Need Drill Press

[Charles Wilson]

I was considering buying a drill press next. Do you have any recommendations as to:

1) Bench or Floor

2) Brand - To be honest, I was looking at a moderately priced Grizzly. Either the G0485 16 Speed Bench Drill Press or G7944 12 Speed Heavy-Duty 14" Floor Drill Press.

Thanks,
Chuck

[Jeremy Gibson]

Charles, I recently upgraded from a bench model to a floor model and I highly recommend it. Granted, my bench DP was $40 from Harbor Freight and now I have a 16" Delta. That being said, I was also seriously looking at the Grizzly 14" G7944. Here are some features that helped me make my decision (all are IMHO and based on my needs or wants):

1. Spindle travel- more is better
2. Speed - slower is better for large bits
3. Swing - again, more is better

Some may say a bench top model is easier to put on a cabinet to both raise it and provide storage. I'm going to build a rolling cabinet that fits below the table on my floor model. I think either option gives about the same amount of storage space.

Finally, I happened on a Rockler clearence sale that made the Delta only $40 more than the Grizzly delivered price and I took it home that day.

If I had to decide between the two models you listed I would go with the G7944.

[Jamie Buxton]

A bench model big enough to do real work is not something you'll casually pick up and put on a bench. The things are very heavy, and they're awkwardly balanced with the weight mostly near the top. That said, I own one. It rests on the floor, and I sit on my shop chair to operate it. There's no real reason one has to stand to use a drill press.

At the time I bought it, keeping it low helped my shop flow. Boards could swing over it, rather than running into it.

If you like to work standing, you can buy a floor model and build a storage cabinet to utilize the air space below the table. Or you can build a cabinet which supports a bench model.

[Bob Noles]

A bench model will have nearly the same footprint as the floor model as far as shop space goes. You can save your back with the floor model also. Do the floor model and be happy. :)

[Allen Bookout]

Chuck,

Last year I was looking for a new drill press in the same price catagory that you are considering. I looked at the Grizzlys but found that the Delta 17-965 had more for the money than any that I could find of any brand. They were having pretty good deals on them at the time but do not know what that they are going for now. I had a benchtop but like the floor model better.

Spindle travel was a big thing to me. I see that Amazon does not list it for the 17-965 but I just measured mine and it looks like 4 3/4". More than most, if not all, in that price range.

Allen

[Jim O'Dell]

Chuck, I agree with Allen. Delta 17-965. I've had mine for 2.5 years, and am amazed how I got along without it everytime I turn it on. You can also do a search on drill presses, and find a lot of information and recommendations here on SMC. Jim.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If floor space is limited, consider bench mounting it, using the method Norm does for hollow chisel motiser in his miter saw bench. Mounting plate sets in opening in bench, with back side locked under top of bench. Two thing I consider an absolute necessity on a DP are a quill lock and a depth control ROD.

[Corey Hallagan]

I had an old floor model that died so I had to replace it. Shop space was a major consideration so I went with a bench model. I miss the spindle travel of the floor model, power really isn't. If space isn't a problem, I would go with a floor model. Lots of good ones out there!

Corey

[Randy Meijer]

I'm quite pleased with one:

http://http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38142 (http://http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38142)

If you have a HF store close by and can catch one of these puppies on sale and find a 20% off Internet coupon at the same time, you can have this guy for about $130!!!

As someone else pointed out, this particular unit weighs 125 lbs. so you won't be moving it around a lot.

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

I used to have one of the larger bench models, which I mounted on a rolling cabinet I used for tool storage. While it is true that it takes pretty much the same space as the floor model, it's far more versatile for most uses. 99% of the time, you won't need the extra travel, but the extra storage is useful all the time.