New toy???

[Reed Gray]

Don't remember where I saw it, but ran into this and it looks more like what I want for a drill press. Too many 'smart' features for an old geezer like me, but not as bad as my 'smart' car.... Only spec I couldn't find was throat depth or how far from center of chuck to column. Has any one had a chance to play with this yet?

http://www.teknatool.com/product/nova-voyager-dvr-drill-press/

robo hippy

[Don Bunce]

It says it has an 18" swing, so that would be 9".

[David Delo]

Since the DVR technology has been out for awhile (with Teknatool), always wondered how long it would take them to come out with individual tool functions versus the all-in-one function direct drive like Shopsmith has.

[Van Huskey]

I have played with one of these twice, maybe a total of 1:15 and there is no question in my mind this is the best "woodworking" drill press one can buy new. The near total lack of vibration up to 5000 rpm and the huge amounts of torque down low and the simple as it gets drive train make it a winner. Often when a new feature rich tool is introduced it lacks on basic build quality and heft, not the case with this odd looking press. Compare the base size to the PM and Delta and you will likely see what I saw, the first "woodworking" DP with a base I would feel comfortable not bolting to the floor. The bells and whistles actual seem like something I would use and are rather intuitive. The most concern on the interweb seems to be the "new" tech and electronics but despite not being a member of the brotherhood of the Vortex I have read enough to know that the DVR motors and supporting electronics from Teknatool are mature enough not to dismiss out of hand. While I am not discounting great used DPs like the PM1200 (whose prices have soared over the last few years) I really do see the Voyager as a better mouse trap and will most likely buy one when I get my new shop finished. It is nice to see that it appears Nova will run routine sales on this like their lathes which brings the price down more in line with the PM 2800b since Nova doesn't offer free shipping like Powermatic. I will say for me personally I will add an auxiliary table and a keyless chuck but that is a personal thing versus a misstep on the designers part. The only thing that kinda bugs me at the price is limiting the motor/electronics to a 2 year warranty instead of 5 years like the rest of the press.

[John K Jordan]

Don't remember where I saw it, but ran into this and it looks more like what I want for a drill press. Too many 'smart' features for an old geezer like me, but not as bad as my 'smart' car....

Reed,

That looks interesting, but not for this old geezer either. (And my new smart car drives me crazy - how can it be so stupid about some things?)

After reading some threads about the value of "old iron", this drill press makes me wonder if the great-grandkids will even be able to use it. Will the screen and buttons still work 40 years from now? If the "brain" dies from a power surge or the screen gets cracked or fades, will a replacement be possible to find? I'm sure Nova will sell a lot of these just because of the tech/feature lust but it will be interesting to see how many are still running even 20 years from now. I suspect this is throw-away technology.

I have membrane switches like that on my metal lathe and I don't care for them compared to real switches and knobs. When the switch broke on my oldest drill press I couldn't find an exact replacement to fit the space, but it was a simple matter to make a plate to adapt an off-the-shelf switch. Try that with a membrane switch.

My old-technology drill presses will drill metal, wood, plastic, and glass just fine. Moving the belt to change the speed is simple and quick.

JKJ

[Roger Chandler]

It basically is like the DVR lathe, in that it is direct drive, eliminating the belts, which does help with vibration. I still prefer belt drive as an added safety feature protecting the motor in case of a stall......but that's just me.

[ALAN HOLLAR]

I have one. Very quiet, smooth with more speed than any one will ever need. Nice electronic depth stop feature. Bigger table than most drill presses. You can program a number of operations, or just dial up the speed you need and push on. I haven't tried to stall it but I know my smallest lathe is the Nova DVR, which stops itself if a sudden rise in resistance exceeds the operating parameters. 6" quill travel. So far, I am very pleased with the Voyager, especially since it replaced a 40 year old Craftsman press that was way past its prime. One note: The Voyager drill presses from Teknatool's last container appear to have all been sold, so unless you see a floor model, it may be mid-April or so before more are in country.

[Van Huskey]

It basically is like the DVR lathe, in that it is direct drive, eliminating the belts, which does help with vibration. I still prefer belt deive as an added safety feature proecting the motor incase of a stall......but that's just me.



The Voyager has load sensors and will shut the motor off in the case of a jam or load spike, both of which can be turned on or off and the spike threshold can be adjusted. If one divorces the electronics longevity issue there is just about nothing this DP doesn't do at least as well if not better than any new DP in the price range. The safety factor is much better than belts in several ways. DMD woodworking machines have always been favored over belt drive but in the past there was no way to adapt them to machines that needed variable speed but the best planer, jointers and table saws were DMD.

Further on the safety side it has vibration sensors (again also defeatable and the threshold is adjustable) which will shut down the DP if excess vibration is sensed, like in the case of a workpiece that is caught and spinning.

[Clint Bach]

The images don't show if the quill can be locked in one place solidly or both the top and bottom stops can be set like the old style dril presses with the stops on the left side. That is something that is a no buy feature for me on any dp except a deal on a used one. I will not buy a new dp with that nasty worthless dial on the handle worthless thing.

c

[Doug Rasmussen]

This is the second video of these programmable type drill presses I've seen. The other one maybe didn't have the DVR motor, only an automatic stop at preset depth. What both of them shared in their videos was an obvious wobble in the chucks when running. With this one it was about at about the 1:00 minute time showing a circle cutter.

In my business we have 4 drill presses, all old American made. They all have a feature not seen on newer drill presses. That's the lock ring on the chuck, Jacobs 633C chucks (the "C" means locking collar). These chucks can't ever come loose from the spindle. The newer drill presses use a drill chuck on a Morse taper. Morse tapers eventually have a tendency to not resist forces wanting to pull them out of their sockets, like when retracting a tap from a hole.

Wonder what these dp's cost? Not cheap I'm sure.

Somebody mentioned putting a keyless chuck on. Albrecht (sp?) and probably all quality keyless chucks loosen when run in reverse. So can't be used for tapping.

BTW: I've had this discussion about locking-on drill press chucks with younger guys who usually don't know what I'm talking about because newer small shop drill presses with Morse taper chuck mounts have become the norm.

[John K Jordan]

Somebody mentioned putting a keyless chuck on. Albrecht (sp?) and probably all quality keyless chucks loosen when run in reverse. So can't be used for tapping.


I have several keyless chucks. I dislike them for a drill press for one reason - I often use high-quality bits that have three flats ground on the shank so they will never twist. Lining up these flats with a standard chuck is trivial. Lining them up while twisting the keyless chuck to tighten is an added effort.

For those unable to keep up with a chuck key, I present the unpatented JKJ technical innovation, guaranteed foolproof (unless you foolishly don't put it back):

355621

JKJ

[Reed Gray]

I have an old Delta drill press now. I do not like changing belts, and the pulley system is a pain to lock down so it doesn't slip, and it always seems to slacken up. I would think with all the 3 phase motors on the lathes, that some one would make one like that. The DVR technology seems to fit that bill. May have to wait till the new shop is built... Thanks for the feedback.

robo hippy

[Van Huskey]

The images don't show if the quill can be locked in one place solidly or both the top and bottom stops can be set like the old style dril presses with the stops on the left side. That is something that is a no buy feature for me on any dp except a deal on a used one. I will not buy a new dp with that nasty worthless dial on the handle worthless thing.

c

The Nova has a quill lock and as far as the manual depth stop goes it only has one nut so you can't use it as a "quill lock" without adding another nut.

Maybe of interest to some it is a split head design which is quite rare these days below the $2,000 mark.

@ Doug based on the specimen I played with any wobble visible in the chuck was a video anomaly, that actual clip has been discussed on several forums and nobody that has been hands on with one has seen anything to indicate it would be an issue.

In the end the DP while quite useful is still an ancillary machine for many in the woodshop and the $1,500-1,700 price point shipped makes it a luxury for most but this one offers an added layer of safety and a rich feature set not available in any other drill press.

[Olaf Vogel]

I would think with all the 3 phase motors on the lathes, that some one would make one like that. The DVR technology seems to fit that bill. May have to wait till the new shop is built... Thanks for the feedback.

robo hippy

With such a wide speed range, I suspected its a DC motor - its a "switched reluctance motor" (which I'd not heard of before) requiring specialized electronics to manage the power requirements and speed control. So to John's point, if the electronics go south....there's likely no replacement.

Even a 3 phase motor will loose a lot of torque if slowed down to 5% of its speed. And with large diameter bits, thats what you want. So you still need gearing / belts etc.

There are also quite a few metal working drill presses out there, direct drive, 3 phase. (Allen, or Leland Gifford)
For $1300 you can definitely find those on the used market.

But the DVR's features sound good and are tempting.

[Van Huskey]

With such a wide speed range, I suspected its a DC motor - its a "switched reluctance motor" (which I'd not heard of before) requiring specialized electronics to manage the power requirements and speed control. So to John's point, if the electronics go south....there's likely no replacement.

Even a 3 phase motor will loose a lot of torque if slowed down to 5% of its speed. And with large diameter bits, thats what you want. So you still need gearing / belts etc.

There are also quite a few metal working drill presses out there, direct drive, 3 phase. (Allen, or Leland Gifford)
For $1300 you can definitely find those on the used market.

But the DVR's features sound good and are tempting.

SRM's have been around for more than a hundred years but it has been just recently that the electronics to run them have become practical in the old days they relied on mechanical systems to switch the current between the windings. It is a DC motor. They are simple and rugged and produce significant amounts of torque even stalled (and they don't heat up at low rpm or in stall). They have a very high torque density and low power losses.

SRM's excel at low speed torque and durability and probably the reason they have slipped beyond Teknatool in lathes. It would make perfect sense for them to continue to displace 3ph motors with VFDs in lathes and similar applications, they are simply better for the way lathes are used. The biggest issue is indeed the longevity of the electronics and the supply of replacement parts.

[Reed Gray]

My only experience with DC motors was a Nova from 15 plus years ago, and it needed a lot of fiddling with to get it to run properly, and to keep it running smooth. I think the ones now, which are 'brushless' are a lot better, but don't know anything about them, but they seem to be a considerable step up. I just don't want a drill press that relies on changing pulleys, or a reeves drive. You know, just plug it in and go... It will be interesting to see what happens with lathe motors in the future. I still need minimum speeds of 10 to 15 rpm for sanding my warped bowls, or some other alternative...

robo hippy

[Van Huskey]

I think the ones now, which are 'brushless' are a lot better,

robo hippy

An SRM is similar to a brushless DC motor in that neither has brushes since the stator is electrified not the rotor. This decreases maintenance since there are no transmission of power to moving parts and also increases the ability to keep the motor cool. The electronics are required to time the shift of electricity from winding to winding in the stator. SRM's differ from brushless DC motors because they do not have permanent magnets in the rotor and is a salient pole motor.

The key here is the need for electronics to run the SRM. The rotor angle has to be determined (usually by Hall effect or encoders) in order to energize the appropriate stator poles when the rotor poles are approaching.

Because there are no permanent magnets there is no back EMF which is the reason the Voyager motor can run up to 5,500 rpm. Due to the design doesn't need sinusoidal waves for efficiency so it has excellent torque over a wide speed range much better than say an induction motor on a VFD. They do suffer from torque ripple but this can be engineered to be a non-factor and they tend to be louder than other types of motors but on the DP the sound pressure level is lower due to the lack of the belt transmission system though it is a higher pitched "whine". I didn't find it intrusive though.

[Ralph Lindberg]

Van
As for noise (acoustic) I can tell you that our DVR -XP is quieter then either Jet or the Grizzly G0766.
RF noise is another thing. AM radio reception anywhere near our shop is impossible. In fact I can't use my Ham radios (except FM) if the lathe is on.

As for reliability of the electronics. My DVR-XP is 10 years old, and I've been known to leave it on for weeks at a time. Of course it's plugged into a power-strip surge plus I have panel mount surge protectors.

On the other side, I've had to have our clubs -older- DVR electronics fixed twice, and it might see 20 hrs of use a year.

[Van Huskey]

Van
As for noise (acoustic) I can tell you that our DVR -XP is quieter then either Jet or the Grizzly G0766.
RF noise is another thing. AM radio reception anywhere near our shop is impossible. In fact I can't use my Ham radios (except FM) if the lathe is on.

As for reliability of the electronics. My DVR-XP is 10 years old, and I've been known to leave it on for weeks at a time. Of course it's plugged into a power-strip surge plus I have panel mount surge protectors.



On the other side, I've had to have our clubs -older- DVR electronics fixed twice, and it might see 20 hrs of use a year.


Im surprised the RF interference is so high, I imagine the intended use somehow skirts a lot of the regulations. As for the acoustic noise I certainly didn't drag along my SPL meters (it wasn't a bandsaw after all, I haul all manner of gear to a bandsaw coming out party) and aural memory is notoriously short but I think the frequency had a lot to do with it. I would guess the majority of the noise was in the 3000-5000hz range which is in the upper end of the frequency area where humans are most sensitive, this is augmented by bearing noise when running at the higher rpms this press is capable of. While I found is slightly more annoying than a belt reduction or Reeves drive and similar to SOME VFD driven systems it was nothing that would require hearing protection or even be annoying for most after a few minutes. It is also just a general fact that SRMs are louder than an induction motor but the induction motor system also has an increase in sound pressure level due to the transmission system that the SRM does not have, being that it is direct drive.