I’ve been doing a little research on a small bench top press. I’d like to have a 10" swing press, but it looks like I lack space in my shop for even an 8" press. I’ve never owned a drill press and used one once a few years ago, so lots to learn. One question for those with press experience. These drill presses have a spindle travel of 2". That’s not even enough to drill thru a 2x4 on it’s edge. How do you manage to drill a hole deeper than the 2 inch thickness of a simple 2x4 on its edge?

I can’t answer your question about drilling through a 2x4 because I’ve never done it.

I bought a WEN 4210 bench top drill press in 2018. It has a 2.5 inch travel.

It’s ok, but it does not have much power to drill through harder substances. It will just bog down.

For the $100-ish I spent it’s satisfactory. It does ok for what I wanted it to do. I really didn't expect much, knowing it was a small unit without much power. I think it looks really good FWIW. It’s definitely heavier than it looks.

Whatever you buy, make sure you can return it if it’s unsatisfactory. I got mine from Amazon so it was easily returned, but I kept it.

You can get a table top drill press that has the depth ability to drill deeper then a 2x4, and has much more power, but it’s gong to cost more than a few hundred bucks. Friend just bought one (store demo unit) for around $800 bucks.

It’s been sitting on my work bench for the last 3 years and it’s in my way. Today I bought the wood to make a 24x30 rolling cart. I’ll have heavy locking swivel casters and a 36 inch height. Then I will also mount my bench grinder (been in a box for years), and also my heavy 6 inch Wilton vise (it’s been on my storage shelf for years). I’ve needed them lately, my space is limited, so I’ll have this to work with. I can put it back in the corner when I’m not using it.

Best wishes to you.

In answer to your original question - longer drill bits or bit extenders.

Drill as far as you can with a standard drill bit, back out, chuck up a longer bit, finish the hole.

If you have the room, I REALLY recommend a floor model. Even a relatively cheap Crapsman is more generally useful than a bench top. Plus, it's not taking up limited bench space.

Use bit extensions or drill the hole as deep as you can, then raise the table.
Or drill the hole as deep as you can and put wood underneath whatever you are drilling to raise it. A vise would be better.


If I were you I wouldn't buy a new drill press.
I would use Craigslist and purchase an old Walker Turner, Delta or Rockwell.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
If you have the room, I REALLY recommend a floor model. Even a relatively cheap Crapsman is more generally useful than a bench top. Plus, it's not taking up limited bench space.

I went the opposite of this…floor models stay put and you’re not always using a drill press

I bought a table top press and mounted it to a rolling cabinet. I keep all my drilling related tools in this cabinet. So I know anything drilling related is in that cabinet. Same for grinding station, etc

I can easily roll it into a corner or move it to where I need it. With limited space, I have most things set this way so can roll/store grinders, drill press, hydraulic press, etc where I want or need them.

So that is an option…

@Patriot:

For limited space and light-to-medium work (wood and light metals), that's an excellent option.

In my case, I'm fairly frequently drilling or hole-sawing large holes through 3/4" steel 4-8 feet long.

quote:

Originally posted by Captain Morgan:
If I were you I wouldn't buy a new drill press.
I would use Craigslist and purchase an old Walker Turner, Delta or Rockwell.

Absolutely.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
@Patriot:

For limited space and light-to-medium work (wood and light metals), that's an excellent option.

In my case, I'm fairly frequently drilling or hole-sawing large holes through 3/4" steel 4-8 feet long.

Agreed 100%...it depends on your application, space, time of use...etc.

My max is about 1/4" plate in relative small sizes.

Find a decent one.

I wished I had one over the years and sprung for a very low buck Harbor Freight bench top model. Pretty much a POS, The run out at the drill tip is beyond unacceptable. Maybe I could make milk shakes with it, otherwise, no.

I would always get a older quality used machine over a crap one that you will get as a new one.
As to the drilling a 2x4 question, drill as deep as you can in the drill press to establish the angle then finish with a hand drill.

I had a friend who managed the tool dept at Sears back in the 70's. He would call me when they had a return on a big tool and offer me first chance at a reduced price. One day he called and told me he had a commercial, floor model drill press that some guy bought and his wife made him return it. I paid around $150 for it and use it all of the time. Craftsman was pretty good stuff back then.

Definitely don't be shy of getting a quality used drill press. You'll be happy in the long run.

Don't dismiss a bench top type either. At my work, we made a stand for a little one. Drill small items as normal. If we need to drill on the end of a long part, we swivel the head 180 degrees with part on the floor. If it were mounted on the edge of a bench top, you could swivel the head 90 degrees to get the same effect.

Something like this might be good...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic...Bs_e7YUWMyA&usqp=CAU

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
I bought a WEN 4210 bench top drill press in 2018. It has a 2.5 inch travel.

That’s one of the two presses on the top of my list right now, but I have nowhere to put one that big. I bought a WEN air compressor years ago. Junk. Lasted 2 months. Bought a Porter Cable that is still going strong after 11 years. The other press I’m looking at is the Grizzly G0925 8" press. Measurements of that press make it look like I might be able to fit it in my very small shop. My shop is only about 8'x10 and has 41 years of clutter in it. I couldn’t even consider a floor model even if it had wheels on it. No place to put it.

For everyone that answered my question about drilling depth, thank you. I knew there had to be a way to drill holes more than 2" deep.

As for a used press, it still has to be very small and light weight. Even at 36 pounds for that Grizzly press, that’s pushing my limits for lifting it and moving it around. I’m 75 with a bad back.

My crappy drill press is on a portable work bench in the corner of my work area, not taking up very usable space. If I absolutely wanted to use the bench, I could but these days I mostly set up horses with whatever as a top as needed. I don't think I've moved the drill press since I put it there.

Also, get a decent drill press vise.

Very limited experience and even less knowledge.... I bought from Harbor Freight . It was wimpy and the arbor was on crooked... Couldn't get the arbor to straighten and finally sold in at a garage sale for very little. I paid little for and received even less use from it.

I wish that I had bought better quality....."You get what you pay for" ! :-(

Come to think of it, depending on how wide a hole you need, and need for accuracy and precision, or not, for deeper holes, an old fashioned Brace & Bits will do the job just fine.

I have a couple of braces and a few bits and got lucky last year at a garage sale. I walked out with a box full of many sizes of bits.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
Come to think of it, depending on how wide a hole you need, and need for accuracy and precision, or not, for deeper holes, an old fashioned Brace & Bits will do the job just fine.

I have a couple of braces and a few bits and got lucky last year at a garage sale. I walked out with a box full of many sizes of bits.

Come to think about it, I think I still have my fathers brace drill somewhere. Seems like I remember that as being the drill of choice when I was a kid in the 1950's.

For what it’s worth, I ordered that Grizzly drill press today and a drill press vice when I totally botched a hole with a spade bit earlier today. I had ordered some Forstner drill bits a couple of weeks ago before I even seriously thought about a drill press. Adam Savage has a 25 minute video on drill bits on his YouTube channel. It’s such a good video that I have watched it in its entirety twice. Never heard of Forstner bits before watching that video.

Here is a link to that video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...vage%E2%80%99sTested

^^^^^ Thanks for the video link Gary.