I need a bench top drill press. I don't have the room for a floor standing type or want the expense. I've never owned one before but I now I need one. Any ideas, advise, opinions, warnings, tips & tricks, maintenance thoughts, etc would be great.

I need to drill wood and some mild thin metal, nothing hard or difficult. I might be able to do a bit of sanding with it. I need better accuracy and depth control, so a bench top it will be.

I require a tilting bed thing up to 45 degrees. I've noticed the $100-ish ones only have a 2-inchish spindle chuck travel. $150-ish gets a better 2.5 inch depth of travel. Looks like I will be spending $150-ish.

For $163-ish I can get a WEN 10 inch with with a lever control automatic speed control instead of having to move the belt pulley position to change speeds.

I'm not set on that model, I just think it seems pretty good. I did look at the Ryobi for $129 and it does have a 3 year warranty, seems like it might be adequate but just barely.

My budget is $150-160 or so.


Thank you for your responses.

cant beat the price
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H...comp#customerReviews

Agreed, the WEN seems to be the model many choose and are happy with.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene: I might be able to do a bit of sanding with it.

Be a little careful with that. Side load can mess up the bearings pretty quickly, especially on a lighter duty bench top design.

Shop around locally or on eBay for an older used one that is American made. The new smaller models are all crappy Chinese stuff.

The only thing I can offer regarding benchtop drill presses is a thought on available height. I learned (in an example of bad timing) that mine won't open up enough to chuck up a spade bit and still fit the darned 4x4 underneath it.

Oops.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene: I might be able to do a bit of sanding with it.

Be a little careful with that. Side load can mess up the bearings pretty quickly, especially on a lighter duty bench top design.

It also tends to make the chuck fall out.

On a drill press, the chuck isn't really attached to the machine at all, the chuck has a tapered shank that locks into a tapered socket on the drill press spindle with friction. Enough sideways load can release the chuck.

quote:

My budget is $150-160 or so.

You will probably have it for the rest of your life. Spend more than you think you can afford.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Shop around locally or on eBay for an older used one that is American made. The new smaller models are all crappy Chinese stuff.

This is good advice and you may well find a great deal on a small machine which is much more industrious. Clamp you work pieces secure and locate stop blocks by C clamp to prevent the work piece from spinning, causing injury.

Last week I seriously used my bench top drill press for the first time (had done stuff with it before but not an entire furniture project...) and found out it's too short. Wish I had a bigger one so I could drill into the ends of longish boards - not just into the sides...

Trying to assemble something that calls for dowells/pegs and having perfectly straight holes on each board is a must. Hard to get it right with my handheld drill...

quote:

Originally posted by SBrooks:
Last week I seriously used my bench top drill press for the first time (had done stuff with it before but not an entire furniture project...) and found out it's too short. Wish I had a bigger one so I could drill into the ends of longish boards - not just into the sides...

Trying to assemble something that calls for dowells/pegs and having perfectly straight holes on each board is a must. Hard to get it right with my handheld drill...

There's a thing you can buy that is sort of like a little handheld drill press that you hook up to your handheld drill. You end up with something like a cross between a drill and a plunge router. I haven't ever actually used one, but it seems like a reasonable idea and probably better than nothing.

There are a variety of options available, here's one:

http://www.rockler.com/portable-drill-guide

I have an early version of such a device called a Port-Align (sold by Sears, at the time). It is surprisingly useful.

quote:

Originally posted by SBrooks:
Last week I seriously used my bench top drill press for the first time (had done stuff with it before but not an entire furniture project...) and found out it's too short. Wish I had a bigger one so I could drill into the ends of longish boards - not just into the sides...

Trying to assemble something that calls for dowells/pegs and having perfectly straight holes on each board is a must. Hard to get it right with my handheld drill...

Rotate the table to vertical, parallel with the column. Loosen the column in the base, or the head on the column. Swing the head & table sideways out over the edge of the bench. Gain all that height. Note: your base must be fastened to the bench, and retighten the column in the base or head before use.

Mine doesn't allow all that rotation you speak of.

I guess if I need to do it again, I'll find one of those deals to hook up to my cordless drill...

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene: I might be able to do a bit of sanding with it.

Be a little careful with that. Side load can mess up the bearings pretty quickly, especially on a lighter duty bench top design.

It also tends to make the chuck fall out.

On a drill press, the chuck isn't really attached to the machine at all, the chuck has a tapered shank that locks into a tapered socket on the drill press spindle with friction. Enough sideways load can release the chuck.

Which is why you shouldn't use it as a mill either. One thing to have the chuck fly out and be hit by it and the sanding drum. Another thing entirely if it has an end mill bit in it.

Go to Craigslist and look for a Walker-Turner or Delta drill press. You wont be sorry. Get a vise, bolt it down to hold material.
Forstner bits are good accessories to have.

I looked on eBay for an older solid unit, as mentioned in a earlier post. No luck, they were all listed as local pickup, none within my state.

I liked the price of the WEN 8 inch $74.25 unit, but figured it was a bit small for my needs, so I just now ordered the WEN 10 inch for $142. I think that will work just fine for me.

I have a drill press vise and will follow the advice of using clamps and stop blocks for safety's sake.

Thank you all for your comments, much appreciated.

I'll build a 4x6 foot work table on rolling locking casters and mount the drill press, my too darn heavy WILTON American made 8 inch bench vise and 2 bench grinders, with room for a small assembly table area. This will be a big help to me for utility and free up my workbench space.

Let the projects begin! Yea !

I'm excited about this.