Drill Press -- Steel City 17” versus Jet JDP-17DX

[Jim Lemley]

I'm in the market for a drill press. I was planning to purchase the Steel City 17” drill press that has been highly touted on this site. Last night I stopped by the local Woodcraft store to take a look for myself. Indeed, it is a nice machine that I'm sure would meet my needs for a lifetime.

While I was there though, I also saw the Jet JDP-17DX. It has several features that I think I prefer to the Steel City unit and at this point am leaning in that direction. Most important to me though is that the unit is well built and will run true over the long haul. This is something you can not know simply by looking at the machines. I searched this site and found little to no mention of the Jet JDP-17DX. I think it's a fairly new unit.

On the Steel City, I liked the 6 inch quill travel. Also, the depth stop was extremely fast and easy to set, BUT there was not a means to lock it in place.

The Jet had a larger table, an integrated work light (would it shine where I want/need it?) and an integrated AC powered laser (does this really save time and/or improve accuracy, or is it just a gadget?). The depth gauge used two counter rotating nuts. One to set it the depth and the other to lock it in place. While a little more time/effort to set, once done it seems solidly locked in place.

With current promotions, price is comparable (i.e. within $20) between the two units so not really an issue.

I'd appreciate any thoughts/recommendations you care to share.

[tim mathis]

hi,
i have had my steelcity drillpress for over 2 years. i have used it heavely on wood and steel with no problems. i did make a drill press table with 2 folding leafs. you can't beat the 6 inch quill travel for this price new. i am sure the jet is a good machine but i would purchase the steelcity again, if i had to buy another drillpress.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/sharpeneranddrillpresstable005.jpg

[Cary Falk]

Jim,

I am also a happy owner of the Steel City. Wow, did that price ever jump since I bought it about a year ago. When I was looking for a drill press(and any tool for that matter) I asked myself what the other tools had different and could they be easily added if I decided if I wanted it. Coming from a bench top model I wanted the longest quill travel I gould get. The other ones I was looking at had less than 5. If I bought them and decided it was not enough then I would have to get another drill press.

You say you like the Jet because of the table size, locking nuts on the dept stop, and the laser. Most people make their own table and so did I. I really liked the table on the Delta but thought I could more easily change the table then I could change quill travel. Mine came with a laser at the time. It operates both on battery and AC. That being said I rarely use it. It comes in handy every once in a while. The laser is normally $50 but I see it on sale ro $25 auite often. I think it is currently on sale at Woodcraft for that price and is easily added. Even though I don't use it that regularly I use it enough to sell it for next to nothing on CL. I have mixed feelings on the quick release on the depth stop. It is easy to use but I like the double locking nuts also. I figure if get around to it I will call around to see about finding out whose thread size is the same and change them out. That would be a minimal expense also.

I have not seen the Jet and am sure it is a fine tool. My decision was a lot easier because the DP was cheeper($379?) at the time and the laser came with it. I would still buy it today at todays price over the Jet because the things you like on the Jet can easily be fixed on the SC. The extra quill travel cannot be added to the Jet. If you don't care about the travel then I am sure the Jet will serve you well also.


I

[Michael Pauly]

I picked up the Craftsman 17" DP when they had their price error about a year ago for $179. It replace a HF DP that I honestly think was a gem for the price and had I not gotten the deal I had on the CM, would have been happy to keep it. See my mini review/comparison here (http://www.bt3central.com/showpost.php?p=302834&postcount=135) Looking at the SC and comparing manuals, they are nearly identical in construction (I believe both made by Orion). The 6" quill travel is really nice and the depth gauge is very easy to use/set, though I've never found the need to 'lock' it in place (I guess you could find the right sized nut at the Hardware store or a second nut from the manufacturer to act as a jam nut). I see the two models you are looking at come with keyed chucks, but mine came with a keyless chuck and I really like it. Also have really grown to like the single arm lever on the CM.

Doubt you could go wrong with either, but I think the SC comes with a 5yr warranty if that's important to you. Here's a review (http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/jetjdp17dxrvu.html)of the Jet if you're interested.

Michael

[Brian Kent]

…but does the Steel City come with a

FREE Replica Tool????

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=841365&FamilyID=63613


And I am glad to hear a good report on another drill press. What is the quill travel on the Jet?

[Brian Kent]

Just found my answer - 4-3/8" quill travel.

[Nelson Bradley]

I just received my steel city drill press a few weeks ago. I'm really happy with it. I was looking closely at the jet, but decided on the split head and extra quill travel. If you look on ebay you can probably get it with the 25% cash back and maybe a 10% coupon from ebay. I got mine with 30% MS cash back plus the 10% ebay coupon making it $399 shipped.

[Jay Jolliffe]

Where did you get the 10% coupon for e-bay.

[Eric DeSilva]

If you look on ebay you can probably get it with the 25% cash back and maybe a 10% coupon from ebay. I got mine with 30% MS cash back plus the 10% ebay coupon making it $399 shipped.

I did roughly the same thing--$100 off from SC, 10% ebay coupon (was emailed to specific users, so one time only and you had to get the coupon), and the 25% MS cash back. Seemed too good to be true, and kind of was. Think the "price" for the $600 DP came out to $325, but delivery was $99. And, if you are buying from utterguys, turns out the $99 only gets you delivery to a commercial address and you *have* to have a forklift available. Residential delivery is another $75. All things being equal, I probably would have been better off using the 10% off somewhere else and just buying the thing at WC (where it was $500) and picking it up (while I could have picked it up from their shipping depot for just the $99, it was about 2 hours away and had very limited open hours).

Left kind of a bad taste in my mouth. $174 for residential delivery? That is over 50% of the cost of the item and WC can deliver the same thing for $60? Frankly, advertising $99 delivery when they have to know that 99.99% of the people shopping ebay don't have forklifts or commercial delivery addresses seems kind of wrong. I know, caveat emptor, should have read the fine print. But, all things being equal, I don't have a lot of respect for their practices and do not think I'm doing business with them again.

[Mike Cornelsen]

I added a laser to my DP and am very happy with it. If I ever move up to a 17" DP and it doesn't have a laser, I'll definitely add one.

[John Thompson]

The Steel City 17" will be my next up-grade. There is definitely a laser kit availbable and quite often on sale.

Sarge..

[Paul Ryan]

This thread is about 8 months old now. I was wondering if any one has any more info on the Jet. I have been trying to buy a drill press for about a year and keep running into other upgrades and deals that I cant pass up so the drill press has had to wait. I have been craigslisting for about a year now, and in that time I have run accross 2 that caught my fancy. The older jet 16 1/2 model and a clausing. The very nice clausing was sold for $150, and as usual I was a day and a dollar short. So I am getting sick of looking at the over priced junk around here.

As most of us looking at drill press' I have the SC 17" in mind and the jet JDP-17DX. I have cooled on the SC due to some customer support issues that have arrived latly, and the rather cheap table that it comes with. For a few bucks less the jet has a much nicer table, an internal light that seems to be nice, and a lazer(dont know if it is a benifit or not). The SC has a longer quill but that is it, and the table on the jet trumps the 1 3/8" longer quill travel, plus by the time everything is all said and done the SC wll run me $55 more.

On the other hand for an extra $160 I could buy the variable speed SC but in the end I would still have the cheap table. I need some advice on which one. If they put the jet table on the SC it would be a no brainer, but I feel the jet table is so nice that you really don't have to do much to it, like adding your own. So if any one owns the new jet I would like to hear what you think about it.

[george wilson]

I wonder if the Steel City drill press have chucks that run true. A few years ago I bought a Delta variable speed drill press for my shop where I worked. First thing I had to do was buy a jacobs chuck that ran true for it. Not real cheap. I THINK,also,the original chuck's jaws had smooth,rounded edges,so it was always letting drills slip,and messing up their shanks. I bought recent Sears drill presses,and had to change chucks too.

Today,my 1964 Sears drill press's motor burned out. The drills run perfectly true in it,and its original chuck is a Jacobs-the kind that has a threaded collar,which keeps the chuck from flying off the short taper that it is pressed onto. The SC drill press shown does not have that feature,and the chuck could come off. I've seen them come off.

I had a motor of the same NEMA mount,so I put it on,and it runs again. Back then,Sears at least sold a decent drill press,though it still had the pot metal,chrome plated hand wheel hub,and it is the first one I ever bought. I'm wondering if I should take the old motor apart and see what went wrong. It made a LOUD scraping sort of noise,and some electrical smell,but kept running. When I turned it off,it wouldn't start again. It has earned its rest,I think.

[Travis Porter]

I can't comment on the Jet but having an internal light is a wonderful thing. Personally, I now consider it a must have on a drill press.

[Terry Rasmussen]

I purchased the Jet JDP-17DX last November. I had looked at SC 17" for more than a year. I liked SC's 6" quill travel. However, after seeing the 17DX, I preferred the 17DX because of the larger table and integrated light. Looking back now, I have no regrets. The 17DX's 4 3/8" quill travel has been more than enough for any of my projects.

[george wilson]

Do the chucks run TRUE on the Steel Cities????