Best <$200 Drill Press?

[Blake]

Now that I finally have a shop to work on my bike (it's been two LONG ASS years), I realize I need a drill press. I've got a rat wagon project that's been stalled for my toddler and I need to get on that along with just about any other home project. So anyway, from your experience, what can I find (preferably new) for under $200?

 

[SONICJK]

I wouldn't buy new, buy a good used one off CL.
Delta makes a pretty good inexpensive easy to find product, the older the better honestly, the newer ones tend to be mostly plastic and shitty.

 

[Blake]

I wouldn't buy new, buy a good used one off CL.
Delta makes a pretty good inexpensive easy to find product, the older the better honestly, the newer ones tend to be mostly plastic and shitty.

Yeah, that's what I'm finding. Lots of brands are dropping motor power in exchange for frivolous stuff like AAA battery powered lasers'n shit. I just don't want to wind up with somebody else's former problem, you know? I'll look into Delta. I don't need anything super heavy duty.

 

[SONICJK]

They are very simple machines and very easy to test, turn it on, check the tension, look for runout and that's about it, if it works it works.

If you're going to be drilling metal make sure the speeds go low enough, you want around 200 rpm in my experience to keep your bits sharp and to cut effectively. A lot of woodworking presses won't go that low (which is stupid because that's where a Forstner bit should run in hardwood)

 

[MotoMadness]

I got an old Rockwell off Craigslist for like $225. Thing is a beast and comparable to a $1500 drill press mae today.

 

[SONICJK]

I got an old Rockwell off Craigslist for like $225. Thing is a beast and comparable to a $1500 drill press mae today.

Yup.
Nothing made today is comparable to stuff from the 60s and earlier.
And tech doesn't change much on a drill press except for the gimmick lasers and shit.

 

[Blake]

??

http://athensga.craigslist.org/tls/3927434171.html

 

[SONICJK]

??

http://athensga.craigslist.org/tls/3927434171.html

Looks like a pretty decent deal

id go for this
http://athensga.craigslist.org/tls/3813038503.html

I have a rikon 18" band saw that I have been happy with.