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10” Drill Press, What is a good one?

71SandbugCharger

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I looked at the following places, and then at the reviews.
Lowes
Home Depot
Harbor Freight
Amazon
Googled “10” Drill Press reviews”

Many reviews stated wobbly chucks and other issues, so I’m at a loss which ones are really good and not too expensive.

For metal mostly, and some wood projects. Has to drill straight.
Suggestions?
 
Probably not this one.....

Drill Press.jpg


That blue duct tape is doing the job a solid steel pin is supposed to do....belts slip, pulley bent, chuck won't tighten, stop switch not stopping.....motor adjustment is jammed up.... Made in China. :rolleyes:

They asked if I could fix it.....I said I saw a big bin outside that is looking for a friend. :D
 
If you are looking at offshore for price consideration, try to find something that is made in Taiwan as opposed to China. I have one that I bought years ago that is branded "Rexon". It has been a very dependable machine.
 
Do not buy the HF piece of crap on metal. Look at craigslist for a older one say sears.
 
Go with an old American made one.
The new ones seem "born to die". Look at the chuck jaws, though.
If they're chewed up...you'll never get a good hole
 
For drilling wood you can go with anything. But for metal you ideally want one made for industrial use. These will be far more accurately machined. As was mentioned, many have WAY too much play in the quill. The taper for the chuck is not accurate and the chuck itself doesn't hold the bit centered. Add all this up and drilling an accurate hole is virtually impossible.

The quill problem on some of the better models is solved with the ability to adjust the play but there's no way to deal with a poorly bored taper. Chucks can be swapped for better ones.

I went through four drill presses before I finally settled on a good used Craftsman 20" floor model. Its not "dead accurate" but it has the quill adjustment and I swapped the chuck for a "keyless" chuck, for no other reason than the standard one was too big and bulky.

Ok, so that's way bigger than you want but carefully consider what you going to do with it and how often you'll use it. Floor models offer the option of moving the thing around to accommodate working on larger pieces.

Also, don't shy away from buying "used". Many drill presses see very little use. One that hasn't been abused can save you a bundle.

as an aside ...
I probably bore close to 3000 5/8 holes in 3/16 steel per year. I use - believe it or not - a cheapo Harbor Freight step drill that's had the 5/8 step ground longer to go through the 3/16 material and the top step countersinks the edge. I do not center punch or drill a pilot hole nor do I use any cutting fluid. I've been using the same bit for over 8 years !!
 
I looked at the following places, and then at the reviews.
Lowes
Home Depot
Harbor Freight
Amazon
Googled “10” Drill Press reviews”

Many reviews stated wobbly chucks and other issues, so I’m at a loss which ones are really good and not too expensive.

For metal mostly, and some wood projects. Has to drill straight.
Suggestions?
You might want to look at "Grizzly.com". They are not US made but they do make fairly good quality tools at reasonable prices.
 
Buy a used Bridgeport mill.
 
I purchased a used Buffalo Forge Drill press. A quality piece made by a company long gone but I have seen them on Craigslist
 
When I was looking about 5 years ago, I found a Craftsman tabletop model that had been re-motored for $20 at a flea market.

I see decent ones on CL now and then.
 
There’s some nice used ones for under $7,000

Shop around, you can find them for 2k...sometimes less.
The old ones with the "round rams" aren't legal to run in industry, for a safety reason, not really much of a concern. I've seen them for $600. They don't move around though and may be over-kill if you just want to drill a hole occasionally.
Old Craftsman
Walker Turner (great old machine)
Delta
Cincinnati
Any of these, you'll be leaving for your grand kids.
 
I bought a Harbor Freight one, last year, and i don't have any complaints with it at all.
But, since i got mine, they have gone up quite a bit.
 
Found several decent ones (Craftsman, Delta, etc) on my local CL for under $300.

For home use the Ryobi might be OK. My BIL has one with a laser sight.

My swap meet Ryobi stuff has done pretty well for me (Blue era corded 3/8 drill, 1/4 sheet sander, 5" angle grinder).
 
FWIW, I bought a slightly damaged Craftsman 15" from Sears Surplus back around '86.
Model #113213853
For grins this AM, I checked Sears Direct for replacement parts and was not surprised to find "zilch" available. They don't even source a bolt or bearing these days.
This is not to say parts aren't available elsewhere. Like a car, learn all you can about what you're considering for purchase used.
upload_2022-5-26_7-58-14.png
upload_2022-5-26_8-12-46.png
 
At least they still maintain the data that has part numbers which may cross-reference.

I'd DL the manual if available and if it has part numbers.

In case that site goes belly up.

IIRC the last Sears still in operation near Chicago closed a couple of months ago.
 
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