Bench Top Drill Press

[r1kk1]

The very old craftsman burned itself up. I'm using a Forster power trimmer chucked into it. I really hate trim dies. I'm hogging away tons of brass like the 30 Herret from 30-30 to name just one cartridge I do.

Looking for a recommendation for a bench top drill press that has very low runout and doesn't wobble (another thing the old craftsman developed) and easy repeatable depth stop.

Please don't recommend HF as I will NOT buy it. I've been looking at several brands lately. The drill press will have other uses too. Having infinite speed adjustment would be a real plus for me.

What say you?

My other trimmer is a Wilson powered by a cordless driver. I really can appreciate the quality.

Take care

r1kk1

[bangerjim]

Not sure of your location as you do not have it in your info so we can help you.

DEFINITELY NOT HF!

You need to go to a tools store so you can actually touch & feel the press to check run-out. Grizzley is only another color of HF and you will not know what you are getting by mail. Look for a store locally.

There are good brands out there, just depends on your location and what stores are around you.

Trust your OWN feel.......not just ordering by inernet! With the amount of Chino-garbage out there you never know.

I DID buy a small press from HF and after modifying the quill area by adding 4 nylon "gib" screws at 90 degrees to take up any play, it did pass my no wobble test!


Good luck!

bangerjim

[gpidaho]

Im glad to hear your not thinking of Horrible Freight , I bought one and took it right back. Had as much in fuel as the *** cost. It would have worked well as an egg beater in a commercial kitchen, novelty light or boat anchor but not much else. GP

[r1kk1]

I have checked out Jet and Delta.

I know so much is outsourced. You know bangerjim, my friend doesn't care for Grizzly either.

What are you guys using?

r1kk1

[AlaskanGuy]

For a small drill press, I have a dremel tool type press that I make do with for reloading and gun stuff... It works well, is small and portable, and produces repeatable results, and I bought a chuck so I can chuck up just about everything I need to....

Well, I would post a pic, but the board is now telling me that I am trying to post an invalid image file.....

What the heck???

AG

[dudel]

http://www.micromark.com/microlux-benchtop-variable-speed-mini-hobby-drill-press,8283.html

[jmorris]

I just won a Burgmaster 6 position auto indexing turret benchtop drill press on ebay for $46.

Each position has its own depth stop and also run at different speeds.

Its the polar opposite of a HF drill press.

[texassako]

All the HF hate going on when they are all made in the same place these days. I would start looking for some old iron locally on craigslist. It probably will not have infinite speed adjustment, but moving belts around is not that hard.

[bear67]

Picked up an early 50s Delta a while back on Craigs list for $10. It had been stored in a dirt floored barn and had rust and feathers and insect nests. Cleaned it up, painted and rewired. I have the original Baldor motor off to put bearings in--on my round tuit list. It is tight and sometimes will not start without a helping hand, but bearings are a cheap fit. Needed to take it apart to clean out all the trash. Gosh I like TEFC motors and wish all tools had originally been fitted with them. A little more expensive in a new motor, but not much. It is dead on when I check the runout on the chuck/spindle. Still need to turn a knob to lock the top down as it was missing. Going to put this one in the cabinet shop and move that one somewhere. It is a Japanese built one from the early 60s, not chineese.

I have a bigger floor mount press in the tractor shop that I picked up at an auction sans electric motor for $25--a Walker Turner. It had some idiot divots on the tables, but is also dead on accurate. Look around for some original US iron and you will not regret the time to fix up, clean and paint.

[CastingFool]

Bear67, if your drill press sometimes needs a helping hand to get started, maybe the capacitor on the motor is going bad. just my nickel's worth.

[David2011]

I have an 8" Delta I bought in the early '90s. It's as smooth and quiet as when it was new. I also have a late '70s model that was built in Taiwan. It is NOTHING like the HF Chinese stuff. THe old Taiwan equipment was pretty good. Much of it still is.

David

[Beesdad]

Bangerjim,

I will not comment on the quality of the HF drill press because I have not operated one and dont own one..
On the other hand I have a shop full of Grizzley green equipment. I have run them hard and never had any failure or quality issues. Unless something has happened in the last few years I would purchase Grizzley without any hesitation.

[MaLar]

Motor replacement? Just asking.

LaMar

[bangerjim]

Bangerjim,

I will not comment on the quality of the HF drill press because I have not operated one and dont own one..
On the other hand I have a shop full of Grizzley green equipment. I have run them hard and never had any failure or quality issues. Unless something has happened in the last few years I would purchase Grizzley without any hesitation.

I have BOTH HF and G stuff. Depends on the tool and when it was made! Older stuff is better in many instances. Quality can vary immensely.

But being able to touch & feel tools is about the only way I buy them these days. To heck with mail order! If you live close to a G spot (no pun intended!), go in and preview what you are buying! But a touch and try is worth a 1000 pictures on some website.

banger

[dragon813gt]

If you don't like HF then don't think about the Skill one sold at Lowe's. It's the same drill press w/ less speeds, a different paint job and a better over all finish. Found this out after buying both in the same day. The HF one was dented beyond belief, box was perfect on the outside, and I needed a drill press for a job at work immediately. I'm sure this same drill press is sold under many other brand names.

[country gent]

One shop that we did equipment repair for bought several of the cheap drill press to use for fixtures. tables went square to spildles and drills bound in bushings. One had a adjustable table so indicating it in fixed it. Others was fixed and had to hand scrap it in. A accurate drill press can do alot of good work one that isnt square and true with run out or wobble can make alot of problems. Delta equipment is ussually pretty good and parts are available yet. Craftsman can be older seems more consistantly accurate than newer. Chicago was good and seen use in industry even. We had a cincinatti at work radial arm drill that was dead accurate and had a #4 morse taper in the spindle. Johansen was good. I have a 1/2" chicago in the garage floor model old production model has a coolant tank cast in the base. Table is on dovetails and kind of a pain to raise and lower. but its dead accurate as to runout wobble and square. In the loading room is a bench top delta bought in the 90s I modified the stop set up and indicated the adjustable table in to square and its pretty good now. I pefer the older cast iron equipment as it lasts and is worth rebuilding.

[dilly]

Harbor freight's best product is probably that red powder coat.

[Blanco]

Have you guys not noticed that there are no more American made drill presses.
Probably haven't been any made here in 15~20 years. Most of it is made in China, Tiawan, Korea
Some are better than others.
If you do see one that says made in USA its an antique or its one of those made somewhere else and repackaged here. The made in USA refers to the package.
Didn't Obama outlaw the made in the USA logo.... because not much is made here ???

[bear67]

Casting Fool
First thing I had to do to the motor was replace the capacitor. Cracked and would not start. New starting cap made it start unless it stopped on one side of the bearings. Bearings had a little squeal. New bearings on the bench--less than $9 so it is a good investment. Rebuilding a motor on my 1955 DeVelvis compressor for the cabinet and machine shop has more priority right now and I think I have 5 drill presses even with one junker from China--but it is not HF and is 25 years old and ok for the money I gave for it used. I bought the entire shop from the estate of a local Dr and he rebuilt MGs, so he had some "unusual" tools plus goodles of Lucas ignition and electrical system parts.

[jmort]

No common electric hand tools are made in USA. Milwaukee or whatever. I sold all my Milwaukee "Made in USA" power tools and got cheap HF/Skill/whatever and kept the change. I doubt I will wear any of it out, but even if I buy a replacement, I'm still money ahead. If the USA companies don't care, then neither do I.

[jmorris]

This is the same unit that I just bought.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4FEmIIi_90

This is the actual machine. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BURGMASTER-B-3166-6-STATION-AUTO-INDEXING-TURRET-DRILL-TAP-MACHINE-/281339799116
Needed the rear apex joint replaced.

[MaryB]

I recently picked up a bench top craftsman but it was at the local store so I could check it over. Table is square, no wobble yet. I haven't abused it yet though as a milling machine :smile:

[bedbugbilly]

I'd be looking for an "older" drill press. There are lots of them out there that are just "sitting" - maybe they need a little TLC and clean-up but in the long run, they are much better than what is generally available today. So much of today's stuff is made in China - painted different colors and sold under different name brands. For "general" work they might be O.K. but I have yet to see one that I'd take home. Put some "feelers" out among those you know and maybe even put an ad in a local paper and see what surfaces - you never know.

I had someone give me a gift card probably 8 years or so ago to Sears. I used it to get a small bench top drill press just for general jobs. It's O.K. but that's about all. Good enough for what I use it for but the quality of it is nothing compared to the Sears pedestal drill press that I have that's probably 60 years old. But then, what can you expect for a cheap price? You get what you pay for as they say.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Rikki: just replace the motor on your Craftsman Drill Press. You can go to Grainger and get something in the 1/2 hp. range/1750 rpms, or a cheaper way to go would be to find a local motor rebuilding shop and get a nice used /rebuilt motor. or you could just have the one you've got rebuilt usually less than $50.

You aren't going to find a new Drill Press that is remotely as good as the one you've got. I believe Delta made the Craftsman DP's and they don't make them like that any more.

Luckily there are plenty of them laying around in garages in every part of the country.

With older Quality Machinery you are always better off rebuilding what you've got. Even if you absolutely had to replace the Spindle Bearings in that DP they are worth $10 at the outside. I did mine 40+ years ago and it is still perfectly quiet. If fact I sometimes leave it running for hours simply because you can't hear it running.

Randy

[R.Ph. 380]

I bought the entire shop from the estate of a local Dr and he rebuilt MGs, so he had some "unusual" tools plus goodles of Lucas ignition and electrical system parts.

Ah yes, "Lucas, Prince of Darkness."

[r1kk1]

JMorris, Randy and all, I will probably rebuid mine and I'm quite impressed with the video JMorris posted. My wife seen my eyes light up and promptly said NO! I chuckled. I was looking at Delta the other day and sadly almost all drill presses are made elsewhere with a few expensive exceptions. At the prices I saw, a fellow could almost buy a mill.

I will keep my eye open in the paper, etc. for a stand up version of history. Seems like they last forever judging by owners of them.

Take care

r1kk1

[davep]

My 20+ year old press came from a Chuck Homier sale. Think Harbor Freight without the quality control. That said, I've never had anything but great service from it, and I use it a lot. Drill presses aren't usually that complicated. Still I'm with the guys who suggest to fix your old one, unless you're having other problems with it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Rikki: one other point about your Craftsman DP the only difference between it and a floor model is the length of the piece of pipe used for the column.

Get a good measurement on the diameter of it and you may be able to find something that will work.

It's probably a round number like 3.000?

Randy

[country gent]

If you do go the route of longer tube to make it a floor model your existing base may not be very stable with the wieght raised that much above it. I believe the bases are bigger on floor models.