travel.  This is my second Delta, my first I still have it only havs a broken return spring so I'm thinking about making it into a buffer.  Instead of having to mess around with hooking it all up to my lathe it would be nice to have it all set on its own machine.

Wayne


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## jdavis (May 11, 2005)

I would buy a variable speed Delta. They are good products for the money. Lowe's has a good one.


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## ilikewood (May 11, 2005)

I use one of the industrial HF ones (variable speed).  I don't know about a whole lot of the other stuff they sell, but this is one tank of a drill press (floor model industrial).


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## Randy (May 11, 2005)

I bought a Ryobi (Home Depot) and have been very please with it.


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## rtparso (May 11, 2005)

Harbor Freight 12 speed. 2 3/8 stroke is JUST long enough.


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## opfoto (May 11, 2005)

I am using a Craftsman 12 speed, 15" floor model. So far so good. Very happy with it so far. $250ish 5-6 yrs ago.


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## hobby_dale (May 12, 2005)

Thanks for the replies!  I think a floor model offers the most flexibility and may get to the point where I can use such a machine in the future.  For now, I thought I would start off with a bench style and work up from there.  It appears that 2 3/8 stroke is just enough.  I guess moving the blank, table, etc are not really what I want to do each time I drill, as I would be concerned that I couldn't clear the chips out of the blank.  So I guess it means looking into the 3 1/4 models, such as the Ryobi DP120 or Delta DP350.  Maybe I am looking at this wrong, but it seems that for a little more money, there is a lot less hassle.


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## ctEaglesc (May 12, 2005)

My Ryobi bench top has a 3&1/4 quill travel.
Think REAL HARD about not getting a floor model.
The space it takes up is always spoken for.
As I stated earlier you can make a cabinet that fits under the floor models table that is cut out for the post.
My shop is 12X16 without enough bench space(yeah I know Lou and others,there are smaller shops, but I also have an 8" jointer with 6' beds, a 14" bandsaw and a full size table saw and thinking of adding another table saw.)
If you have enough foot print and your bench space is marginal go with a floor model.
A HF floor model is comparable in price to my Ryobi bench top.( I f you weren't so far I'd make you a deal on mine and I"D get a floor model.)


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## Rifleman1776 (May 12, 2005)

Grizzly G7943, bench top model. Fine machine but if I had it to do over I would get the floor model. G7944.


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## Geo in Winnipeg (May 13, 2005)

Variable speed Delta DP350. To change speeds just turn the lever (500-3100RPM) and it has 3 1/4" of quill travel. It has a quill lock and depth stop. One thing - Delta says to oil the speed changing mechanism every day. Not necessary unless it's in production type use. Service guy says for hobby use maybe once every couple of weeks. To oil it you have to remove a top cover plate - 6 screws - a PITA. I'm going to hinge the top cover and toss the screws.
Oh, and I paid $199 in Nov/04 at HD. I have no complainys with it.


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## hobby_dale (May 13, 2005)

Geo,

How do you know which speed you are drilling at?  Does the dial have the speeds listed, or it is a guess mechanism?

Thanks,
Dale


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## Geo in Winnipeg (May 13, 2005)

Dale, the escutcheon plate under the control lever is marked "500" at the min point and "3100" at the max point. There's no numbers in between but the Delta service guy said that the adjustment is linear so halway on the plate would be 3100-500/2=1300rpm. I am (someday) going to make a plate to cover the existing one with a proper scale on it. I haven't had any problem just interpolating and I don't think a few rpm's here or there matters anyway. With stepped pulleys you can't obtain rpms in between the steps and if there's only 5 speeds available they are spread pretty far apart.
Oh, in addition to what I said in the previous post DO NOT adjust the speed without the drill press running. These type of drives are damaged by doing this - $$$ to fix. Didn't happen to me - I was told in advance. HTH


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## hobby_dale (May 13, 2005)

Thanks for the info, and that is what I expected.  The part about not adjusting the speed without it running is very helpful and will remember that.  Also, how quiet is the DP?  Folks mention the Ryobi is loud and I just wondered about the Delta.  Is there any special oil that is needed for lubrication, or just 3-in-1 type oil?  Thanks, Dale


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## hobby_dale (May 13, 2005)

Geo,  here is something I found on Amazon in a review of the DP350.  Hope it helps you (and others) in labelling the speed dial:

    The speed dial decal inexplicably shows only the lowest and highest speeds: 500 RPM
    and 3100 RPM. I calculated approximate RPMs at the beginning and end of each range,
    and made a new speed decal. 

    Range 1: 500 to 760 
    Range 2: 800 to 1235 
    Range 3: 1305 to 1950 
    Range 4: 2060 to 3100 

HTH,
Dale


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## coach (May 13, 2005)

12 inch Ryobi bench top.  I love it!


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## chrisc (May 13, 2005)

I picked up the Ryobi 12 a couple of weeks ago. Works great.


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## hobby_dale (May 13, 2005)

Coach and chrisc, do either of you have the vibration problems mentioned in some of the other posts or reviews?  I was looking at that one, but wondered how it held up with the fit and finish.


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## Geo in Winnipeg (May 13, 2005)

Dale, thanks for the info on the speeds for the DP350. They sound reasonable. I think the dp is fairly quiet. Noisiest at the highest speed of course but not bad. I checked the manual abd it says to use "light machine oil" so I guess 3-in-one should work fine.
Here's the url for the manual http://media.ptg-online.com/media/dm/OwnersManuals/20030224110637_En905584-01-31-03.pdf


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## hobby_dale (May 13, 2005)

Geo, thanks for the update and link to the manual.  Looks pretty straightforward, easy to setup and use.  Will definitely add it to my list of top models to consider.  Cheers, Dale


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## bigvoots44 (Jun 10, 2005)

I had a 8 inch delta. It was a real pain in the butt. I then built a carriage for my lathe and drilled my blanks with the lathe. Two weeks ago i was in a swap shop and found a brand new delta 10 inck. got it for my old delta and 20 dollars. so far am quite happy with it.
fred


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## woodscavenger (Jun 10, 2005)

Look at your local pawn shops first.  I found a large floor model for $50 that has at least 3" travel.  It is built like a tank!


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## hobby_dale (Jun 10, 2005)

Good suggestion, you never know what things you can find there.


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## Doghouse (Jun 10, 2005)

I have the DP350, and aside from not likeing the reeves drive, it is a good drill press.  On the other hand it is solid, and have very little runout.  I would also consider table depth as you never know what you are going to graduate up to later...


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## hobby_dale (Jun 10, 2005)

Thanks Doghouse, I also just got the DP350.  Deal seemed to be pretty good, so I decided to give it a try.  For now, I should be fine on the table depth.  When my space gets larger, so may my interests.  []  We'll see how it goes with the reeves drive.  If the Delta fix has been applied, everything should be fine.  Best, Dale


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## mtnguy (Jun 12, 2005)

The Rigid 15" floor model has a 3-3/4" quill travel. If you are concerned about footprint space on the floor, plan a permanent place at one of your benches and cut a proprietary hole for the column down thru the top - right down to the floor.
Remove the foot, drop the column down into the precisely fit cut-out and re-attach the foot under the bench.
This way, you get benchtop space-savings while enjoying the benefits of a larger machine. Fixing a drill press into your bench this way also does away with the tendancy to weeble-wobble if bumped. Make sure the bench is hefty enough to take this (enclosed benches attached to a wall are a good candidate).


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## BigRob777 (Jul 2, 2005)

Dale,
I got a Central Machinery 16 speed 12" for fifty bucks, with some credit card coupons.  I put our trip to Hawaii on the card and got a hundred bucks off of the thing.  It was on sale for $139 and is 3/4 HP.  I can't tell you how well it works, as it is still not set up.  It is a beast, though.  It is 41" tall and I built my bench high to begin with, to accomodate my height.  I have high hopes for this one.  I wish I could tell you about the stroke, but I don't know.  Not much help here, other than to tell you that you can get them on sale for $139.00.  Be blessed in your search.[]


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## hobby_dale (Jul 3, 2005)

Thanks Rob, that is good information.  Glad it worked out for you to save a few buck in the process.  Hope it goes well when you get it up and running.

All the best,
Dale


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## scalawagtoo (Jul 3, 2005)

Watch out for the Delta variable speed models!
My DP250 had a 3 inch stoke ( the box said 3 1/4)

I loved it's features at first but the expanding pulley system had to be replaced after a few hours of use.

I now use a Craftsman floor model with "U change it" pulley
It has an actual 3 1/4 stroke.

I have plenty of floor space so that's not a problem.

Cheap pot metal collar for depth stop, ear broke off,  collar cannot be removed or replaced with out major surgery.
That's why God made hoseclamps![]


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## hobby_dale (Jul 3, 2005)

I see what you mean and I'll keep an eye out for the actual stroke length.  Yes, you got to love those hoseclamps!


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## Dario (Jul 3, 2005)

Here is my choice...if only I find money to buy it...so many toys, so little money  [V] sigh.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DD1BE/qid=1120449195/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0999423-7133701?v=glance&s=hi&n=1000

http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?itemnumber=H0626

Locally I can get it for $195.00 plus tax but no shipping.


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## dubdrvrkev (Jul 4, 2005)

That is the leading one for me at the moment...birthday is comming up.[}]


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## scalawagtoo (Jul 4, 2005)

Foxey Fox!

Incidentally, I use PSI's self centering drill press vise and I love it. It works real well for a lot of operations beside centering pen blanks. 

I drilled half inch holes in each end of the wooden base, put in half inch carriage bolts with wing nuts above to lock it to the table after centering with a drillbit in the chuck.

Carriage bolt heads slide into table slots.


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## hobby_dale (Jul 5, 2005)

Dario, that does look like a really nice DP!  Paul, I also have a self-centering vise and agree it works really well.  Thanks...


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## Tom McMillan (Jul 5, 2005)

I have the Shop Fox table top drill press that also does oscillating sanding.  It has a 3 1/4 inch spindle travel.  This has been a great improvement for me over my small Harbor Freight drill press I used to have.


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