Delta 18-900L??

[Jon Middleton]

Considering a new drill press. Fine Woodworking rated the Delta overall best in the October 2015 issue. However, my local Woodcraft stopped handling Delta, and so has our local woodworking supply store due to availability, quality and parts availability. I can order one through Lowe's, but am reluctant given the above. Thoughts?

My old DP is also a Delta, a 14-070 in great shape, but are there better belts that will make it run smoother and quieter?

[Ben Rivel]

I love my Delta 18-900L. Upgraded the chuck to a Jacobs and its been super nice for my needs. Got a great deal on it at AcmeTools.com (free shipping and no tax for most). Cant compare it to a 14-070 though. Never used one.

[Van Huskey]

FWW did not have what I consider the two better "woodworking" DPs in that test. I prefer both the PM2800B and the new Nova Voyager (which I think is MUCH better). Both of those are more expensive though.

The 18-900L has been a very well received DP however I wold not buy any Delta machines just based on their poor parts availability, particularly when it is a tool no other manufacturer builds a "clone" of. For me I don't even consider new Delta machines anymore, older Delta machines are a potentially different matter depending on which ones and how many parts there are sitting out there.

[Ben Rivel]

Van's right about that. I was fearful of the lack of support and parts stories I have read about around the net regarding Delta so Im hoping I never have any issues. That said Im not really a fan of Powermatic/Jet and also didnt want to pay several hundred plus for the PM2800B or the yet to be determined if its quality or not $1500 NOVA. So the well regarded 18-900L was just right for me.

[Dick Mahany]

I used to be a Delta fan. Unisaw, several 14" cast bandsaws, bench top drill press..........all great when US made in the late 90's. The company has gone downhill and really isn't the same company anymore. Parts for their newer tools are next to impossible to get and I won't even consider a new delta tool for that reason. I was in line to get one of the earlier 18-900L drill presses, but my local tool supplier ceased operations before I could get it delivered. I guess that was luck.

[Van Huskey]

or the yet to be determined if its quality or not $1500 NOVA.

I wouldn't even consider it yet if it weren't for Nova's long and relatively strong track record with their DVR motor and associated electronics in their DVR lathes. Playing with one quickly lead me to believe the bells and whistles are actually ones I would use and actually save me time. The main draw however was how ridiculously smooth it was with much less vibration and any of the sub $2K from under 100rpm to over 5000 rpm it was almost spooky at high rpms.

[Thomas L. Miller]

Jon,
I have the 18-900L. I bought it about 3 years ago. I got it from Amazon with free shipping. It replaced a small Delta bench drill press. It has performed very well for me. I have found nothing to complain about.

[glenn bradley]

The other Bradley's have 18-900's and by all reports are happy. That being said I had to fabricate my own trunnion nuts when they failed on my 17-950 but, dad was able to get a quill lock screw for the 18-900 when his stripped (not a bad design, just made out of old beer cans).

The top PM I tried had to go back but, I would like to try the Nova. The main concern from folks seems to be about the bells and whistles. Teknatool could certainly put that to rest if there was a simple "speed control only" sort of mode on the thing; and maybe there is.

Nova has been using this technology for so long I have no fear of the variable speed system. Picking the speed and so forth for me based on my bit size and material may be helpful for some. I'd rather do it myself and that option seems available.

[Jon Middleton]

My 14-070, circa late 80's, was made in Taiwan. I traced a rather loud vibration to the plastic top cover. No play in the quill, motor or tensioner pulleys. Works okay, but just not quiet, smooth, or feel like quality. No need for immediate replacement, but it would be nice.

[Wayne Jolly]

On New Years Day, Home Depot had the Delta 18-900L on sale for $875. I went across the street to Lowes to check them out. (I prefer Lowes anyway). Lowes price matched Home Depot, gave me my Veterans discount (HD would have too), and free lift-gate delivery to my house (I don't know if HD would have done that). The actual delivery took a couple of weeks, but I knew that from the start. Everything worked out very well.

Bottom line? IIIIIIIIIII LIKEIT! It's a nice piece of machinery but there are a couple of things to be ready for if you buy a new one. Have some cleaning supplies ready because some parts have cosmoline dripping from them. Make sure you have some means of lifting the drill head onto the pole, either a hoist of some sort, or a strong friend. And also you might have to spend some time aligning the lasers.


Wayne

[Gregory King]

Van, it was stated in the FWW article that Powermatic refused to be included in the test for whatever reason. Perhaps a tad fear full matching up against the Delta in relation to future sales. Anyway, I have the 18-900L and really enjoy it. Only had to replace one belt so far. Wayne: the head is certainly heavy. With the LOML's help to line the column up, I installed it from the tailgate of my Pick-up. Won't advise that to anyone with a bad back. Truthfully if there was a problem with the Delta, it probably would be found the first few times that you tried it. After that I can't see what anyone is scared of. Great machine for a very reasonable price. Cheers, Greg

[Steve Demuth]

I am very happy with my 18-900L. The parts availability thing is conceptually annoying, but in reality, I've got a mix of brands, mostly order machines, in my shop, and I've generally had to improvise most repairs on them anyway, so I don't worry much about it. The drill press itself is tightly built, and a great woodworkers press.

[Charles Lent]

I'm quite happy with my 18-900L. I bought it at Lowes when they were dumping all Delta tools. It had been the display model and the only one left in the store., so it was missing the table insert, chuck key, one handle, etc. but I got it for $150 plus tax. I called Delta to order the missing parts and mentioned that it had been the display model. Delta sent me everything that was missing free. I really didn't need a full height drill press, because I already had a 10 year old Delta. I don't remember the model but it was similar to the 900L except for a round table that only tilted sideways. I very much liked the squared off table of the 900L and it's ability to tilt forward as well. I wasn't planning on buying the 900L that day, but I couldn't leave it there at that price.

I gave my son my older Delta for helping me assemble the 900L. He had been using an old 4 speed 50's Craftsman and this was a huge step up for him, since he is mostly a metal worker and the additional speeds and motor size was a great benefit for what he does. So ,after we moved my old Delta to his shop, he gave me the Craftsman to fix up and sell. I cleaned it up (mostly just remove the cooling oil residue, and sold it for $100, making my out of pocket cost for the 900L only $50. I've been very happy with the 900L and doubt I will ever need to replace it. Drill presses don't break easily, so I'm not worried about replacement parts availability.

Charley

[Wayne Jolly]

There is only one thing to say about that. YOU SUCK!


Wayne

[Jon Middleton]

My 18-900L arrived yesterday and I set it up today. I'm very pleased, especially at the price point. I'm sure it will more than meet my needs. Got $250 out of my 25yo 14-070, so that was nice.