Floor Model Drill Press

[whtbaron]

I've been looking around for a new drill press and the used stuff locally is either junk or priced the same as new so I'm thinking I might as well get a new one. It's for farm use, so I don't want a really cheap light duty one, but I was hoping to hold it under $700 Cdn. (yea, I know...lots of deals south of the border but freight and exchange kills it). I've been looking closely at this one http://www.sunextools.com/index.cfm?...t=131&item=407 because it has a slow (200 rpm) low speed and the 5/8" chuck with a 3/4 HP motor. Not cheap at $679 but it comes with a "free" $180 bench grinder so that puts it right around $500 for the drill. Any comments or negative experiences with this one? The only spec. I see that I don't like is that it only has a 3" stroke, but most drill bits aren't much longer than that anyway.

[wornoutoldwelder]

Man, I really know nothing about tool pricing in Canada, but it seems you guys get it up the yazoo on taxes and duties.

...........Anyway, A few years ago I bought the Porter Cable 15" 12 speed at Lowe's the day they were setting it up on display....Told them to load it in my truck instead...It was less than 300 bucks. I didn't think it would be anything to brag about, but It constantly surprises me. I am amazed at it's accuracy and how I can all day turn a 1" bit in thick steel...I didn't think I would use the laser, but I friggin love it.

I hope you get one that meets your needs at a decent price.

[whtbaron]

Our yazoo's are well used, especially with the low dollar this winter but it does seem to be climbing back up slowly. I pulled up Lowe's in Canada to compare prices and you're right in the ball park at $449 Cdn (if you ignore the free bench grinder b.s. with the Sunen). 4" stroke is slightly better as is the 1 hp motor, but I find a lot of the lower priced machines have a low speed in the 300 to 400 rpm range... not quite as slow as the 200 rpm Sunen. Thanks for the heads up, it's on my hopeful list. Has a 4.5 star rating too, so you aren't alone in being impressed with it.

https://www.lowes.ca/drill-presses/p..._g1191502.html

[rambin]

ive been looking for a drillpress myself and found the same issues...too much price for a quality unit....for what a decent press costs a person could buy a cheap mag drill on amazon... thinking I will go that direction and maybe build a bench for that for use on smaller parts... just a thought for you? I don't know what you plan on using it for though

[whtbaron]

I have a Delta bench top that I use a lot now, and it's been pretty good except I'd like to slow down the drilling speed more. I'd also like to set up a good x/y vice on the base and my space is limited with the bench top. What I drill is a good question because it varies so much depending on what I'm repairing. Sometimes I'm making new brackets or braces, other times I'm trying to drill a broken bolt or something out of a really odd shaped part so I really need a good all purpose slide vice on the bottom and I've been thinking about making my own with at least 8 to 10" of clamping room. I'm sure the milling machines would have something closer to what I want, but like you say, the price goes up accordingly.

[Sandy]

With bigger bits and/or whole saws 200 rpm isn't really slow. 300 rpm definitely not slow enough.

[A_DAB_will_do]

Search the web for descriptions of home made jack shafts for small drill presses. These can substantially step down the speed of the press and get some more torque on hole saws and large bits.

Here is an example of what I'd talking about. Note: not an endorsement of this company's product. I don't know anything about this particular outfit.

https://www.roguefab.com/product-cat...eduction-kits/

[wornoutoldwelder]

Search the web for descriptions of home made jack shafts for small drill presses. These can substantially step down the speed of the press and get some more torque on hole saws and large bits.

Here is an example of what I'd talking about. Note: not an endorsement of this company's product. I don't know anything about this particular outfit.

https://www.roguefab.com/product-cat...eduction-kits/

Man, thanks for the link to the speed reduction site. I like it....I'll get one ordered and post how it goes

[A_DAB_will_do]

Man, thanks for the link to the speed reduction site. I like it....I'll get one ordered and post how it goes

Or build one yourself. I shopped the stepped cone pulley, shaft, and pillowblock bearings and they're not real expensive on Amazon.com. Maybe even cheaper elsewhere. The onlything I didn't scope out was the 8" pulley that mates to the motor on the drill press. But I'm thinking the parts are less than half the $150 they wanted for a 4:1 reduction.

That said, I thought about just buying it so I could get back to work I wanted to do...

[Willie B]

I believe I owned its twin. My father bought it 20 years ago. It had a third pulley and ran two belts. The middle pulley had a pressed in ball bearing, that in turn dropped over a bell crank that in turn dropped into a hole in the casting. The pulley rode up the bearing, and would fall off. The Morse taper slipped, leaving the chuck stationary. Red locktite cured the slip, only to have the chuck slip on all drill bits.

My present drill press is a big old Shipley from the flat belt era. Zap trued it up for me. It is a beauty! It likely weighs 1000 LBS.

[wornoutoldwelder]

Or build one yourself. I shopped the stepped cone pulley, shaft, and pillowblock bearings and they're not real expensive on Amazon.com. Maybe even cheaper elsewhere. The onlything I didn't scope out was the 8" pulley that mates to the motor on the drill press. But I'm thinking the parts are less than half the $150 they wanted for a 4:1 reduction.

That said, I thought about just buying it so I could get back to work I wanted to do...

Hell, for 150 bucks and an hour to install, it's a no brainer for me....That really WILL convert my sweet little press into a true metal working press....I have SO many suspension brackets yet to fab up for mud truck buddy once he drops of the materials.

Ok, ok....I'll order it and post a thread about converting decent inexpensive drill press to metal work press...I might even discover a simple way to convert motor to fwd/reverse for threading.....54 rpm and up sounds really nice.

[wornoutoldwelder]

Ok, Joe at Rogue Fabricators answered the phone just now and told me all about the 4 to 1 reduction kit and tossed it on the FedEx truck to be delivered this week. I told him where we guys post and to expect an un-pack, install and review of their product soon, and he complained how few folks knew about their nifty metal working tools like their heavy wall tube benders and notchers.

He also said my Porter Cable press was an ideal candidate for their reduction kit.

I guess we will see how it works out.

[M J D]

Ok, Joe at Rogue Fabricators answered the phone just now and told me all about the 4 to 1 reduction kit and tossed it on the FedEx truck to be delivered this week. I told him where we guys post and to expect an un-pack, install and review of their product soon, and he complained how few folks knew about their nifty metal working tools like their heavy wall tube benders and notchers.

He also said my Porter Cable press was an ideal candidate for their reduction kit.

I guess we will see how it works out.

That's cool, looking forward to seeing how it works out. I take it your Porter cable is about 2-250 rpm on lowest speed.

[wornoutoldwelder]

That's cool, looking forward to seeing how it works out. I take it your Porter cable is about 2-250 rpm on lowest speed.

300 to 3000 RPM now...so I'll down to about 54-800 with the kit.

It really is a very simple kit. I like it-the idea of it.

The press itself is a very nice machine for the money.

[M J D]

Cool, your larger drill bits will thank you.

[wornoutoldwelder]

Cool, your larger drill bits will thank you.

Yup, fersure.....Mud Truck buddy bought 2 fifty buck each 1" bits to drill his last suspension brackets thru 3/8" steel....Drill press did great, but first bit got dull before last few were drilled.

I got a pic somewhere.

[wornoutoldwelder]

1" in 3/8......@ 300 RPM

[wornoutoldwelder]

Here is pics of my little import press....No, it is NOT for real metal workers, but fersure an option for folks like me hoping for decent quality at cheap price. I really like it or would not brag about it. I'm thinking it will really be nice with low speed kit.

That laser thang really impresses me. I usually don't go for such stuff, but I use it lots.

This is just my offering for those looking for inexpensive press....Add the reduction kit and you will be into it about 450 bucks.

[dellwas]

Our yazoo's are well used, especially with the low dollar this winter but it does seem to be climbing back up slowly. I pulled up Lowe's in Canada to compare prices and you're right in the ball park at $449 Cdn (if you ignore the free bench grinder b.s. with the Sunen). 4" stroke is slightly better as is the 1 hp motor, but I find a lot of the lower priced machines have a low speed in the 300 to 400 rpm range... not quite as slow as the 200 rpm Sunen. Thanks for the heads up, it's on my hopeful list. Has a 4.5 star rating too, so you aren't alone in being impressed with it.

https://www.lowes.ca/drill-presses/p..._g1191502.html

What about Princessauto? Foreign made, but never an issue on returns. Also, what about King Canada? Dealers across the country, and I'm sure they are all Canadian made. Here's a link to their catalog: http://www.kingcanada.com/Products.htm?CD=94

[wornoutoldwelder]

I'm certain the original poster will find perhaps a decent used press at good price, or maybe a new one.


He really is correct to be concerned with low speed ability. Low speeds is free torque.

I lived with the 300 RPM stuff for last 2-3 years and it wasn't much a problem until I went up in bit size recently.....

Looking at the speed reduction kit I see a solution for many home shop guys to convert almost all inexpensive imported presses to better perform on metal work.

Anyone can most certainly make their own speed reduction kit for maybe almost free.

I am very glad for this thread and that perhaps there is a simple solution for many of us.

[Andrew_D]

I agree with 200-300 rpm being too high.

Ours is a typical 12-speed (2 belts), 3/4HP, MT2 style drill. I added another reduction to get the bottom speed under 100rpm. Problem now is that I can twist the splined shaft in the spindle when the large hole saws (3"-5") start grabbing.

I am now looking for a gear-head drill:
MT3 (my radial arm drill is MT4, so don't really need to go to MT3 on this one),
low speed under 100rpm (would prefer closer to 50rpm).
The more travel on the quill, the better. Would like min of 4"-6".

Andrew

[whtbaron]

The newer Princess Auto machines are very light Chinese junk, and I've seen the casting that holds the hand levers break on the King, but I see they have some better built lines than what's typically offered locally. Might have to check that out... I'm looking for a little better quality.

http://www.kingcanada.com/Products.htm?CD=121&ID=116

[dellwas]

Yup, think the link I posted is to their Industrial models, not residential ones. Princess can be hit and miss, but nobody beats their returns policies...

The newer Princess Auto machines are very light Chinese junk, and I've seen the casting that holds the hand levers break on the King, but I see they have some better built lines than what's typically offered locally. Might have to check that out... I'm looking for a little better quality.

http://www.kingcanada.com/Products.htm?CD=121&ID=116

[whtbaron]

This isn't out of line, but it would still need another speed reduction.
https://www.kmstools.com/king-indust...l-press-102773

Used Princess Auto ones are showing up on Kijiji for $75 to $100... seems their new owners aren't impressed with them.

[thegary]

here is the one I have.http://www.harborfreight.com/20-in-1...ess-61484.html . I have drilled 1" holes with it with no problem. The only thing I did was replace the chuck with a good ball chuck and put quality v belts on it. There are a few time I wanted it to go slower than the 180 rpm but in reality I would probably be pushing the limits of other parts on the machine if it did go slower. I used a 20% off cupon so I think I paid $440 for it. I believe it is the best buy out there for a press less than $1000. Some day if I find a geared head drill press I will replace it but I would be in shock to find a gear head for less than about $2500.