Need advice on buying a drill press

[David Fagan]

I've been lurking here for a few weeks and have finally decided to ask a question I'm having trouble answering.

I've just started to get into woodworking with the past year and a half or so. I'm now looking to get a drill press. My primary use will be for wood drilling, don't really anticipate much metal drilling.

I don't really have the bench space for a bench drill press, but I do have floor space, so I'm looking for a floor model.

I'm kind of partial to new tools, but I know that good deals can be found on Craigslist, however I haven't been able to find anything in my area that looks decent.

I've looked at the following presses:
Delta 17-950L - Currently $400 at Lowe's - I like the table on it, not sure if I like the depth stop setup, also on the floor model at my nearest Lowe's the table rack pinion adjustment for table height doesn't seem to work well.
Delta 17-959L - Haven't been able to see one of these in person, Woodcraft would order me one for $579 - Seems to have the same table as the 17-950L. Has 4 more speeds, not sure if that will matter for me, and looks newer.
Jet JDP-17DX - $500 at Woodcraft - This seemed alright, however didn't seem much different from the Delta.
Powermatic PM2800 - $900 at Rockler or Woodcraft - I really like the look of this drill press. Read a couple of poor reviews on here, and I'm not sure that have variable speed is worth $300+. Other than that, this doesn't seem to have too many other features than the other drill presses.

I've looked at Grizzly's website, they seem to have a comparable product. I do really like the tables of the four above. I know an aftermarket table can be as nice or nicer, however I'd rather not buy a new drill press and immediately sink an additional $100-$200 into a table.

Price isn't a huge factor for me, but I can't see spending more than $600 or so.

What is everyone's take on these presses, are they really that different, or are they all just junk from China and any that I buy will probably be the same?

Thanks for your help.

[Brian Kent]

Welcome Dave.

I have been looking all year and came upon a deal on a 20" drill press, about 300 lbs of tool. I am so impressed with this beast that I would consider the 20" Grizzly if doing it again:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Speed-20-Floor-Drill-Press/G7948
$555 with free shipping.

Otherwise, I have seen happy campers with all of the machines you mentioned.

Brian

[Pete Bradley]

You'll find that the drill press is one of the most useful and most used tools in your shop. Even though you don't think you'll be using it for metal, assume that you will.

I recommend you look for a chuck that's retained with a screw collar so you can use it for light milling and drum sanding without risk of the chuck popping out. You'll hear people say the bearings can't take it, but all the drills you're likely to own will have radial ball bearings for the spindle so this isn't a worry.

Old iron can be a great choice, but if bearings are needed (as they often are) disassembling the spindle can be complicated. The lower end machines can be easier in this regard. Some Walker-Turners and the Delta DP220 take bearings that are no longer made.

Pete

[David Christopher]

Dave, welcome to the creek, one of the things thats important is quill travel, the longer the travel the better. the drill press that Brian suggested is a nice machine

[Larry LaRoque]

Welcome David, my experience is to buy what you want or the best you can afford at the time then you can forget about the tool and just enjoy it. Having said that, I could only afford the Delta 17-950L and have been completely happy with it. I have built a fence and added hold-downs to the table and been able to do everything I have needed a drill press to do. It sounds like you can afford what ever you decide you need in a drill press, but for me I bought the Delta and had money left over for the Ridgid oscillating spindle sander. :D

[Jacob Mac]

Welcome Dave.

I have been looking all year and came upon a deal on a 20" drill press, about 300 lbs of tool. I am so impressed with this beast that I would consider the 20" Grizzly if doing it again:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Speed-20-Floor-Drill-Press/G7948
$555 with free shipping.

Otherwise, I have seen happy campers with all of the machines you mentioned.

Brian

I just got this machine setup this weekend. With the microsoft cashback, I got it to my shop for about $475. Not a terrible deal. I have not had a lot of time to put it through its paces, but so far it is really nice. Negligeible run out and fairly nice table.

I don't do any metal work, so that was not an issue for me.

[Stephen Edwards]

I also think that Brian suggested a good DP for the money. That drill press is only$1.00 more (with the free shipping) than their next size down, the G07947 17" DP. That's the DP that I have, the 17". I'm perfectly pleased with it's performance.

If you're going to do much woodworking on this machine, I bet it won't be long until you realize that you want a WW table on the DP. Many people, myself included, have built their own add on WW table. They don't have to cost a lot of money, either.

Really, all you need for a table is a flat piece of plywood, MDF or a sink cutout from a cabinet shop. It's nice to have a replaceable insert, which you can make very easily. A couple of clamps to hold the table to the CI table of the DP and a nice straight board and two clamps for a fence.

Since you're partial to new machines, this one ain't a bad deal. I'd suggest that you put this one your short list, at the very least.

Recently, I heard that Grizzly has a new model DP in the works that's designed especially for Woodworkers. I don't have any details at all, other than it may be available in 2010. I'm curious to know what it will be.

[glenn bradley]

I have the 17-950, dad has the 17-959. 17-950 seems to be the top of the "Shopmaster" form factor. The 17-959 is at the entrance level of the "other" format. The 17-959 is quite a bit more machine. I had to have new bearings and the table raising rack replaced in the first 12 months but, since then the 950 has done very well for the $300 I paid for it on sale. I can't really recommend it though; I would rather you got better.

[Daniel Shnitka]

The variable speed is a delight to have and use when going from one application of the the drill press to another. I have 20" Delta that has given me no problems to date though it has limited use until by shop is reorganized.
The concern with Delta is the availability of the product which leads to the question; if and will it remain in production. Delta introduces the variable speed drill press with much fan fair. It has its coming out party at the wood working show in Atlanta. Between the coverage by the magazine industry and the internet posts Delta has many people placing orders. What follows is the customers are put on a waiting list. The delivery date keeps getting pushed back. Finally the prouct is on the market and now it is rumoured to be discontinued. So my advice is check out the availabilty of parts and warranty work And make certain it is running perfectly smooth. And make certain to check for run-out.

[Cary Falk]

Don't rule out the Steel City with split head and 6" quill travel. I have it. I know there was some speculation as to whether they were having trouble. I saw on another site that a guy called and he was able to get great customert service. So it looks like they got their move worked out. If interested you might want to give them a call to test the waters.

[Joe Broadway]

If you're not in a hurry try looking around on Craigslist. I just picked up a basically new Ridgid 15" drill press with add-on table for $200. Is it going to be the absolute best drill press ever? No, but it will do everything I need it to, and for that I'm happy.

[Gary Herrmann]

Keep your eyes open for refurbished units. I picked up a Delta vs 968 for cheap that way. No discernable runout. I'd love to get my hands on a PM 1200 tho...

[Rick Gustafson]

David;

You might give the 20" Rikon a look also. It's $599 at Woodcraft.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2080343/29270/Rikon-20-Floor-Drill-Press--Model-30-240.aspx

The 17" is $379

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/0/29269/Rikon-17-Floor-Drill-Press--Model-30-230.aspx

Good Luck in your hunt!

[Jack Camillo]

As much as I hate to admit it, I cannot recommend the drill press I bought two years ago - the PM2800. I don't know about the others out there, but the 2800 is completely (as far as I can tell) made in China and not at (again, as far as I can tell) a "better" factory there. I have had problems with the plastic parts breaking and with the electrical switch malfunctioning twice. The good thing is that they replace the parts for you no questions asked (probably because they know it's crap). Good luck.

[Paul Ryan]

David,

After recently going through the same debate and comparison this summer. My advice is none of the above. Todays drill presses are a sad remake of the tools of yester year. I bought the brand spankin new Jet 17DX with the nice table, laser, 16 speeds, blah, blah blah. To be honest I hate it. And it is very possible I would not be happy with any drill press built today unless it ran over 2k. Since I bought mine I have checked dozens of drills for quill slop and I like to refer to it. Once off a stop the quill will wiggle in it bore. This is a spec and movement that manufacturers don't concern themselves with. The problems it causes is irregular spaced holes when you try to drill small hoes with very little space between them. Such in the case of a cribbage board. Other than that the Jet is an excellent tool. My major hangup is the fact that manufacturers cannot produce a tool that has a snug fitting quill today. I have checked count less drill presses that are 30, 40, and 50 years old none of them suffer from this phenomonon. So my suggestion don't due what I did. Find a oldie but a goodie and restore it, or buy one that has been restored.

[Sean Tracey]

I've been lurking here for a few weeks and have finally decided to ask a question I'm having trouble answering.

I've just started to get into woodworking with the past year and a half or so. I'm now looking to get a drill press. My primary use will be for wood drilling, don't really anticipate much metal drilling.

I don't really have the bench space for a bench drill press, but I do have floor space, so I'm looking for a floor model.

I'm kind of partial to new tools, but I know that good deals can be found on Craigslist, however I haven't been able to find anything in my area that looks decent.

I've looked at the following presses:
Delta 17-950L - Currently $400 at Lowe's - I like the table on it, not sure if I like the depth stop setup, also on the floor model at my nearest Lowe's the table rack pinion adjustment for table height doesn't seem to work well.
Delta 17-959L - Haven't been able to see one of these in person, Woodcraft would order me one for $579 - Seems to have the same table as the 17-950L. Has 4 more speeds, not sure if that will matter for me, and looks newer.
Jet JDP-17DX - $500 at Woodcraft - This seemed alright, however didn't seem much different from the Delta.
Powermatic PM2800 - $900 at Rockler or Woodcraft - I really like the look of this drill press. Read a couple of poor reviews on here, and I'm not sure that have variable speed is worth $300+. Other than that, this doesn't seem to have too many other features than the other drill presses.

I've looked at Grizzly's website, they seem to have a comparable product. I do really like the tables of the four above. I know an aftermarket table can be as nice or nicer, however I'd rather not buy a new drill press and immediately sink an additional $100-$200 into a table.

Price isn't a huge factor for me, but I can't see spending more than $600 or so.

What is everyone's take on these presses, are they really that different, or are they all just junk from China and any that I buy will probably be the same?

Thanks for your help.

I have the Delta 17-959L. It drills a perfect hole, is very ergonomic, has a great table, and I enjoy using it, I would buy another if someone stole it. The long travel is great. I like the stepped pulley's because I know the exact speed it is turning and I get a feel for where I should set it. These are the good things.

The packaging is totally inadequate, I recommend buying from Woodcraft because I believe you are less likely to get a damaged machine that way, and you could reject receiving it if the package is damage when you pick it up.

Also, they painted certain surfaces on the table trunnions that shouldn't be painted. It isn't hard to scrape off and was on very thin, so it might not make a difference anyway, but I scrapped it off rather than deal with it flaking off little by little and affecting my set up.

The motor slides on decent sized bars, but the casting boss is not long enough or tight enough to guide the motor nicely. You can push on the motor hard enough that it tilts up. I have found that if you stop short of pushing to the point that the motor wants to tilt up, you have the belt set tight enough for twist drills. I have not run any large forstner bits or hole saws so I don't know if that tension is tight enough for them.

There is nothing wrong with the chuck that comes with it, but I installed a U.S. made Jacobs chuck and it tightens and loosens much smoother when you install or remove drill bits.

I also installed a woodpeckers's drill press table, Woodcraft carries the same thing and calls it a Pinnacle drill press table. It is just a piece of mdf covered with laminate with a couple of T slots, a fence and some clamps, but I find it very useful.

[Heath Markovetz]

David,

After recently going through the same debate and comparison this summer. My advice is none of the above. Todays drill presses are a sad remake of the tools of yester year. I bought the brand spankin new Jet 17DX with the nice table, laser, 16 speeds, blah, blah blah. To be honest I hate it. And it is very possible I would not be happy with any drill press built today unless it ran over 2k. Since I bought mine I have checked dozens of drills for quill slop and I like to refer to it. Once off a stop the quill will wiggle in it bore. This is a spec and movement that manufacturers don't concern themselves with. The problems it causes is irregular spaced holes when you try to drill small hoes with very little space between them. Such in the case of a cribbage board. Other than that the Jet is an excellent tool. My major hangup is the fact that manufacturers cannot produce a tool that has a snug fitting quill today. I have checked count less drill presses that are 30, 40, and 50 years old none of them suffer from this phenomonon. So my suggestion don't due what I did. Find a oldie but a goodie and restore it, or buy one that has been restored.

I'd be interested in your thoughts if you ever get a chance to see a Steel City DP in person.

It was my understanding from the SC site that the split quill housing allows this play to be taken up?

[Doug Hobkirk]

Once off a stop the quill will wiggle in it bore.

Could you (or someone else) re-phrase this? What does "off a stop" mean?

[Jeff Monson]

I also use a delta 17-950L, got it at lowes on sale for 349.00, Its a nice drill press for the money, my table goes up and down nice, but the one on display was very "skippy"? I'm happy with the performance as I dont use it on every project. I also added a larger table from woodcraft and that has made it more enjoyable to use.

[Cameron Reddy]

I really love the variable speed controls on my Delta X-5. Highly recommended.

[Will Rowland]

I really love the variable speed controls on my Delta X-5. Highly recommended.

Unfortuntely, it has been discontinued, along with the 20-950. I called CPO Delta, and they said there were no immediate plans by Delta to offer a full-size variable speed drill press. I was told that the 20-950 was discontinued as they had too many quality problems with the head and didn't feel that spending the money to address those issues would be justified.

There seems to be a real hole in the market right now for a high-quality, variable speed drill press. I've been looking to upgrade for some time, and had planned on getting the Delta 20-950, but could never find one that actually existed. I've also monitored the local Craigslist for a year for some "old iron", but the few that have popped up were either way overpriced or too tired to justify a rebuild.

I went by Rockler yesterday and played with the PM2800, which seems to be a good product overall, but I did notice quite a few pieces of cheap-feeling plastic, such as the on/off switch. The price of $900 plus either tax or shipping seems awful steep as well.

I considered Steel City's variable speed drill press, but the low speed of 500 rpm is just too high. Plus, it also appears to only exist in marketing materials.

I do know that the standard Steel City is a great press, but I had really hoped for a variable speed press - as others have mentioned, if you have to move the belts to change the speed, you likely won't as much as you should.

[David Cefai]

Suggestion: You can make a lot of replacable inserts easily by cutting them out with a hole cutter. Then a little care in making the cutout for the table and you're set up for life.

Since the insert is circular you can simply rotate it a few degrees when you want a fresh surface. I made mine 4" in diameter.

[Paul Ryan]

I'd be interested in your thoughts if you ever get a chance to see a Steel City DP in person.

It was my understanding from the SC site that the split quill housing allows this play to be taken up?

Heath,

I checked out the SC and almost bought that before I bought the jet. To be totally honest I never checked the quills for slop on any of the drill presses I looked at before I purchased. I just assumed they would be like the old drill presses, totally snug and no lateral movement within the bore. I bought the jet because it has a much better table, a lazer that is not a gimic but is real handy because it is mounted to the quill, SC was having some customer services issues at that time, and the jet was about $50 less.

Since that time I have went back and looked at the display at my local SC dealer, and have check one at a woodcraft store. Both SC that were displayed did the same thing. The quill wobbles in their bores. The split quill on the SC is kindof a joke, it is more of a marketing gimic than anything, in the case of their drill press. The reason for this is because with their design there is only one place to tighten up the head casting. You need mulitple places other wise the bore will not be uniform once tighten. I leaned this from some machinst uncles that I have. The drill press with a true split casting design have mutiple locations to adjust at. But those drill presses are thousands of dollars. So that feature meant nothing to me before I made my purchase. I have heard that adjusting using their design you can do more harm than good, such as a quill that doesn't drill straight, if you don't know what you are doing.

As it turns out myself or none of my uncles would have expected any of the quills to have movement. And I am an idiot because I bought the thing from toolzone.com and cannot return it.

What I mean by "off stop". Is when the quill is not resting at a stop. Either the fully retracted position, the fully extended position, or at rest on a stop you have preset. The quill moves laterally (side to side forwards and backwards within its bore) when it is moving or held in play with the lowering handle. If you lower the quill half of its travel and grab the chuck almost every new drill press I have checked has a fair amount of movement, mine is at .060. It has less than .01 run out when at a stop, with is in specs for jet, they have no spec when the quill is off a stop. What bugs me the most is the fact that every old drill press I have checked, the quill is nice and tight with in the bore. The tightest drill press I have come accross that was new and under 1k was a ridgid to be honest and a different jet, the older model. But I have also checked a couple other ridgids and those were loose as well. It is just another example of the cheap maufacturing standards that are in use today.

[Heath Markovetz]

Thanks Paul. I appreciate your comments.

Sounds like I'll be on the lookout for a good condition older DP.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

I have been building a shop and had similar decisions and ultimately bought a used Delta 17-950...and had a few to choose from over a couple month period. I paid $150 for it.

I understand the attraction of new (warranty tools), but the drill press was a surprisingly easy piece to locate...lots of garages/basements have them sitting idle. And more importantly it allowed me to spend a greater proportion of my budget on tools where I wanted the absolute latest technology, safety features and/or the ability to detect a problem would be difficult. (e.g. spent my money on a new Sawstop, Grizzly jointer, and bosch router).

The $$$ on setting shop adds up FAST!! I am learning to shave a buck where I feel I can do so safely.

Just my 2 cents.

[Greg Wittler]

Laguna has their Platinum Series 17" Variable Speed Drill Press on sale for $616 and it looks like it comes with free shipping. If I hadn't picked up a free older Delta/Rockwell last week, this one would be on my short list. here is the link:
http://www.lagunatools.com/drills/drill-platinum17v

[Jeff Dolter]

Just checked with Laguna...NO free shipping on this item :(

[Will Rowland]

Does anyone have that Laguna? I like the power and speed range, but the 3.5" quill travel seems a bit on the short side.

[Jon Grider]

I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here, but I find my DP one of the dustiest[least used] stationary tools in my shop. Other than drilling when using forstner bits, I seldom use it. Granted I do have a dedicated hollow chisel mortiser and an oscillating spindle sander so it's not needed for those functions. For boring holes, I usually reach for a hand drill. But that's just me...I'm sure others here find their DP's indispensable for the type of WWing they do. If I were setting up shop, a DP would not be real high on my list of machines to purchase.

[Greg Wittler]

Does anyone have that Laguna? I like the power and speed range, but the 3.5" quill travel seems a bit on the short side.
3.5" Thats it, can't believe I didn't notice that, figured it was at least 5" Well since the new Grizzly catalog will be out in 2 weeks, I would at least see what they are bringing to the market. There was a nice old VS DP here in the bay area the day before Thanksgiving for $300 but I saw it a day late and it was already gone.

[Dan Duperron]

;)

I did a bunch of research about a month ago like you are doing and ended up buying the steel city 16-speed. I liked the 6" quill travel and slow low speed that will allow using a circle cutter safely. I haven't had it for long but have no regrets so far. I was suffering with an ancient HF Central Machinery benchtop, so one could argue that anything is an upgrade from that. The one thing I wish the SC had was a better woodworking table like the new Delta machines, but I figure I can always make one. Everyone seems to have their own personal preferences as you can see from the variety of posts so far.

That said there are a ton of good deals on used presses out there if you stalk CL and are patient.

Full disclosure - I got a great deal on the SC as my local dealer will no longer be carrying Steel City. Based on the price he quoted I bought all three remaining presses he had in stock. I have one left to sell, still strapped into the original box, never opened, with the optional laser (I got a laser with mine and it's great). my plan was just to list it on eBay and see what I can get, but if you can pick up from zip 20144 in VA (I'm about an hour West of DC) or meet me somewhere between my location and yours you can have it for less than you'll find anywhere else. If you stop by my shop you can try out mine to see if you like it before making any decisions - no obligation. I'd love for it to go to a fellow Creeker FWIW.

I can't tell where you are located so this may be a totally silly offer.

I'm probably treading on thin ice WRT the forum rules already, so I won't post a price here, but send me a private message if you are interested. No worries either way.

-Dan D.

[Sean Tracey]

Heath,

I checked out the SC and almost bought that before I bought the jet. To be totally honest I never checked the quills for slop on any of the drill presses I looked at before I purchased. I just assumed they would be like the old drill presses, totally snug and no lateral movement within the bore. I bought the jet because it has a much better table, a lazer that is not a gimic but is real handy because it is mounted to the quill, SC was having some customer services issues at that time, and the jet was about $50 less.

Since that time I have went back and looked at the display at my local SC dealer, and have check one at a woodcraft store. Both SC that were displayed did the same thing. The quill wobbles in their bores. The split quill on the SC is kindof a joke, it is more of a marketing gimic than anything, in the case of their drill press. The reason for this is because with their design there is only one place to tighten up the head casting. You need mulitple places other wise the bore will not be uniform once tighten. I leaned this from some machinst uncles that I have. The drill press with a true split casting design have mutiple locations to adjust at. But those drill presses are thousands of dollars. So that feature meant nothing to me before I made my purchase. I have heard that adjusting using their design you can do more harm than good, such as a quill that doesn't drill straight, if you don't know what you are doing.

As it turns out myself or none of my uncles would have expected any of the quills to have movement. And I am an idiot because I bought the thing from toolzone.com and cannot return it.

What I mean by "off stop". Is when the quill is not resting at a stop. Either the fully retracted position, the fully extended position, or at rest on a stop you have preset. The quill moves laterally (side to side forwards and backwards within its bore) when it is moving or held in play with the lowering handle. If you lower the quill half of its travel and grab the chuck almost every new drill press I have checked has a fair amount of movement, mine is at .060. It has less than .01 run out when at a stop, with is in specs for jet, they have no spec when the quill is off a stop. What bugs me the most is the fact that every old drill press I have checked, the quill is nice and tight with in the bore. The tightest drill press I have come accross that was new and under 1k was a ridgid to be honest and a different jet, the older model. But I have also checked a couple other ridgids and those were loose as well. It is just another example of the cheap maufacturing standards that are in use today.


I agree, the "split head" design on the SC is of little or no useful value.

I haven't really checked the Delta I own but it drills a good tight hole.

Bear in mind, the spindle may be contributing to some of the slop too, have you attempted to determine how much slop is from the quill and how much is from the spindle?

[Paul Ryan]

Sean,

Actually the spindle is nice and tight. The biggest trouble is just the darn quill. It drills a clean hole. But vibrates and makes all sorts of noise when a large 2" forstner is on it and you are lowering the bit. The loosness of the quill causes all of the vibration and noise. When the bit is at a stop, it is quite and vibration free, like my mortiser. The quill moves enough that I could not quarantee I would drill in the center of a 3/4 piece of wood. I had a fence set up so the tip of the bit was exactly at 3/8 of an inch. But half of the holes were either to far in or too far out. It just depends where the quill is at when the bit starts cutting into the wood. It is really anoying.

[Michael Pierre Young]

It is a 1939 Delta Milwaukee 14" and it works great.

[Randal Stevenson]

It is a 1939 Delta Milwaukee 14" and it works great.

Was this obtained like that or did you add the slow speed attachment (middle pulley set)? If the latter, I have some questions, thanks!

[Howard Klepper]

Bought the 17" Jet 12 years ago. It has worked well, but has always been noisy. For that reason, I'd look to others if I were doing it again.

I sure miss the days when they all had quill locks. Is that a quill lock I see at the bottom of the split casting on the Steel City?

[Rod Sheridan]

3.5" Thats it, can't believe I didn't notice that, figured it was at least 5" Well since the new Grizzly catalog will be out in 2 weeks, I would at least see what they are bringing to the market. There was a nice old VS DP here in the bay area the day before Thanksgiving for $300 but I saw it a day late and it was already gone.

Hi Greg, I guess my question would be how often do you need a deep hole bored?

I'm not playing the Devils Advocate, it's just that most of my furniture making is drilling hinge holes, shelf supports or holes less than 2" deep for dowels or pegs.

Regards, Rod.

[Ryan Baker]

I sure miss the days when they all had quill locks. Is that a quill lock I see at the bottom of the split casting on the Steel City?

Yes it is. The long quill travel, depth stop and quill lock were all significant reasons I picked the SC. I got a good price on it too. I don't have any problem at all with play in the quill when not on a stop.

[David Fagan]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions.

I ended up ordering a Delta 17-959L yesterday. I'll let you know how I like it once I get it.

[Jack Camillo]

I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here, but I find my DP one of the dustiest[least used] stationary tools in my shop. Other than drilling when using forstner bits, I seldom use it. Granted I do have a dedicated hollow chisel mortiser and an oscillating spindle sander so it's not needed for those functions. For boring holes, I usually reach for a hand drill. But that's just me...I'm sure others here find their DP's indispensable for the type of WWing they do. If I were setting up shop, a DP would not be real high on my list of machines to purchase.

Wow, that's interesting. I use mine as much as every other stationary power tool - table saw, bandsaw, jointer-planer, router...

[Myk Rian]

Wow, that's interesting. I use mine as much as every other stationary power tool - table saw, bandsaw, jointer-planer, router...
So do I.
The drill press was the first tool I bought.

[Eddie Darby]

Here is a page with some fixes for all those wobbly DP's.

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:T58Eh8x1Q7wJ:bbs.homeshopmachinist. net/showthread.php%3Ft%3D34649+drill+press+quill+slop&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

It looks weird the URL because I used a cached copy.