I am looking at getting a decent drill press. Which is better.Bench model or floor model? What do you guys use and or recommend? Pic's and model #'s will help. I only want to buy this once,So I want to get a good one. I am looking for something that I can use to drill from thin stock up to thicker stock.
I'm using a Rigid floor model, I find that having a floor model I can bore holes in things that might other wise be to tall to drill with a bench top unit and being bolted to the floor gives it add stability
how much are you looking to spend? I was looking to buy a drill press (I looked around at a lot of used industrial ones) but I decided to take that money and put it towards a used Bridgeport. My point is that if you think you will ever get a mill just skip the drill press.
I have both a floor model and a bench model i made from some parts of another drill press.For me its nice if i can leave my other press or my mill set up while doing other things.Both of mine are used industrial models i paid little for on some local machinery auctions.I dont think i will outlive either one.Burl.
I have a Delta-Rockwell floor model at home in the garage. Half a dozen old Buffalo bench models at the shop. I like the floor model for garage/hot rod work. Would rather have a used USA made drill press than 10 of any new foreign brands. Floor or bench, what ever you buy, get a good one. Bridgeport mill covers any drilling you'll want to do, but they're quite a bit bigger investment, and take up a lot more floor space.
I like larger bench models with a home-built stand. Note the leveling screws in the stand leg bases. A few advantages with bench models: Easily moved when you re-arrange the shop -- which it seems I do a lot. When they have a stand with wide stance, they don't fall over as easily as the floor models do. Falling over, not a problem with regular floor models if you bolt it to the floor, but the truth is, few do. Along with adding a lower shelf as well as an easily removed side shelf - medical stainless tray epoxied to couple of 1"x1" square tubing and the ends of those bolt to the drill press proper. A couple advantages of floor models: Small footprint. Capable of drilling some long tall parts, but I've never had a reason to vertically drill a long piece. I used to have the above pictured drill press on the workbench you see in the background. It took up a lot of flat area and got in the way of some things. but it was easy to work around. One of the reasons it ended up on its own stand was that the garage door in the present garage sits further toward the center than the old garage. The old garage with the drill press on the workbench, you could hang very long pieces out either side of the drill press. This garage, no can do with the drill press on the bench.
When all I had was a cheapy bench model drill press I turned the base around and bolted it to the bench top.The drill press head/table was 180 degrees to the base and it was mounted so it overhang the side of the bench.When I needed to drill something that I needed a gigger space than the gap between the table and Quill I could clamp it down to something below the work bench.Once you have done it a couple times it is pretty easy to set up
Check on Craigs List. I found a few American made industrial presses in good shape locally and for a reasonable price too.
Suggest you monitor your local paper's classified section for either "used machinery" or "auctions". Every weekend here in Indy there are several auctions for businesses that are closing and liquidating. Usually the auctioneer has a web site that repeats the ad but with pictures or more detail. Look for old, industrial grade, domestic brand stuff. Rockwell, Powermatic, Walker-Turner. Steer clear of Grizzly, Jet, Enco, Buffalo. quote=35mastr;3368779]I am looking at getting a decent drill press. Which is better.Bench model or floor model? What do you guys use and or recommend? Pic's and model #'s will help. I only want to buy this once,So I want to get a good one. I am looking for something that I can use to drill from thin stock up to thicker stock.[/quote]
i have a floor model and a mill/drill that i use as a drill press, the floor model has 8.5" from the chuck center to the post which is nice, the mill/drill is my fav, the floor model i bought new of 15 years ago for a little over $400, the mill/drill i bought 6 months ago used for $500 and it was used but looks like new, if i only had one i would want the mill/drill.
I bought a floor standing Craftsman 3 speed old and heavy for $80.00 off of craigslist. It works great
This is an awesome machine, after I bought this I gave away my drillpress. What ever you get don't forget the Drill Doctor.
There are a few other things to consider when you purchase a good drill press. You want one that has the capability of slow speed, less than 100 rpm, it is also nice to have one with a MT3 taper spindle. This let you change chuck quickly and easily. The slow speed is very important if you drill holes above 1/2" or use hole saws. A floor model is best and is the most versatile. A good used American made machine is a lot better than the foreign units. The larger foreign machines are better than the lower end machine but the cost is high. The cheap foreign machines are junk, these usually cost under $200. As said in other posts, a mill is the way to go if you have the room and the money.
Well I ain't never tipped over a floor model drill press, but I suppose anything's possible - I guess. I have a mill so I only use the drill press on ocassion. For me - about 90% of the stuff I do would work fine on a bench top model. But I hate limitations so it's a no brainer for me to get the floor model. The other consideration is PRICE. I've found SEVERAL BIG industrial Variable speed floor model drill presses for as much as some of the NEW presses. I hate crap tools and big heavy iron has it's advantages. FWIW I paid 100 bucks for my 21" drill press. It's an Electro Mechano - US made - BIG, heavy and is a pleasure to use. It's got variable speed and a back gear - so it'll scream or crawl - sweet!!!! Determine your needs, do you homework and you'll be sure to be happy with the results.
I am fortunate I have both a bench top and floor mount drill press. I bought the bench model a few years ago ... and I then was given a floor model by a friend. I use my bench top one a good bit more ... but it is NICE to have the floor model when you need it. If I could only have one ... I would keep the floor model.
I'd rather buy used made in U.S.A. than new "Made in Elsewhere" anyday. In fact I wouldn't buy "Made in Elsewhere " period.
If you're buying new, skip the foreign made crap and buy a decent one made in USA. I recommend Clausing.
something to check for is flex, if you can place a block of wood under the chuck and give the feed handle a good pull, bench models tend to have less flex, i have seen jacks placed under the tables on bench models to lmit flex and on floor models an adjustable brace like a tube within a tube with a set screw on the side to help lmit the flex.
Another vote for Craigslist. You should be able to find a 50 year old Craftsman, Rockwell/Delta or similar for a lot cheaper than a new one built offshore, and it will be ten times better. Here's just one example: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/tls/927067176.html I have the same drill press, and it's built like a tank.
The Taiwan drill press in the photos is close to 30 years old. Little brother and dad both bought Taiwan drill presses about the same time. All of them are still in the family and work great. Mine's been improved with a self-locking chuck. A Taiwan copy of an Albrecht. Pretty good copy. Older Taiwan tools are higher quality than modern Chinese tools. That said, I'd still like to have an American drill press. Mine - and dad & little brothers drill presses are probably the same as mine in that the table flexes down when you crank on it hard. Didn't take long to make an adjustable stand for the outer edge to take the bending out of the vertical tubing that supports everything. I've heard of improving these drill presses by: A few pieces of Re-bar - or other steel - placed down inside the vertical support tube then pouring it full of cement. Best way is to get a piece of heavy wall tubing and replace the original tubing. You'll have to turn the tubing down on the OD since the original tubing is metric, but not much needs to be removed. Kinda been keeping my eyes open at the garage sales for a small bench mount US made drill press. 3/8" chuck would be ok. Would be nice for small and precision stuff. Bad part in my shop, it's so crowded I had to turn down a nice older Bridgeport in a straight across swap for my Mill-Drill. Two cars and a pickup in a 2 1/2 car garage....
I have always had luck with old Delta tools, as Delta usually stocks or can still make replacement parts, 5 years ago I got a slew of parts to a delta scroll saw that was built in aug 1948 (including a new cast head piece as my old man knocked over the machine while moving it once.) and they had everything for it still....try that with almost any other manufacture today....
I searched Craigslist until I found exactly what I wanted. I bought a 1957 model Craftsman floor model. The casting alone makes it worthy of display. It worked great, but I tore it apart, cleaned, painted, and reassembled. It's one of my best tools and most talked about garage pieces.
Don't buy anything new. Almost all of them are made in China. You are better of with something form the 40's or 50's that looks old and worn than the new crap. Floor or table mount-does not matter.
Yowza, My vote for the floor model. Found mine, an old Charles Allen unit from I guess the 30's for $100.00. The man I bought it from used it specifically for very slow speed drilling of stainless steel, his other would not go as slow. I bought it originally because it had a very lage 24" x 24" table that went up and down like a Bridgeport/knee mill. Weighs around 800-1000 lbs so it doesn't "dance" across the workshop. Seller tried to disuade me from purchasing it because of the he though it was more weight than the average person would want. Original motor has been replaced with a TEFC because of the environment it's located. Good Health to You, Bob Lovell
+1 for the dead weight. I've got a radial arm model from Delta-Rockwell (1969 vintage) with a 24 x 30 T-slot table. The front end loader on the tractor would barely pick it up, so it doesn't move much! Keep a look out in local auctions
If you don't want a floor drill press to wobble around and you don't want to bolt it to the floor, you can just pile some heavy blocks of steel or a few old dead car batteries on the base. I have about 150 pounds worth of steel blocks down there on the base of mine, and it's very steady. It's a good place to store all that heavy junk anyway.
I got a Delta floor model brand new about 20 years ago. if I had to buy another one now I would get a used one. I'm thinking the quality of just about everything has gone to the shitter these days, even Delta. as for it falling over.... I can't see that ever happening other than playing football in the shop and running into it full speed trying to catch a long bomb.
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