Anyone try Duracraft Power Tools from Blain's Farm & Fleet?

[Shawn Christ]

Hello all, I'm relatively new to this post. I'm looking to hear from anybody who has tried Duracraft or Duracraft Pro bench or stationary power tools from Blain's Farm & Fleet. This is a relatively new line offered only through Blain's 30-some stores in the upper midwest.

These tools appear to be of good quality. In fact, I believe much of their pro line is made by Steel City.

I'm particularly interested in their drill presses. Their 17" floor model is currently on sale for $299 and it's specs (quill travel, HP, etc) seem to rival more expensive models. And it flat out beats Rigid's 15" model at the same price. They also have a 12" bench model on sale for $119. The 12er would meet my needs for now, but I'm sure many of you would tell me to opt for the floor model...

They have a 5-year warranty (1 year labor). But I'm still concerned about parts. I'm sure belts won't be a problem, but are there other parts that will need replacing over time?

Any thoughts or personal reviews would be appreciated.

[Mike Heidrick]

I have checked it out at our F&F. It looks good. I will not trade for my Steel city DP but for the money it may be tough to beat. Wish I could have tested it under power.

They also sell what I believe is the same drill press lazer (sure looks like mine) without the AC adapter for about $30 and that should be able to be added to any press.

[Shawn Christ]

Thanks, Mike. Don't know if I'm ready to pull the trigger yet but we'll see what others add. Just a few questions: would you recommend a laser attachment? Also, I'm torn between the bench and floor model. I am limited on space in my shop. I've done some furniture building and plan to continue. So far a jig and portable drill have worked fine. Also, couldn't you mount a bench model at the edge of your workbench and pivot the head to the side over the floor for taller items? Any thoughts?

[Jim Becker]

Shawn, Bench DPs take up more usable shop room than floor standing models...simply because you need to use the bench space for them. A floor model can be moved around with a simple hand-truck (or a mobile base) and keeps your bench free for, well...things you want to do on the bench. There would also be little advantage to having the head over the side of a bench in that you'd still have to figure out a way to support the workpiece.

[Brad Townsend]

Shawn,

I've examined that 17" DP in the store on numerous occasions and it looks to be a good deal. At one point, the bar code tags even read "Steel City" on them. I'm not saying it's the "same" as the SC, because it isn't. For one thing, it only has 4 1/2 - 5" of quill travel, as opposed to a full 6" for the SC, but cosmetically, the look nearly the same and obviously came from the same factory. If only they could do something about the ugly purple color.:D

[Shawn Christ]

Well, I decided to pick up the 17" Duracraft Pro DP today, the last day I'll be in town while it's on sale. At $299, I saved $60, enough to pay for a mobile base. Started on assembly, but not yet complete. Here's what I've noticed so far, and remember, I'm relatively new to DPs:


As mentioned earlier, the store tag says it is made by Steel City Tool Works, LLC. Box is nearly unmarked other than a drawing of the unit, but confirms it's made in China. That's to be expected at this price.
DP is packaged well in one box.
A good portion of the iron is painted for protection. Brad, I'd say it's more of a royal blue color, plus it sounds better than purple and makes me feel better!
Unpainted metal is coated and wrapped. Factory coatings are not nearly as sloppy as the Grizzly jointer I assembled recently. So far easily removed with a single rag and a little WD-40. I assume Johnson's paste wax will work fine on these surfaces.
Casting quality seems acceptable to me. Not perfect, but acceptable.
Assembly includes attaching head to column to base, plus trays, light, and hardware.

I have only been doing occasional woodworking for about 6 years now, and this is my first DP. I hope I have it for a long time. I expect it will be used little, but when I need it, it will be nice to have. I couldn't justify a SC, Jet, or one of the other top brands. Frankly, it was this or the 15" Rigid at the same price, which had decent reviews. The F&F model was larger and heavier, so I opted for this model.

Time will tell if I made the right decision.

Thanks all for your input.

[Don Eddard]

Shawn, I suspect that drill press will serve you well for a long, long time. It sounds nearly identical to every other 17" drill press I've used or seen, and I'll bet they're all coming out of one or two Chinese factories under different badges. Congrats. It sounds like a great price for a 3/4 HP 17" drill press.

[Bob Hallowell]

There is no doubt that sctw/orion makes them. When the were moving out of pittsburgh and I got my deal on the table say and jointer, they had a duracraft tablesaw and jointer there. They are basically craftsman tools with different stands. I bought the craftsman jointer they had but the duracraft had the new fence so we swaped them and now my craftsman jointer has royal blue knobs on the fence.

Bob

[Mike Heidrick]

I like the laser on mine. I know people say they are gimmicky but I actually use mine. YMMV.

Great deal on the DP btw!! Congrats!

[Matt Meiser]

I sometimes use my laser. I wouldn't pay for it, but it was free so what the heck. It is much easier to align if your read the directions instead of assuming you know what to do. Trust me.

[Brad Townsend]

Don't sweat the color Shawn. I'm sure you will get used to it. Even though I made fun of it, sure wouldn't stop me from buying it. And anyway, it's probably no worse than the Powermatic "Grey Poupon" color, and they seem to have lots of happy owners.:D

Congrats on, what I think, will prove a wise purchase.

[BOB OLINGER]

Shawn,

Congratulations and good choice. I bought a 17" floor model after years of using a smaller bench unit. You'll be glad you chose the floor model.