Pedestal Drill Press

[rev]

I want to buy a pedestal drill press and am seeking advice about what I should look for (about $400).

Its use will be for general woodwork with very occasional light metalwork. I intend fitting a homemade table with fence and T-tracks for positioning the fence and holding material securely. I have not actually seen the adjustable throat depth and tiltable head type in use though they seem like a good idea – what are the pros and cons of this type compared with fixed head types?
Cheers

[Dean]

The reason why I didnt get a radial arm drill press was because the motors on the basic models were a little underpowered.
I ended up with a H&F MetalMaster Pedestal 16 spd 1HP model for $299 new.

Really nice drill press for the price. It has speeds suitable for both metalworking and woodworking.

[rev]

Thanks Dean, I’ll check out H&F.

I’d really like to know what makes for a good drill press. What are the tell-tale signs of an inferior unit? What features are particularly useful, and what is really annoying, so I can make a good choice.

[Dean]

Ok.

Well the biggest "issue" that faces drill press owners is "runout". I.e. the degree of 'wobble' in the chuck/arbor. If you have bad runout, the tip of your drill bit will not spinning true, and this can decrease accuracy and drill holes slightly larger than what you intend... as well as other problems too numerous to mention.

So you want to look for a drill press that has minimal arbor/chuck runout. The only way to do this is to test out the drill press before you buy, then hope the one you get in the box is of similar quality in this aspect.

Next look at motors... as I mentioned before, anything less than 3/4HP is underpowered. I'd look for a 1HP model or better. When you start spinning big fortsner bits, your run of the mill 1/2HP drill presses are going to stall easily. That extra power is very handy.

Speeds - the more the better. 16 speeds is common and allows use in both metalworking and woodworking.

The H&F model I have (SPD-20B) has speeds from 220 to 3480rpm.

Most drill press tables will tilt. They pretty much all operate in the same manner with regards to tilting mechanisms. In reality, I have only had to drill a hole on an angle a couple of times. The majority of your drilling will be at 90 degrees anyway, unless you are making special projects often that require angled drilling.

There are round tables and square tables... If you are added your own table, it probably doesnt make a world of difference there.

Naturally, you want a drill press with a hand crank for table height adjustment. Most pedestal drill presses have this.

Another issue might be overall weight. Obviously the larger, more expensive drill presses weigh more, and this may provide better stability and vibration dampening effect as a result. Vibration isnt really a problem with my H&F press, as long as it is on a flat surface. You can bolt them down to your floor if you wish. I never had the need to so far. You can also swap the standard v-belts for link-style belts for further vibratiuon reduction if you find you have a problem there.

An on/off button up front is good safety-wise. Make sure the belt-tension clamps are easy to reach and provide enough leverage to lock the motor position as well.

[davo453]

As an aside, I found this link today Drill press set up (http://home.vicnet.net.au/~pwguild/i-dp-adj.htm) found that my drill press wasn't running true.

Cheers

Dave

[journeyman Mick]

Haven't ever used a radial arm drill press, but if it's anything like a radial arm saw I'd steer clear. Like Dean says the biggest issue is runout or the lack of accuracy. Having more adjustments generally means more innacurracy unless the machine is a whole lot heavier and more expensive in order to overcome this.

Mick

[nexusone]

I have a very old pedestal drill, but of the new ones Rexon seems to have good name. They have websites with their range. Look on Google etc.

Tools of the Trade etc us. stock them. Sometimes M10.

Steve

[gatiep]

Something most people overlook, is the up and down play in the quill. If you hold the up/down handle firm in one place, try moving the quill or even the chuck up and down. If there is play in the rack the quill will move up/down. This is very important if you want to drill holes to an accurate depth or for sanding, rotaplaning etc. It can also cause big cutters to chatter.

Regards
Joe

[mat]

Other aspects to consider are the diameter of the supporting pole, size of the base (both for rigidity and stability purposes) and also the maximum distance that the chuck will come down (varies with different models) Also the distance from chuck to column may be important for drilling into larger pieces.
My H&F model also has a useful light inbuilt and a cutout switch on the top lid so it will not run with the belts/pulleys exposed.

Some presses have a removable part to the on/off switch which would stop others using the press against your knowledge and injure themselves. I have a similar feature on my chop saw and am secure in the knowledge that my children cannot start it up when I am not there.

[Slavo]

Rev,

You may want to check out this link American Woodworker (http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/article.do?siteId=2222&categoryId=7002&contentId=244) .

It's their 2004 tool review and has some buying tips for various toys, including drill presses. Can't vouch for the quality of the info cause I just found it.

Cheers
Slavo

[rev]

Thanks for a lot of great tips! The American Woodworker link was especially helpful - and not just for drill presses. I have saved it in my favourites to savour later. - Thanks Slavo!

I found this one which looks to be pretty good value. Anyone got specific comments about it?
http://svc010.bne011i.server-web.com/catalogue/carbatec2/cache/header-1116public__0-0.html?cache=no

[Dean]

If you like it, grab it!
I'd still look for the H&F model over this one though and save some $$. Specs are pretty much identical, but has a bigger motor (switch is different to that pictured and table is round though).

[mat]

I compared this one with the H&F model (approx $300) when the Carbatec price was much higher. The carbatec model has a larger column diameter, larger base and larger table, also slightly better build quality. Heavier = more stable The downside only 3/4 horse motor compared to 1 hp on H&F
I would say good value at $399 for the carbatec.

[Glen Bridger]

Originally posted by gatiep
Something most people overlook, is the up and down play in the quill. If you hold the up/down handle firm in one place, try moving the quill or even the chuck up and down. If there is play in the rack the quill will move up/down. This is very important if you want to drill holes to an accurate depth or for sanding, rotaplaning etc. It can also cause big cutters to chatter.

Regards
Joe

The other thing to look for is movement between the Quill and the casting of the body. This can be easily checked by putting in a larger diameter drill and wind it down to full travel. Then check how much movement there is. This movement can also be in the cheap bearings too.

The best thing I can suggest is to find a display model, check it, run it and if its OK, take IT. Even if you offer to unpack another one for them. The problem is the quality control on most of these machine is not consistent.

My Drill press quill was out 0.0015". After trying many way to fix it other than Hard Chroming, was to cut a 'Slot' up the front of the casting. Then I installed a bolt to Crush the casting together around the lower bore for the quill. Works fine.
The next thing is to replace all the bearings with 'quality built' items. This should help it run smoother.

Glen

[rev]

Dean,
I have just checked with H&F (Melbourne) about the SPD 20-B, I was just about to place an order for it. But they say it is a 3/4hp unit and is not available with a 1 hp motor option. It weighs 55kg and sells for $289. This doesn't seem to be the same unit you described earlier. Unfortunately they do not have a website with the various models they sell described.

[mat]

Rev
The 1HP model is the SPD-25A and is not much cheaper than the carbatec model currently on safe which I think is better quality.

[mat]

Rev SPD25A vs SPD20
25 rated heavy duty 20 medium duty
1 HP vs 3/4
20mm drill capacity vs 16mm
throat depth 195mm vs 170mm
weight 67kg vs 55kg
work light vs no work light

you can get H&F to fax out the relevant page from their catalogue with specs + prices (RRP) you can usually get some off this.

[Dean]

My 20B is marked as 1HP, and the motor is somewhat larger physically than the 3/4HP motor on the carbatec model, so who knows :)
Maybe they used a 1HP motor for a short period and reverted back... maybe the label is wrong... Not sure!

[davo453]

I guess you could if you don't really need the throat capacity go for a mortising machine.

the Carbatec version comes with the usual chisels etc but also has an additional chuck to turn it into a drill press.

Cheers

Dave

[rev]

Thanks for all the helpul advice.

I ordered the Carbatec CH18F in the fallout. Parted with a bit more than originally planned for but I think I got a good deal - $399 (Cat price $595) and a larger unit than I was expecting to buy at first.

Cheers