I need a drill press

M

mi223

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Minuteman
Feb 14, 2017
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West Michigan
#1
I need a fairly economical priced drill press. I don't want junk but this is just for some shop projects. Mostly will be drilling steel. Nothing to precise. I have been looking around and I can't tell what is good and what is trash.

Free standing or bench mount is fine
 
#3
I've always liked Grizzly too. Older Craftsmen are good but Id stay away from any newer stuff.

The old saying "you get what you pay for" is true. Stay away from anything cheap... harbor freight is absolute junk. I bought a sawz-all there for an automotive exhaust. It literally died after one cut thru.
 
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#5
You might want to check out the drill presses from Harbor Freight. Not top tier machines but they are priced right if you have the right application for them. They look like most of the other Chinese drill presses out there to me.
 
#7
I've got a Porter Cable bench top. It works fine for small tasks around the house/shop. I wouldn't want/recommend trying to make a living or do serious work with it.

Jet, Rikon, etc... have all been mentioned. Probably what you're looking for if you're serious at all.

I have a Laguna Revo wood lathe that I am very pleased with. I don't know if Laguna makes a drill press though... You might look and see.

Note: I looked it up. Laguna makes a drill press(es).

Mike
 
#11
Harbor freight.

When you wear it out, you know you need to spend 5-10x the money on a decent unit.

If you never wear it out, then you didn't waste any money.

I've found more often than not that a harbor freight special that allows me to think about all the things I'd fix saves me from cheaping out on options on the expensive one and being disappointed.
 
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#12
Start looking at surplus auction sites. Excellent quality vintage machines go for less than modern crap. You will have to drive to get them but depending on where you are shouldn't be too bad.

Example - I purchased a buffalo number 18 drillpress (all 450lbs of cast iron) for $310 in perfect working order. It is a beast and fills in when I dont need to use the mill.
 
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#13
matthias said:
Start looking at surplus auction sites. Excellent quality vintage machines go for less than modern crap. You will have to drive to get them but depending on where you are shouldn't be too bad.

Example - I purchased a buffalo number 18 drillpress (all 450lbs of cast iron) for $310 in perfect working order. It is a beast and fills in when I dont need to use the mill.
Click to expand...
^^This^^

Picked up a Clausing 20" drill press for my shop several years ago for $300. Needed some work and was able to get the parts I needed from Clausing. Been a great addition to my shop and used constantly. If you are going to be drilling large holes ( >.5") in metal I would recommend using annular bits.
 
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#15
matthias said:
Start looking at surplus auction sites. Excellent quality vintage machines go for less than modern crap. You will have to drive to get them but depending on where you are shouldn't be too bad.

Example - I purchased a buffalo number 18 drillpress (all 450lbs of cast iron) for $310 in perfect working order. It is a beast and fills in when I dont need to use the mill.
Click to expand...

That doesn't work for everyone. I just checked and the only single phase unit for sale I can find within 12 hours is a harbor freight for $200.


Only thing that makes me jealous of the east coast and California is the massive amount of old machines constantly for sale. Any manufacturing we have is new or they use equipment until it's fully scrap metal.
 
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#16
Yeah, there's a lot of surplus equipment out there...and a good bit of it is just plain worn out and/or abused. Been there, done that....I stopped buying used stuff for our shop unless I knew the shop it was coming out of. If it's occaisional use, just buy something cheap that's a little bit bigger than you think you'll need. If it's steady use, pony up the money for something decent. Tools you have to depend on is no place to cheap out.

Check Northern Tool...they have decent stuff and they have drill presses starting at $90
 
#19
Chevyman - You are not looking hard enough. Plain and simple. There are auctions in every state monthly. May take more time to find it all than its worth to you , but stuff is everywhere. I am in north dakota , not exactly a busstling hub of manufacturing.
 
#20
matthias said:
Chevyman - You are not looking hard enough. Plain and simple. There are auctions in every state monthly. May take more time to find it all than its worth to you , but stuff is everywhere. I am in north dakota , not exactly a busstling hub of manufacturing.
Click to expand...

When I was in GF I picked stuff up out of the cities and Fargo all the time.

Only thing I miss about the desolate wasteland.
 
#24
matthias said:
What state are you in? I will do some looking and maybe find a few places near you.
Click to expand...

I'm sure there's places auctioning old junk somewhere. It's just not convenient or practical. Marketplace or Craigslist I can at least make plans on a weekend to pick something up.
When I was in Grand Forks that was easy to find. Take the kids to valley Fair and pickup some junk on the way back.


Now I'm quite fond of the middle of nowhere. For reference, I have to drive over 100 miles to find a Wal-Mart, the only chain stores in town are tractor supply and Albertsons... and there's more cattle than people in the county that's 4400 sq miles.

But the rifle range is 5 minutes from my house, archery range is 10, and the good hunting 20.... So I take the trade off.
 
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#25
chevy_man said:
I'm sure there's places auctioning old junk somewhere. It's just not convenient or practical. Marketplace or Craigslist I can at least make plans on a weekend to pick something up.
When I was in Grand Forks that was easy to find. Take the kids to valley Fair and pickup some junk on the way back.


Now I'm quite fond of the middle of nowhere. For reference, I have to drive over 100 miles to find a Wal-Mart, the only chain stores in town are tractor supply and Albertsons... and there's more cattle than people in the county that's 4400 sq miles.

But the rifle range is 5 minutes from my house, archery range is 10, and the good hunting 20.... So I take the trade off.
Click to expand...
Understood. Even north dakota is getting to many people
 
#26
mi223 said:
I need a fairly economical priced drill press. I don't want junk but this is just for some shop projects. Mostly will be drilling steel. Nothing to precise. I have been looking around and I can't tell what is good and what is trash.

Free standing or bench mount is fine
Click to expand...
Dunno where abouts in Michiganner you might be.....but I'd sure be contacting this dude......reply link top left of page.

Looks to be one bad ass mofo radial arm drill press that is more than capable of anything that gets thrown it's way.
Doesn't say if it works or not....doesn't mention a price.
That's not on me, that's on you.

 
#27
#29
The other option if you have the space and a few extra $$. Buy a small milling machine.

Does everything a drill press does and much, much more. Sometimes can be total bargains because every homeowner can fit a drill press into their sedan… but smaller mills can be commercially unviable while also being too big or expensive for a lot of homeowners who don’t see the potential or have the space.

$1000 can buy some nice mills. Not fancy. But serviceable. I’ve seen some go for half that. Drill press money. Often with lots of tooling thrown in.

Expand your search, OP! With a mill (and a small lathe) you can make anything!!!

Sirhr
 
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#30
Just a quick search of FB marketplace in my area…
$1050 asking
IMG_4014.jpeg


$350 asking
IMG_4013.jpeg


$300 asking
IMG_4012.jpeg


Just some thoughts to expand your search.

There are also some 3:1 lathe, mill, drill machines by companies like Jet. They are not perfect at any of the functions. And not commercially viable, but for homeowners and hobby folks are amazing. Often very low use. And cheap. The machine is the cheap part… the tooling adds up.

Again… don’t limit your thinking to a drill press. Think “what can I do with my bench or floor or garage space.”

Cheers!

Sirhr
 
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#31
n2ishun said:
Dunno where abouts in Michiganner you might be.....but I'd sure be contacting this dude......reply link top left of page.

Looks to be one bad ass mofo radial arm drill press that is more than capable of anything that gets thrown it's way.
Doesn't say if it works or not....doesn't mention a price.
That's not on me, that's on you.

Click to expand...

The vast majority of hobbyists would be better served allocating that floor space to a knee mill.
 
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#32
mi223 said:
I had no idea that site existed. The problem with Comercial style units is the 3 phase. Ideally I would just get a 115v unit
Click to expand...

The 3-phase problem is straightforward to solve with a basic variable-frequency drive:


These can be set up just to do basic phase conversation, and then you can go further and use features such as reversing and braking control along with the inputs to allow control over the spindle direction using a foot switch (pretty handy for operations like tapping). There's obviously a limit that will be established by that of the 220VAC input line current, but controlling 3-5 HP is doable for not a lot of money.
 
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#33
E. Bryant said:
The 3-phase problem is straightforward to solve with a basic variable-frequency drive:


These can be set up just to do basic phase conversation, and then you can go further and use features such as reversing and braking control along with the inputs to allow control over the spindle direction using a foot switch (pretty handy for operations like tapping). There's obviously a limit that will be established by that of the 220VAC input line current, but controlling 3-5 HP is doable for not a lot of money.
Click to expand...
Also the only way to get truly adjustable variable speed with single phase power.
 
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#34
This made me do some searching, people are retarded when it comes to pricing shit around me
 
Last edited:
#35
sirhrmechanic said:
Just a quick search of FB marketplace in my area…
$1050 asking
View attachment 8499298

$350 asking
View attachment 8499299

$300 asking
View attachment 8499300

Just some thoughts to expand your search.

There are also some 3:1 lathe, mill, drill machines by companies like Jet. They are not perfect at any of the functions. And not commercially viable, but for homeowners and hobby folks are amazing. Often very low use. And cheap. The machine is the cheap part… the tooling adds up.

Again… don’t limit your thinking to a drill press. Think “what can I do with my bench or floor or garage space.”

Cheers!

Sirhr
Click to expand...
WTF. I wish something like the top one would pop up within 100 miles of me. Ive been looking for a reasonable "smaller" Bridgeport for awhile now.
 
#36
E. Bryant said:
The vast majority of hobbyists would be better served allocating that floor space to a knee mill.
Click to expand...
Click on the image of it to expand it and look close...
See the automated feed levers ?
I would have to see it in person to be sure but it looks every bit as capable of any bridgeport I've played with if you add a milling vise to it.
Of course it looks to weigh 750-1000 lbs. so there is that to consider....

If you could pick it up for a couple-tree hundred or so you could easily make your money back just by scrapping it if nothing else.
 
#37
n2ishun said:
Click on the image of it to expand it and look close...
See the automated feed levers ?
I would have to see it in person to be sure but it looks every bit as capable of any bridgeport I've played with if you add a milling vise to it.
Of course it looks to weigh 750-1000 lbs. so there is that to consider....

If you could pick it up for a couple-tree hundred or so you could easily make your money back just by scrapping it if nothing else.
Click to expand...
Those are not ridged enough for any decent milling. A cheap knee mill would mill circles around it any day of the week.
 
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#39
Makinchips208 said:
Those are not ridged enough for any decent milling. A cheap knee mill would mill circles around it any day of the week.
Click to expand...
I get it, it wasn't your post so you hate it even if you could probably buy the thing for dime on the dollar type money.
And...it's a drill press, a very sturdy US made drill press, you can see the USA cast right into the base of it.

The OP posts wanting a drill press, an economical one.
You insist the only way to go is with a mill....fuck your budget....fuck your request.
Obviously you are the only person that matters, your opinion is the only one that matters....to you.
 
#40
n2ishun said:
I get it, it wasn't your post so you hate it even if you could probably buy the thing for dime on the dollar type money.
And...it's a drill press, a very sturdy US made drill press, you can see the USA cast right into the base of it.

The OP posts wanting a drill press, an economical one.
You insist the only way to go is with a mill....fuck your budget....fuck your request.
Obviously you are the only person that matters, your opinion is the only one that matters....to you.
Click to expand...

You're the one not understanding. If I need to drill holes in typical objects, I do not need some monster radial arm machine taking up 20-25 sq ft of floor space and creating a bunch of other problems like how to provide power.

Let me guess - when someone is looking for a vehicle to tow a 5000lb boat, you're the guy who suggests a 1977 Ford L8000 dump truck that the local county road commission has up for auction, and then gets butt-hurt when the person buys a half-ton pickup.

The OP could have used the time spent reading through all the bullshit in this thread to instead shop for a 12" Jet drill press, had it delivered, unboxed it, plugged it into the nearest 120V outlet, and punched several holes.
 
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#41
You guys Crack me up.

I had at one time, one of the Bridgeport benchtop models. It worked ok for light machining. I found by the time you put in a drill chuck and twist bit, you used up all the z axis and it wasn't good for anything other than sheet metal. But it was in fact very rigid compared to a drill press
 
#42
So I think I made a good score on market place. I found an add for a rockwell drill press. Very little info and a crappy Picture of it packed away in the corner

I thought it looked like the table was missing but the lady said it was there.

I get there and the table was in fact missing and it had some jig attached to the base. She said her husband used to own a bowling pro shop and this was used to drill bowling balls. The head unit is in great shape for the age. The colum and base have a lot of surface rust but mostly cosmetic. The thing runs like new. I don't think is ever seen hard work drilling bowling balls. I ordered a table of ebay for another $150.


So I have $250 into a US made very solid drill press. And to think I was about to buy a Jet for $1000...
 
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#43
mi223 said:
So I think I made a good score on market place. I found an add for a rockwell drill press. Very little info and a crappy Picture of it packed away in the corner

I thought it looked like the table was missing but the lady said it was there.

I get there and the table was in fact missing and it had some jig attached to the base. She said her husband used to own a bowling pro shop and this was used to drill bowling balls. The head unit is in great shape for the age. The colum and base have a lot of surface rust but mostly cosmetic. The thing runs like new. I don't think is ever seen hard work drilling bowling balls. I ordered a table of ebay for another $150.


So I have $250 into a US made very solid drill press. And to think I was about to buy a Jet for $1000...
Click to expand...
Wow! That’s awesome!
 
#44
mi223 said:
So I think I made a good score on market place. I found an add for a rockwell drill press. Very little info and a crappy Picture of it packed away in the corner

I thought it looked like the table was missing but the lady said it was there.

I get there and the table was in fact missing and it had some jig attached to the base. She said her husband used to own a bowling pro shop and this was used to drill bowling balls. The head unit is in great shape for the age. The colum and base have a lot of surface rust but mostly cosmetic. The thing runs like new. I don't think is ever seen hard work drilling bowling balls. I ordered a table of ebay for another $150.


So I have $250 into a US made very solid drill press. And to think I was about to buy a Jet for $1000...
Click to expand...
Good buy indeed!!
 
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