table top drill press

[dan in va]

Not having a real shop or much space, the need is there for a small drill press. I've been looking at online catalogs and reading up on them, but quality is an unknown and no clear winner has floated to the top yet. The floor models are just too big, but a table top unit would work on the bench.

Here are a few features I'm hoping for:

* decent quality and reliability
* minimum of 10" swing
* perhaps oscillating for drum sanding, but not a must
* for use with 110/120 outlets

I don't think I'll use the heck out of it but want it to work with some precision. I've mostly looked at the Grizzly offerings, but their reviews are all over the place.

Your expertise and experience would be greatly appreciated.

[fazio]

Old Delta dp600 and dp220´s were often bench top models with the short column. 220’s in particular are easy to find inexpensively and are excellent. The 17" dp600 is arguably the best standard issue American drill press ever made.

[Charles E.]

Old Deltas are well made, check your local craigslist or facebook market place.

[Richard500]

Old Delta dp600 and dp220´s were often bench top models with the short column. 220’s in particular are easy to find inexpensively and are excellent. The 17" dp600 is arguably the best standard issue American drill press ever made.

Typical tag sale price for an excellent Delta/Rockwell model is $10-50. I’ve sold large well-constructed industrial floor models for less than $100. A tabletop drill press is not a precise machine tool in any respect: it just turns, and not necessarily with particularly low runout or quill alignment. Add-on gizmos tend to be just fluff. Save 95% and buy used.
You will want one with decent bearings and a high quality chuck if you intend to do other than basic drilling or sanding, and a tilting table has possible utility. If the head can rotate away from the base you can sometimes work on larger items, like furniture. Definitely get good twist drills for basic wood and metal work. A set of brad points is helpful, and Forstners for clean, large diameter, flat bottom mortises. (Good ones are expensive, my Asian set required a lot of tuning up.). A work holding small vise is almost always needed, as is something for clamping flat pieces. Mortise (square) chisels if you do lots of that.

[MikeEdgerton]

If you've got your heart set on a Delta don't assume it was made in the US. Find the country of origin tag.

[j. condino]

In 5 posts this thread went from a 10" benchtop model to a 17" DP600 !!!

A benchtop drill press does not take up any floor space, but you also give up a big area of your workbench. Don't rule out Walker Turner 900s. I have a 1949 that I bought from the original owner.

Since we've moved up to 450 lb'ers, I'm slowly working on bringing a 1950s Buffalo 18 back to life. The last photo is from the ad when I brought it home:

[Jonathan Ward]

Ah, Buffalo Forge. (Willis Carrier was a young engineer there when he invented air conditioning as part of a customer project.) A buddy of mine is a leading aficionado on their Broil-Air grill. After WWII, the company had a large surplus of hand-cranked, gear-driven forge blowers. They mounted them on charcoal grills and the product was a hit. Very fast, hot fire, and you could make horseshoes on your grill.

I recall seeing a video of a wall-mounted Buffalo Forge drill press that oscillated. Hand-cranked, too. Back when Americans used to make stuff.

[John Bertotti]

Craigslist is great if you live where other people live. I'm outside Sioux Falls and the best i've seen on craigslist is an Intergram, never heard of them, a tool shop and an old hand cranked open gear relic that as cool as it looks it I have no desire to own. I wish the deals you guys find would pop up up here sometimes. Heck the inter gram isn't even in my area its over by Owatona Mn.

[Dave Richard]

Two years ago I bought a bench top Grizzy for my wife to use in her studio. So far, so good: works well, no complaints. And under $200, if I remember correctly.

[Jonathan Ward]

I've had several Grizzly machines in regular use for more than ten years. No problems whatsoever.

[Richard500]

Another worshipped name, at least here, is Walker-Turner. The one I have at home, pictured, also has very much coveted industrial gray patina. Not reliced at all, but the evidence of maybe 80 years of shop life. The third shot is an actual bench top model, most used. No name but probably 1920’s, at least going by the motor plate. Forgot to mention, sometimes a foot pedal attached to the quill is handy if your hands are both occupied holding something, a long board, say.

[Jeff Mando]

In 5 posts this thread went from a 10" benchtop model to a 17" DP600 !!!

A benchtop drill press does not take up any floor space, but you also give up a big area of your workbench. Don't rule out Walker Turner 900s. I have a 1949 that I bought from the original owner.

Since we've moved up to 450 lb'ers, I'm slowly working on bringing a 1950s Buffalo 18 back to life. The last photo is from the ad when I brought it home:

In shop class we were told not to wear neckties around heavy machinery, or at least tuck it in. They didn't say anything about Pabst Blue Ribbon!

[Phil-D]

In shop class we were told not to wear neckties around heavy machinery, or at least tuck it in. They didn't say anything about Pabst Blue Ribbon!

I’m a retired shop teacher. I always told my students to keep their head away from the spinning chuck. One day a student didn’t follow instructions. Low and behold he had a scuffle with the drill press and the drill press won. Ripped a patch of hair from his head the size of a softball. He was lucky his scalp didn’t go with it.

[j. condino]

Another worshipped name, at least here, is Walker-Turner. The one I have at home, pictured, also has very much coveted industrial gray patina. Not reliced at all, but the evidence of maybe 80 years of shop life. The third shot is an actual bench top model, most used. No name but probably 1920’s, at least going by the motor plate. Forgot to mention, sometimes a foot pedal attached to the quill is handy if your hands are both occupied holding something, a long board, say.

The fool pedal is extremely useful- so much that I won't buy a drill press without one.

Beyond just making holes, I've used the drill press to press in frets for over 20 years.

Just like with old mandolins, patience will reward you with far more tool for far less price than you ever imagined...

[dan in va]

Actually, all the replies are good contributions. It's no surprise that the old guard likes the old stuff - and always for great reasons. My situation calls for something a little different. i'm not a full time woodworker that would like to make a few solid body OM's, and i don't have the knowledge or time for a machine project. That said, i would be grateful for a tuned up vintage number that fell into my lap. i'm hoping to hear about some decent new DP's that are well made and reliable...that is, if such a thing is out there.

That said, it's really good to hear about the old stuff, as i'm looking out for that also. So, have at it!!

[Tom Haywood]

Three or four years ago, I bought a lower end bench top Ryobi. It works fine for the limited work I do with it. It looks and sounds like it has some wobble, but it drills clean straight holes. It is not very good as a cylinder sander.

[Bob Gnann]

Don't forget yard sales and estate sales. Just about anyone who had a woodworking hobby (and there are a lot of us old timers out there, myself included) probably had a drill press of some sort. My 25 year old Craftsman table top is still going strong and does all I need for my little shop. Not that long ago(40 - 50 yrs, OK I'm showing my age here) Craftsman brand was considered one of the best brands out there. Many other brands (Dewalt, Porter Cable, Delta, etc) were industrial grade tools sold mainly to the trades. You might find one of these brands for next to nothing. Half my shop is equipped with old tools that I paid very little for. Hint: look for tools that have nice heavy castings.
Which leads me to that wonderful Buffalo drill press pictured by J Condino. I live in WNY and I remember the Buffalo Forge plant. The raised lettering, probably painted by hand, shows the pride these old machines were made with.