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Drill press recommendation?

Ed_Wischmeyer

Well Known Member
My ancient bench-top drill press has started to have episodes of the chuck coming off the spindle (taper fit). Tapping the chuck back onto the spindle is, these days, only a temporary fix.

Any suggestions for a more permanent fix? Or what to buy new? I'm not interested in a cheap Harbor Freight unit. Accessible vendors include Home Depot, Lowes, and Sears, or anything on line with cheap shipping.

Thanks,

Ed
 
I would cruise the Craigslist listings. I struggled with mid-priced units and they just weren't tight and frustrating to use. I found a 50+ year old free standing Delta (owned by Rockwell back then). It is built like a tank and is wonderful to use. Very tight, square and true. I only paid $100.

Also, I believe there is a special adhesive for press fit steel that helps it hold. It might be worth a try. I don't recall the name.

Larry
 
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Cheap drill press

Every time I attempt to use my cheap drill press I regret not spending more and getting a really good one. One day...
 
Don't buy a Wilton

Did a lot of research a few years back and decided that a Wilton (same company as the vices?) would be a quality machine. Loose bearings in the head? have given me fits ever since day one. If I had a mill and lathe, I could fix it.

Don't have the time now - it's at least as bad as HF stuff and I paid .8K for it.

Not good - stay away.:mad::eek::(
 
Grizzly tools in Springfield MO on line

Good quality and convenient to buy online. Not typical cheap ChiCom stuff. I have a mill and SOUTH BEND lathe ( go figure ? ) from them and recently pitched my cheap drill press for all the problems mentioned above and bought a bench top drill press . Prices wont compete with Craigs list but you know what your getting.

BTW, anybody want South Bend 9" lathe . Dont need it anymore, bought a new one that has easy gear change levers for threading.
 
Recommendation

Drill presses are like cameras, phones, cars, golf clubs, airplanes, wives and fishing boats. Get the very best one you can afford.
 
So, Ed . . . which taper is not holding? The morse or the jacobs? why not just clean them, lap if needed and reinstall. This is a repairable issue if the all the other performance of the DP is acceptable.

Or like SCARD says, get a Clausing. $1000-1500 used in good condition.
 
Just replaced my Delta

Tooling up for the next build and just replaced my old Delta with. WEN 3962 off of Amazon. I did a lot of shopping and comparing and finally decided on this drill based upon the reviews.

Bottom line is that it is REALLY nice and hands down better than anything I could find in this price range. I would recommend it.
 
Whoops

Yep, that's right....got it mixed up....sorry

Bought the WEN 4210 drill press.....again, it is REALLY nice (as well as the band saw)
 
Because they will all be outdated in a year or two? ;-)

-Marc

Nah, good old iron is timeless. I would love to get my hands on a "slightly used" mid '30s south bend drill press. Just so my Clausing had a buddy to talk to when the shop lights are out.

Sorry, I've been trying to avoid this thread, but since my name was dropped... :).
 
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If you see a brand called Fobco, get one. British made, beautiful drill. I was lucky enough to get a cracker for a couple of hundred.
 
My suggestion is buy OLD

My experience is: to get a good drill press for a reasonable price, buy an old one. An old Atlas, Craftsman, Delta, or South bend, or an of the know old names. They will work perfectly and last you lifetime. Any of the newer garbage you will hate. I have probably 10 drill presses, 3 lathes, mills etc. The only good stuff is the old stuff. To get decent stuff new, you need to spend crazy money. Look on craig's list and you can get a nice machine for under $100.
 
Tooling up for the next build and just replaced my old Delta with. WEN 3962 off of Amazon. I did a lot of shopping and comparing and finally decided on this drill based upon the reviews.

Bottom line is that it is REALLY nice and hands down better than anything I could find in this price range. I would recommend it.

Same here only I got the 12" version:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-12-in-Variable-Speed-Drill-Press-4214/204994931

91301f77-6496-4be6-ac3f-292e20467ad0_1000.jpg


I am impressed with this drill press especially considering the price ($200-ish). My old Delta now is delegated to sanding drum duty.
 
I will never buy another drill press. When I needed a drill press last time, I decided to replace it with a small milling machine. It does *everything* that a drill press could, and much more, and does it all much more accurately.

MicroMark sells this one but Grizzly and a couple other places sell the same machine under their own brand name.
 
As others mentioned, watch CL. I picked up a South Bend bench top to augment my other presses for small work. $50
It is probably a 1950 vintage. Perfect working order and will be for the next caretakers life time.
 
milling machine

I will never buy another drill press. When I needed a drill press last time, I decided to replace it with a small milling machine. It does *everything* that a drill press could, and much more, and does it all much more accurately.

MicroMark sells this one but Grizzly and a couple other places sell the same machine under their own brand name.
If I bought one of these things I'd spend all my shop time making stuff instead of building an airplane! Very cool machine - I had no idea that they were that reasonably priced. I assume that the chuck is pretty straight and solid?
 
Cleaning Tapered Drill Spindles

So, Ed . . . which taper is not holding? The morse or the jacobs? why not just clean them, lap if needed and reinstall. This is a repairable issue if the all the other performance of the DP is acceptable.

Or like SCARD says, get a Clausing. $1000-1500 used in good condition.

Yes, and clean them with a solvent like acetone, NOT OIL. NOT Fuel oil. Oil is too thick. You need to clean the very clean with no molecules of anything in there. So a solvent like acetone or MEK is best then don't touch the surface and put it back together.

PS, you need several drill presses.
 
Jet 13R

I've got a Jet 13R that I got second hand in 1977. It's been a very decent drill press. I use it regularly. Works well.

It lacks some features that would be nice: variable-speed drive (I have to manually move the belt from one set of pulleys to another), a way to lock the spindle vertically (useful in making positional adjustments), and a laser (which would be another way to do it).

It's just a basic bench drill press and I'm glad to have it.

Dave
 
I have one of each. 20 years ago I bought an el cheapo from Big Lots. To keep the drill chuck on the taper I spot welded it on. That fixed that but when you put pressure on it while drilling the table flexes down and makes it drill a curve. Oh well, it works pretty good on wood. Later I bought a Grizzly mill/drill. It was well worth the money. I have done some milling with it but it is a better drill press than mill. The great thing about it is that you can use the table mover screws to drill holes with precise placement etc.
 
Sam - I've had one of those for a few years now. I think I'll just be using it a lot more now.
 
Chuck for Wen Drill Press

I too have the Wen bench model drill press noted above.

Three things I did to it to make it a bit more "user friendly" for my purposes.

I cut 6" off the column to lower the headstock to a more reasonable operating position when it is mounted to my work table (36" high), I replaced the honkin' 5/8" chuck with a more appropriate (I think) 3/8 chuck; and I put an On/Off switch on the power cord so I can turn off the LED readout when not using the machine. I didn't like the idea of leaving that light on for eternity.

Since the drill uses a No. 2 MT in the quill - it is a simple replacement. Small when you want it most of the time; and, changed out those few times when you need 1/2 or larger, makes its overall use more convenient.

I found the laser centering lights not to be very accurate - but probably will not be used for that purpose very often.

David Howe
 
I recently added this little Wen accessory, ordered it from Home Depot:

Nice value for $12. :)

Gasp! :)

I too have the Wen bench model drill press noted above.

Three things I did to it to make it a bit more "user friendly" for my purposes.

I cut 6" off the column to lower the headstock to a more reasonable operating position when it is mounted to my work table (36" high), I replaced the honkin' 5/8" chuck with a more appropriate (I think) 3/8 chuck; and I put an On/Off switch on the power cord so I can turn off the LED readout when not using the machine. I didn't like the idea of leaving that light on for eternity.

Since the drill uses a No. 2 MT in the quill - it is a simple replacement. Small when you want it most of the time; and, changed out those few times when you need 1/2 or larger, makes its overall use more convenient.

David Howe

Albrecht
 
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