Drill Press--benchtop vs floor

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

What are the advantages of having a floor model drill press versus a bench top for the average woodworker? Thanks L

[Logan William]

Bench top will likely take up less floor space as its probably going on an existing cabinet or it'll get its own with storage underneath. However for saving floorspace(and likely money in purchase price) you're going to likely give up capacity(in both throat and quill stroke) as well as convenience in speed changes as most bench tops that I'm familiar with have stepped pulleys for speed changes, not an easier(and more expensive) variable pitch setup with a knob or lever to twist/pull to adjust speeds.

[John McClanahan]

I have a benchtop Delta with variable speed. I like it a lot. Its mounted to a small cabinet with drawers to store all the stuff used with the drill press and hand drills. After 7 or 8 years, I have never needed more height capacity, and am glad for the storage since I have a small shop.

John

[Russ Filtz]

you're going to likely give up capacity(in both throat and quill stroke) as well as convenience in speed changes as most bench tops that I'm familiar with have stepped pulleys for speed changes, not an easier(and more expensive) variable pitch setup with a knob or lever to twist/pull to adjust speeds.

My floor model has stepped pulleys. :(

[greg a bender]

My floor model has stepped pulleys. :(
My early 80's no-name floor model has stepped pullys too. But it does have a 6" stroke.:cool:

[Myk Rian]

I had a Delta DP350 VS benchtop, and always wanted more height.
Found and restored a Delta DP220, then sold the benchtop.
I had the benchtop on a stand, but the floor model takes up less room.

http://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad222/MykRian/Delta%20DP220/1128001028-1.jpg

[Russ Filtz]

My early 80's no-name floor model has stepped pullys too. But it does have a 6" stroke.:cool:

Looks like only 4-3/8 on the scale. Never measured the actual full stroke. :o

[Bill Huber]

I have a floor model, at the time, it was on clearance on the floor at Sears and I needed a drill press so I bought it. This was in 1974 so it is an older one but its a good one.

If I had the chance to trade it for a new bench top I wouldn't do it. I don't use the table lowered a lot but when I do there is nothing else that will work.

With a bench top you have about 12" between the table and the chuck, but you put a forsner bit on it, I have some that are like 3 1/2", you are down to 8 1/2 inches.

With a floor model you can always build a cabinet under it that rolls out when you need to lower the table.

Bottom line is if you have the space and the money then go with the floor model,

[glenn bradley]

I started with a benchtop model but soon found the depth of throat a restriction and sold it. Like Myk, I have an old Delta/Milwaukee DP220 that grandpa bought new. At 14" it is great for many tasks. I also have a 17" floor model which meets nearly all my other requirements.

[steven c newman]

I have always had a benchtop. Small shop. My benchtop sits beside my benchtop bandsaw. Why??? Each will help the other when I need a longer surface to place stock on. With the DP's table height matched to the bandsaw's table, I can bandsaw long items. The same goes for drilling a series of holes in a long piece. Mine is a five speed, stepped pulley one.

One of my older DP's was a Monkey-ward's benchtop. If I needed to drill a long item (like into the end of a leg) the bench it sat on was notched to match the 'foot-print" of the DP. Long item could then even sit on the floor if needed.

[Neal Wells]

I have three drill presses, 2 floor models and one tabletop. The biggest advantage to the floor models is that I often drill in the end of stock and that would be impossible with the tabletop. Also, with a tilting table for drilling angled holes, the distance between the work and the quill drops dramatically with much angle. That said, for 90% of my work (wood and metal), the bench top model works just fine.

[mreza Salav]

I had a bench top. In a project (building a bed that is documented here) I needed extra height (and quilt travel). I since then have upgraded to a floor model. Won't go back to a bench top even though most of the time I don't need the maximum capacity of it (but when you need it it's hard not to have it).

[Steve Griffin]

I have a benchtop Delta with variable speed. I like it a lot. Its mounted to a small cabinet with drawers to store all the stuff used with the drill press and hand drills. After 7 or 8 years, I have never needed more height capacity, and am glad for the storage since I have a small shop.

John

Funny, I could have posted this same exact thing. 11 years of running my small shop building cabinets and furniture, and I can't think of single time I need more "throw" or "throat" or whatever.... Hmmm, maybe ignorance is bliss!

-Steve

[Jay Allen]

I have a floor model Delta much like the others here. It has been in my family longer than I have...and at age 47 that's saying something. It is far more "solid" than the bench top unit that I use at work, plus the benefit of drilling into the end of longer stock and the longer quill stroke.
I was told at one time that the first two digits of the serial number where the year of manifacture? Which makes mine a '57.
I suppose that if I had to drill into the end of something really long, I could lift it up onto the ShopSmith and do it horzontally.

[Bob Aquino]

I have a floor model Delta much like the others here. It has been in my family longer than I have...and at age 47 that's saying something. It is far more "solid" than the bench top unit that I use at work, plus the benefit of drilling into the end of longer stock and the longer quill stroke.
I was told at one time that the first two digits of the serial number where the year of manifacture? Which makes mine a '57.
I suppose that if I had to drill into the end of something really long, I could lift it up onto the ShopSmith and do it horzontally.


Your press is actually 10 years older than that, its a 1947. Here is the list out of the OWWM wiki for delta serial nos:

Year From - To
1941 13-0000 - 15-0000
1942 16-0000 - 21-6500
1943 21-6501 - 26-6900
1944 26-6901 - 33-6900
1945 33-6901 - 40-6600
1946 40-6601 - 49-5000
1947 49-5001 - 60-6000
1948 60-6001 - 74-6000
1949 74-6001 - 82-5500
1950 82-5501 - 91-5950
1951 91-5951 - 100-7044
1952 100-7045 - 105-4004

[Chris Brault]

I prefer the floor model myself. I had a benchtop machine at one time, and it could handle 90-95% of what i was doing, but it's sure nice when you need the extra depth with the floor model. And , of course, there is always "another " way of doing it!

[Don Dorn]

Mine is a floor model too but have only used it's depth a couple of times. I built a stand on rollers with a drawer and cutout on the back that fits around the post. This way, it's basically used in benchtop mode most of the time, but it can be rolled out of the way should I need the extra capacity.

[Don Bullock]

The biggest machine purchase mistake I've made since I got back into woodworking was buying a bench top drill press. The quill stroke is far too short for the projects I've used it for. I, however, do not wish to sell my drill press. Adding a floor model with a 6" quill stroke is what I'd rather do. I bought the bench top because I couldn't afford a floor model and I still can't.

[Tom Cornish]

I just sold my Jet floor standing drill press, because I bought a Bridgeport milling machine, which has a 44" swing. :D

Before getting the big daddy of drill presses, I did occasionally use the extra length of the column. I drilled some stair spindles, and had a project or two where I drilled in something larger in diameter than some benchtops could do, but I agree with others that the biggest issue is probably quill travel.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I find that a floor standing drill press is more appropriate for my small shop. It takes up less useful space than did a benchtop model, has a small footprint so it gets in the way less than a cart, and wheeled carts can be parked against its column straddling the base anyway. Apparently which fits better depends on the shop and what sort of space you need. I have not needed the extra length, but it's there if I ever do need it.

[Cyrus Brewster 7]

I have to agree with Alan - a floor standing drill press does not take up much space at all. Although I am not trying to repeat everything already said, the one time you need the extra 'anything' you will be happy with the big guy. I had a bench top prior to my current floor standing model (Ridgid on clearance at HD for $150). One of the immediate drawbacks I found on the bench top was its small capacity between the quill and the post - which translates to a smaller size table you will need to add for woodworking. Having stepped up, I would not want to go back. Now my eyes are on a bigger Delta.

[Dan Karachio]

Count me in as a bench top to floor standing convert. Had both, now just a floor stander and I won't go back. For me, bench space was more valuable than floor space and throat depth was an issue too. However, Don's comment about a rolling cabinet has me thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?!?!?" Brilliant! You just helped me solve an issue I have been struggling with for some time.

[Paul Johnstone]

What are the advantages of having a floor model drill press versus a bench top for the average woodworker? Thanks L

Benchtop is less expensive.
I really don't think a benchtop saves space. It will take up benchtop space or you are going to have to move it on and off the benchtop.

Floor model has more capacity,as others said. A floor model has a small footprint, and can be put on a mobile base. Really, I think unless $$ is an issue, I think the floor model is the way to go.

[David Hostetler]

I've had both Bench top and floor model. I was literally going out the door to get a new Bench Top model (my old Craftsman died, siezed bearings, and I had no idea how to find new ones for it), but I checked Craigslist before I went out the door. I came home with a 15" 16 speed 3/4 HP Northern Industrial floor model for $75.00. Plenty of capacity, very accurate, very reliable. I have had this DP now for 2 years, it's probably 15 years old now, and the original belts are starting to need to be replaced... No big deal...

But I digress here... On the subject of which one... Believe it or not, if you set up a floor model with a mobile base, and maybe a cabinet that can roll under and out from under when the column is needed, it is a lot less hassle to deal with a floor model... I know it seems counter intuitive, but it works...

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have a floor model and a benchtop. The benchtop now sits on my floor and is gathering dust. I have not used it in years. The best thing about a floor model is you can make (or buy) an auxilliary table for it. The stock metal table is woefully inadequate for woodworking. I made a good sized table, with T-tracks and a fence. Can't remember the depth, but that will depend on your DP. It's 2 feet wide. I can drill cabinet shelf pin holes and door hinge pockets using the fence. Can't miss. Best addition to a DP. Can't put an aux table on a benchtop, unless you never tilt the table.

Whatever you decide to buy, make sure that the quill stroke is adequate for what you want to do. My benchtop is very short, can't do a whole lot. Can't even drill a pen blank. That's the main reason I got the floor model. Throat depth is less important as far as I have noticed. HP is a factor, although not a huge factor. 3/4 HP should be plenty. 1 HP if you swing a lot of big Forstners.

Just my $0.02.