Adequate Hobbyist Drill Press?

[projectnut]

I’ve looked at drill presses listed on our local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I have to agree that most of the asking prices are ridiculous. Many are asking the same or more than what they cost new.

Just an FYI many retailers and online sellers raise their prices around this time of the year thinking the items are being bought for gifts. Personally if you’re not in a hurry I would make a list of the acceptable brands and models and check prices after the holidays

 

[verbotenwhisky]

What makes for an adequate hobbyist Drill Press to add to a LMS Mini Mill and Mini Lathe? I’ll start with a budget example from Harbor Freight, on clearance for $209. Where would the machine be limiting or inadequate? I have no particular aspirations in mind - just making tooling and fixtures, small engine models, etc. I’d like to buy “adequate” first and upgrade if needed, but not regret a bad purchase.

13 in. 16 Speed Drill Press

Amazing deals on this 13In 16 Speed Drill Press at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

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I looked at the HF drill presses and many others then I bought a floor model Porter Cable.

This is what I suggest, go look at the machines at HF and the Northern and any others you can find then make your decision based upon that, I personally would not make the price my primary deciding factor...

 

[Ultradog MN]

I've been thinking about this myself.

Whilst attempting to marry my paltry "skills" in mini-lathe setting-up/fettling/improving with said mini-lathe (not seemingly chock full of egregious manufacturing flaws but still requiring some 'adjustment'), I've been on FB marketplace idly eyeing up Colchester lathes (which aren't necessarily behemoths themselves) and then reflecting on the personal injury I could do to myself with a machine meant for a skilled professional operator (or at least an operator who had professional supervision).

But then...

Well, (and the US members of this forum will be chortling up their sleeves at this pea-shootery) when I used to shoot a bit of occasional pest control with a .22 rimmie (CZ, tidy little thing, but the trigger out of the box was woollier than a fair-isle jumper), what I was told by my much wiser and more experienced friend and mentor was that rimfire or centrefire, shotty or rifle, if the business end of the bang-stick is pointed at someone and it discharges, that person is going to have an unpleasant time of it; he also taught me that the best safety is the one between my ears.

Do you chaps not feel it's the same with machine tools? I mean, I reckon with enough inattention and stupidity, it wouldn't be hard to seriously, and probably permanently, injure myself with my 7x14.

Okay, is it possible that with only a 1HP motor, I might be able to prevent my neck and head being dragged into the chuck with a foolishly worn cravat or medallion? I dunno but even if it were possible, would I have the time to steady myself? (and no, obviously I don't wear a cravat when the lathe is spinning or been using my drill press; it's short-sleeves, no neckwear or jewellery and my hair is short; actually, I don't want you guys thinking I wear a cravat or a medallion at any time, let's get that clear! ).

We don't have to be all silly and super 'precautionary-principle' about it but I reckon that mildly assuming all machine tools are casually keeping an eye out for an opportunity to maim or kill us, isn't a foolish perspective to have.

Or am I just being over cautious?

On a slightly related note: at my secondary school ('high school' for most of the rest of the English speaking world), nobody was allowed to use the 2 lathes and a mill we had before they were in the third year (so before the age of about 14) because of course, table saws, wood lathes and bench planers, well, they're smiling beneficent, gentle helpers that mean us no harm at all!

I think your analogy about firearms and machine tools is pretty apt.
They are all inanimate things and completely safe in the right hands but can devestate if in the wrong hands.
But I don't think a big lathe is inherently more dangerous than a small one any more than a centerfire is more dangerous than a rimfire. If the operator errs, the scale of damage done can be greater but a mistake with either size means a trip to the medicine man.
And maybe, just maybe...
a small machine can be more likely to injure - since one is more apt to use a small one carelessly.
Like, we'll risk the loss of a finger but not risk the loss of a hand.
Just some late night musings here from a guy who couldn't sleep. They are not meant to impugn or aggravate anyone.

 

[SouthernChap]

No gloves.

Okay, you brought it up so, I guess I'm going to bite.

Obviously there's the entanglement risk of things like workman's gloves or riggers' gloves or gardening gloves or the like. I expect most sensible people would never argue with the 'no gloves' thing there.

However, skin-tight, very thin nitrile or latex gloves, the kinds of gloves that will tear as easily or in some cases even more easily than skin, seem to me, not to have the characteristics that lead to the risk.

Is there a good explanation why, in a hobbyist shop, where it's just the individual working and there isn't the requirement for a blanket H&S company policy to protect it from litigation (which is the reason H&S policies are implemented at companies ) the above paragraph isn't true.

It won't be news to any of us here that it's vital to have a good, specific, credible and easily defended rationale for any safety prescriptions/proscriptions.

If individual bits of safety advice that have quite a broad interpretation (like the somewhat absolute "no gloves" prohibition) don't have good logical reasoning that covers their rather broad application, then people may lose patience with safety advice generally.

By the way, although the above paragraph is true, my main reason for asking is that I do prefer to wear the very thin nitrile gloves and I'd like to know if there's a good, logical reason I should stop wearing them.

 

[hman]

The trouble with belt drive drill presses is they spin too fast , even if it has a 3 pully setup. Looking at the chart above the slowest speed on that drill is 220 rpm. I can't readily find a speed chart for you but to me that seems a bit fast for a 1/2" bit in mild steel.

The speed chart is in the manual. There's a "downloads" section on the drill press web page. I clicked on one of the two model numbers there. This is a screen shot from the manual.

 

[Ultradog MN]

The speed chart is in the manual. There's a "downloads" section on the drill press web page. I clicked on one of the two model numbers there. This is a screen shot from the manual.

I meant I couldn't find a generic speed/feed chart for drilling.
Does anybody have one?

 

[SouthernChap]

Just thought I would update on the HF sale 16 speed drill press

Ran into take another look at the $209 sale HF unit and grabbed the last tag.
It seemed well built I tried with another customer to flex the column and really couldn't get any discernable deflection at least with body weight. The pulleys all seemed to be machined not just cast.
It did have a 16mm chuck.

I looked locally at the Craigslist drill presses and most used desktop five speeds were priced higher than the new 16 speed one, some were HF as well.
All of the floor standing units were 350 + so decided I was going to buy the new HF, turns out they sold out don't know if more are coming and will not rain check, also will not sell me the display model either.

I guess I will keep the eyes peeled through the new year maybe a decent used Rockwell will appear at a great price. For now the old press works but spindle travel is limited and you have to manually place the table no gear rack adjustment.

BTW, apologies for being part of the 'hijack party', that's at points, tried to sail this thread to somewhere you had no intentions of it navigating to!

 

[455dan]

.

I’ve looked at drill presses listed on our local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I have to agree that most of the asking prices are ridiculous. Many are asking the same or more than what they cost new.

Just an FYI many retailers and online sellers raise their prices around this time of the year thinking the items are being bought for gifts. Personally if you’re not in a hurry I would make a list of the acceptable brands and models and check prices after the holidays

Agreed. Mid January is also Inventory time, and any old stock, over bought, and slowing sales, could lead to a sale.

BTW, apologies for being part of the 'hijack party', that's at points, tried to sail this thread to somewhere you had no intentions of it navigating to!

now I am confused.
I am not the OP...
But have been looking for a floor standing DP

 

[rwdenney]

The one thing a drill press needs is minimal runout. Check that immediately on the purchase of any drill press, particularly a cheapie. Runout up to several thou is common, but one I bought from Tractor Supply (and didn’t check immediately) has a runout of a sixteenth of an inch. Unacceptable junk.

Rick “happily breaks small drills” Denney

 

[MaverickNH]

The one thing a drill press needs is minimal runout. Check that immediately on the purchase of any drill press, particularly a cheapie. Runout up to several thou is common, but one I bought from Tractor Supply (and didn’t check immediately) has a runout of a sixteenth of an inch. Unacceptable junk.

Rick “happily breaks small drills” Denney

I’ve got a reference rod I’ll chuck up and indicate.