Powermatic PM2800 Drill Press Review

[Frank Snyder]

Okay...I just had to be the first kid on the block with this drill press. I actually put my name on a waiting list many months back and I got a call yesterday from my PM supplier that they had 2 available. I drove out to Sycamore this morning to pick one up.

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First impressions...

The cast iron castings are a little more crude then I was used to seeing on some of PM's other products. The crank for the height adjustment looked the worst and moving the table up and down is a bit of a struggle. I hope that it has a "break-in" period and smooths itself out over time. We'll see on that one.

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The table extension are supported by nylon clamps. Not exactly the stongest material of choice, but they seem to work...for now. There is a little bit of flex if you bear down on the extensions, so I would think that if you were going to drill something large and heavy this might be an issue. There was also a screw for one of the clamps missing. Fortunately, I have a collection of machine screws and I found one to fit.

The aluminum fence is pretty cheesy IMO. Very thin gauge extrusion which has a real cheap feel to it. It does work, but I've seen nicer fence systems out there (Incra, Woodpecker to name a few). They've integrated a 2" dust port into the fence. Once I've got my ductwork together, I'll see how effective this is.

The laser cross-hairs took some time to adjust, and I had originally thought they they would just be a gimmick like those on CMS's. If setup properly, I can see this being a handy feature to have down the road.

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The variable speed control allows you to change the speed from 400-3000 RPM, and it tells you your speed on the LED readout. A little gimmicky, but cool I suppose. I think Delta has a better implementation of this with their new high-end drill press which incorporates a depth reading as well. Changing the speed requires you to have the drill press running and the lever's sliding action is a bit on the rough side.

I did like the integrated LED worklights. They're not terribly bright, but they do help illuminate the work area.

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I don't care for the depth gauge adjustment. It's a threaded screw type which requires you to rotate the collars. No quick adjustment here. The bottom collar also acts as a quill lock. Again, I prefer Delta's "screw in" quill lock over this method.

I was also surprised that the power putton, while it looks exactly like the one on the PM2000, it does not work the same way. To turn on the drill press, you pull out the red ring and push it in to stop. The illuminated green button in the center is just for looks apparently. I prefer the PM2000 control over this one, where you push the illuminated green center to turn it on.

PM did add a provision for South paws...you can have the plunge handles on the left or right hand of the drill press.

The manual skips a few steps. The gear for the height adjustment needed to be installed, whereas the manual shows it already installed. We're all pretty used to less than stellar manuals (with the exception of Leigh, of course) with our equipment, so this should be no surprise to us.

Overall, I'm a little disappointed with this purchase. I am a PM guy, but this drill press just seems a little cheaper than what I'm used to. I was also sorry to see that it is made in China, not Taiwan. For the price, I expected a little higher caliber fit and finish, but I suppose I'm just paying for the PM name and the matching paint job, which BTW...why can't PM be consistent with their color. Haven't they heard of PMS? Some pieces are yellow, some gold, and some more baby-poop than others.

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Oh well...I needed a drill press and as long as it does what its supposed to, I won't complain. Time will be the real test for this one.

[Al Garay]

You should communicate your feelings and findings to your dealer. If you are a loyal customer and they're a reputable dealer, they should take care of you. You should not have to compromise on a tool you spent good money having high expectations and leaving with it for many years.

Good luck,

Al

[Frank Snyder]

Al - I do agree with you. I'm not always sure that my expectaions are realistic, though. To be fair, I think that I need to give this drill press an opportunity to perform its function first before I render a final verdict. I was really just sharing my first impressions of its build quality, fit and finish.

[glenn bradley]

Frank,

Speaking from experience, I would let PM and your dealer (if different) know of your initial impressions in writing. If the DP settles in and your happy with it, no loss. If 30 or 60 days go by and you're experiencing buyers remorse, there are some fine units out there in that price range. I have had dealers refund my shipping, toss in a couple blades or other goodies and extend my warranty periods to make me more comfortable once I have declared my disappointment with certain purchases. If you're quiet about it and then "suddenly" have issues, folks tend to be less responsive. Just a thought.

[Frank Snyder]

Thanks for the advice, Glen. I'm going to give it a few days to test it out. I'm also going to have a few other woodworkers stop by and check it out to see what their thoughts are. I will definitely let my PM dealer know my initial impressions and give them an earfull if it doesn't perform to my expectations. For the most part, I've been one to simply adapt and modify something if it doesn't work to my liking. But you're right, if you pay this kind of money for something like this, you shouldn't have to compromise. My biggest gripe is really the table...raising and lowering it is a pain. Are the tables on most floor model drill presses difficult to raise and lower? I just just expected it to be easier. I'd be interested to see how Delta's new drill press compares to this one.

[Jim Becker]

Is 400 rpm the slowest it goes? I'm wondering if that is slow enough for using a big wing-cutter or something similar?

[glenn bradley]

Are the tables on most floor model drill presses difficult to raise and lower?.

I've only got a small benchtop Delta, 'Shopmaster', very hobbiest design. However, by comparison, my neighbors big Hitachi's table raises and lowers just as easily as my little guy. I'd say that on your machine that should not be an issue unless something is wrong. Is the pole clean of all shipping-prep goo? Once I cleaned mine off I sprayed it with a teflon maachine surface treatment but I have since switched to Johnson's wax.

[Frank Snyder]

Jim - Yeah, 400 RPM is as slow as it goes. And you're right about that being a problem with the wing cutters (which I also have). That may be the breaking point for me as well.

Glen - I did clean off the grease and used a paraffin based lubricant. It feels more like the gears and screw drive aren't perfectly matched. I feel like I'm using a meatgrinder when I use the crank.

I will most likely talk to my PM dealer tomorrow and see if I can return this unit. I keep finding more limitations with this drill press than I had expected. As much as I try to keep an open mind about it, I don't think that I can "adapt" to its limitations at this price point.

[glenn bradley]

I feel better and it wasn't even my money. I had to run to Lowes for some parts and checked the Delta. Certainly not a match for your machine; no variable speed, only 4" of quill travel and less HP but, speeds 250 - 3000 and the table raise/lower was quite smooth. There may just be some "service after the sale" issues to work through. The speed issue is of course not 'fixable' so if that's a deal breaker; your search continues. Good luck and keep us posted. I gotta get a 'real' DP someday and watch these posts with interest.

[Frank Snyder]

Thanks for looking out for me, Glen. I'm glad to hear that the table crank should be smoother than this one. The speed is going to be an issue, though, with my wing cutter bit, as well as large bore forstner bits. I really didn't pay enough attention to the speed issue before I brought it home. I think my wing cutter specifically states no faster than 250 RPM. My bad on that one.

If I can return this one, then I'll be a little more careful in my selection process before I bring another drill press home.

[Dan Lee]

Frank
Thanks for the review. I had been about ready to pull the trigger on this unit. Only thing that had held me back was I really wanted the 6" quill travel on the newer Delta. That and some of the problems you cite will probably swing me to Delta.
Dan

[Frank Snyder]

From what I've seen, the new Delta looks like a promising, albeit more expensive product. I'd seriously consider returning this unit for that one, BUT I can't be without a drill press for three months (or longer if they keep pushing the release date). I think that every person needs to form their own opinion for themselves, and take my biases and interpretations with a grain of salt. I'm a really picky person, so my expectations are often unrealistically higher than what they should be.

I'm not trying to persuade people NOT to buy this product. This drill press may very well be the perfect solution for a lot of woodworkers. What's important is that you decide for yourself through empirical means (i.e.; go see one at a showroom if possible and try it out for yourself) before you decide that this is not the drill press for you. I made the mistake of buying it sight unseen and having my expectations set a little bit too high for a product which is made in China. It does have a lot of nice features which set it apart from other products, which is why I purchased it in the first place (and it matched my other PM tools ). I have an issue with the raising of the table, but this may just be a lemony issue which I can resolve with PM or my dealer. The RPM issue is my mistake since I didn't even think to consider how slow it went. If you were considering buying this drill press, please don't let my observations prevent you from deciding on your own. I've heard bad things about other products from other woodworkers, and I still decided to see for myself, and in some cases, I didn't encounter the problems that they did and I was a satisfied customer. Were I to believe every negative opinion I've heard or read on every product out there, my shop would be empty.

Thanks for hearing me out.

[Chuck Wood]

I feel better and it wasn't even my money. I had to run to Lowes for some parts and checked the Delta. Certainly not a match for your machine; no variable speed, only 4" of quill travel and less HP but, speeds 250 - 3000 and the table raise/lower was quite smooth. There may just be some "service after the sale" issues to work through. The speed issue is of course not 'fixable' so if that's a deal breaker; your search continues. Good luck and keep us posted. I gotta get a 'real' DP someday and watch these posts with interest.

Glenn,

Which Delta DP are you looking at? I was considering the 17-950L at Lowes. It has the laser, light and large table. Not to bad for 369.00 and a free sander!

[Tyler Howell]

Sorry to hear it's not up to PM standards. Sure is ugly!!

[glenn bradley]

Chuck,
The price is not bad and I love the table compared to the usual factory jobs. The quill travel isn't much more than my benchtop but 6" accurate travel is quite a bit more money. On the other hand I would rather have 4" of solid quill than 6" with 1/16" of runout.