I've had a 17" Jet floor-standing drill press for several years now. I believe it cost about $400 or so and has 16 speeds. In retrospect I'd opt for a DP with fewer speeds - and changing via a variable speed dial would be easier than swapping the belts by hand. I tend to only use a couple slow speeds, a couple medium and a couple fast. The rest just sit there unused and unappreciated, wasting away with each passing day.
I've also upgraded the factory chuck (apt name as I chucked it after the innards turned to mush and gravel) with an Albrecht clone. That change alone made a big difference in visible runout.
Consider also that some DP tables are square/rectangular and some are round. The Jet's is round and I believe I'd prefer square instead - easier to make a well fitting aux. table.