Truthlesshero81
Active Member
- Sep 30, 2011
- 607
Looking to buy a drill press for upcoming projects, mainly AK related. Looking for recommendations in the 100-200 dollar range. Anyone having any personal wisdom to share would be appreciated.
Drill Press Recommendations Wanted
- Thread starter Truthlesshero81
- Start date
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TheOriginalMexicanBob
Ultimate Member
Avoid Harbor Freight. For light duty...maybe. I wouldn't trust anything important to their stuff. You might look at what machine shops use.
iH8DemLibz
When All Else Fails.
I've been trying to break my 1/2" Ryobi benchtop model for the past twenty years or so.
It's taken everything I've thrown at it. And it won't break.
Damnable well made products.
It's taken everything I've thrown at it. And it won't break.
Damnable well made products.
Ranchero50
Ultimate Member
Large sized iron table that rotates about the column but does not swivel about either axis. Larger column, 1/2 hp motor 1/2" chuck with as many speeds as you can get. The hardest thing with a drill press is holding your part to do the work. Smaller machinist vise or clamp setup to hold is needed. it's very easy to run out of table room on smaller ones and if they swivel they'll come loose at the worst time.
bmkoenig
Active Member
Keep an eye one Craigslist and Facebook marketplace. I was able to get a nice vintage american made floor model drill press in your price range. A little TLC and the press is as good as new.
I inherited my Grandfathers benchtop drill press, but soon found out that the capacity is limited and went searching for a floor model.
Also look for a press with slow speed. Drill presses designed for wood generally have too high an RPM for drilling metal.
You are probably going to also want to look into getting a drill press vice of some type. Securing your workpiece while drilling is important. While drilling, if your drill bit catches the work and starts spinning it, it can be a bad day.
I inherited my Grandfathers benchtop drill press, but soon found out that the capacity is limited and went searching for a floor model.
Also look for a press with slow speed. Drill presses designed for wood generally have too high an RPM for drilling metal.
You are probably going to also want to look into getting a drill press vice of some type. Securing your workpiece while drilling is important. While drilling, if your drill bit catches the work and starts spinning it, it can be a bad day.
iH8DemLibz
When All Else Fails.
I have a Walker Turner drill press that My father gave me. It was made in the 1940s. If you can find one, the quality far exceeds anything made today. They turn up on Craigs List occasionally. If you can find a Walker Turner you will not be disappointed. I believe the company was acquired by Delta in the 1950s. You cannot beat American quality from that era. Steve
Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
I'm usually a fan of Harbor Fright (sic) for occasional use tools, but I have to agree with TOMB on the drill press. AVOID!!!
Truthlesshero81
Active Member
- Sep 30, 2011
- 607
I’m in the free state of Texas currently, appreciate the offer though
Keep the suggestions coming guys, lots of good stuff!
MindTheGAP
Active Member
which model, how old, and how much? I, too, need something to replace the Shopsmith's inadequacies for metal work.
Radio_Flyer
Active Member
- Jun 18, 2015
- 263
I bought this one for a couple projects and have been super happy with it. Great price and works very well. With an inexpensive cross vice it worked well to mill an 80% recently as well https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HQONFVE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rambler
Doing the best with the worst.
- Oct 22, 2011
- 2,215
I suggest you take a look at mscdirect.com to get an idea of what new lower to mid-priced drill presses have in features versus price. That way you can have something to compare used to. A used older US made press may be well made, but you have to evaluate it for wear. Some of the earlier Taiwanese made drill presses are well made too and seem to pop up often on the used market. Again, look for wear.
When looking at a used machine, take along some bits and scrap pieces to test. (Also, safety glasses). First, take a good look at all parts of the machine. Check the drive belts for wear and fraying. Look for missing belt guards and other parts. Check the power cord(s), wiring, switches, motor etc for cracks, inept rewiring and signs of abuse or neglect. If the table has a lot of drill marks and holes, it can indicate hard and abusive wear. With the spindle off, grab the chuck and try to move it fore and aft, left and right and up and down to get a feel for wear. There is always some play in the spindle, but excessive wear in the bearings is easily noted. The chuck itself and the chuck key can be a dead giveaway of hard use. The chuck can usually be replaced; but, take that into account on price. Also, test the locks on the spindle down-feed and table adjustment. They can often be adjusted for wear. But, their failure to securely hold is a bargaining point. If the machine seems safe to use, then definitely chuck in some nice new bits and run the spindle to check for run out. Finally, drill some holes in the material you brought to evaluate the actual use of the machine.
When looking at a used machine, take along some bits and scrap pieces to test. (Also, safety glasses). First, take a good look at all parts of the machine. Check the drive belts for wear and fraying. Look for missing belt guards and other parts. Check the power cord(s), wiring, switches, motor etc for cracks, inept rewiring and signs of abuse or neglect. If the table has a lot of drill marks and holes, it can indicate hard and abusive wear. With the spindle off, grab the chuck and try to move it fore and aft, left and right and up and down to get a feel for wear. There is always some play in the spindle, but excessive wear in the bearings is easily noted. The chuck itself and the chuck key can be a dead giveaway of hard use. The chuck can usually be replaced; but, take that into account on price. Also, test the locks on the spindle down-feed and table adjustment. They can often be adjusted for wear. But, their failure to securely hold is a bargaining point. If the machine seems safe to use, then definitely chuck in some nice new bits and run the spindle to check for run out. Finally, drill some holes in the material you brought to evaluate the actual use of the machine.
wilcam47
Ultimate Member
for that price stay away from harbor freight. But check your local craigslist for deals. My biggest regret when getting a smaller drill press was it didnt have the ability to drill larger length pieces. and sharp quality bits are important.
alucard0822
For great Justice
I'll echo Craigslist, although have had decent luck with Delta and Ryobi, think most of the low-end presses are basically the same, better brand might get you better features or better warranty. The spindle stroke is important, the larger the press, usually the deeper you can drill, or the easier it is to use a long bit, and get around obstacles. Larger tables have room for milling fixtures, which come in really handy to cut slots and basic milling.
Believe it's a DP121L, about 3 years old, not used very much. PM me your info and I'll send a pic. $100
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