20 Best Cheap Drill Press (2022 Updated)

This thing is decent. I ended up having to grease the bearing with lithium grease pretty early on. It also only goes down to 600 RPMs minium. The chuck included is kind of crappy in terms of runout, but I quickly upgraded to the uxcell keyless chuck, which made it worse.

Instead I opted for the Chumpower keyless chuck, which is superb and precision, especially for the money. Now I have zero complaints. Maintenance seems easy, and I had to remove the belt and a few other parts to grease up.

Took maybe 15 minutes.

The unit I received was indicated on the box as being a “GEN III” model–it differs from that shown on Walmart’s site (it is orange, not yellow) and from that shown on Wen’s site as the spindle speed indicator is at the top of the front panel (above the switch) and is a blue back-lit LCD display, not 7-segment read LEDs as shown on the Walmart and Wen sites (I would have preferred the red LEDs, but it is not a deal-breaker by any means.

) The fit and finish and overall attention to quality are far superior to that found on similar drill presses offered by the “Quality Tools at Discount Prices” (QTDP) place–hand’s down, no comparison.

The machine I received has a 3/4 HP motor, not 2/3 HP as stated on the Wen site. Fit and finish are great, assembly took less than 15 minutes. The quill is a precise fit in the head stock with no measurable lateral “play”–at any extension from the head.

TIR at the spindle taper is less than 0. 0005″; less than 0. 001″ at the check nose, and about 0. 0015″ on a chucked 4″ length of precision ground 1/2″ drill–measured 1″ from the chuck. (NOTE: The drill rode was properly/carefully mounted in the chuck, first hand tight an then incrementally tightened using the key in all three positions–as should always be done for precise work).

The only fitting I did was to break the sharp edges of the milled table top, and lightly run a 120 grit 6″ disc in a random orbit sander over the milled area to break tool marks from its being milled.

The variable speed control was bit stiff to operate, this was greatly lessened by loosening the self locking nut at the center of the speed control hub by 1/2 to 3/4 turn or so. As to the variable speed feature itself–hot dàmn it is nice! On the unit I received the range is 506 to 3112 rpm meeting the claimed 530 to 3100 range The adjustment mechanism appears well engineered and implemented and it is as quiet and smooth throughout its range as anyone could expect.

Being quite familiar with Reeves drives and numerous other CVTs I envision its having a long trouble-free life. Out-of-the-box the quill return spring had a bit too much preload for my liking so I backed it off by 1/4 turn as described in the owner’s manual.

The result is still a good positive return but not quite so insistent. Quill travel is a solid 2-1/2″. Maximum distance from the chuck nose to the table is 16-1/2″ with over 20″ to the base. Distance from the spindle centerline to the column is 5-1/8″ making it a full 10″ swing press.

As is always the case with these inexpensive presses I found the table clamping lever to be a tad short for easily clamping and releasing the table–for me this was exacerbated by this machine’s clamp lever being on the left side–the side affected by a mild stroke I had a couple years ago.

The good news is that a 6″ piece of 1/2″ CPVC pipe was a wonderful press fit onto the clamping lever extending it and making it much easier to clamp and release. The rack and pinion table height adjustment is a nice addition on a press in this price range; its fit & finish are in particular one area in which the Wen product’s overall better quality is evident.

It does (as do they all) require that while raising or lowering you assist/steady the table to prevent its “cam-locking” on the column. It does allow the table to rotate about the column very nicely (with just a bit of HP grease applied to the top and bottom grooves in which the rack rides).

The table was “square” to the spindle front-to-back and left-to-right as delivered with no adjustment needed. On a slightly down note the angle scale for table bevel adjustment is just a sticker with the index indicator being a “struck” mark at the back of the table near the pivot.

As delivered, with the table square the mark does align well with 0° on the scale–I suspect the index mark was struck after the sticker was stuck–how long the scale will remain stuck and legible “remains” to be seen.

This is not a big deal as I would use a an angle block or gauge to set the bevel anyway. The laser targeting thingy is cute, and seems reasonably accurate as delivered. That it runs on batteries (included) is of no consequence to me as having used drill presses without such things for over 65 years I really don’t see it have any significant value and will likely never use it.

Perhaps for quick initial positioning of a clamped or vise mounted work piece (?), but I’m not tossing out my center punches and lead/brass hammers just yet. So the short story is I like it, it’s better than Cats!.

Overall, I’m happy with the Wen 4212 drill press. It is a little noisy, but that is really being nit-picky. The laser needed a slight adjustment, but it was easy to set. My one real criticism would be about the method of tilting the table.

Getting at the bolt is awkward and the manual doesn’t specify what size socket is needed. Fortunately, I don’t think I will need to tilt the table very often for the type of work I do. But if the table is out of square with the chuck when you get it out of the box, it is an adjustment that will be required.

Mine was aligned properly out of the box.

good drill press. I’ve owned a couple of other name brands models that I gave to family years ago, and I needed another one for a small project, so I invested in this brand. Took a chance since I never heard of them before, but this unit is worth the price.

Seems well built and stable. Every so often you just need a drill press and this one will do nicely.

Sorry to say, this drill press didn’t make it past the very first use! I bought this machine, assembled it and went to use it to mill out a 80% Poly rifle lower receiver – the drill broke half way through the project.

The casting was too cheaply made and weak, if it has been made from a solid piece of steel, it probably would of lasted a lifetime. Looking over the replacement parts catalog, there was no replacement part, I would have to replace nearly the entire unit, would of been cheaper to buy another drill press from another manufacture.

Nice addition to a small shop or home garage, the finish is great and appealing to the eye. I bought this one to replace the one I had for 20 years, This machine promises the same results and it looks a lot better than the one it replaced.

I plan to add a larger platform and use it for my R/C airplane hobby. Thanks for making a great machine.

Very sturdily built, not too difficult to assemble, although it may be easier with two people as the head is quite heavy. I have only just started using this, so I may need to update in the future, but so far it seems to work very well.

The speed seems to be easily adjustable, it gives you a little chart above the handle to show recommended speeds based on material and hole size. The built in light is also very handy for better visibility.

I have yet to actually use the laser as I usually have my holes punched and just line the drill bit up before plunging it in, but it seems to be pretty accurate (it’s adjustable I think). Was able to cut multiple holes with a hole saw at slower speeds and didn’t have much issue, just had to take it slow going through the wood, but it managed it like a champ.

I haven’t used many drill presses lately for woodworking so i can’t really compare it to anything, but so far it’s doing the job I need it to, so I’m happy.

This is a standard drill press and not for heavy duty use. Even though the motor is rated close to 3/4 h. p. , the belt gearing will slip (I’ve been using it for metal work) during the drill process and it will grind to a halt.

My biggest gripe is the chuck assembly. It has to be hammered into a slot. Mine seem to be slightly out of true and it chatters and falls out and has to be hammered back in. I wrote to the Wen company and asked if there were any suggestions for resolving the problem and got no answer – so manufacturer’s support is really lacking.

If you’re doing wood or other lightweight work, it will probably fill your needs; but I wouldn’t recommend it for soft metal applications.

Packaging arrived damaged but everything inside is OK. Goes together fairly easily (instructions have one minor mistake in a diagram). Lube as directed, it’s important. Solid construction. Chuck is a nice size.

Lasers crossing at the drill bit’s POI is amazing. Drill needs a very stable base–if it’s not lagged down to an even table top it can wobble a little.

I use it in my woodworking shop. The plastic cover for the spring adjustment (pulls the chuck back up) needs help. Will not come off unless the tabs break and then it is useless. That is a real problem.

The depth adjustment set is a little rough and stiff. I am hoping it will work more smoothly with use. Some roughness to the housing and some parts but not bad. Overall it seems like a good machine. I don’t think it is made as good as Jet was in the past.

I might buy it again but not real sure If I had the opportunity to see it in a store first. I almost bought the Rikon.

Recently retired my 34 year old drill press and went shopping for a drill press that had features for wood working. The following are the features that attracted me to thiss modeel. Heavy construction, cast metal head.

Seems very sturdy. This unit can make a hole and impressive 5 inches deep. I find normal drill preses have a drilling depts of only 3 inches. Uses a flat belt drive for great traction. Multi pully layout supports 16 speeds.

Uses an ideler roller that is easy losten belrs, make changes and quickly re-tension. Large power button, and off paddle in the front of the unit. The drilling table has several features that are attractive to wood workers: -Angled slots for easy positioning of hold down devices.

-Large square table for you projects. -T-Slots built into cast metal table for alternate use of other T-slot hold down clams that may already be in your sho. -Easily replaceable sacrificial square drilling block in the middle of the table.

Takes standard 3/4″ stock and has leveling scres for the block built into the table. -Moderatly easy to adjust table height. -Table can be tipped for angle drilling up to 90 degrees Has built in last cross hair ro align work.

Cross hair accuracy is goo. Has built in work light. It is an LED unit that has a narrow focus and points straight down. Unfortunatly it lights the drill press post better than the work surface. This is a negative.

The power cords needs to another 3-4 Ft longer. Would help avoid extension cords. The bright green LED power on light is right at my eye level abd somewhat annoying. Add a tool holder for the wrenches and chuck key to mount some where convenient on the head of the unit.

Overall I give this unit two thumbs up.

Perfect delivery in perfect condition. Fast, too. Assembly is straightforward and easy. I assembled on the ground and lifted the complete press. All functions work as intended. The real surprise, though, was lack of runout.

I measured. 0005 at the chuck (i. e. , generally worse than the spindle itself). Yup, five tenths. Amazing. Stable. Good sized table with replaceable insert. A little fussy getting the table rotation to work smoothly, but nailed it in a few tries adjusting the rack collar.

There’s some minor casting roughness in the table openings, but 2 minutes with a file takes care of that. Cleanup was easy as the machine does NOT arrive slathered with cosmoline. A quick wipedown with mineral spirits left it spotless, which I followed with my machine protector of choice.

I thought long and hard about buying this press rather than a Nova DVR press or one of the better-made Reeves drive presses out there. (3-phase/inverter presses were priced way outside my spending limits.

) In the end I opted for simplicity and longevity. The JDP-17’s idler does make belt changing far faster and easier. No more loosening of the motor mount. Good press.

I havent used my old bench drill press very often but now have a couple of projects where I need to make a bunch of evenly spaced and accurate holes with a Forstner bit. The adjustable fence and big work surface on this table seemed like just what I needed.

It fits my existing standard cast iron table perfectly and is far superior to just using C-clamps to hold the work pieces. Because this table has built in T-tracks, I was able to add a couple of hold-down clamps and a variable angle wooden strip to complement the adjustable fence.

So far, I am quite pleased with the table.

I was going to build a drill press table, in fact already had one with a replaceable center piece that I built, but it had no fence or T-track. I was looking to see what they cost on Amazon, and this one popped up on ebay.

It was a no brainer for me, very reasonably priced and saved me some time. I’m not a pro or even a very good woodworker, so it may not have all the features someone other than a casual user might want but it well made and good value for someone like me with a modest amount of experience.

I’m looking forward to trying different things with it and have modified it to accept a fence I made that works with a Saf-T-Planer I had to drill a hole in it for that since hold down clamps would be in the way.

The center cut-out is easily copied and I made several already out of half inch MDF. Engineered flooring works too, but not everyone has that laying around.

This drill press table has a really nice fit and finish. The fact you can replace the center when it gets drilled out is awesome. now here are the negatives. first, the fence is too tall. unless your drilling with super long bits, the drill press handles will hit the fence.

Second, the replacement pad is offset in this table. that means if the fence is all the way back, you can only drill about 3 forward of the fence. Third, the tape measure that is incorporated on this table starts at the end of the table, not where the drill bit will be drilling, so consider it useless.

Is it worth 50$? I believe so. The small issues that you will find it has can be modified by any woodworker. If your looking for a turn key drill press table, and have the money, look into the woodpecker table.

Bad information! The item is NOT 411lvs bit only 308lbs upon arrival. Has performed wry well and is a good deill. I hate false advertising.

Runs true and speed change is easy. I use it to trim rifle cases. The trimmer I wanted is 600. 00 bucks. You can buy the trimmer head for 100 and the drill press for 700 and you have a press for every thing else.

Don,t buy the vise grip type clamp because there is no holes in the table to secure it. I made it work by cutting the ring off. Nice drill press.

This Jet floor drill has changed me, I try and drill everything using it, on some projects I go to the extreme to use the Jet instead of my hand drill. I’m vey pleased with the performance. It drills very good in steel heavy or light, the light works quite well.

The belt cover made noise,I just put a plastic washer on one side its very quiet now. I think someone else take about the cover but it’s a minute process to fix. If you need a drill press look strong at needs ,this model is a heavy duty industrial that will last.

Price was not bad either. This is my first Jet purchase and not my last.

Purchasing this tool was a great investment, it works phenomenal. The quick change handle is a great addon and handling is top notch. This kit comes with a lot of extra accessories not providing from other competitors.

I would definitely recommend this piece of equipment to anybody needing an all in one drill machine.

Wanted a magnetic drill with this capacity for a long time, finally someone produced one of quality with a reasonable price. Have used it as soon as it arrived drilling truck frame rails and have been very impressed with the clever design giving it so much range of travel without being overly large.

The included Jacobs style chuck works great for drilling pilot holes and change over to annular cutters lines up right on the mark.

Just got done drilling holes for a trailer hitch. This is alot lighter than the previous MFG we had, and really does a nice job. The price and free shipping made this really hard to pass up.

I did not expect much from Ryobi. I own their router table and that was adequate. This however, shocked me. I mean I was replacing another drill press that broke, which I thought was the lowest quality possible, but this one topped it.

The pulleys are plastic, the cover is plastic, the height adjustment handle is plastic. The chuck looks like a toy chuck for kids. the metal for the main tube is so thin i would guess about 0. 5mm base missing paint on half of it.

The ring that holds the rail to the tube was stuck on because they painted the inside mating surfaces. Those you might say are just fit and finish issues, what about function? So you turn it on and the chuck wobbles.

you take it apart, put it back in the box and head back to Home Depot.

This Ryobi drill press was not bad for the price when it is on sale. Things you need to be aware of before buying this drill press. 1. You need to calibrate it after assemble it together. It was not accurate out of the box hence you need to calibrate.

adjust x and y to 90 degree, laser, speed, etc 2. The Quill is plastic (not metal like those $500 and up drill presses) and easy to break so you have to be careful when drilling hardwood or metal 3. The depth meter is a joke.

I modified it with a digital caliper 4. Most of drill press tables are tiny (even the expensive ones). So buy an additional one or DIY like me if you want to drill bigger pieces. It will perform very accurate and satisfactory after all of the above are done.

I’m impressed. It’s not perfect, but I really can’t complain for the price. It was a good value. The motor runs well and doesn’t bind up at all. The chuck is perfectly centered and doesn’t even have 0.

001″ runoff (not even when lowering). The table’s very precise (only took a couple minutes to set up the vise to within 0. 001″ with just a few pieces of aluminum foil). There’s a lot of room between the chuck and the table, so it’s easy to fit a vise and your part on the table and a long drill bit (with room to spare).

The only complaints I have are the quill/depth stop and the sloppiness of the table. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get the depth stop to stay in place. I even used vice grips to tighten them and they still loosened up and started to spin on their own (an easy fix).

and the table has A LOT of side to side play when cranking it up and down. It’s not too much of a problem though. It’s very rigid and stays put once it’s tightened down. So in the end. I’m very happy with my purchase.

It’s a good quality drill and you really can’t beat the price. It’s a big upgrade compared to my old Craftsman 10″ drill press and it allows me to do a lot of things that I could never do before. Good quality, Good price and an A++ Seller!!.

This is a lesson about having the right tool for the right job. I was working on my father’s trailer and needed to make some adjustable length shackles so that we could fine tune the suspension hight.

We had cut up some 1/4 or 3/8s thick metal and I was trying to drill through it with a hand held drill for the bolt holes. It was taking forever and wearing me out so after I finished my second hole.

I made the decision to take a break and come back with the right tool. I bought this drill press and it made light work of the 14 other holes I had to drill. The benefit of not having to fight the constant torque of the hand held drill and the ease of just resting the weight of your arm on the crank made me extatic.

I have used this drill press a few more times since then and have been looking for more projects that will let me continue to use it.

Don’t be fooled thinking the base and table are cast because they appear to be ground flat, they’re just stamped sheet metal and not flat at all. The stand tube is also very thin, I was afraid I’d dent and collapse it tightening the set screws to mount the head and top rack ring.

The pinion height adjustment if also very loose, slopping from side to side when the pinion crank is turned. The machining and bearing for the quill are so sloppy that the quill at mid-throw read. 042″ (~3/64″ or ~6 playing cards thick) runout on my machinist dial gauge; it visibly moves around by grasping and pulling/pushing it and there’s no way to adjust that out.

Even when fully retracted, the runout on the arbor shaft was. 012″ (most agree that. 005″ is the maximum acceptable runout for home/hobby equipment). Other than to be sure the motor ran, I didn’t try to use it or the depth stop, since triangular holes are no good to me.

If you really want a cheap junk drill press, a similar one is available at the biggest on-line retailer for under $100.

I bought this model on sale at Woodcraft in Sacramento. It has turned out to be a money maker for my shop. I did have to adjust the laser, but that’s all part of setting it up. It is very versatile and the long drill depth is great.

I wish it had a little more depth for drilling my hollow body guitars. I guess I need a bigger press! I think it’s great and I highly recommend purchasing one. The digital readout and easy speed adjust lever makes jobs quick and easy.

Drill press is solidly built and is without slop. The first thing I noticed is how quietly it runs, free of vibration–I had no difficulty drilling a 1/2″ hole in 3/8″ steel. It has been well thought out;–the depth stops are very easy to adjust and double as a quill lock.

They are easy to see while drilling. Quill feed is smooth and the adjustable depth reading on it is clearly visible. The table height adjustment works easily. The table tilt adjustment wrench has. convenient storage under the table.

The low speed capability is good. Speed changes by belt positioning are a piece of cake. The work light does a good job–and is included at the base price! I like the 5/8″ capacity of the chuck, which works smoothly.

The MDF insert in the table center opening is a nice touch and it will be easy to cut out a replacement when needed. The initial height adjustment on the insert was a little awkward, as it involves adjusting four hex head screws with locknuts and two Philips hold-down screws from underneath the table, then checking the insert height from above the table.

Takes about 5 minutes and is a one-time adjustment. If I want to use the machine without the insert, I only have to loosen two screws to remove it. There are 2 diagonal 1/2″ or 5/8″ slots in the front of the table, and my vise grip hold-down fixture fits there nicely.

There are 2 parallel 1/2″ T slots on the rear of the table, and there are recesses that T nuts can be inserted through at the front, as well as the back. The outside of the table underside is flat and makes clamping to the table with C clamp or vise grip easy.

The two axis table tilt has not been used yet but appears straightforward. The laser centerfinders work well and are pretty easy to adjust–I did have to remove the cover on one and help the adjustment lever move after adjusting its screw.

I will not need to touch it again. One laser was dim. A Thursday call to customer service was actually pleasant, and the request for confirmation of recent purchase was handled by forwarding Acme’s sales confirmation by e-mail–Tuesday a new laser assembly arrived and took 5 minutes to install.

Packaging was good. Moving the package is better with two people, and having three people is good when installing the head on the column–this is solidly built. It arrived with no rust. The manual is written in good English, covers assembly and adjustment well, and has good illustrations.

Now that I have seen and used it, I would be willing to pay $200-300 more for it. It was bought to replace a Rockwell I’ve had 34 years, and which has served well, but had limited speed range. The new machine is so much improved, and more robust.

It will outlast me.

The reviews on Amazon weren’t good. But they all look about 5 years old. Also my past history with Delta was nothing great. However I decided to give it a try because it met my needs. I’m so glad I went with this one.

Everything about it is way above my expectations, the build quality and the smoothness of it running are great. I did upgrade to a keyless chunk for convenience. By the way this replaced a old Craftsman I had in my shop.

Also being in maintenance and tool and die for 30 years I feel I know machines quite well.

Purchasing this from Acme Tools was easy and the Drill press arrived on my doorstep in a little over a week. It came very well packaged in these monolithic styrofoam blocks. Initial setup is pretty straightforward although I definitely recommend more than one person.

The Drill press started pretty well, ran quiet and smooth. Measured about 0. 005″ runout on the chuck. Only problem was the laser and integrated light was non-functional. After a couple calls to Delta and to the local technical service, I ended up fixing it myself (just removed the faceplate and reseated some low-voltage electrical conectors).

Delta was going to fix it, just slower than I desired. Since then, the drill press has worked flawlessly.

I have to say it really looks nice, sorta big but impressive! Save time when changing bit sizes by easily moving the lever to the desired bit-related speed. save money because this is the best value around for a full 10″ drill press with the speed lever feature and having this nice level of quality.

All the other items are very good as expected. After the easy setup I peeled-off all the stickers in various languages and just left the WEN up front. Has terrific power and feel. Has a decent work light.

Has working laser but who cares. Its a nice machine and the best bang for your buck device available in 2020. kelly k.

Overall very happy with this drill press. Overall quality is fine. It’s great for a hobbyist or lighter use. It was very easy to assemble and is very quiet when running. There is a very slight wobble but it has not affected any of my work.

If you needed things extremely precise this is not the press for you. The laser sight was easy to dial in although I don’t see much use for it. The light is also helpful but could be a little brighter.

Again, for the price this drill press is everything I expected and I expect to use this for years to come.

This is a profession quality drill press. It is hefty at around 150 pounds of steel. Not a lot of plastic crap on this drill press. Motor and mechanical runs super smooth and true. Table is rock solid and can be set on a tilt.

The three handles for operating the press have been updated to a super comfortable and solid thick rubber grip over steel rods. Make sure you have room for this guyit isnt small!.

At this price point the drill press is fine. No complaints there. However, you should check your runout when your machine arrives. The drill chuck Jet sent me the first time had runout that exceeded.

01″. To their credit, they very promptly replaced the chuck with one that’s running ~0. 002″ runout. I’m happy with that.

I needed a drill press for metal, capable of drilling 17/32 in 1/4 steel and 11/16 in cast iron. The Jet works great. Lots of power, no chatter, no belt slipping, nice slow 200 rpm. The chuck is nice, and the light feature is nice.

The on off buttons are stiff, hope they hold up. The table finish is a little rough but OK. The 3 1/4 travel is adequate but my last press had 4 1/2. In short the Jet drill press I purchased has lived up to Jet’s reputation.

To start the order and delivery process was smooth. That was the good part. the drill press itself is a letdown. It does drill well and has plenty of power, BUT. The instructions do not match well with the parts and pieces.

Jet needs to update to reflect the correct assembly of the press. The fit and finish of the machine is horrible at best. Whoever ground the table should not be running the surface grinder. The depth of the grind marks varied a great deal in the table.

I had to sand down the thickness of the table by about. 050 to get most of the roughness out of the table. Then the quality of the table casting itself is very poor. Lots of casting flash and very uneven t-slots in table.

Next we have the pulley arrangement. None of them line up with the others. either too high or low or not parallel. Not off by a large amount but not what I would consider good for this price of machine.

Finally there is the issue of smoothness of the quill travel. Very rough. I took the mechanism apart and cleaned the gears up and removed some burrs. Added grease where it was missing and this helped considerably.

I would not rate this a $1000. 00 drill press. I purchased this strictly for metal work. I compare this to the Delta 18-900L that I own for woodworking. The delta fit and finish is considerably better that the Jet.

I paid the same for both machines.

I put the drill to the test today. 160 pieces of square steel drilling holes. I ran the machine for 2 1/2 hours with an aggregate down time of 5 minutes meaning I only turned the machine off 4 times in this time.

I was operating at 150 rpm. The drill bogged down a few times but my poor quality drill bits are more likely the cause and me trying to force the speed. When I first put it together by myself, it was tough.

I used my front end loader to lift the head into place otherwise, it is most definitely a 2 if not 3 person assembly when it’s time for the head.

The drill press is typical of Jet quality. I have no doubts that this tool will give many decades of service. It is well built with heavy use of cast iron. I don’t see where the bean counters cut any corners.

Put it to work without any fears. The price I paid was less than I could find an old American drill press for. No regrets here.

Do not like China goods, but this is made well and will do more than i need. Easy to put together, good product, quiet, powerfull , great chuck, love the speed ranges.

Bigger than I thought it would be. This is a very stocky machine. Looks industrial, like it belongs in a machine shop. Very quick to change belts. Don’t be worried about power, it has plenty.

I have never owned a drill press, so I was tentative on getting this one. I needed something small and light weight that I could move back and forth from bench to storage, since my work space is tiny.

And cheap, since I don’t see myself using it that much. This worked out perfectly, after a couple of hiccups. Assembly was easy, but I couldn’t understand how pressing the chuck in place would be enough to hold it in place during operation.

And, at first try, it didn’t – I guess I was tentative about forcing it in place as the directions indicated. The second time I used more force and it seems to be just fine after several uses. I also discovered that the gold-colored Harbor Freight “titanium” drill bits are not for metal.

(It would be nice if they were so labeled!) But the black oxide do the trick quite nicely. Watching the metal filings curl off the bit is somehow quite satisfying and makes you want to drill holes in all kinds of metal, just to experience the thrill of it.

(I will be replacing the small15W, incandescent, candelabra-base, soft-white light bulb with a higher-equivalent wattage, brighter, daylight LED of similar size that uses less actual watts. ) Thumbs up, overall!.

In the middle of a project, and I couldn’t get access to my bigger more expensive drill. Took a risk on this because it was low priced. I used it for something outside the capacities of what one should expect from it.

All of the following star ratings are based in consideration of the price. On price: 5 stars. On Power: 2. On ease of use: 3. On quality: 4. On Durability: 5. On Size/weight: 5. On *value: 5. On Features: 1.

*Worst thing about the design is the footplate. It’s just sheet metal and before you bolt it down you should find something to support the underside, between the plate and whatever surface you are mounting it to, or the bolts will tend to bend the footplate in a manner that tilts the entire drill towards the user.

(A block of wood should do it. ) Also, I had trouble getting the yellow safety plug back into the switch to stay so I’d suggest leaving it in. For the money, this is a good drill. But for me to mill out an 80% lower receiver for an AR-15 rifle, I really pushed it’s limits and progress was very slow due to it’s low power and difficulty adjusting depths.

Because I abused it by pushing its reasonably expected limits for a drill at this price, it would be unfair for me to criticize it much. For light to average small jobs with low power needs, my overall rating is a solid 5.

This is my second of these. Having said this here is my experience with them. The overall design has not changed much in 10 years, but the casting thickness has decreased making the new ones much lighter ( which is my beef overall).

The drill press has a good chuck and overall acceptable machining quality of its parts. It has enough power for drill bits up to 5/8” in thick (3/4”+) 6061-T6 alum. But struggles with larger drills and hole saws.

The issues as I find them with old and new is that The table has a significant amount of deflection with workpieces heavier than 10# which causes the hole to not be perpendicular (out of square). The older machines had heavier castings but they still were marginally enough, today it is worse.

For general use it is a fine machine but the castings could definitely be more robust. If so it could be considered industrial quality and a home run, but the cost to do so may increase the price point making that an issue.

As is it is, this drill press is a decent HD hobbiest tool at a good price (when purchased using the typical HF discount). Perhaps HF will see this, improve the castings and we all will benefit.

Purchased in store and had to wait about 10 days for it to arrive. The store called me promptly when it came in, got me loaded up and took it home. Assembled the following day. Assembly took about 20 to 30 minutes and I was able to complete it by myself without any difficulties.

Like most HF items, the instructions are not great but manageable. I do actually have a part left over that I have no idea what it, where it goes, and I cannot find it anywhere in the parts list or on the diagram.

Once assembled I drilled a 1/2″ hole through a 4×4 just to test. The chuck and shaft appeared to be turning true and there was no visible wobble or alignment issues mentioned in other reviews. The base and table are cast and seem very heavy duty.

The column support is also cast and heavy duty. The column itself is fairly thin walled but I did not see any flex and it appears stiff enough but is definitely the weaker component. If I see any flex once I try drilling heavy steel under more pressure I will either fill the column with cement or replace the colum with a thicker walled one.

The two additional weak points are the two set screws that tighten the column to the base support and the two that attach the power head to the column. The set screws do not appear that they will keep the head unit from pivoting.

It would have been much better to have bolts through the column so it could not pivot or twist. If this happens I am not sure what my solution will be. So why a 3 star rating? Well the rack and gear system for raising and lowering the table is a joke.

I had my doubts just looking at it. My doubts were confirmed when the first time I had it under pressure tge rack snapped in half. Now I will give credit to customer service. I called them and with no issues at all they are sending me a new rack.

I am hoping I just had a defective one and tge new one will hold up. If after some solid usage everything is holding up good I will give an update and raise it to 4 stars.