Drill press suggestions

[rickdavis81]

Shopping for a new drill press. I had bought one of harbor freights 20” “production “ models. Garbage, belt slipping excessive run out crap. I’d really like a big radial like we use I use at work but can’t justify the 25k lol. Using the big equipment at work spoils me. Looking at gear head grizzly. Unless someone makes a good belt drive that’ll go slow enough to power tap. 120 or 220v single phase. I don’t need power feed. Any suggestions I won’t be disappointed in?

[jpump5]

I got tired of trying to find a good used drill press
and just went to Home Depot and bought a Rigid
branded Chinese drill press. Had it about 10 years
now and it’s been good. I checked it for run-out and
spindle to table “squareness”. Both were much better
than I expected.

[M J D]

Scroll down about 12 posts in this section. There is an entire thread regarding the Grizzly gear head drill press

[rickdavis81]

I read it for awhile this morning till it changed course to why you should get auto feed. Unless I missed something I didn’t hear anything bad about the grizzly

[thegary]

If you have the room I would look for a used radial drill if that what you really want. In my area I have passed up many in the $5K range. Next it a question about your power taping. How large of taps are you talking about?

[rickdavis81]

I don’t have the room or the need to spend the money for a radial. Guess I hadn’t thought about how large of taps I’d use. I’m used to at work just whatever because the machine will do it. At home probably nothing over 1/2”

[scsmith42]

Ellis makes a really nice drill press

[thegary]

I don’t have the room or the need to spend the money for a radial. Guess I hadn’t thought about how large of taps I’d use. I’m used to at work just whatever because the machine will do it. At home probably nothing over 1/2”

If your going to tap small holes like that you better have an instantly reversing drill press and I do not know of any that are not 3 phase. I worked in a machine shop for many years and put in a lot of time on several drill presses from radial to gear drive to variable speed belt drives and we always used a taping head in a drill press for taping small holes. WE did tap bigger holes with the radial drill but like I said it would instant reverse because it was 3 phase.

[rickdavis81]

If your going to tap small holes like that you better have an instantly reversing drill press and I do not know of any that are not 3 phase. I worked in a machine shop for many years and put in a lot of time on several drill presses from radial to gear drive to variable speed belt drives and we always used a taping head in a drill press for taping small holes. WE did tap bigger holes with the radial drill but like I said it would instant reverse because it was 3 phase.

That makes sense now. Our big jet radial instant reverses. Hadn’t thought about that. Guess I need to read up on the tapping heads I hear about

[VaughnT]

Keep your eye on the FB Marketplace and Ebay. I'm always running across big drills, vintage pieces, including radial arm drills. Love to have one myself and am waiting to find one that's small enough and cheap enough for me.

[BrooklynBravest]

I love the grizzly so far.

I don’t really need power down feed. It’s a beast otherwise.

[forhire]

I have a knee mill with a riser that is use almost exclusively to drill and tap. For drilling steel you need something that can be geared down pretty slow, especially if your using large drills. Most drill presses you can buy now days are designed for wood and are simply too fast and lightweight. Even my old Powermatic is often too fast... one of these days I'll add the back gear if I can Ebay one cheap. A good radial drill is really the way to go if you have the cash when the deal comes up. I too have passed up on a few because cash and space are often a premium around here.

For tapping on the drill press I use Tapmatic tapping heads. I have a variety of sizes. New they are pretty expensive but I've picked up most used for a fraction of new.

[BrooklynBravest]

If your going to tap small holes like that you better have an instantly reversing drill press and I do not know of any that are not 3 phase. I worked in a machine shop for many years and put in a lot of time on several drill presses from radial to gear drive to variable speed belt drives and we always used a taping head in a drill press for taping small holes. WE did tap bigger holes with the radial drill but like I said it would instant reverse because it was 3 phase.

As gary said, you CANNOT instant reverse the grizzly or any non 3 phase drill.

The manual for the grizzly strictly states in bold you must wait until the drill comes to a full stop to activate the reverse. You could use it to power tap through holes but it isn't a great idea.

Ive been using a tapping head on the grizzly with great results.

[ronsii]

As gary said, you CANNOT instant reverse the grizzly or any non 3 phase drill.

The manual for the grizzly strictly states in bold you must wait until the drill comes to a full stop to activate the reverse. You could use it to power tap through holes but it isn't a great idea.

Ive been using a tapping head on the grizzly with great results.

Just get a self reversing tapmatic == problem solved

[BrooklynBravest]

Just get a self reversing tapmatic == problem solved

Thats...what...im... using

[ronsii]

Thats...what...im... using

Good choice!!! I love mine with the high speed reverse certainly saves a lot of cycle time on projects that have a lot of holes.

[danielplace]

My tap machine also has reverse built in when you pull back. Free wheels with no pressure when you ease off and drives forward with forward pressure. I guess they all work that way. The machine itself doesn't have to reverse.

A tapping directly in the quill sounds like a good way to break the tap off in the work piece. I guess if you use a chuck and go on the round part so it can slip when the tap stops it could work. I do that in the lathe on really slow speed with large taps that won't fit in my tap machine.

[xmmancharl]

been using this chinese tapping head...works very well











Charl

[rickdavis81]

I’ll definitely be checking out tapmatic heads. Had to drill a bunch of holes to day making mounts for my shops swamp cooler. Really need to get on buying a dp. Could of went to our gun shop and used the mill but it’s a 10 mile drive

[smithdoor]

I use large pulley but the center pulley I add a very large pulley and remove the very small pulley. The center small pulley is the one that slips.
Other drillpress I have add counter on motor end and do not use the small pulley. This drill I used for tapping and large drill bits.

Dave

Shopping for a new drill press. I had bought one of harbor freights 20” “production “ models. Garbage, belt slipping excessive run out crap. I’d really like a big radial like we use I use at work but can’t justify the 25k lol. Using the big equipment at work spoils me. Looking at gear head grizzly. Unless someone makes a good belt drive that’ll go slow enough to power tap. 120 or 220v single phase. I don’t need power feed. Any suggestions I won’t be disappointed in?

[86turbodsl]

You anywhere near Cleveland? Hgr has radials. Damn near can't give em away.

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[idacal]

I have a small jet radial i tap with it all the time its a hydraulic reverse thoug so it coasts down but at 32 rpm its perfect 3/8 on up I use the morse tap collets so its solid

[rickdavis81]

I had an appointment in Springfield couple days ago so I swung by Grizzly. They had a g0779 in the scratch and dent room. Had some discoloring on the base and table. $1500, couldn’t say no

[smithdoor]

Shopping for a new drill press. I had bought one of harbor freights 20” “production “ models. Garbage, belt slipping excessive run out crap. I’d really like a big radial like we use I use at work but can’t justify the 25k lol. Using the big equipment at work spoils me. Looking at gear head grizzly. Unless someone makes a good belt drive that’ll go slow enough to power tap. 120 or 220v single phase. I don’t need power feed. Any suggestions I won’t be disappointed in?

They do make gear reduction tapping heads they work great not cheep

Dave

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[bigb]

I had an appointment in Springfield couple days ago so I swung by Grizzly. They had a g0779 in the scratch and dent room. Had some discoloring on the base and table. $1500, couldn’t say no

Springfield MO? And you're using a swamp cooler?