Drill press

[chvet73]

Here I sit with a 20+ year old Tool Shop drill press from Menards. My wife got it for me for Christmas one of our first Christmases after we got married. It has drilled every hole I've needed it to drill, has a 5/8 inch chuck and is a floor stand model, not a benchtop. Not a chance I was going to tell her it wasn't good enough for me. Because really it is all I need, works just fine.

That’s what I’m saying about my 40 year old one.

 

[Ultradog MN]

I'm

I am looking at the floor model and the low speed is 150rpm. It is just for homeowner general use. I probably am going to go with Jet

I approve.
150 rpm would be a very good low speed for general home shop, farm use.
You could do a lot with it.
Do you have a model number?

 

[johnofnewhaven]

I'm
I approve.
150 rpm would be a very good low speed for general home shop, farm use.
You could do a lot with it.
Do you have a model number?

I think it is model JT9-354170

 

[Russ from MN]

I found a chart that gives recommended rpm instead of fpm, saves a lot of calculation, I hope it's readable!

 

[Ray,IN]

I bought a new one, still in the shipping box when a company I worked for closed and had a sale for employees only, $100 in 1999. It's has 3 pulleys, each with 5 grooves. I've never ran it in top 3 belt grooves, those are way too fast for how I work.

 

[gmcdeadhead]

I would go on marketplace and look for an used 1970-1990 sears craftsman 15-1/2 floor drill press, american made , good quality , and anywhere in price from $75-$200 , depending on condition , most of the time people are just looking to get rid of stuff, there moving , or just that they don't use it anymore and taking up to much space , I look all the time for them , hard to pass a good deal up , in that price range , the motors and chucks are worth that much alone

 

[Dusty MI]

I have a foot switch on my floor model drill press. Don't remember if it came it or if I added it, but like it.

 

[Watthour]

I would go on marketplace and look for an used 1970-1990 sears craftsman 15-1/2 floor drill press, american made , good quality , and anywhere in price from $75-$200 , depending on condition , most of the time people are just looking to get rid of stuff, there moving , or just that they don't use it anymore and taking up to much space , I look all the time for them , hard to pass a good deal up , in that price range , the motors and chucks are worth that much alone

Within the last year I picked up another floor-standing drill press for $50, and the guy helped me load it. It needed cleaning, lubrication, and a bulb for the work lamp. With little wear and a functioning/straight 5/8" chuck, it was good enough to get functional as a woodworking/light metal fab drill. It's not a 1960s Clausing but for an intact and lightly used Taiwan unit I couldn't walk away empty handed.

Keep your eyes open for local/regional sales and you might get lucky.

 

[gmcdeadhead]

I see a lot of good deals on marketplace, but how many can you have , I have two now that I use , and if I would have bought all the good deals it would be up to 10

 

[hoghollow]

That’s what I’m saying about my 40 year old one.

I have a 1985 Menards with 1 hp motor 5/8 chuck. I bought it used 30 yrs ago for very little does everything I need It is a eight speed I have never used two fastest speeds

 

[Texasmark]

I am going to buy a drill press. General shop use. Looking at the Jet brand. Good? Bad?

I upgraded my DP to a 1 HP medium duty, stand occupied, medium duty machine from HF. Very satisfied with it. I don't recall drilling anything larger than 1/2 inch in steel. Always use a premium cutting oil...HF oil works fine there too.

 

[4wdtom]

I see a lot of good deals on marketplace, but how many can you have , I have two now that I use , and if I would have bought all the good deals it would be up to 10

Over the years I have acquired 3. One 5 speed I use for pilot drills, then there is a 16 speed double reduction I use for intermediate sizes, say1/4" to 7/16". Then there is another 16 speed I added a larger pulley to the big one on the spindle to slow it down and it is for 1/2" up to 1". Larger I use a boring head in the milling machine. I also have an old post drill that has been motorized but since I got the last of the other mentioned I don't use it much. Not sure why as it has an automatic feed.

 

[gmcdeadhead]

im always looking on market place for good deals , like I said before, it hard to pass up a nice American made drill press for cheap , the chucks and motors are worth money also

 

[MeanGene1]

I have one of those old Craftsman "alien head" benchtop models, and it is a beefy and rigid critter that works very well. I also have a Bridgeport, and when you start drilling with a mill, your drill press will get pretty lonely