Any thoughts on this drill press would be appreciated. I'm in the market for a drill press and this one is appealing to me but appears to be brand new. Thanks
Any thoughts on this drill press would be appreciated. I'm in the market for a drill press and this one is appealing to me but appears to be brand new. Thanks
I wasn't familiar with it, but took a peek at the Powermatic site. Wow...they did a nice job with this one. Seems to be actually designed for woodworking. Most DPs are the same-old metal drilling designs relative to the included table setup.
You need to buy it and review for the SMC community.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Looks good but also take a look at the Nova Voyager DVR which has a wider speed range.
hey Larry ... i did ...but they are on back order with unkown time frame ...the powermatic is available now
i stand corrected will be available middle of november
Bill....the Nova seems to be coming back in stock soon
I too have been looking for a variable speed DP, was planning on the Nova but I just don't like all the extra electronics, just variable speed with a knob. I believe you can just ignore all the electronics in the nova and just use the variable speed but I hate thinking I paid for all these features but don't use them.
The Nova looks really sweet and priced pretty nice for a gear drive.
There is a thread on the Felder Owners Group and several members have the Powermatic 2800 and are unhappy with the vibration and runout. I would make sure you buy a 2820 off the floor so you know you are getting a good one. The Nova seems to have favorable but I have not ever touched one.
Joe...the 2820 appears to be an all together different animal from the 2800 which is belt driven ...kinda of a Nova knock off so to speak
The Nova Voyager has a wider, continuous speed range, and a more powerful motor (helps with torque at low speed, for which the PM has two mechanical speed ranges.)
Both have electronic-enabled features beyond speed control, but the Voyager has many more than the PM.
The Voyager is considerably less expensive, and has a longer track record.
Full disclosure: I have a Voyager drill press and a Galaxi lathe (same basic drive system, different SW,) and am very pleased with both. The direct drive is smooth as silk.
-- Andy - Arlington TX
Your last line, Andy, is a big key here...the NOVA folks have been doing these direct drive tools for a very long time now and have only made the whole DVR motor/drive even better over time.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
I think you'll see a number of companies releasing lower priced EVS drill presses in the near future. The market is warming up to them like turners did for VFD lathes years ago. If nothing else the company making the Powermatic dp will most likely be selling one with green, white, and blue paint soon. I think I would hold off until a couple of people bought them to see a few reviews. For me I would like to know how rigid it is.