Looking for a Mag Drill

[William McCormick]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for a mag drill for custom fabrication. I'll be using this mainly for drilling large holes in plate steel that my current drill press seems to struggle with, or awkward pieces I can't get under the drill press. I have a 3/4" thick welding table so no issues getting the drill to "stick" while drilling. I plan on utilizing both annular cutters and drill bits depending on the application and size of hole required. I've narrowed my search down to the Hougen HMD904, Milwaukee 4272-21 or CS Unitec MABasic 450. Let me know your thoughts on these as the Hougen seems to have a good reputation on this forum, but this version is only one speed while the others are two speed. The Hougen also has the smallest drilling diameter, although I doubt I'll have to drill a hole over 1.5". The other brands also include a drill chuck while the Hougen requires separate purchase ($190) which eliminates it's price advantage. They all seem to be relatively similarly priced so looking for opinions on durability and performance.


Hougen HMD 904 - $845
https://www.hougen.com/mag_drills/HM...mag_drill.html


Milwaukee 4272-21 - $1,100
https://milwaukeetool.com/Products/P...Drills/4272-21


CS Unitec MABasic 450 - $990
https://www.csunitec.com/drills/port...magnetic-drill

I have been using this drill mag for over 40 years. It is insane. It just does not quit. What I do when making flitch plates or other structural things that need bolting is I drill all my quarter-inch pilot holes first using a Milwaukee fuel 1/2" drill motor, it punches through 5/8" in 10 seconds. Then I use the Milwaukee drill mag with a 21/32 bit for 5/8" bolts or a 13/16" bit for 3/4" bolts and it takes about another 20 seconds. No cutting oil at all. This thing just does not stop. It has a chuck that is larger than 1/2".



Sincerely,

William McCormick

[William McCormick]

For flitch plates, I clamp both pieces of wood under the steel plate, and just continue through the steel and make the holes in the wood in one shot.

Sincerely,

William McCormick

[WeldCrazyDude]

Interesting. You can use annular cutters on wood and steel? First I've heard of that.

[William McCormick]

Interesting. You can use annular cutters on wood and steel? First I've heard of that.

I said I use a quarter-inch bit to create a pilot hole by hand in a Milwaukee fuel 1/2" drill, and then go down the whole plate with a 13/16" bit in the drill mag for three-quarter bolts and it takes less than 20 seconds to drill the hole. 21/32" goes even faster for 5/8" bolts. No cutting fluids at all. I drill the whole-plate in under ten minutes due to a little moaning and groaning if it is on furniture dollies and I am bending over the whole time. Haha.

Sincerely,

William McCormick

[WeldCrazyDude]

Put the mag drill to use today. Drilled a number of 1-1/16" holes in 1/2" plate. I was surprised how effortless it was! At the end of the day, it cost me about $1,300 to be able to drill big holes and also use standard bits. Hopefully I get my money's worth out of this expensive tool...

[Lis2323]

Congrats on the wise purchase. I’m certain you will get your money’s worth out of it.

I place a magnetic wand close to the drill to help contain the swarf.

[farmersammm]

I think you made a good choice with the Hougen

Check out Ebay for a genuine drill chuck adapter made by Hougen. They come in handy. I probably use the chuck 25% of the time for what I do.

This project is set to come out of mothballs in the next few days. PTO driven concrete mixer, made from an old Monkey Wards electric mixer.

Anyways...…...I needed to enlarge a damaged bore, and nothing I had in the shop could do the job but the Hougen, set up in a funky jig.







Also, while I'm thinkin' about it. Cutters by Steel Dragon, available on Fleabay, are good, and cheap.

[mcspeed]

Congrats on the wise purchase. I’m certain you will get your money’s worth out of it.

I place a magnetic wand close to the drill to help contain the swarf.

Good idea Lis2323........nice shop too. Do I see a penny farthing in the background?


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[Lis2323]

Good idea Lis2323........nice shop too. Do I see a penny farthing in the background?


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Yes you do. Good eye. Here it is finished.

[WeldCrazyDude]

Darn right about a freaking swarf of metal shavings...

[farmersammm]

Darn right about a freaking swarf of metal shavings...

That's the way to run 'em. Don't peck at the material...……….push it through the end. Never let up.

Use Hougen's lube in the tube, or get the wet lube kit.

[farmersammm]

Otherwise, figger on buyin' a cutter every 5 holes ROFLMAO

[monsoon-mech]

Otherwise, figger on buyin' a cutter every 5 holes ROFLMAO

also great for use on porta band and horizontal bandsaw blades too I get twice the life outa metal cutting blades

[Lis2323]

also great for use on porta band and horizontal bandsaw blades too I get twice the life outa metal cutting blades

Same here. I disconnected and removed the flood coolant system on my horizontal band saw.

[WeldCrazyDude]

Never heard of it, but just bought a tube. So how do you guys use this on a dry metal saw? Just paint some with your hand on the metal? Looks like hougen says you dip the annular cutter in the tube but not sure how you'd spread it on thick square tubing. Thanks for the info!

Also good to know you should punch straight through and not stop to remove shavings as you go.

[Lis2323]

Never heard of it, but just bought a tube. So how do you guys use this on a dry metal saw? Just paint some with your hand on the metal? Looks like hougen says you dip the annular cutter in the tube but not sure how you'd spread it on thick square tubing. Thanks for the info!

Also good to know you should punch straight through and not stop to remove shavings as you go.

Don’t use the lube stick on abrasive or dry cut saws. You can use it on your metal cutting bandsaw though.

[M J D]

Why wouldn't you use it on a dry cut saw? I don't use it on my Makita lc1230 but use it all the time on my 8" Milwaukee metal saw or a regular circular saw for cutting aluminum. I just start the blade and apply the tube direct to the blade.

[Lis2323]

From what I understand the dry cut saw blade doesn’t benefit from a wax type lube stick. Perhaps it or something like WD 40 would help on aluminum cuts with the appropriate blade though.

I think it was a Dewalt article where I read that. Of course maybe they say that to sell more blades.

[M J D]

On aluminum I use it mainly to keep aluminum from gumming up the blade. For steel I believe it does help the blade run cooler.

[slodat]

How’s the 904 working out with twist drills in the drill chuck?

[WeldCrazyDude]

Works great, i use it all the time. Still need to design a drill press stand for it but works good for now.

[Lis2323]

also great for use on porta band and horizontal bandsaw blades too I get twice the life outa metal cutting blades

Great to use on typical horizontal bandsaws with all steel wheels.




Should NOT be used on Ellis saws with vulcanized rubber wheels however.




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[mbarasing]

Nice setups Lis2323.

I run Jancy mag drills. I get frustrated with the smart sensor on them though. I need to make setups like you have.

[Lis2323]

Nice setups Lis2323.

I run Jancy mag drills. I get frustrated with the smart sensor on them though. I need to make setups like you have.

I'm not familiar with the smart sensor. What does it do?


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[mbarasing]

I'm not familiar with the smart sensor. What does it do?


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Won't let you drill if itt doesn't sense enough metal under mag.