Question for the 'Old Arn" guys.

[Paul Douglass]

I would like to find and restore an older drill press or band saw. I found this Powermatic drill press and want an opinion. I think it is to high priced based on what I have read on the Old Iron website but, I am a novice.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/tls/311149183.html

I got this info from the owner:

Serial 2-980
Century 3/4 hp single phase set up for 110/120 1725 rpm
Yes the variable speed works.

I also could not figure out the age from the serial number at the OI site. Just could not figure out how to read the photo copy of the serial numbers listed I think mid-60's

[Hank Knight]

Paul,

$400 sounds high. I would think you could get a pretty nice "old iron" Rockwell or a Walker Turner for half that. Two caveats, though:

1. I don't know how much the variable speed is worth on the second hand market. That may justify the high cost for the Powermatic.

2. A lot depends on what shape the machine is in and how much you would have to spend to rehab it. If all the Powermatic needs is a paint job, it may be worth $400. If it needs parts, the cost of reconditioning a DP can go up quickly.

I bought a used Walker Turner from the Gov't Property Disposal Officer at a gov't facility near here without inspecting the machine. I paid $150 for it. Big mistake. The machine was junk. It had been badly used for years and was in really bad shape. Rather than cut my losses and start over, I made up my mind to rehab the machine. I don't know how much I spent on it - I just closed my eyes and kept writing checks. I probably spent in excess of $500 on parts and having the motor reconditioned, not to mention my time. It got to be a challenge - a test of wills between me and the drill press. But I won out in the end and I'm happy with the result. I now have a great drill press. It's true -they don't make 'em like they used to. Here's a link to my post about the rehab with photos of my baby:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=48897

Good luck with your project.

Hank

[Wilbur Pan]

The old iron fans tend to revel in how cheap they can find a piece of equipment. If you are on a budget, that is a consideration.

But the other way to look at how much a used piece of equipment should cost is to look at what functionality it will give you. I found a 16" Walker-Turner bandsaw for $350. Add in the replacement pulley wheels I needed to get the blade to run at the proper speed along with a new belt, and my total cost was about $500 altogether, which is more than what most old iron types would lay out for this bandsaw. So from that standpoint, I probably paid too much.

On the other hand, I now have a massively overbuilt bandsaw that gives me 10" of resaw capacity. At the time meant my only other option would be to get a 16-18" steel frame bandsaw, which would be at least $900. And I would argue that the build quality of my bandsaw is better than that of the steel frames, if for no other reason than that my bandsaw was made with a ridiculous amount of cast iron. So from this standpoint, I have a bargain.

So in your case, I would compare this drill press with a new drill press of similar capacity and variable speed, and see if the difference in price is worthwhile to you. Just as a point of comparison, Woodcraft has the General International 17" drill press with variable speed for $490.

If it were me, I'd offer $300-350 in cash.

[Roy Wall]

I think Wilbur is on the money with his statements..

I have this very DP.. 1966 model... I traded for the machine and I thought it was worth about $300 ish.... so I traded a $300ish tool for it.

The photos are not good to make a judgement - I'd take a look at it for sure. This dp has a quill lock and is the equivalent of a $1500 machine if purchased new. Lots of CI and the VS is an excellent and costly feature. My PM 1150 is also in very good condition. It is and industrial quality machine.

DO a search under "PM 1150 Drill press" and you should find my thread and see some photos.