Drill Press Specs

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usmcruiser

usmcruiser

Joined
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Longmont, CO
here's a pretty generic question for all you tool gurus out there.

And I did do a search but couldn't find what i was looking for. :flipoff2:

What should one look for when purchasing a drill press? It will be for metal work. So I know I need one that can go nice and slow. But what about size. I see these presses that are 12in, 15in, 18in. What is this a measurement of? and which is better. The wife has always preached bigger is better :doh: but does that apply here?
What about chuck size?
Stroke length?
What horse power?
Bench mounted or free standing?

I just need a little info before I drop some coin on a POS that doesn't do what I need it to.

Thanks all,
 
Size is the distance from the chuck to the post.

As with any tool, buy the best/biggest you can afford within reason. The shrimpy little benchtop presses with a 1/2" chuck (or smaller) are usually junk right out of the box. Free standing might give you some extra depth one day that you need, but I have a stand-mounted one that I've never had an issue with. I don't think horsepower is an issue unless you're looking at crappy presses, and then horsepower will be the least of your worries- you'll be screaming as the bits walk all over your work and trying to get a straight hole will drive you insane long before you bog the motor. One thing to look for is the depth adjustment- some cheaper models come with a threaded rod on the side of the head- those generally suck. You probably want the type that's integrated in the crank.
All that being said, mine is probably 25 or more years old, made in China or Taiwan, that I picked up at an auction cheap. I put a decent quality chuck on it and it's been fine. It's not a super-critical tool, you don't have to have the highest quality drill press to be satisfied with it. Just avoid the junk.

-Spike
 
Floor stand, with a good deep swing. Also, I think tilt tables are too inaccurate. I prefer to set angles up using vises or some clamp arrangement. A good range of speeds, especially lower RPM's which are better for cutting larger holes in metal.

I am a fan of Grizzly tools, they have some nice drill presses. I have an old floor stand craftsmsn that I got free, but my Dad recently bought a Grizzly and likes it real well.
 
one day a long time ago in a pinch i bought a bench top ryobi. it was maybe $99 and i figured it wouldnt last and planned to be buying a new, bigger one in a year or so. well i am happy to report it has been in service for over 14 yrs now with no complaints. i never bought that bigger better press.
couple things to point out though... my little drill press is prolly different from one you would get now. its all cast iron, its got bearings on the spindle and 16 speeds. all the gear and arbor parts are real steel not some pot metal.

oops, typo, it has 6 speeds.
 
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WOW; prefer industrial type equipment..........personally have a late 30s vintage Atlas 15 inch floor model 220 Volts 3/4 HP; works like a dream, heavy duty, weighs about 300+ lbs, adjustable speeds, bearings; all the goodies, should last another 60 years, older sears craftsmen, atlas and deltas are the same quality or if you can find one..a Linley vertical milling machine for awsome precision milling + drilling......it would be about 800Lbs + 220 3phase............you can usually get one of these oldies for a reasonable price as for the newer stuff; maybe stick with craftsman but make sure it uses bearings, cast iron + personally prefer 220volts :)


Lou
 
n2666s,

Are you sure you Atlas is from the late 30's. I Have a 15" Atlas that I'm pretty sure is from the late 40's or early 50's. I didn't think Atlas started making drill presses until the mid 40's.

Here's a link to my build: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=504982

If you can find them & don't mind putting some time into them, the old iron is far superior to what you can buy today.
 
usmcruiser said:
What about this Beaver? Does anybody know anything about this one.

http://denver.craigslist.org/tls/448081107.html

It looks pretty solid to me. $150? Is this too much?
Click to expand...

Depending on the condition and spindle speeds that could be a good deal. Look for a press with speeds of about 250rpm or less. lower the quill all the way & look for excessive wear marks on the quill. That press has a split casting at the quill so most of the quill wear can be adjusted. You can check run-out (chuck alignment) with a dial indicator or by chucking up a piece of straight rod about 12" long and look for less than 1/8" wobble. You can fix alot of excess run-out by tapping the rod @ the chuck with a hammer. There is tons of info on old presses over at owwm.com
 
sixty...............great build on your atlas restoration, mine is a very old and heavy one was under the impression that it was from late 30s and can really stand a rebuild with your idea of an intermediary pully to slow it even further!!!!,,,,,,was under the impresssion that Atlas was making drill presses in the late 20s then made some later for sears roebuck under the "Dunlap" name beginning around 1934 and in the 60s became part of "Clausing"...........agree totally, old US made iron is awsome and it can be repaired
Nick, don't know anything about the Beaver Drill press...........check and see where it was manufactured;

Lou
 
n2666s said:
sixty...............great build on your atlas restoration, mine is a very old and heavy one was under the impression that it was from late 30s and can really stand a rebuild with your idea of an intermediary pully to slow it even further!!!!,,,,,,was under the impresssion that Atlas was making drill presses in the late 20s then made some later for sears roebuck under the "Dunlap" name beginning around 1934 and in the 60s became part of "Clausing"...........agree totally, old US made iron is awsome and it can be repaired
Nick, don't know anything about the Beaver Drill press...........check and see where it was manufactured;

Lou
Click to expand...

I believe that Beaver products were manufactured in BC. That's British Columbia not B.C. Before Christ. Although it just might be that old. ;)
 
wish I could tell you more about the "Beaver" but in these machines Nick IMHO old "prior to 70s" is better; heavy, well made and designed for long term use and NON DISPOSABLE!

Lou
 
Lou,

Thanks for the compliments. it was a pretty easy rebuild & turned out pretty good. the main problem is that my spindle is threaded not tapered so its not as strong and its pretty easy to throw the run out off. You could be right on the age, the owwm.com web page has alot of Atlas drill press information added and there a few from the 30's. the late 30's early 40's press bodies look alot different than mine, with a more deco look to them. there are a bunch of pics on this page: http://owwm.com/MfgIndex/Detail.asp?Tab=PhotoIndex&ID=51


USMC,

owwm.com has quite a bit of information on beaver presses. They look like a great press to me. Unless that one is really beat, it looks like it would be a great press for very little effort.
 
Nick, you might check this one out on ebay.......walker turner have turned out excellent quality
Walker Turner drill press 120v 1 phase model 1200 Item number: 180172012339

Lou
 
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