Drill press less than $500

[Rob Price]

I've been making do with my $99 craftsman 10" drill press. It's nice to have but has always had a bit of runout, and the quill travel is less than 2". Several times recently I've needed more boring depth and the other day I couldn't even use it to drill the center of a bowl blank for my midi lathe. I can't even drill through half a pen blank at once. My quill on my lathe is only about 2" as well. So it's time to upgrade. I don't do a ton of big boring, but I do occasionally use a 2 1/4 forstner bit. I have a steel stand right now under my current DP so I don't think I need a floor model. If I need to drill the end of long stock I can use my lathe up to 42". I think quill travel is my top need, most of what I've seen in this range is 3-3.25. I like the grizz models but wood magazine had a review recently where the runout was worst on the 12" grizz. I like the jet 15" bench model. It's basically the same as their floor model on a shorter stand. 3/4 HP, 3.125 quill travel, 5/8 chuck. I can save some dough and get the 12" delta but it drops down to 1/3 HP, same quill travel. Just curious on your thoughts, opinions.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have two old Walker Turner heavyweights, and a drill press is in my opinion one machine that it really pays to take the time to look for an older heavyweight. I paid $100 for a big floor model with a speed control that is perfect, and $250 for a super heavy weight with reverse and a threader/powerfeed. Both are far better than anything that you will find in the new market for $500.

Next I will find a Walker turner radial drill press to complete the set....

Larry

[Carl Beckett]

I have two old Walker Turner heavyweights, and a drill press is in my opinion one machine that it really pays to take the time to look for an older heavyweight. I paid $100 for a big floor model with a speed control that is perfect, and $250 for a super heavy weight with reverse and a threader/powerfeed. Both are far better than anything that you will find in the new market for $500.

Next I will find a Walker turner radial drill press to complete the set....

Larry

+1 on looking on CL for used. You will find some great choices with your price range, high quality used drill presses are cheap.

[Myk Rian]

Atlanta is a hotbed of used machines.
Delta 14" DP220 models can be had for as little as $150, or less.
$50 to fix it up, and you're set.

[Charles McElroy]

I am in the market also and would prefer a bench top, but the quill travel is a stopper. I have sure been looking at the 15" floor model that Lowe's carries. It's a Porta Cable with a 4" travel for $299. It has a real good review.
I just talked myself into it!:)
Good luck.

[Steven Hsieh]

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hardware-power-tools-drill-presses/ridgid-15-in-stationary-drill-press-185117.html

[Brad Patch]

I would be very cautious when considering an import drill press. The fit and finish on my 15 inch jet is very poor, course grinding marks on the table and sharp edges all over the place. The table tilt requires that you use a wrench and the mechanism is secured with a big course threaded bolt that is hard to tighten while holding the table at the desired angle. The chuck is really poorly made and contributes to the machines inability to drill a deep hole without the bit wandering off center. The press has 12 speeds (overkill) and the speed adjustment mechanism is poorly made and is the source of a lot of vibration.

I finally wised up and bought a used 15 inch Walker Turner bench model and it is a far superior tool in all respects.

[Rob Price]

I am in the market also and would prefer a bench top, but the quill travel is a stopper. I have sure been looking at the 15" floor model that Lowe's carries. It's a Porta Cable with a 4" travel for $299. It has a real good review.
I just talked myself into it!:)
Good luck.
I looked at that a few months ago and then forgot about it. 4" of travel, best I've seen in this price range. I did find a refurbished Delta 18" on CL but it's still $700 which is more than I want to spend- I'd rather spend the $400 on more gouges for my lathe. I've made do with a cheapo 10", I don't know if jumping up that much would be overkill... The PC looks like a lot of DP for the money. the belt tension/pulleys/motor look identical to the Jet 15", must be coming out of the same factory although I realize different manufacturers use different tolerances... I've also seen where people have gotten Lowes to honor a harbor freight coupon, and as luck would have it, the harbor freight is literally across the street from Lowes... I like the Ridgid, but at $500 with a 1/2HP motor and 3.25" quill travel it's hard to justify over the PC model... I realize older 'Made in the USA' may be ideal. I barely have time to woodwork, I don't want to spend time restoring a machine. Everything else in my shop (Jet BS, SawStop TS, Delta Lathe, PC routers, Ridgid CMS) all came from overseas. It's just the world we live in these days, and that's a whole 'nother topic.

[Michael W. Clark]

I bought a Delta 17-950L for around $400. It has the woodworker table with T-slots and a recess with insert. I didn't have to build a drill press table, just made a fence that would clamp into the T-slots. It also has the diagonal slots to accept standard DP accessories. It has about 4" of quill stroke, I have been very pleased with it. They may have something similar in a benchtop version if you prefer it. Otherwise, you could modify your stand to go over the base of the drill press. I've thought about building a cabinet that would do this as well.

I bought it from Lowe's (free shipping), but Rockler also runs it on sale at times.

Mike

[glenn bradley]

Just an observation; you can always cut the post if a larger swing benchtop is a requirement. I also have the 17-950L. It is the largest of the "Shopmaster" format DP's from Delta. I paid $300 on sale and it is a bargain for that. The "decent" DP for under $1000 is an elusive beast. As soon as you move to the 18-900 you are in a different class of machine and it really shows (dad's got that one). It is certainly head and shoulders above the PM 2800 (at about $1000) that get's bashed for several design problems. I am not a big Delta fan but, they seem to be filling this niche right now. I wish others would come out with an offering that lived up to the hype. Apparently it is much harder and more expensive to build a good DP than I ever imagined ;-)

I also have Grandpa's old DP-220 and it is smooth as silk. These are very available in the used market. If you can find one that has been well treated, it is a jewel although a bit short on the swing at 14". Older machines also lack the modern conveniences like a table raising mechanism and a easily tilting tables but, the movements are nice. Good luck and let us know what you find.

[Larry Prem]

Old industrial heavy-weights are hard to beat for performance. They do, however, require a lot of time to restore and keep maintained.
There is something to said about "pretty good" performance from today's drillpresses. For $500 the drillpress should never break in a residential shop.

This site has a list of all drillpresses in market. Don't know how complete it is.
http://www.hingmy.com/WoodworkingTools.php?Type=4

I own a chap Grizzly, which performs like a cheap Grizzly. Don't go too cheap.

[Rob Price]

Mike, I think that delta has been discontinued but looks like a good deal. Charles, I went to Lowes today. They don't have one setup to look at and wouldn't honor the HF coupon... Still seems like a good deal. Have you pulled the trigger yet? My runner up is the Jet 15" bench model.

[Bob Rufener]

Rob,

My only advice is to be patient and not grab something in haste. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you are very likely to run across something good in your price range.

[John Little]

I bought the PC 15" from Lowes last fall and have been very pleased with it. For the money it is a lot of drill press.

[Charles McElroy]

Rob...I have not yet, as I've been hoping they would put it on sale. But I am definately going to buy the first of the month. I'll let you know how it goes. Good Luck

[phil harold]

runout

Well I doubt you will find a drill press under 500 that will not have run out
must drill press at the box stores are designed to drill wood where tolerances do not have to be as stringent,
find a vertical mill or an old drill press designed for steel
also swinging a 2.25" drill bit is taxing on small drill press
I have a 1964 south bend drill press which is still very accurate I also have a complex drilling machine (small mill) from central machinery similar to this one http://www.leftoversupply.com/100021,auction_id,auction_details
for my swinging of larger bits and accurate spacings of holes

[Rob Price]

Jumped on the PC today and I'm very pleased with it. Setup took maybe 20 minutes. Drilled several large holes with forstner bits. Seems to be very well made. No play in the spindle. No perceptible runout (not gonna take the dial caliper to it- it's way better than what I had been using.) Plenty of power. The light is nice, but what I like most is the 4" of travel. The table actually seems clamp friendly, although I'm using my HF drill press table which feels ridiculously small on this beast.

All in all I'm a happy camper. Only time will tell how durable it is, but I got 6 years out of my cheapo craftsman without a hint of trouble (which sold on CL in about 10 min) and this seems to be much more solid.