Opinions on two drill press features

[Michael Mannion]

I am planning to purchase a drill press for general household use; I have several projects - some wood, some metal, and some plastic - that require more precision than I can achieve using my handheld drill.

Last having used a drill press 30 years ago in shop class, I'm starting with effectively zero knowledge on the subject. I've spent the past few weeks, however, reading product literature, user manuals, and discussion forums (thank you to the authors of the myriad useful posts on this topic) and am closing in on a decision. I have a pretty clear sense of my needs, and am able to weigh the value to me of most features, given their cost.

That said, without any first-hand experience to speak of, I don't know what I don't know. Therefore, I'd like to ask two questions of members who already own/use drill presses, and have the benefit of hindsight.

Specifically, if I could get the exact same machine, with only the following differences, would you recommend that I purchase one with a:


Benchtop or floor mount?
Reeves drive or three pulley system (assume the same minimum/maximum speeds and, say, a dozen pulley configurations for the latter)?

It's probably impossible to answer these questions without some context, yet I want to avoid steering anyone towards a particular answer. So, in general terms, I'll say on the first topic that:


I'll be working from my multi-use garage, not a dedicated workshop.
A benchtop model + bench, or a floor model, will cost me about the same amount of money and space.
I don't otherwise need a bench (e.g. working space, storage), but I'm sure I'll use it if I have to get one.
I can get wheels for either.
I've read that floor models accommodate larger workpieces, but that I can also rotate the head of a benchtop model off of the side of the bench and put the workpiece on the floor.
I might have to move the press on occasion - but trying to lift a benchtop model at a local retailer disabused me of the notion that I'm going to be dragging it around and clamping it on a table like I do with my grinder/vise/miter saw/etc. I expect that either will be largely stationary, out of necessity.

Basically, I could be talked into either mounting option.

On the second topic:


The Reeves drive seems easier, but the consensus seems to be that changing pulleys is easy, too.
I assume that a simpler system (three pulley) is more reliable and easier/cheaper to fix than a more complex one (Reeves). I worried about the same thing when switching from a truck with a manual 4WD shift lever & locking hubs to one with a push button, but I haven't had a single problem with the button in 20 years, so maybe modern engineering is just better than I think.
I've read that some three pulley systems can have big gaps between adjacent speeds. I don't know if that's going to matter for me. Considering that, heretofore, I've drilled everything on "high" with my handheld drill, both systems seem to have plenty of speeds.

Honestly, I didn't even know until now that I should be using different drilling speeds for different materials and bits. Accordingly, I have no gut sense for the whole variable speed thing, other than having read a few charts.

Thank you, in advance, for your advice.

[Brian Tymchak]

Michael, the choice likely comes down to size of work that you forsee doing on the DP. My benchtop DP only had a 3" throw. If you intend to do any sizable wood working that may become a limitation. It did for me, and I worked around that issue, but it was a Ieading reason for me upgrading recently to a floor model with a 6" throw.

The other main concern would be bit speed. My benchtop could not turn any less than 580 rpm. That's a little high for some larger bits. It can scorch in the hole, thus requiring many more iterations of pulling out to clear the debris and cool the bit. I can't remember when I last changed to a higher speed. Lastly, the table size, and support capacity, can be important if you are likely to handle large heavy pieces.

A final note - benchtop machines may not have the precision you may require. They typically have a little more runout than the bigger machines, although that can also be more influenced by diligence at setup when the chuck is installed.

[Mark Hockenberg]

Hi Michael,

I recommend choosing a floor standing model. These models are generally more versatile in terms of capacity and quill stroke. Due to the overall size of the machine, they don't take up much shop space. I installed an after market table on mine that makes it extremely useful for a variety of applications.

If you read up on the bench vs. floor decision, I think you'll find that many, many of us started with a bench top machine and "upgraded" to a floor standing machine.

My first was a floor standing machine purchased over 20 years ago. I still operate that machine - It has never had an issue and has taken everything I threw at it.

I'm not familiar with the reeves drive. My machine has the pulley system which is quick and easy to adjust. That said, I can't remember the last time I changed speeds.

Cheers,
Mark

[Cary Falk]

I prefer a floor standing unit over a bench top. I had a bench top model and it was almost 100lbs. I didn't move it around much. If you put it on a cart then it takes the same amount of space as a floor standing unit. The bif thing form me was a floor standing unit has a longer spindle travel.

I prefer a vs DP over pulleys. The pulleys are usually pretty easy to change but I find myself using the correct speed when all I have to do is rotate the dial.

[Bill Dufour]

Reeves drive system are loud and very old school design (1890). I would buy a used step pulley design with three phase motor. pretty much any DP with factory 3 phase motor will be as good or better then most of what is in your budget new today. Add a $100 VFd and get instant reverse, power braking, slow start etc.
I have not shifted belts on my dp for more then ten years of light hobby use.
Any DP watch the lowest RPM many are too fast for metal or large wood bits.
Bill D.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I've been using a Jet 17" floor drill press since 2003 and like it a lot. I do change speeds often, it is a 3 pulley design. At least every month, sometimes in a single day I will use 500 rpm to run small and medium Forstner bits, 350 for big ones, 1440 for normal small hole drilling in wood, 3600 for the sanding drum, and occasionally 200 for drilling steel or plastic. The other thing I use a lot that I don't always see on drill presses, though maybe I just don't know where to look for it, is a depth stop. When I build fiddles, mandolins and other archtop instruments I shape the outside and then use the drill press to drill a lot of holes from the inside to a specified distance from a rubber foot on the drill press table. Then I can connect the dots when I carve out the inside, and end up with the proper thicknesses on the compound curves. For what you're doing the depth stop might not be helpful, but I wouldn't want to be without it for what I do.
Zach

[roger wiegand]

1) Plus another for floor standing. I've used the extra height frequently over the years.
2) I would love to, but don't have variable speed. I keep watching CL for a bargain in a variable speed drill press. My old Delta is a real knuckle eater when I have to change the belts around (just about every time I use it it seems)
3) I'd add a keyless chuck to your list. I found a good Albrecht at a reasonable price on Ebay and it has greatly improved my life. Not dealing with the chuck key is wonderful.

[andy bessette]

Get a quality floor model with the lowest low speed and more than 3 pulleys.

[Mike Henderson]

Floor model for depth.

Reeves drive so you won't have to change pulleys. With pulleys, the belts are hard enough to change that most people just use the speed that's set - unless it's way off. With the Reeves drive you just slide a handle (at least that's all I have to do).

Mike

[Frank Drackman]

I like the weight and precision of floor models. I have a Jet with the three pulley design. I always change the pulleys to the required speed before drilling. I find that it takes almost no time at all.

To give you an additional piece of data, I don't always change the blade in my table saw to the blade designed for the material I'm going to cut.

[Derek Cohen]

Do you get the Bosch PBD 40 bench drill in the USA?

https://www.bosch-do-it.com/au/en/diy/tools/pbd-40-3165140789813-199903.jsp

This is likely more than you might consider spending, but may be the perfect drill for your needs: variable speed and compact.

One review:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx9o_347cRk

Regards from Munich

Derek

[Andrew Seemann]

I have a floor drill press, a 1990's 17" Delta, and "bench top" one that is actually a full size 1940's Delta floor drill press with a short column on a home built mobile cabinet. I use the floor one much more often, although I did fine when I only had the full size bench one. I probably would use the bench one more if it was actually mounted on a bench I could sit at, rather than on a cabinet. I've only had pulleys (2 on the 1940s one, and 3 on the 1990s one), so I don't know what I am missing, but I've never felt limited or hindered by pulleys.

If it was me buying new or recently used, I would get a floor model over the standard bench top model, and only step up from pulleys if the cost increase wasn't much, but that is just me.

[Roger Feeley]

Reeves drive system are loud and very old school design (1890). I would buy a used step pulley design with three phase motor. pretty much any DP with factory 3 phase motor will be as good or better then most of what is in your budget new today. Add a $100 VFd and get instant reverse, power braking, slow start etc.
I have not shifted belts on my dp for more then ten years of light hobby use.
Any DP watch the lowest RPM many are too fast for metal or large wood bits.
Bill D.

+1 on Bills recommendation. Buy a step pulley machine and upgrade to VFD. The only downside is that you won’t have a readout of the actual spindle speed without some math. But I go with my gut anyway.

mine is floor mount and I agree that quill travel is a big deal.

[Tom M King]

I have one of each type drive in 1150 Powermatics. If I could only keep one, I'd keep the step pulley one.

[Andy D Jones]

I recommend variable speed capability without changing belt positions, especially if you often drill different materials and/or widely varying diameter holes. As demonstrated by multiple responses, step pulleys are just enough trouble to change that many users avoid changing speeds, and use non-ideal drill speeds for the task at hand.

I don't know about reeves drives, but some mechanical variable speed systems require that the speed can only be changed when the system is running. That can get a little exciting when the last job was running a high speed twist drill, and you mount a big circle cutter before lowering the speed!

I also recommend a floor-standing drill press for more flexibility, power options, speed range (especially with step pulleys), and capacity.

Some users build or adapt a small cabinet that straddles the base of their floor drill press and rolls under the press's table. This provides local storage for press accessories, but easily rolls out of the way when more capacity is needed.

I have a Nova Voyager DVR floor standing drill press, and absolutely love it. It uses electronic variable speed, with a DVR motor, which provides better low speed performance than a three phase induction motor with VFD. It also provides built in speed selection based on material, bit type and bit diameter selections; multiple programmable favorite speeds; and many other features. It is a heavy duty drill press, that is smooth and quiet, with very little vibration.

Andy

[Tom Dixon]

I recommend variable speed capability without changing belt positions, especially if you often drill different materials and/or widely varying diameter holes. As demonstrated by multiple responses, step pulleys are just enough trouble to change that many users avoid changing speeds, and use non-ideal drill speeds for the task at hand.

I don't know about reeves drives, but some mechanical variable speed systems require that the speed can only be changed when the system is running. That can get a little exciting when the last job was running a high speed twist drill, and you mount a big circle cutter before lowering the speed!

I also recommend a floor-standing drill press for more flexibility, power options, speed range (especially with step pulleys), and capacity.

Some users build or adapt a small cabinet that straddles the base of their floor drill press and rolls under the press's table. This provides local storage for press accessories, but easily rolls out of the way when more capacity is needed.

I have a Nova Voyager DVR floor standing drill press, and absolutely love it. It uses electronic variable speed, with a DVR motor, which provides better low speed performance than a three phase induction motor with VFD. It also provides built in speed selection based on material, bit type and bit diameter selections; multiple programmable favorite speeds; and many other features. It is a heavy duty drill press, that is smooth and quiet, with very little vibration.

Andy

+1 for the Nova Digital Variable Reluctance drive. I love my 18" Nova Voyager (https://www.teknatool.com/product/nova-voyager-dvr-drill-press/). Worth every penny I spent on it.. There is also now a 16" benchtop version called the Nova Viking (https://www.teknatool.com/product/viking/) that uses the same DVR technology.

[Zachary Hoyt]

With the 2 belts and 3 stepped pulley on the Jet I have 16 speeds, I think, of which I only use about half since many of them are pretty close to each other, but it only takes 10 or 15 seconds to change speeds, it's very easy and fast. I have a Reeves drive in the Shopsmith, and I do prefer the pulleys to that system, though I guess infinitely variable speed is theoretically handy for something.
Zach

[Randall J Cox]

I have an older 15" floor model Delta Rockwell that I totally rebuilt. It has the pulleys where you move belts. In the past 4 years, I have not changed the speed once. I have it on the slowest speed, seems to do just fine. I also have an older Delta lathe with a Reeves drive, works fine. Been using that and changing speeds with it for at least 5 years now. Randy

[Thomas Canfield]

Floor model for larger size to start. Increase depth also reduces need to raise/lower table for bit size change. Look also for spindle lock in addition to depth gage and not found on all models. You can devise some storage to fit under normal lowest table height that is removable to lower for larger items. Also need to most likely add a table to increase flexibility providing fence and hold down tracks. Get the best you can afford - I have upgraded twice from bench unit with 2 floor models. The drill press is underrated in flexibility and use in a shop.

[Mike Wilkins]

If the space is available I would recommend a floor standing driller. I went from a early 70's era Rockwell 4 speed drill press, with no rack and pinion raising mechanism, to a Nova Voyager. This is like experiencing alien technology. Nice having a machine that can correctly select the proper drilling speed for whatever bit you are using, and the type of material being drilled. You can get less expensive machines, but in my opinion you get what you pay for. And I recommend an auxiliary table for more support.
Or you could find one of the old iron machines if you feel like doing some restoration.

[John K Jordan]

I have both floor mount and benchtop. I prefer the floor model for wood. It has a longer quill reach.

I used to use the benchtop for wood but moved it in my welding shop for metal work. It's best to use a separate drill press for metals since there are often lubricants involved which can contaminate wood if the drill press is used for both. Also I rarely drill deep holes in metal. I mounted this on a old kitchen cabinet base with a 2' wide section of counter top - sturdy, easy to clean up, built-in drawers, free.

I think the pulley drive is fine. I don't change speeds often and when I do it's very quick. I am not interested in having a Reeves drive on anything. If I needed variable speed I go with electronic speed control.

JKJ

[andy bessette]

...It's best to use a separate drill press for metals since there are often lubricants involved which can contaminate wood if the drill press is used for both...

I use a sacrificial piece of plywood, MDO or MDF between my drill press table and my workpiece whenever working with wood. This protects the DP table from the drill, etc, and protects the workpiece from the table.

One DP is normally set on very low speed. Another is normally set at a much higher speed. In practice these 2 speeds handle most of my drill press work. In addition to these 2 floor model DP's I have a bench-top machine for special or portable work.

[Lee Schierer]

I have a bench mounted drill press and it does 95% of the work that I would like to do on a drill press. There have been a few times it would have been nice to have a floor mounter one. It was free so It easily found a home in my shop. I have step pulleys and I can change speeds in just a few seconds. If I had more floor space I might consider upgrading to a floor mounted drill press, but at this stage in my life I probably won't.

[Mike Kees]

Don't over think this. I have two at my shop. One old Rockwell that I bought used and a Delta 14'' that I bought new about 20 years ago. Only machine in my shop except a Unisaw that has not been upgraded. Floor standing. pulley drive will do everything you will ever need. Some of the newer ones have more "stroke ". As for speeds I rarely change them. I have one in my metal area that drills all my steel. And the Delta is in my wood shop. The Rockwell is from the era when the motor was an option,it has a 1/2 h.p. washing machine motor powering it,I have a Baldor sitting on the floor ready to go but the old motor just keeps on going. It is the machine I drill steel with and does not lack power to get the job done.

[Eric Danstrom]

It's hard to find a used 3 phase drill press as a VFD candidate. I've seen a few but they tend to expensive. I had a 4 speed Craftsman 150 bench mount for three decades and a few years ago I found a lightly used 16.5 inch, 16 speed floor mount Jet. Never looked back. All those speeds and rack&pinon table can't be beat for $300. I love the idea of a Nova but $1200 is out of my range.

[Mike Cutler]

I have a bench top that does most of what I need. It is of the mechanically pulley design.
If I were buying a new drill press, I would opt for floor standing, belt driven, multi pulley design, that would get me as close to 100rpm as possible.I would actually probably buy a used milling machine first.
Most of the "basic" models of drill presses have a low rpm of over 500 rpm, which is too fast for many of the larger drill bits used in wood working, specifically Forstner bits greater than 1". You also want as long a quill length, as can be maintained accurately by the machine.
As I stated before, for the person that performs a multitude of tasks in their garage, on a variety of materials, a bench top milling machine may actually be a better option when it is all said and done. You gotta look at what you really want to do.

[Ole Anderson]

Michael, I see this is your first post. Welcome to the creek!!!

If you can afford it, I would look seriously at the Nova Voyager. One feature I find indispensable, which the Voyager has, is a quill lock. Needed if you use a drum sander and being able to lock a bit just above the work piece while you have two hands to move the piece to the proper location while you lock down your fence. Budget for a DP table with a movable fence. Required. My DP is an older Craftsman floor mount. Unique in that it had only two pulleys with 8 grooves and a very narrow belt. Has served me well for over 25 years, I keep a spare belt but have never needed it. Ran aluminum production with it for years and have used it with a mortiser attachment pushing a 5/8" chisel through QSWO. I also have a mini mill with three pulleys and it is a PITA to change speeds, hence why so many have never changed speeds on their DP. https://www.rockler.com/nova-voyager-dvr-drill-press?gclid=Cj0KCQiAgebwBRDnARIsAE3eZjR8Woimm6lZN6 9ovvMQ8fGOE2eqY3rn8lK2l_yxiSSWpHFETkccpnsaApV-EALw_wcB OMG after watching the video, I want one!

The guys that have never changed speeds must not use the machine much. How can you use the same speed with a 1/8" drill bit and big forstner bit or a flycutter or hole saw?

[Don Sundberg]

Whatever you get, consider the stroke. I have a little benchtop drill press with a 2.75" stroke and I am always having to adjust the table. It's not hard but if you have a fixture clamped to the table you lose registration. I have a 20" industrial floor standing model with a 6" stroke and I rarely have to move the table. There was a while that all of the import drill presses had a short stroke. You had to by an industrial press or an old drill press to get much stroke. Now some of the newer drill presses out there are back to having a 6" stoke. The Nova everyone is mentioning is one of them.

Don

[Randall J Cox]

I forgot to mention that my old Delta Rockwell 15" step pully DP has a 6" stroke. Love that drill press, use it way more than I ever expected I would. Randy

[William Chain]

Like many others on here I started out with a bench top DP, Craftsman. It was fine but I routinely needed more throw, and for big stuff the little bench top tried but wasn’t enough. I found a 1980’s era Delta floor standing DP on CL for $100. A half hour with a scotch pad and some rust remover and it looks new. Plenty of throw, 1/2-hp I think, and it goes through anything. I don’t think I’ve changed speeds more than a handful of times but that is a 10 second affair. The belts are common at any hardware supplier but years on mine and no issues. I spent more on a commercial table for the DP (couldn’t be bothered to make one) than I did on the unit itself. I have no need to upgrade it and i use it for the tasks you describe. Plenty of used floor standing units on CL, and you won’t come close to breaking the bank on a good one. A mobile base and you’re in business.

Keep an eye on your local CL and a gem will appear in short order.

[Keith Hankins]

I over my past 30 years have had quite a few. First was a table top lowes brand piece of total crap. It was so bad I bought one of those jigs that attaches to your drill to replace it. Next was a shopsmith virticle drill press/horizontal boring machine. Really the best feature on it. Only challenge was set up time for fiddling with runout and getting it dailed in. (would still love to have one just for horizontal boring). Next was a Fische I bought at a woodworking show in St. Louis that was a great drill press. It was a woodworking drill press desigend by a woodworker. It's runout was fantastic for what i paid for it. Sadly the owner of the company did not make it and they are no more. Still have it and gave it to my son. It had a great big table that had good detent locations for angles that were repeatible.

I stilled wanted a better DP with accuracy. When Powermatic came out with the 2800b variable speed, I saved my money and waited for their 10% off sale, and bought it. Great great drill press. It has all the features I liked. Variable speed that I love, built in led light, laser site that is fantastic. The table is beefy has the center that can be replaced and the fence is good as well. Only thing it does not have that I wish it did have is the positive detents like my old fische. However seldome need that so not too big a deal. After having a reeves drive variable speed you wont want anything else. I also love the keyless chuck.

Customer support is great too. When I bought it ( a few years ago), My run out was .005 which was way off from my Fische. I called them and spoke to a guy and he said may have some grit on the shaft or chuck. He told me to remove the chuck take some 600 paper put it on a dowel and gently just make a couple passes inside the chuck and around the shaft and go back through the installation procedure and i'm now plus/minus .0015. Way overgill for woodworking but I do some other things with it for tapping where that does make a difference. Cheap? Not even close but you get what you pay for.

Only thing I was considering upgrading was the chuck to a precision chuck to tighten that tolerance up, but I bought a cnc machine for those purposes now so its a N/A.

I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Cheers!

[Derek Cohen]

Early on, I suggested the Bosch as a bench top variable speed drill press. I am not sure about how much the OP is willing to spend. There is another variable speed bench drill press, which is better, very new to the market, and in a higher price range - the Nova Viking ..

https://www.teknatool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/viking-web.jpg
(https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwja55-3svzmAhXPKVAKHYsyD-QQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teknatool.com%2Fproduct%2Fvi king%2F&psig=AOvVaw1ILEZNxMfjWCGb9lQ9lfCE&ust=1578861191322657)

Of course, if you want to go for broke, and willing to get a floor standing drill press, get the Nova Voyager. Variable speed and 2 hp. This is mine, which I posted a short while ago ...

https://i.postimg.cc/g0jSynzg/DP10a.jpg

Regards from Munich

Derek

[Jeff Duncan]

Lost of info here already, my opinion.... keep it simple. I have several drill presses but the one I use the most is an old cheap Craftsman floor model. Thats with a heavy duty Delta 17" drill press with the reeves pulleys and 1 hp motor steps away. While I do like having the ability to jump on an industrial press when I need to.... it's pretty rare. The Craftsman does just about everything I need, has plenty of speeds, and is really inexpensive to buy.... at least around me. I just added a second one to the shop for $150, less than what my cordless drill cost me!

Don't overthink it and unless you like working on tools more than working with them.... I'd avoid the reeves drives, vfd's, and any other gizmo's that aren't necessary at all;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Ole Anderson]

Guess we are just talking among ourselves. OP hasn't responded yet. Still at one post.

[Don Sundberg]

Well at least we published a nice guide for choosing a drill press.

[Michael Mannion]

Wow - what excellent feedback! Thank you to everyone who took the time to offer these insightful and clearly-written responses.


MOUNT

Regarding the mount,the clear recommendation from the community is to go with a floor model. I will do that.

Ironically, I expect that my first project - and the one that is directly motivating me to buy a drill press - might actually be more difficult with a floor model than a benchtop one. I need to remove a stripped threaded insert from my carbon fiber bicycle frame - while the frame is lying horizontally. (Stay tuned for another thread on that, in a few weeks.)

Nonetheless, there are enough good arguments for the floor model as a better general-purpose tool,that I'd rather mitigate the complexity of this one project in some other way,for the benefit of having a floor model going forward.


VARIABLE SPEEDS

With respect to the speed mechanism, I'm going to choose a step pulley system. Folks have made good arguments for Reeves drives and variable-speed motors, as well. My reasoning is:



Several respondents mentioned the importance of having the option to run some bits at a very slow speed. In my price range, it looks like I can only get down to sub-200 RPM with step pulleys.
I don't anticipate that changing speeds will be a hindrance for me. Some have said that it's easy, and they do it frequently; others have said it's annoying, and they do it infrequently. Realistically, I'm probably only going to drill a few holes per year - but I'll need them to be precise when I do. Therefore, I'll take the time to set up the drill for the proper speed, on the occasions that I need to use it. The cost of getting this wrong and ruining my $2K bicycle frame, for example, is more consequential than the few minutes it'll take me to configure the pulleys.
The variable speed motor sounds like the best technical option, but some cursory research suggests that this type of machine would exceed my budget.



OTHER - QUILL STROKE

Several posts cited the importance of a long quill stroke, specifically 6". With my budget, my options are more in the 3" range. Getting a machine with a longer stroke will be considerably more expensive, and it looks like I'm already going to spend more than I was hoping when I started this endeavor.

Additionally, my longest bits are only about 4". Other than two extra-long bits that I've used for drilling the sill on my old post-and-beam house, the type of drilling I've done so far hasn't required a long bit (and, presumably, quill stroke). I think it's likely that ~3 inches of stroke will meet my needs.

At the moment,precision is more important to me than stroke. I expect that in an entry-to-mid level machine, the tip of the bit will ultimately be less wobbly on a model designed with a moderate stroke than with an extra-long one. (If that's an incorrect assumption, please correct me.)


PURCHASE

Taking everything into consideration, I'm leaning towards a Grizzly G7944, maybe with a mobile base. Based on its specs and reviews, I expect that it will be precise enough to do my bicycle job, and absolute overkill for anything else I'm likely to do with it in the future. The warranty is short, but its terms are adequate. My initial interaction with customer service was good, and other Grizzly owners report the same.

Overall, this will be the most expensive tool in my garage, by far. Even my wife, who has always trusted me to make sound judgments on big purchases, winced when I told her what this was going to cost. The price of the Grizzly appears to be fair and,if the machine is reliable, it will be a good value for our needs. Still, it's a luxury purchase, as I could take the occasional project to a local machine shop for less money. We're willing to invest, though, based on the convenience and independence of being able to do more work on our home and toys by ourselves.

I don't want to hijack my own thread by asking for specific make/model recommendations, but if anyone reading this has a "Jeez, don't do that!" reaction to my G7944 idea, please voice your concern. I'm in no rush, and am going to sleep on it fora few more days anyway.


Thanks, again, for the wonderful community support. I greatly value your advice, and appreciate the time you've taken to help me out.

[Mike Kees]

Hey Michael,I just checked that out on Grizzly's site. That machine should be fine. Be glad you live in the U.S. though they want $826 Canadian for it. Think the U.S. price was $476 x1.3= $618 Canadian at close to current exchange rate. Not sure why there is an additional $208 Canadian tacked on to that price , and yes this is before shipping.

[Larry Edgerton]

Reeves drive system are loud and very old school design (1890). I would buy a used step pulley design with three phase motor. pretty much any DP with factory 3 phase motor will be as good or better then most of what is in your budget new today. Add a $100 VFd and get instant reverse, power braking, slow start etc.
I have not shifted belts on my dp for more then ten years of light hobby use.
Any DP watch the lowest RPM many are too fast for metal or large wood bits.
Bill D.

Why do you say Reeves drives are loud, and really, who cares when it was designed. I have a Clausing with Reeves drive, it is quiet and has no electronics to burn out just after they are no longer available. If you have not shifted belts in ten years you are either drilling one size hole or doing it wrong and would benefit from a Reeves drive.

[Jeff Duncan]

I would not say "jeez don't do that"..... but for what your spending you could have a couple nice used machines. Not sure where your located, but I'd at least consider checking your local CL or other used options before spending that much on an "OK" new press;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Jeff Duncan]

Why do you say Reeves drives are loud, and really, who cares when it was designed. I have a Clausing with Reeves drive, it is quiet and has no electronics to burn out just after they are no longer available. If you have not shifted belts in ten years you are either drilling one size hole or doing it wrong and would benefit from a Reeves drive.

I wouldn't say Reeves drive are outdated, but I'd agree they're not necessary for most guys. They are more finicky than a pulley system, can introduce much more vibration, and if you do need to work on one... a LOT more involved than a stepped pulley. Well, really a stepped pulley wouldn't need to be worked on unless something really bad happened. I've had two Reeves drive presses and rebuilt one.... they're not easy to rebuild, (and they will need to be at some point), and they're not what I'd recommend for the average user.... just my opinion though;)

And not that its the fault of the Reeves drive but..... for the OP not realistic in his budget. Used Clausings' still run over $1k, my Powermatic 1150 was $750 maybe 10 years ago, and my Delta was $500 needing a bearing job. When you can find them, as they don't come up all that often, Reeves drive presses are expensive:o

good luck,
JeffD

[Michael Mannion]

I would not say "jeez don't do that"..... but for what your spending you could have a couple nice used machines. Not sure where your located, but I'd at least consider checking your local CL or other used options before spending that much on an "OK" new press;)

That's a recommendation I've observed more than once during my reading on these forums so far - the best bang-for-the-buck is on Craigslist. I believe that that's true, for people who know what their doing.

Unfortunately, in my case, I have three factors working against me:


I don't have the skills or experience to assess whether a given used drill press will prove to be a bargain, or a rip-off
I have too many projects in the works as it is; I'm looking for the drill press to help solve them, and not to turn into another repair project of its own
I live in a small Craiglist market (Maine) and, while I have some time to spare to look around, I need a machine that I can put to work within a couple of weeks/months

If I was buying something that I understood, like a computer, motorcycle, or house, I'd feel comfortable shopping around (and waiting for the right "upgrade" to pop up on CL, as I have those things already). With a new-to-me technology like a drill press, I'm willing to pay more for something with a warranty and a factory support phone number, until I learn the ropes.

If you think I'm going to be wasting my money, though, I'm all ears. Is it worth giving up the warranty/support to get... a stronger motor? bigger table? longer stroke? The model I'm considering seems like it covers my bases, but maybe there's some awesome feature that I'm missing and could afford if I went used instead.

[andy bessette]

...I'm willing to pay more for something with a warranty and a factory support phone number...

Those are virtually valueless on a drill press.

[Ole Anderson]

The only show stopper I see with the G7944 is that from the pictures, it doesn't appear to have a quill lock. And take off that goofy safety device around the chuck.

[Eric Danstrom]

OP, IMO you're on the right track. Used isn't for everyone. As for cost, the drill press is a fraction of a carbon fiber frame, even a chiner, and it'll last you forever. CF frame and fork, maybe five years?

[andrew whicker]

I want to update mine too.. To a knee mill.

:)

[andy bessette]

A knee mill really does not obviate the need for a good drill press.

[Tom M King]

This one is my newest favorite. The main feature it has, that's different from the typical one, is an 1100 pound pull electromagnet available in the base at the push of a button. That's a 7/8" bit in the easily removable 3/4" chuck.

edited to add what I forgot to say: This one has a knob that you twist to change the variable speed. In comparison to either my multi-pulley, or my Reeves drive 1150's, the knob is a real luxury, that is worth having if you are going to change speeds to amount to anything.