Thread: new drill press: quill stroke vs drill bit length ?

I'm looking for a drill press, and have a few questions. Forgive me if this has been asked before - it probably has - but since my son was born I've had little computer time (and even less workshop time).

Here's my need for a drill press: I've got some large diameter holes to drill, and a few other things that require a low drilling speed. I could take the work to my dad's shop, but that's getting tiring...so I think it's time to get a drill press. I'd prefer not to have to buy another drill press - so I'd like to get a good one.

One issue I'm stuck on is quill stroke length. I'm assuming that a long quill stroke is better than a shorter one because eventually I might need to drill deep holes. But, how long is long enough? If you have a 150 mm quill stroke, but the longest drill bit that you have is 110 mm....isn't the deepest hole you can drill 110 mm? Doesn't the length of the drill bit also function into the equation?

Also, the projects that I can conceive of having to drill deep holes in, aren't going to require a huge amount of precision. How do people who use drill presses with shorter quill strokes find ways to get by?...say drilling a 175 mm hole of 3/8" diameter with a drill press with 90 mm quill stroke?