Is Steel City Tools Having Problems?

[Scott Vigder]

I'm in the market for a drill press. My budget tops out at $700. I narrowed my choices to a Delta, Palmgren and Steel City.

Palmgren seems to be more metalworking oriented, so I put them aside. The Delta 17-959 seemed decent until I read more than one unhappy customer review about quality control and excessive runout.

So I decided to buy the Steel City 20525 Variable Speed unit for $599.

But NOBODY carries it. I've called Steel City directly: their only published phone number is the tech department, and no one ever answers it. I've emailed them asking if the unit is still in production and where can I buy it, all with no response.

I will gladly entertain fellow Creeker comments on Steel City, your experience with them, or suggestions as to which DP you think may be best.

[Tom Veatch]

Have no idea how up to date (or out of date) it might be, but the Tool King site: http://www.toolking.com/products/15620520.aspx?shareasale=20520 is showing it as being in stock.

[Larry Edgerton]

If I were you and if you are just a bit handy I would look for an old industrial drill press. They can be had for a song, although it does taake a bit of searching for the one. I have a pair of Walker Turners, and I paid $100 and $250 for them, and either one is better than just about anything on the market today. The big one has reverse, and power feed, oiling system,and can be set up to do threading, weighs over 1000 pounds and works like a charm.

Just an option, and with the money you save you can buy some other tool.......

[Bob Aquino]

The last time I was in the local Woodcraft, the subject of Steel City did come up. According to the guy I was talking too, the store owner was on the verge of dropping the line. Too many issues with the company not following through, returning phone calls, etc. He said that many of the folks that started the company have either moved on or been pushed aside. I know as much as what he told me, so if I'm wrong, so be it.

As for the other bit of advice on older machines, that is spot on. Older American made machinery is far superior to the stuff that is imported from China today. If you can find an older Delta/Rockwell, Powermatic, Walker-Turner, Clausing, Buffalo, Atlas to name a few drill press, it would be worth your time and money to buy it and get it running well. I've had my hands on a couple of Rockwells, an older delta 17, a Walker Turner 900 and most recently, a Wilton (Boice Crane). All these older presses have 6" quill travel, a feature you won't find on many (if any) new machines. My own machine is a Clausing 15" VS model that I would not trade away. They don't pop up every day, but if you are patient, you will eventually find one. Good Luck.

[Chris Kennedy]

Three of the top guys at SC jumped ship to General, I think. I am a little worried whether they are going to survive.

Cheers,

Chris

[Paul Wunder]

I would suggest doing more homework on Steel City before you commit your hard earned money. Not answering their phone should be a big clue as to future service support. Woodcraft, in their latest catalog has eliminated all Steel City merchandise, although their website still shows some of their line. Steel City's website has not been updated for about six months now and shows no new products or company news. Further, serious website errors that appeared six months ago still appear.

Lest you think that I have a bias, I own their mortising machine and their Craftsman "zipcode' table saw#22140 (they made the saw for Sears and it was a successful big seller) and I am pleased with both products. Strangely, the saw has disappeared from Sear's website.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Wow, and I was looking at the planer... I hope they survive.

As far as the drill press, I'd look for a used deal too.... I picked up an old 3/4 hp Delta 16.5" for 150 bucks. With a rolling base and a box of junk.

[Brad Westcott]

I do not own either of these saws but if I were in the market today for a new table saw, I would get a hybrid from Grizzly or Jet.

I own a Delta if they tells you anything. It is a fine saw but it needs work to really feel solid. It is easy to adjust and it is easy to "true", but get more saw than you think you need that way you will not have regrets later. They rarely get replaced once they hit your shop floor.

[Paul Johnstone]

I'm in the market for a drill press. My budget tops out at $700. I narrowed my choices to a Delta, Palmgren and Steel City.


I am not sure what features you are looking for, but I see used drill presses all the time for sale. Nice floor standing ones (like Jet, Delta) for between 150-200.

[Scott Vigder]

Have no idea how up to date (or out of date) it might be, but the Tool King site: http://www.toolking.com/products/15620520.aspx?shareasale=20520 is showing it as being in stock.

Thanks Tom. I did see that, it is not the variable speed 20525 model. I thought for an additional $40 the VS was worth it.

[Scott Vigder]

I do not own either of these saws but if I were in the market today for a new table saw, I would get a hybrid from Grizzly or Jet.

I own a Delta if they tells you anything. It is a fine saw but it needs work to really feel solid. It is easy to adjust and it is easy to "true", but get more saw than you think you need that way you will not have regrets later. They rarely get replaced once they hit your shop floor.

Thanks, Brad. I have a 4 year old Delta X5 table saw that is fabulous. I'm looking at Drill Presses now.

[Scott Vigder]

I am not sure what features you are looking for, but I see used drill presses all the time for sale. Nice floor standing ones (like Jet, Delta) for between 150-200.

Paul, I agree those are attractive prices. Most of the DP's below $450 only have 3" to 3 1/2" of spindle travel. I do a lot of missionary style furniture with 4" or larger pieces, so I need decent spindle travel to keep me from having to drill part way through then turn it over and complete the hole.

[Roger Savatteri]

.

hmmm, so have we seen the end of granite covered machine work tops?

.

[Jim Bowers]

The Utterguys still have some in stock. Check their website and call and talk to Andy. http://www.utterguys.com/xcart/home.php?cat=579 I do not work for Utterguys I am just happy they are near by. Good Luck

[glenn bradley]

This is sad to hear. They used to be 'Johnny on the spot' when it came to CS.

[Sean Tracey]

I'm in the market for a drill press. My budget tops out at $700. I narrowed my choices to a Delta, Palmgren and Steel City.

Palmgren seems to be more metalworking oriented, so I put them aside. The Delta 17-959 seemed decent until I read more than one unhappy customer review about quality control and excessive runout.

So I decided to buy the Steel City 20525 Variable Speed unit for $599.

But NOBODY carries it. I've called Steel City directly: their only published phone number is the tech department, and no one ever answers it. I've emailed them asking if the unit is still in production and where can I buy it, all with no response.

I will gladly entertain fellow Creeker comments on Steel City, your experience with them, or suggestions as to which DP you think may be best.


I have a 17-959L. The comment you read may or may not have been mine.

It is a very good drill press and I am pleased with it. It runs extremely smooth with near zero runout, has a nice quill action, and has a great table.

It drills a perfect hole. I have never used a drill press that wasn't worn out, so it was amazing how well it drills even tiny holes at the highest rpm.

I bought an auxilliary top from Woodpeck and it is great.

Delta does a very poor job on packaging. Ice chest styrofoam and cardboard not up to the job of transporting a heavy drill press likely to be tossed about by common carriers. My package arrived damage and the drill press belt cover was damaged. The spindle pulley shaft was bent, but I did not know that at first. It shook the daylights out of the drill press. I disassembled it and thought that the pulley bore was poorly machined. That was not the case, it was the shaft that was bent due to the poor packaging.

I own a machine shop and had a machinist straighten the shaft, knurl the bearing fit and return it to size. The replacement part was quite inexpensive, if I had to buy the part. I did not attempt to work with Delta's warranty people. I am an engineer and employ top notch machinists and I knew that I would have a guaranteed solution if I gave the part to them rather than waste troubleshooting on the phone.

Delta also tends to paint surfaces that should not be painted, but the paint wasn't on there all that good and I scraped it off before assembling the table. I doubt the paint really would have mattered, but I only like to put things together once and would rather take a minute or two removing the paint than having to get it off later.

The motor guide is kind of sloppy. Apply just enough tension on the belts, do not force the lever enough to raise the motor. It works fine, but the casting should have had a thicker boss at the motor guides to eliminate this.

I would say that you should order the Delta from a local distributor like Woodcraft. The Woodcraft distribution system is more likely to ensure that the drill press arrives without damage as oppossed to shipment on a common carrier from Amazon. You can examine the box and if it is damaged, don't accept it. (I bought from Amazon because Woodcraft was out of stock and I would have to have waited months.)

I looked at the Powermatic and Steel City drill presses and I like the Delta better primarily because of the table and ergonomics.

[Scott Vigder]

Sean-
Thanks for your insightful comments. I'll see if I can't get one at Hartville Tool.

[Kevin Groenke]

It's too bad if SCT is falling apart. They had achieved a pretty decent rep rather quickly, developed some innovative products and were filling a niche at attractive price points.

Scott, it's a bit above your price point, but you might consider the Delta 20-950. We've had one for about a year in an educational shop (motor was replaced under warranty, but other than that no issues, VERY SMOOTH). It's got a 6" stroke, a deeper throat and variable speed. Other nice features are the 2 axis tilting table, the easily replaced "throat plate" and the integrated T-slots (Kreg Klamp makes a GREAT DP clamp).

This machine seems rather scarce, we got our from DeltaCPO through Amazon - shipped free.

http://www.cpowoodworking.com/drilling_machines/drill_presses/variable_speed_drill_presses/20-950.html

Old "industrial" VS machines (Clausing, Powermatic, WT) are bombproof but some don't have common convenience features of their modern counterparts (rack&pinion height ajjustment, tilting table). Power requirements may problematic (though 3ph motor is easily solved w/VFD which will also add variable speed).

Happy Hunting
-kg

[Robert foster]

I was at the Woodsmith store yesterday and they still had several of their tools. I talked to John there and he acknowledged SC has changed but still in business. General is now producing granite table saws from the same source. I wouldn't write them off yet, growing pains I think. I hope so since I have a whole shop of SC tools. When my drum sander broke I called Dave at Wood smith and he gave me a phone number for SC and I received the part within a week.

Bob

[Michael Peet]

The last time I was in the local Woodcraft, the subject of Steel City did come up. According to the guy I was talking too, the store owner was on the verge of dropping the line. Too many issues with the company not following through, returning phone calls, etc.

I had a similar conversation at my WC. I had read a lot of good comments on the SC drill press, and had made up my mind to get one. WC didn't have any in stock and seemed doubtful about having them in the future.

So, straying a bit off topic, I decided to go with the Delta 20-950. After waiting close to 2 months, I was finally told they don't make them anymore but they may have located one in another state. Not sure I want it anymore, but there seems a real dearth of good new drill presses out there.

Mike

[Jeffrey Makiel]

...there seems a real dearth of good new drill presses out there.

Don't be so tough on yourself. There are a lot of drill presses out there including the swarm of proven Taiwanese and Chinese clones that have been around for 30 years. Some of these now have more gizmos (digital readout, laser pointer, etc), but their only gizmos. A drill press is a pretty simple tool.

I never did understand what the split head attraction of the SC drill press was all about. My arm would wear out before any drill press in my home shop would.

The nicest option for me is to have variable speed instead of stepped pulleys. However, this is as important as having a router lift in a router table. Nice but not necessary.

-Jeff :)

[Kevin Groenke]

there seems a real dearth of good new drill presses out there.


I totally agree with you Mike. As Jeff points out, a drill press is a pretty simple machine, it seems like there should be more $400-$800 variable speed machines to choose from in the marketplace.

Here's a couple that might fill the bill.

A couple of these vendors seem somewhat sketchy, caveat emptor.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200365433_200365433

http://www.toolplanet.com/product/MPower-14-Inch-Variable-Speed-Floor-Drill-Press-with-Flexible-Lamp?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=1799&cvsfe=2&cvsfp=200616

http://www.opentip.com/Tools-Auto-Industrial/Homier-Variable-Speed-Auto-Feed-Drilling-Milling-Machine-p-1178228.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Variable-Speed-Floor-Drill-Press-w-Digital-Display_W0QQitemZ300353634069

[Paul Johnstone]

Paul, I agree those are attractive prices. Most of the DP's below $450 only have 3" to 3 1/2" of spindle travel. I do a lot of missionary style furniture with 4" or larger pieces, so I need decent spindle travel to keep me from having to drill part way through then turn it over and complete the hole.

Good point. That is an important requirement. Good luck on your search.

[Rick Levine]

I have a Steel City 8" jointer and 15" planer and after reading some of these posts I was concerned about the company so I just made a call to them. It took about two rings for someone to answer. I am no longer worried about them.

[Scott Vigder]

I have a Steel City 8" jointer and 15" planer and after reading some of these posts I was concerned about the company so I just made a call to them. It took about two rings for someone to answer. I am no longer worried about them.

Feel free to forward that phone number to me. I have called their line six times since Sunday and have yet to speak with a person. Oh, yes, I did send them an email Sunday evening and have yet to receive a response to that as well. That's three full business days.

Matt Winterowd's suggestion for Shiraz to bring a true woodworkers DP to market is great advice. I own one of Pappa Grizz's 8" jointers and couldn't be happier with it.

[Chuck Valentine]

Grab a cup of coffee... this Reader's Diegest version of this story is long.
If you have received an answered e-mail or someone aswered your phone call, consider yourself lucky. My journey has been a long and arduous one with SC. It started back in April when I acquired a Granite topped Table saw. I got it home and noticed some damage :( and called Woodcraft. Woodcraft told me to call Seel City. I got a great guy named Alex Bondi who said they would send me a New top and wing under warranty. He put me in touch with the service manager named Terry Ross who asked some questions and said they would send the granite out to my local Woodcraft. Whoo Hoo :D I'm a happy camper. Two weeks or more go by and still no top. I e-mail Terry who says "Sir, I thought this had been sent out from Hayward California already" and he'll look into it. After alot of back and forth he says they will ship direct to me. In June the wrong sized top and wing arrive. They are taped together with just cardboard and some bubble wrap in between. Upon inspection I can see where they had been removed from a saw. After getting back in touch w/ Terry he tells me that they are in the process of moving wharehousing to California and the guys screwed up. Around a month later I get a wood crate from Steel City with a great packing job on a correct sized wing. I wonder where the Main table is and call Terry. He tracks it and says it was on the truck and he didn't know why they didn't deliver. The next day it arrives wrapped in cardboard and broken. I take pictures and send them to him and he says they will send out a new top again Weeks later and no top. Sep. 9th I email and he says "We are having trouble finding someone to ship because of the claims due to damage. We may just have to ship an entire saw. What is your model, the 35911 or 35912?" . I answered 35912 and haven't heard from anyone since. Bondi has left and went to work for Woodcraft. I've got a big hole in the table saw because the granite I got is too small and the miter gauge grooves aren't slotted. I have sent an email asking if I can buy a correct top, I've called and just got answering machines, I really don't know where to go from here. Even my local woodcraft can't get me an answer. They have tried to help but I didn't get it from there. They can't even get equipment to deliver to people who bought it from them. I wanted granite because I live 5 blocks off the ocean in Jacksonville FL and everything rusts. I wanted to spend more time woodworking than maintaining tools. Now I go out to my shop and get pissed off and disgusted having to look at that saw. Even if they said "F. off, we've done all we are going to do." that would be better than waiting in limbo. I could make a new table extension to fill the gap, sell the thing or any thing else.. But I don't want to go through the money and time to do that if they will indeed send me a top or let me buy one. So in other word STAY AWAY FROM STEEL CITY. They won't be in business long.

[Chris Harry]

A visit to my local Sears showed a granite topped Craftsman table saw, very similar (if not exactly the same) to the Steel City and Ridgid models.

Wonder if you could order the Sears replacement granite part for your SC saw? I looked underneath the granite wings and they have the same silver button marking as the wings on my Ridgid

[Dave Lehnert]

I have been getting e-mails from a large woodworking equipment dealer here in town with 20% off all Steel City Tools. Clearance?????????

First time I went looking at a 18" bandsaw their they could not say enough good things about Steel City Tools. Even said they would be more concerned about Delta going under before Steel City.
Fast forward a few month and I went back looking again. The salesman did not knock SC but could care less about selling me one. They knew something was up and did not care to get me, their customer, mixed up in it.
They even offered me a discount if I picked the JET.

I agree that SC got a great customer base fast but think at this point they have a big problem. Would you buy a tool from them right now? I would not.

[Chuck Valentine]

A visit to my local Sears showed a granite topped Craftsman table saw, very similar (if not exactly the same) to the Steel City and Ridgid models.

Wonder if you could order the Sears replacement granite part for your SC saw? I looked underneath the granite wings and they have the same silver button marking as the wings on my Ridgid

Thanks, I'll swing by and take a look. Hopefully they have the full size granite model and not just the narrow center table like what was sent to me. I've got a 30"x96"x1 1/2" hard maple butcherblock sitting in the garage that I am going to make a reloading bench out of. My plan was to replace the right Table/fence extension kit that came with the saw with the maple like the Powermatic has and use the rest for the bench. But I'm stuck in Limbo not wanting to cut it until I know weather or not I need to fill the gap with it. I'm starting to get odd noises out of my 1 h.p. Steel City dust collector now too. What makes me really sick is that I bought a Steel City 8" Variable speed grinder a couple of months ago when I still thought well of Steel City. It's a sad thing as I walk through my shop every morning on the way to work and have that there to piss me off daily. Guess I need to go out the front door for awile.

[Dirk Lewis]

Nancy Laird used to be a big backer of all things SCTW with inside lines to the top of the heap, perhaps she can shed some light on this?

[Chris Harry]

If the Craftsman logo werent on the saw, it would have been a spitting image of my Ridgid. They used a full "cabinet" instead of 3/4 with the caster set, and the fence seems more like a Bies knock off, but other than that its exactly the same. The granite even has the same "white blotch" pattern.

[Chuck Valentine]

I was back at my local Woodcraft today talking to still another person and talked him into getting ahold of Alex Bondi formerly of SCTW who is now back with Woodcraft ahead of power tools. Alex came up with a new name at SCTW that the rep called for me and they said they were going to pull a table off of a saw, crate it and ship it. He didn't know if it would make it out today but he said tomorrow at the latest. I hope that is the case but at this point I am still real skeptical. At least it's nice to know they aren't out of business yet. Im still seriously thinking of selling every SCTW item I've got at an irresistable discount to somebody and buy old American steel and restore it like I did with my Oliver Jointer and Lathe. I'll keep updating as the saga unfolds.

[Byron Trantham]

Won't answer the phone to sell a product?! Think what they will do (or not) if they sell the product!:mad:

[Dirk Lewis]

Nancy? Previously you were all over any SCTW postings....perhaps a sign?:rolleyes:

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dirk,

The only thing guarranteed in life is change. If SCTW has changed, it's not Nancy's fault.

Nancy hasn't been posting much recently here or at other sites she used to frequent.

[Matt Meiser]

You might give her a break for not responding since her last visit was back on the 9th--6 days before your post. IF she even knows anything.

[Dirk Lewis]

Dirk,

The only thing guarranteed in life is change. If SCTW has changed, it's not Nancy's fault.

Nancy hasn't been posting much recently here or at other sites she used to frequent.

No where did I imply it was Nancy's fault? Not sure where you are getting that from?:confused:

Nancy had contacted me in the past regarding a problem I had with SCTW, I was just wondering if she was still in close contact withthe SCTW folks as she used to be. She had championed them and their product quite strongly, just thought I'd ask...

[Dirk Lewis]

You might give her a break for not responding since her last visit was back on the 9th--6 days before your post. IF she even knows anything.

Give her a break? I didn't know I was being unjust towards her Matt.

Nancy had previously been a strong supporter of SCTW on this site, she had contacted me regarding a previous SCTW issue and had a direct line to the powers that be.

Just wondering if she had any insight to what was being discussed given her previous SCTW related postings and contacts.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dirk,


As I stated earlier, Nancy hasn't been spending a lot of time here or at another site she frequented in the past.

[Dirk Lewis]

Dirk,


As I stated earlier, Nancy hasn't been spending a lot of time here or at another site she frequented in the past.

Got that the first time, but thanks for repeating it.

[Chuck Valentine]

Well, I received my top the other day. Crated with foam and screwed to a pallet.So they have finally figured out you shouldn't wrap granite with cardboard and bubble wrap and try to ship with UPS. When they said they would take the top off a saw in the wharehouse, I stupidly assumed it would be a new one. It definitly came off of a used saw. I would have to say this saw top has been around for quite some time and has ran ay least a few thousand board feet over it. I say I "stupidly thought" because I should have remembered that they have no stock. I can see me trying to sell it now....."Honestly sir, that saw is less than a year old and I haven't cut more than 20 Lineal feet with it". If I can't find a series of granite polishing compounds and get it to come out nice then I guess I still need to take that trip to Sears. Otherwise I'll never get that piece of feces out my shop with a reasonable recoup of my money. I think everyone is jumping off a sinking ship that is Steel City Tool Works. So I officially stand by my opening statement....
STAY AWAY FROM STEEL CITY TOOl WORKS

[Steve Clardy]

Sorry to hear about the problems Chuck.

What a mess. :(