Is 1 1/8" more quill stroke worth an additional $250??

[Rick Cicciarelli]

I am comparing the Delta 17-959L 17-inch drill press and the Delta 18-900L 18" drill press. I would appreciate any input from those of you who are more experienced or are familiar with both of these drill presses.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

What is the quill stroke on the two DPs?

I can tell you you want at least 4". 6" would be even better. You would need at least 3 1/2" to drill through a 2x4 in the 4" direction. That was one of the short comings of the first cheap benchtop DP I had.

If you are a turner, some pens require more than 4" IIRC.

Only you know what your budget is and whether or not it's worth it. Whether or not it's worth it to me doesn't matter.

[Rick Cicciarelli]

The 17" is 4 7/8" while the 18" press has a 6" quill stroke. I guess more than anything I was hoping for some examples of where that extra 1 1/8" would be worthwhile.....

[george wilson]

It is worthwhile when you find out you need it,and can't do the job well without it.

[Van Huskey]

Between the two of those presses the quill stroke is only one of the differences the 18-900L is a heck of a lot more DP (much more heavily built and featured) than the 17-959L. If I were considering these two and I had the money I would be all over the 18-900L!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It is worthwhile when you find out you need it,and can't do the job well without it.

Amen George!

I had a lathe given to me. Drove 110 miles one way to the nearest WoodCraft. Bought $150 worth of pen turning supplies. Drove 110 miles home. Found out the cheap bench top DP I had didn't have a long enough quill stroke to drill all the way through a pen blank.

The next day I drove back to the Woodcraft and came home with a new Jet that had 6" quill stroke. 220 miles round trip.

[Ryan Baker]

Absolutely yes. These days I wouldn't consider any drill press with less than 6" of quill travel. And longer quill presses tend to have a lot of other things improved as well, which is another reason to prefer them.

Another place where long quill travel helps a lot is when drilling multi-stage holes (e.g., drill, counterbore, countersink, or drill, tap, etc.) with tools of very different lengths. Without enough quill travel, you have to change the table height, which loses the centering on the hole.

[Jonathan Spool]

Go for the longer throw and move forward with no regrets. IMO.

[Kent A Bathurst]

It is worthwhile when you find out you need it,and can't do the job well without it.

Exactly, George. The day will come when that $250 looks very attractive in hindsight. It may be a while, but the day will come.

[John Williamson]

If the extra $'s are not a problem go with the 6". You won't regret it the first time you need the little extra.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Cutting a hole at 45 degrees requires at least 50% more stroke.

[Paul Ryan]

I bought a Jet drill press 18 months ago and had the same question between the Steel City press and the jet. I have 4 7/8" and have never needed even that much. To me no way is it worth it for $250 you will more than likely never need the extra 1 1/8. But you are getting more than just quill stroke for the $$. So it is really up to you.

[Rod Sheridan]

Lower runout would be much more important to me than the extra stroke on a drill press.

I would also like a slow speed in the 200 RPM range and good squareness of the quill to the table.

Regards, Rod.

[Ron Bontz]

Rick, I had the Delta 17-959L. I bought the Powermatic PM2800 and compared them. Not being thrilled with the PM2800 as I thought I would be, I then went and played with a Delta 18-900L that has the longer quill length. I could find no difference in run out. The 18-900 was smoother as well as quieter than both the Powermatic and the Delta 17-959L. I also liked the table on the Deltas better than the PM2800. As a result I sold both the 959L and the PM2800 and ordered the 18-900L. The 1-1/8th difference in quill length for me really did not make the difference. It was icing on the cake.

[Don Bullock]

Go for the longer throw and move forward with no regrets. IMO.

+1 -- certainly worth the extra bucks.