Drill Press

How many times have I wished I had long ago installed a foot switch ? Plenty.

It's the handiest thing there is on a press....second to the quill lock . Maybe not too late. Plenty of machine shops around here, plus a guy in Milwaukee who covers machinery auctions, and re-sells everything.
It's a great go to place for quality machinery at a portion of what it was when new.
 
I do agree...but it doesn't have a quill lock. Given the choice of either or, I prefer the quill lock. I have seen a very old bench press with a variable speed and quill lock, but it was kind of a beastly thing, and didn't care for it.

What I do have on my Delta is two motors, side by side. The one on the right has a belt which I attach to the other at low rpms for stainless work.
Each has their own switch.
 
Couldn't you replace the switch with a rheostat? Or would that kill too much HP?
 
Most AC motors (without brushes) determine their speed primarily from the frequency of the power. Adding a rheostat reduces torque but makes them very speed sensitive with respect to the load on them. That's just opposite of what's needed for most applications.

Changing pulley ratios is actually good method on a drill press because it increases torque with decreased speed making best use of the motor. M ost variable speed controller (like VFD or SCR drivers for DC motors) only give constant torque vs speed. with horsepower falling off at reduced speed. Stepped pulleys are cheap compared to solid state motor controllers. Sure, a big 3 phase motor with a variable frequency drive is nice with precise speed control, no brushes, quick stop, and over a 10:1 speed range, but typically costs more then the drill press.
 
I will be buying a drill press soon, did a lot of research, and narrowed it down to these two.

Ridgid 15" floor standing model at Home Depot. Very nicely finished, down to 300 rpm for lowest speed, 1/2 hp, includes a small tool tray, socket for bulb. About 175 lbs. Quill travel about 3-8/8". Reviews for it are very good. Excellent value for the money. $299.

Palmgren 80153 15" bench. This thing is extremely well built. It is a bench model yet it is still 25 lbs. heavier than the Ridgid floor standing model. The Palmgren weighs a whopping 200 lbs. The quill travel is over 5"! Lowest rpm is 240. Price is $399. It is available at Sears with about $175 in shipping to my Caalifornia address, and there is tax as well. But get this. Amazon has it for $399 and with free shipping! Delivered to your door for $399.

I would definitely get the Palmgren, but have a $500 Home Depot gift card, making the Ridgid effectively free. So not sure, since i could use the gift card for other things as well.

- Phil
 
Go with the Ridgid. After reading the reviews on the Palmgren, first off, it's made in China. Maybe heavier but thats about it. I recently bought a Ridgid stapler. The name has been around for many years, but just recently have expanded their product line . After examining top of the line staplers and such, including Senco and the like, I discovered they had nothing whatever over Ridgid quality.

Bear in mind, that whenever a new product arrives on the market, the quality is top notch, but that changes when they get your attention, be it razor blades or whatever else.

Good luck.
 
For what is worth, I picked up this drillpress for my youngest Son's Christmas present. Bought it from a friend for $150. It has the long belt cover, we just took it off while moving it.
 

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Last week, after driving around town and actually putting my hands on a variety of presses, I decided on the one pictured below. It's model 3320-01 with a 1/2 horsepower motor. It's not as sophisticated or as brawny as some, but fits my jobs, wallet size, and infrequence of projects. Thanks again for all the recommendations, ideas for practical accessories, and the different use applications. It sure is a lot more fun when you have the right tool! :)
 

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abintx, That's a nice size. You'll use it alot even if you sometime get a bigger one. Drill presses are like lathes. You can never have too many, and you tend to use the smallest one which will do the job.
 
I bought a Bench Pro table model drill press at Big Lots about 12 years ago and it has performed flawlessly. It has belt pulley adjustable for 12 speeds but I don't often need to change speeds to get any job done I want. It's a lot bigger than most table models and it has a 1 hp motor and the table on it rotates. I have it on a steel table made for an overhead projector and I have it anchored to the ceiling of my building to keep it from dropping on my toe. It's even made in the USA. I paid a whopping $80 for it and I couldn't be happier with it. But the past few years I haven't seen a drill press as big as the one I have at Big Lots or at Harbor Freight (and yes I've bought some very good tools from them).

My experience is that if it isn't something you'll be using all day every day you can usually get by with a less well known brand. I've had very good luck with power tools like that.
 
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