Drillpress

JimDRIl · Jul 31, 2014

I've moved to town from the farm and need a drillpress. I have used an ancient Shopsmith drillpress I've had since 1959, which worked great, but I don't have room for it at the new place. What should I look for in a used one on Craigs list and which to avoid. Thinking of a benchtop model.

mkirsch · Jul 31, 2014

IMHO, you're looking for something OLD. The typical benchtop models from today are better than a hand drill but if you're trying to make accurate holes in metal they flex too much unless your bits are very sharp and you're very careful.

PJH · Jul 31, 2014

I have an older Craftsman floor model that I like, but it uses a little 1/4" wide drive belt that is downright rinky-dink. The old belts would last a long time, but the replacement belts that they sell now begin to delaminate soon after you install them. I think the new belts are actually old stock belts that have laid around for 40 years and dried out.

Long story short - avoid anything with a 1/4" belt!

D beatty · Jul 31, 2014

I would only buy off of Craigs list if it was cloose to me and inspect it first. There are a lot of older ones on Ebay. I have an old Atlas (Sears)bench top that has been handed down through family and has been a good drillpress.

dr sportster · Jul 31, 2014

The way to test if the spindle is parallel to the table is take a welding rod and bend two short 90s opposite each other and place it in the chuck. It should scrape the table evenly if you spin the chuck by hand. If not the table is out to the chuck. [ I have a floor model JET for sale ]. If I was you I would just somehow make room for the old one you have now.

timcasbolt · Jul 31, 2014

My only advice would be to be sure whatever drill press you settle on goes slow enough for your biggest drills.

Steve@Advance · Aug 1, 2014

If you're drilling metal, be sure it has the double reduction belts (a front belt, and a rear belt, going around a step idler in the middle).

Dusty MI · Aug 2, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:22:03 08/01/14) If you're drilling metal, be sure it has the double reduction belts (a front belt, and a rear belt, going around a step idler in the middle).

Changing belt position is somewhat of a pain for me. I've been thinking of going to a VFD, but not sure if there would be enough torque turning a large bit in steel.

Drillpress

JimDRIl

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mkirsch

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PJH

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D beatty

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dr sportster

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timcasbolt

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Steve@Advance

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Dusty MI

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