Jet J-A5816 Drill Press... thoughts?

[Dan Hintz]

With the recent spate of poor reviews on Powermatic's PM2800 (my initial choice due to the current Jet/PM sale), I've shied away from that unit and looked for other options.

My requirements are for a floor unit with variable speed, a good quill depth, and a quality bed with little TIR. It will be used for both wood and metal; I do not intend to use huge 3" diameter boring bits, not for hardened metals (so the 400 minimum RPM is not a major concern).

The J-A5816 15" DP as the following major features:
400-5k RPM
6" quill travel w/MT-2 taper
1HP motor
A hefty 420 pound weight (how I'm going to move it is a mystery)
No lasers or work lights (I can easily add those)

Pricing seems to be in the $1,700 range.

Anyone know of any overriding issues I should be concerned about, or items I may not have considered?

[Will O'Neil]

did you purchase the drill press yet? looking at the Jet/Wilton A5816 also


will

[Dan Hintz]

I haven't made any DP purchase as I'm waffling back and forth. I went into the local Woodcraft Friday to see the PM2800 in person, just in case I changed my mind... the one on the floor had its speed lever rammed while it was off, so it has a nasty shimmy even at low speeds.

Right next to it was the Delta 18-900, and the 6" quill was what I really want. The table tilt and up/down rack/pinion mechanism was very smooth and sturdy. The guy only cranked up the PM, not the Delta, so I didn't get a chance to see what the TIR was like. Moving belts was really as simple as flipping a lever, moving the belts to the desired pulley, then resetting the lever... it auto-tensions itself, so the process takes maybe 30 seconds.

The J-A5816 is twice the price of the Delta, with the only advantage being not needing to move belts. For such a minor disadvantage (how often do you really change speeds), I'm finding it difficult to warrant the price difference. As long as the TIR is good on the Delta, I'm leaning towards it.

[Callan Campbell]

[QUOTE=Dan Hintz;1542567]I haven't made any DP purchase as I'm waffling back and forth. I went into the local Woodcraft Friday to see the PM2800 in person, just in case I changed my mind... the one on the floor had its speed lever rammed while it was off, so it has a nasty shimmy even at low speeds.


(how often do you really change speeds), Well, if you have variable speed right from the get go, you change it as often as you need it. With manual belt changes, we're all probably quilty of not selecting the best speed for the task at hand if it's "close" enough for the job. I'm no better than anyone else with this Dan, so I now find myself changing my Delta 20-950 to the "right" speed all the time since it's a simple Reeves Belt system with the dial and wheel right out front. I didn't change the belts for a job hardly ever with my previous 17MF Jet[and it wasn't that hard to do], and still don't with my 1952 220 Delta since it's the hardest to change over.
Go for the variable speed if you can afford it, you'll find yourself selecting the right speed for the bit and material being used as a second nature very soon after buying the new DP. :cool:

[Dan Hintz]

You are a nasty influence, Callan... nasty indeed!

[Callan Campbell]

You are a nasty influence, Callan... nasty indeed! Perhaps, but hopefully a helpful one..:p
Another that I can look at it, the last time I got to use a variable speed drill press for work was back in 1988. Once I left the metal working field, I didn't have one for my own use until Jan. of this year. That's a LONG time to change belts by hand while remembering how nice the VS units can be.
I DO like the thin serpentine belt style of the Steel City DP's that I've looked over in stores, they seem easier to change out than a V-belt since the belts are so flat. I haven't look at the new Delta system other than pictures on-line, so as you've mentioned, that might still be a "non-VS" possibility if the cost of a VS Drill Press is too much.

[Dan Hintz]

I can afford either, I'm just trying to justify the doubling of price for the minor inconvenience of changing the belt. If the difference was $100-200, it would be a no-brainer, but the diff is $700... I'm not sure I'm that lazy, and it's not like I would be using it in a production environment that would require multiple speeds throughout the day.

[Greg R Bradley]

I would be more concerned that this might not be the best type of drill press for woodworking. This seems primarily oriented toward production metal drilling. You might find you don't like some things like the massive weight. Have you cranked the table up and down? It is likely to have a strong crank mechanism, unlike the PM2800, since it is probably designed to have 500lb items clamped onto the table.

Do you want a table with coolant troughs and t-slots? That doesn't tilt? Is 15" enough?

That said, this looks like the same unit that used to be sold as a Wilton and the ones that I had seen in service were well liked. Wilton is now owned by same company that owns Jet and Powermatic.

Why don't we all just bitch at Delta until they put the 20-950 back in production?

[Dan Hintz]

Greg,

All good points. That said, I want a machine that will double for both wood and metal, and I can't say I would use it primarily for one or the other. Coolant troughs aren't a necessity, but T-slots are certainly a big plus (I don't imagine doing a lot of hardened steel, just brass, aluminum, etc.). Pieces will not be huge (I think 15" is sufficient), and it's a rare beast indeed that I don't drill on a flat surface. If I tried to support all of my possibilities it would be an expensive machine for sure, so I'm aiming for the "most cases" and will jig up what I need for the rare cases. None of the machines listed will take care of every case, but again, this isn't a production shop for the wood/metalworking, these are ancillary pieces of equipment for me.

[Kent A Bathurst]

.........With manual belt changes, we're all probably quilty of not selecting the best speed for the task at hand if it's "close" enough for the job.......

Described me to a "tee". So, I sold my Delta 16-speed and bought a used PM1150A-VS for exactly that reason. And - changing to the speed I should have had for a special task was only half the problem - as soon as that's done, gotta change it back. Annoying, more than a PITA, but there you are.

[Mike Heidrick]

Dan, check out the steel city DP - it has all the features you want I believe (manual change of speed though) for just over $500. I use mine on steel and wood both - zero issue. Has the split head option too.

[Thomas Canfield]

Dan,

Check out the actual speeds that are available by belt changes. I have a 16 1/2" Delta with 16 speeds, but there are some big gaps in available speed. this is my 3rd drill press and I am reluctant to make change to 4th, but using the proper speed makes all the difference. Today I had to use a slower than recommended speed for 7mm brad drill and wished there was a slightly higher speed in between to improve quality of pen drilling.

[Steve Peterson]

Dan, check out the steel city DP - it has all the features you want I believe (manual change of speed though) for just over $500. I use mine on steel and wood both - zero issue. Has the split head option too.

The Steel City web site lists a VS drill press with a Reeves drive for $600 MSRP, only $50 more than the manual speed change version. It has 6" quill travel.

However, the speed range is only 500-2500 rpm vs 215-2720 rpm for the non VS drill. It would be a simple decision if the VS drill had a lower speed range.

Steve

[Dan Hintz]

It would be a simple decision if the VS drill had a lower speed range.
Exactly...

[jon chandler]

Dan,
My .02. If you were even beginning to consider $1700 on a new import DP; I'd beg you to consider a vintage machine. Far superior machines are available out there for much less money. There are restorers out there (and likely near you) that could get a completely refreshed machine for less than that new Delta. BTW; the 426 lbs is misleading. That is the shipping weight. A Clausing 20 pushes 650 lbs. Old school Delta 17"s close to 300 and a Buffalo 18 450lbs. The latter has a 4" column. No way that 15" Jet comes even close.

The Buffalo 18 is still manufactured and out the door will run over $3300 for a USA machine. Canadian General new for 2K. But wonderful machines are plentiful for 300-500 bucks. Easy to refresh, and with the investment in a QUALITY USA of German chuck; in a home shop environment these will last FOREVER! The Old and older Delta 17's are plentiful as well. Wonderful machines. In the 15" range, Rockwell's, Clausing, and domestic Powermatics are excellent choices. VS available in most or 3ph and VFD are the cats meow if you are feeling mildly ambitious.

In the end, a tight machines built to last are not what the new imports are; they are compromises from the get go. Further drilling with a well tuned press, on well fixtured work and with fresh drills can produce the glassiest hole walls you can imagine and not to mention how quiet and pleasurable they are in use. This may not be necessary for your work, but if you aspire to produce something where the hole walls maybe visible to a customer, spring for a forever press. That from an ideologue I will grant you. Further the tools I mentioned will add an air of character that you cannot buy in a new tool.

Best of luck in making your selection.

Jon

[Gregg Feldstone]

Dan,
I'm in the same boat as you. I was all set to get the PM 2800 for $800 with free shipping but than read all the bad reviews. In addition, you can see that the 2800 is not very beefy, as there is not that much iron in the head. Many sellers told me that a Jet JDP 20MF is a MUCH heavier duty machine which will outlast the PM2800. The problem is I WANT VARIABLE SPEED. So you jump up the the industrial quality Jets, Clausing's, Wilton's, PM's, old and new and they offer metal working machines with tables that do not tilt. I am working on a sweet deal for a Jet 20" VS model, but recently discovered it too does not have a table which will tilt. I know you said most of your holes will be drilled at 90 degrees, as will mine, but the thought of going backwards and no longer having he ability to drill angled holes bothers me. I suppose a dedicated jig cut at the right angle would work but what a lot of extra trouble. I am looking into a tall beefy tilting vise.
Does anyone know of a heavy duty variable speed press which DOES have a tilting talbe?
I also looked into an older machine but discovered getting the VFD or a phase converter starts to get expensive, especially if you've never done it before.
I really don't want to buy a used machine without seeing it first and where I live they are extremley rare.
I saw the Delta 900L recently also and was impressed, especially since I've told myself I would never buy Delta again. It seemed much sturdier than the PM, just wish it was VS.