Steel City Drill Press worth it?

[Adam Cavaliere]

I am in the market for a new drill press and am ready to pick one up.

I was all sold on the idea of getting a bench top model until I started searching on here and reading differing opinions. Now I think I have realized that if I want to do mortises with my drill press I really should go for the floor standing model as it will generally have more power.

So I started looking into the floor standing models and read a few posts about how much people liked the Steel City one.

Let me say off the bat that I already have 3 other Steel City products and have been very happy with their quality. I also am of the mindset that you should buy the most of what you can afford as buying cheaper tools usually can lead to frustration. I also like having all of the "same brand" in my shop, but also want to buy what is right.

I am just having a hard time purchasing this drill press as it is $500 and well above what I was planning on spending in the first place. I can spend it, but would like to hear fellow woodworkers opinons as to why it can command a $500 price tag, while the Ridgid model commands only $300 and I believe others are in the price range of $400.

[Chuck Tringo]

Ive been looking at that, but was also considering the benchtop plan, the only one I saw that looked like it would do the job is the palmgren 17 inch, take a look before you go with the SC, its in the same price range, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00974891000P?vName=Tools&cName=Bench+Power+Tools&sName=Drill+Presses

I couldnt find the 17 inch benchtop on Amazon anymore, its listed at Sears tho, but it was Free shipping when Amazon carried it.

[Cary Falk]

Adam,
First off, I think that the general consences is that you probably don't want to do mortises with a drill press. I hear it is a exercise in aggrivation. But if that is what you want to do that is cool.

With that being said, if you look at the specs for the drill presses you will see 2 things that stick out with the SC. One is 6" quill travel. I believe it is the only DP 17" and under with that much quill travel. The second is split head design. Both of these options are only available on 20" and above drill presses that I know of. Iif those are not of interest to you then the SC might not be worth it for you. The ridgid DP is 15" if you are comparing apples to apples. Did the SC go up to $500 already? when I bougth it at the end of last year it was $469 with a free laser. It was a no brainer. That was slightly more then the rest of the 17"s.

If you want to do a lot of mortises you might look into a benchtop DP and a dedicated morticer. The 2 of them together might bring you closer to the $400 mark. HTH

SC DP owner and it was worth it to me.

[tim mathis]

i have had my steelcity drillpress for about 2 years. i have had no problems with it. i use it heavily for wood and metal. it is a great deal for what it is and a five year warranty.
tim in ohio

[Mike Heidrick]

You will be super hard pressed to find a 6" quill stroke in a DP for $500 or less.

I own it - It was cheaper than $500 before when I bought it but I still believe it is worth that.

[glenn bradley]

I had done quite a bit of research and had settled on the Steel City. A great deal came along on a Delta or I would have gotten it. Most who did seem very pleased.

[Ron Dorsch]

If there is a Blaine's Farm & Fleet in your area they offer a 17" DP which is made by the same company that makes SC. Quality is right up there but it has a 4-7/8" quil travel. Runout is acceptagble for wood working
(the guy in the store let me plug one in and put my guages on it to check out a floor model) and the price is under $300.00 on sale as least once a month. Fit & finsh is better than the Ridgid brands & similar to the Jet. -14 in sq table. My shop is a hobbyist shop. Mid line eq. Dewalt Wood working saw w/ 52" rail & sliding table extension, Makita 12"
planer, Jet 14"BS, Delta Dust/chip colector w/ JDS air cleaner, Rikon Jointer, SC Mortiser and the typical misc tools which round out a decent shop.
Not the "best stuf" but I can do some descent projects-end tables, shelves, head board, casework around the house that impresses the wife and neighbors. Steel City is a good brand but don't be intimidated by the need for the big quil travel. The Blaine's DP will be my next purchase and I have been looking around, reading for the last 3 mos. on what is out there.
Good luck on your purchase.

[Pete Janke]

I also spent a lot of time looking at the Ridgid and other brands before going with the Steel City. Bought it at Woodcraft for under $500 with the laser and didn't look back. The quill travel, size and Steel City quality were a plus for me. Yes, it was more than I planned to spend, but it is my last drill press, I think:rolleyes:. I even change speeds easily. Something I never used to do. A great tool.

[Rick Fisher]

This may seem odd but I have a full sized 1hp motiser with an 8" quill travel and a benchtop delta shop mate drill press.

For me, it works. The Mortiser has built in X-Y tables with crank wheels. Its got loads of power and a joy to use.

The only thing I use my DP for is the odd 35mm hinge and the odd hole.

I started with a Mortise attatchment, hated it. To clumsy and inaccurate. Moved up to a benchtop mortiser and it was much better but I hated the fence and hold down.

If you think your main goal is mortises, get a dedicated mortiser. The add-on attatchment will lose its lustre fast.

[Rick Fisher]

On another note. I bought the Steel City edge sander. I filled in the online form about the tool as requested. Suggested there where a few thing which could be better but overall.. pretty darn nice.

A week later, I got an email from Steel City asking me to tell them what I would like to see as an improvement. :eek:

So, I replied, Shelf in cabinet, bigger than 4" dust port, 90 degree stop, longer cord, tracking alignment on a dial at the front..

Got another email, very friendly, thanks so much..

I think Steel city is going to make inroads. I was impressed with the attitude and caring.

[Chuck Tringo]

Not to be off topic, but doesn't David Marks use a mortising attachment on his DP ? If it works for him, must be good enough for me :p

[Jason Whelehon]

DM also does 90% of his mortises with a router. The biggest downfall with using a mortising adapter for a DP is the incredible strain on the bearings. If you want to use a mortising adapter on your DP, I HIGHLY recommend a split head which allows you to rebuild the bearings. The SC DP, as Cary stated, has a split head design and a 6" quill travel. This machine could easily command $650+.

[Adam Cavaliere]

Well I am going to head over to woodcraft today and check it out. I really would like them to throw in the laser with it, as I have read people have been able to get it for free.

I doubt though that I will have any luck with that.

Are all Woodcraft stores franchises? There is a tool shop by me (Berlands to any of you in the Chicagoland area), which is privately owned and is not a big corporation. Both sell Steel City and I'd be happy to buy from the smaller vendor, plus the sales tax is only 7.5% vs 10.25% at woodcraft.

[John Thompson]

Look at any industrial DP with long quill travel... you will find a split head and for a reason that tool makers are aware of. But no one did it until SC added it and that's why all previous tries with long quill travel are "gone with the wind".

I have a Ridgid DP which is an excellent little press for $300 IMO. But... it has limitations in quill travel and I have to detour to find a different route when I run into the scenario. Now.. after that is said the question is it worth the extra, IMO?

I think it's worth it for quill travel.. low run-out.. power. Anyone want an excellent, used Ridgid for $150? That will clear the space I need to back up my opinion as to "it is" or "it isn't. :)

Sarge..

[Jason Whelehon]

Well I am going to head over to woodcraft today and check it out. I really would like them to throw in the laser with it, as I have read people have been able to get it for free.

I doubt though that I will have any luck with that.

Are all Woodcraft stores franchises? There is a tool shop by me (Berlands to any of you in the Chicagoland area), which is privately owned and is not a big corporation. Both sell Steel City and I'd be happy to buy from the smaller vendor, plus the sales tax is only 7.5% vs 10.25% at woodcraft.

Woodcraft is franchised. I work at the one in St. Louis. I'll be completely honest. The laser is not worth $20 IMHO. You won't use it. It's simply meant to "pimp your DP".

If it's free, awesome. If not, I'd skip it.

I'm planning on getting the SC drillpress as soon as I can afford it!

[Jeff Wright]

The laser is not worth $20 IMHO. You won't use it. It's simply meant to "pimp your DP".

If it's free, awesome. If not, I'd skip it.

I'd have to disagree.

I use the laser all the time. I took the time to align it spot-on. I have had the SC press for over a year and am very satisfied. I was going to buy the Delta variable speed fancy-dan press, but got tired of waiting for nearly a year after it was introduced at the '06 Atlanta International Woodworking Show and it still wasn't ready for delivery. I don't miss the digital variable speed option; changing speeds on the SC manually is no big deal. I would also not want to go without the 6-inch quill travel now that I have it.

[Adam Cavaliere]

Just so you know the Steel City Laser is being sold by Woodcraft for around $50 and not $20. :eek: It may have even been $60, I can't remember the price I saw.

That is pretty pricy in my opinion, but I would really like the option to have the laser. I now have to decide if it is worth that much! :)

[mreza Salav]

Just so you know the Steel City Laser is being sold by Woodcraft for around $50 and not $20. :eek: It may have even been $60, I can't remember the price I saw.

That is pretty pricy in my opinion, but I would really like the option to have the laser. I now have to decide if it is worth that much! :)


I have had DP's with and without laser; my current one doesn't have and I don't miss it because most often I don't find them accurate enough and end up bringing the tip of the (brad point) bit down to see where exactly it is going to drill.

[Adam Cavaliere]

Went to woodcraft on Wednesday... they didn't have it in stock, but I was OK with that. I told them I wanted to order it. As I was about to start the process of paying for it, I was told I couldn't use my $15 of of $50 purchase coupon on it. I looked on the coupon and it said nothing about power tools. I told him I wanted to buy it from woodcraft, but they are in a county that charges 10.25% in sales tax. The $15 off was going to cover the extra tax. I told them there that if I couldn't use that coupon I'd go down the street where I thought they would have the drill in stock and the sales tax is only 7.5%. He didn't budge, so I left.

I went to work on Thursday, called up the other place and ordered it over the phone. I told them I would pick it up in a few days as their hours of buiness don't work with mine. That evening a guy from Woodcraft called me up and said so and so talked with so and so and I could use the coupon. I told him that I decided not to get the drill. I don't know why I didn't come out and tell him I got it down the street.

Anyway, I picked it up this evening and it is sitting in my garage still boxed up. I have to wait until I can get a friend to help me lift it on to the base, as I have read and been warned about how heavy it is!