Waldown drill press

[mikm]

After being completely underwhelmed by every new drill press I examined from Asia, I bought a second hand Waldown drill press. I have, to date, had no problem with the region, (being quite happy with a table saw, jointer, band saw and thicknesser purchased last year, manufactured in either Taiwan and China) but the current batch of DP's (from any of the usual players I could visit in Melbourne) are a bit below par if you're looking for accuracy and longevity. Ordinary castings, poor quality chucks and sloppy quills abound.

Coveniently, I had a single phase motor from the same manufacturer as the original three phase fitted to the drill and all dimensions were identical, making a straight swap very simple. I made up a zero volt safety switch and the machine now works beautifully. The only problem is that the 'new' motor runs a bit too fast (2880 rpm vs 1450), so I may yet even put the three phase motor back on it with a VFD.

My point (as has been made by many before me) is that secondhand ex-industrial/school machinery can be picked for quite reasonable money (and often relatively easily converted to single phase if required) to get a machine of MUCH better quality than a lot of the brand new stuff available. A new DP from Brobo Waldown will easily lighten your wallet by more than four gorillas, so the $300 I spent on mine was an absolute bargain.

[Ken Weekes]

Amen to all that Mick .
From ken in mackay

[hazard]

G,day MIKM, I too have been very disappointed with an imported drill press and got a refund. Bought a s/hand Waldown of about 1970 vintage. Replaced the motor with a new single phase and I now own a precision drill press, not a noisy, sloppy piece of rubbish. Even with a new motor I spent $200 less!!!!.
It's time suppliers took more responsibility for the quality of their imported tools. How can a warranty system work when the equipment is so poor in the first place. Do not buy a new tool without handling and examining it first, not even from a respected name supplier. DAMHIKT!!!!!! Regards, hazard

[Pat]

I got a FIDAX cast iron bench drill a few years ago at auction for $50. I changed the belt to powertwist link belt, added a sacrificial ply table and got the electric checked over. To say it is nearly bullet proof is an understatement and it weighs a lot, having the Head, table and base being cast iron. I know this as I cannot lift the entire unit, I can bearly lift the headstock on the collum

[dai sensei]

My father picked up a secondhand Waldown from an old railway workshop auction many years ago. He had it for as long as I can remember, then when he died, I got it. It has cast iron parts all round, and a solid steel shaft, not a steel tube. It has had a few coats of paint in its time, including one by me after the fire, I also replaced the motor. Still good and does the job.

Hope yours does you well.

[mikm]

Glad to hear that people are getting lots of use from quality second hand stuff.
It is an un-answerable question, but I really would like to know why I can buy reasonable/good quality table saws, bandsaws, thicknessers from China/Taiwan but a the same build standards appear to be absent in drill presses.



And now to high-jack my own thread...

I remember back in the '70s when Japanese manufacturing was often considered poor, but now the country is almost universally synonymous with quality. Taiwan is rapidly achieving the same, with China no doubt to follow in the next decade or so.
It is such a shame that until then, the market is flooded with cheap and nasty rubbish; on one hand, built to do a couple of jobs and then be thrown away, but primarily to make obscene profits for the middle men and large retailers. On top of that, cheap throw aways, especially cordless tools, are nothing more than environmental vandalism.
I would love to see the ultra cheap rubbish taken off the shelves in favour of lower grade tools from big names like bosch green and maktec. Obviously not necessarily trade quality, (that's what makita and bosch blue etc. are for) but still reasonably well made at a reasonable price.


Have a good one...