Can you suggest a good entry level drill press. Ryobi, Delta ???????? or other
Regards Mark
Can you suggest a good entry level drill press. Ryobi, Delta ???????? or other
Regards Mark
how much you wanna spend? I've got a floor model Delta that suits me fine. 17-965. plenty of quill travel and adequate quality. much nicer of a DP than the Delta 14 BS.
dave
Why entry level? Afraid you're not going to use it much? Hah! The drill press may well be the most used tool in my shop. It probably will be in yours, too.
Get a 16½" or 17" (or whatever dimension they're calling them these days) floor model drill press and you'll never want in that tool category again. Delta has changed their drill press (and other tool) model numbers, but the old 17-900 which was supplanted by the 17-965 is hard to beat at around the $300-400 price range.
I'm not a fan of Jet, but their drill press has been well reviewed by several posters here and on other fora.
Powermatic also makes one in the same range that probably would be good, too.
Don't discount General, either (or General International, their import line).
Almost anything you get is going to be a Chiwanese import, if that matters to you. You would probably be hard pressed (and cash poor afterward) to find an American made drill press.
Call me fickle, but I haven't found much of anything from Ryobi that I would care to have in my shop. Some other manufacturer's products aren't listed here for the same reason.
- - LRod
Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite
Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999
glad you like yours too, Mark. It's one of only 3 pieces of Delta gear I have. Unisaw, sander, and the DP. Other Delta equipment has let me down. I won't mention exactly what, or you'll see 16 guys whining that I'm bringing up old news. :) Here's a hint: the tools rhymes with "grandpa".
dave
ONE Ryobi piece that's ok IMO is the OSS. Bought one after Mike in Mystic told me how much he liked his. He was right. I've given up on other Ryobi tools. I have their ROS: POS. Replaced it with a PC and let the Ryobi gather dust.
dave
Drill presses are not high expensive items, so try to get the best you can afford. I have a floor model Delta and love it. One drawback is to change speeds you need to juggle a belt over two cone pulleys. A variable speed "dial" model is more money, however. You want one with very little run out.
I have a 12" Delta benchtop model. I'd say that is the minimum you want. Don't bother with the 10" machines. You also want one that has a crank handle for table height adjustment, not have to do it by hand.
If you have the space and money, get a larger floor model. I use my DP often. It is one of the first tools I bought and I don't regret it at all. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net
Refurb'd Delta 12" Benchtop from ToolKing. $125.
yes, but I avoid mentioning it for fear of not getting into my flame retardant suit quickly enough to avoid the flames! :) My current BS is a Powermatic, which I really like a lot. (But I bet you already knew that, huh?)
dave
Mark L. wrote:
As for the table height adjustment, excellent point. I learned the hard way with my entry-level DP that does not have it. I am now in DP time-out
- making due for now.
Nope - I'd call you careful. That said - their OSS and the BE321 VS 3x21" Belt Sander have found a warm spot in my heart. The more I use both - the more I'm convinced they're in a nice weekend-warrior / value spot.
A $50-$100 good used unit from your local want ads. I spent $100 on mine at an estate sale; big motor, 17 speed, 15" "benchtop" (at 100 lbs and 37" total height, calling it a benchtop is iffy). 20 year old Chinese import at that, and it's *still* good, little to no runout, etc (it was an industrial model, used strictly for metal drilling by prior owner).
thanks,
--randy
Thu, Jul 8, 2004, 3:24pm snipped-for-privacy@sympatico.ca wants to know: Can you suggest a good entry level drill press. Ryobi, Delta ???????? or other
I've read the other responses. My response is, it depends.
Depends on a number of things, as usual. How much you got to spend? What do you want to use iit for? Drilling holes in wood will never require the accuracy that some metal drilling will. Etc., etc., etc.
I've got a $50 Harbor Freight bench model drillpress that handles most of my drilling needs, in metal, or wood. The rest is taken care of with a B&D drill. Both are plenty accrate enough.
What I don't do, is use both every day, or to make a living with them. If I used them every day, I might, or might not, get something else. If I was concerned with making a living with them. I'd have heavier duty versions of both. As is, I doubt I'll replace my HF model.
JOAT What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
- Sir John Lubbock
This is the one I have. I picked it up after Charley Self recomended it as a best buy a few years back
If you're running on a tight budget, check with your nearest tool dealer for factory-reconditioned tools, they work fine for a little over half-price.
Newby here... what is "run-out" ???
Alex
Alex
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