Need advice: what floor-standing drill press should I buy?

There are a lot of good suggestions, if you can find them. Buffalo's suggestion is sound. I used one of those HF 20 " machines for a couple of years . A lot of value for the buck. I would still have it, if I hadn't gotten tired of doing belt changes. But with 21 available speeds, it will handle about anything you throw at it.
Randy
Yes, a lot of suggestions. Thank you all! I've decided that whatever I get, it HAS to have a T-slotted table. So that rules out Harbor Freight, and nearly everyone else. Can anyone suggest a floor mounted drill press with a T-slotted table?
 
Yes, a lot of suggestions. Thank you all! I've decided that whatever I get, it HAS to have a T-slotted table. So that rules out Harbor Freight, and nearly everyone else. Can anyone suggest a floor mounted drill press with a T-slotted table?

You mean other than this one?

Jet 17 or 20 inch. Just the basic one. T slot table and large variety of speeds. Parts available.

Edit:

Never mind, I just noticed you are looking for wood working machines on a machinist site. :grin:
 
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Yes, a lot of suggestions. Thank you all! I've decided that whatever I get, it HAS to have a T-slotted table. So that rules out Harbor Freight, and nearly everyone else. Can anyone suggest a floor mounted drill press with a T-slotted table?

Actually the big Harbor Freight drill press mentioned by Buffalo21 does have a large T-slotted table. You might want to check that out a bit closer.

Quill travel is pretty important as well. I wish my press had the 4 3/4" travel of the bigger HF 20". Yikes, I see the new 17" DP's are rated as only having 2 3/4" of quill travel and that's sad.
 
...I've decided that whatever I get, it HAS to have a T-slotted table...

In many decades of working in my shop I believe I have only used drill press table T-slots once. Most of the time one is simply clamping the work or vise down using a pair of those Vise-Grip type clamps.

Of my 3 drill presses my preference is for the one with the fast-acting, (relatively) lightweight table that is so quick to make gross adjustments, not the big crank-up table (with the T-slots) that seems to take forever to make these adjustments.
 
Don't know if this will help, but a description of my DP may turn you off to the brand. Some years ago, maybe 20 or so(m/l), I acquired a Craftsman 17 inch machine. Necessary for one job at the time, no longer the case.

The issue was that it was a Chinese made Craftsman brand, even then. But, as a floor model, it was long enough to do the job. A throat depth of 17 inch diameter, rack lift for the table, and slots for 5/8 inch "T" nut hardware. Were you close by, I would swap you for a bench version straight across. (Had my eye on one but the owner passed away before I could comsumate the trade) Oh, it did have the 4th pulley by the way. I don't recall the slowest speed, but it was low enough to do the "metal working" project I had at the time.

The main point is that the quill was Chinese even that far back. "Assembled in U.S.A" was the marketing point. It resembles the Jet mentioned above. The middle one........ Again, I don't know if it would be any help, but here it is.

Bill Hudson​
 
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Yes, a lot of suggestions. Thank you all! I've decided that whatever I get, it HAS to have a T-slotted table. So that rules out Harbor Freight, and nearly everyone else. Can anyone suggest a floor mounted drill press with a T-slotted table?
My HF had a T-slotted table.
Randy
 
You mean other than this one?



Edit:

Never mind, I just noticed you are looking for wood working machines on a machinist site. :grin:
No, that's not the case I failed to make myself clear. I do about 50/50 metal work and wood work. I came to this forum because I thought some of you might be helpful.

I'm probably missing something, but when you said "You mean other than this one?", I didn't see a reference to "the one" you're referring to. If you posted it, I apologize but I didn't see it. And.... in answer to your question, I would say "Yes, other that this one.". Reason being I'd like to know if there's a choice out there, or if "that one" is the only one in existence. Can you please provide a link to "the one" you mean?
 
I should add that I had a LMS 3960 bench milling machine for years, in addition to my Delta drill press. Unfortunately I had to sell my milling machine prior to my recent move to the midwest, but I plan to get another one next year. When that happens, it would be nice to have a drill press with a slotted table so the holding fixtures can be used for either machine. Of course, that will only be true if the slots are the same. That's why I'm interested in seeing if there is more than one floor-mounted drill press with a slotted table. I realize I may have to settle for an Asian-made machine. That's okay with me, some of them are good enough for me.
 
I have a large two axis vise mounted to my Jet drill press and can not think of having it any other way.


here is a small picture for scale.

It does look small next to my Mill but it is a pretty beefy DP

20180205_172124.jpg
 
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