| What are the best options regarding the purchase of a drill press? | Is there a quality bench top model? Is a floor model the only | "serious" way to go? I'm not a professional by any means, but I | take my projects seriously. Either way I want a quality unit, It | doesn't have to be the best though.
Mike...
Both bench and floor drill presses come in a full range of qualities. I have one of both types, and prefer the floor model for most work.
I'll offer some things to consider:
[1] I've found that 1.5 hp is an absolute minimum for usefulness in my shop. I drill wood, aluminum, brass, and (occasionally) steel and less than 1-1/2 horsepower tends to stall in 3/8" and 1/2" holes when drilling metal.
[2] I want
/at least/ 3" quill travel. You'll need to decide how deep you want to drill and chose a drill that has that much quill travel.
[3] My floor press has a variable speed direct drive that lets me adjust the spindle speed to suit the drilling without needing to move a belt from one pulley to another. IMO this is a
*huge* convenience factor.
[4] Think about how you think you'll use the press and what kind of table would best suit those operations. There are tables that tilt, rotate, and/or can be swung around the column. My floor model has a radial head and non-tilting, non-rotating table that can be swung out of the way. I wish it had a crank up/down capability, but I'm not sure that wouldn't interfere with the ability to swing the table out of the way.
[5] If you're considering a mortising jig, then you'll want to make certain that the quill size allows for attaching that jig. Don't take for granted that all quills are the same size - they aren't.
[6] You may want to pay attention to the range of bit sizes you can chuck up on your DP. Most drill presses I've seen have a chuck that'll hold up to a 1/2" bit but there is some variation in ability to hold small bits.
-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA
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