Steve H Graham
01-09-2009, 5:11 PM
Shopping for a drill press is really frustrating.
I wanted 6" of quill travel, because I am completely positive that if I get one with one millimeter less, two days after I buy the machine, I will find that I need the full 6". This is just how life works. If I get a 6" machine, I will never need more than 4". It's like preparing for a hurricane. The more you spend on supplies, the farther away the storm will stay.
I would prefer something that has a low speed down around 200, because the same principle that applies to the stroke applies to the RPMs. The innate perversity of the universe assures that I will need to get down to 200 almost as soon as I buy the machine, even if I can't think of a reason why I need it at the time I make the purchase. It will happen. I just know it.
Someone I sort of respect has added to the anxiety by telling me me this principle also applies to the swing. The old machines seem to be limited to 17", unless I'm willing to buy a grotesque object that will fill my garage.
I'm starting to think I should go ahead and drop a pile on a Delta 20-950. It will give me 20" of swing and 6" of travel, and it's about the same size as a 17" press. It has a nice table on it already, so I'll save some money on that. For some reason, the shipping is really cheap, and they don't charge extra for a liftgate.
The irritating thing about the Delta is that it looks like no one has reviewed it, except for one guy on this forum. If anyone here is familiar with them, I would love to hear his impressions.
Is it just my imagination, or are drill presses harder to buy than other tools? Seems like table saws are a cinch compared to this.
I wanted 6" of quill travel, because I am completely positive that if I get one with one millimeter less, two days after I buy the machine, I will find that I need the full 6". This is just how life works. If I get a 6" machine, I will never need more than 4". It's like preparing for a hurricane. The more you spend on supplies, the farther away the storm will stay.
I would prefer something that has a low speed down around 200, because the same principle that applies to the stroke applies to the RPMs. The innate perversity of the universe assures that I will need to get down to 200 almost as soon as I buy the machine, even if I can't think of a reason why I need it at the time I make the purchase. It will happen. I just know it.
Someone I sort of respect has added to the anxiety by telling me me this principle also applies to the swing. The old machines seem to be limited to 17", unless I'm willing to buy a grotesque object that will fill my garage.
I'm starting to think I should go ahead and drop a pile on a Delta 20-950. It will give me 20" of swing and 6" of travel, and it's about the same size as a 17" press. It has a nice table on it already, so I'll save some money on that. For some reason, the shipping is really cheap, and they don't charge extra for a liftgate.
The irritating thing about the Delta is that it looks like no one has reviewed it, except for one guy on this forum. If anyone here is familiar with them, I would love to hear his impressions.
Is it just my imagination, or are drill presses harder to buy than other tools? Seems like table saws are a cinch compared to this.