Anyone have a drill press for sale?

[Rick M]

I've had my shop for over 10 years and never owned a drill press, really didn't need one for making furniture but I'm doing other things now and the ability to drill a perpendicular hole would be nice. Something needing a little work is fine, I like fixing up old machines. But I'd like to keep it around $100. I know that is peanuts for a drill press but my needs are modest. My fall back is to go buy a Harbor Freight machine.

 

[smallboat]

I'm in the same boat as you.
I'm eyeing the one Wayne has posted, it looks like a good deal but out of my budget with the table included.
It looks like a good deal for someone.

 

[Rick M]

Well I have put aside the money a few times and each time life likes to throw some calamity at me that needs cash, plus we've been steadily remodeling the house. I've been trying to buy one off craigslist for about 6 months but the good ones go fast. I called one guy 4 minutes after the ad posted and he told me it was sold. I'm tired of waiting so I'm going to buy a cheap press now and down the road worry about a better one. Really, I've gone a long time without a drill press and done fine but occasionally I need to drill a true hole. I figure someone probably has one collecting dust.

 

[Gotcha6]

Rick, drill presses are a goto tool for many operations and most people don't sell them unless they are upgrading or getting out. If you check Sears, their Craftsman bench tops are on sale at $100+, but for my money, and if your budget is limited (whose isn't?) the Ryobi variable speed bench top at $169 is a real deal. Mine has the laser alignment, rack & pinion table with tilt, work light, and DRO for RPM. Sold at HD. It will take 1/2" bits and has a respectable travel on the spindle. If you need a floor model, you may need to keep looking. You may find a bargain at HF, but for my money, I've never regretted this purchase as it saves me the effort of looking all over again......

 

[steviegwood]

Tractor Supply sells a floor model for about $150. I think it was a Clarke (not real sure the brand there). It was a 16 speed with laser and tilting table. A friend of mine got one and it has been a good one for the last ten or so years. Steve

 

[smallboat]

Dennis
That Ryobi sounds like just what I'm after.
Unfortunately it looks like it's been discontinued.
I can't find it for sale anywhere.

Anyone have better search skills?
I'd accept a refurb but I can't even find one of those.

 

[smallboat]

I just saw a 12" craftsman and the spec's look similar. Photo doesn't show the digital read out but the description includes it.
anyone familiar with this DP? is it the same unit?

 

[Berta]

There is 2 in our classifieds.

 

[smallboat]

Thanks Berta- unfortunately both are floor models and 2x my budget.
Good deals, no doubt, but not for me.

I'll keep searching.

 

[Rick M]

Rick, drill presses are a goto tool for many operations and most people don't sell them unless they are upgrading or getting out. If you check Sears, their Craftsman bench tops are on sale at $100+, but for my money, and if your budget is limited (whose isn't?) the Ryobi variable speed bench top at $169 is a real deal. Mine has the laser alignment, rack & pinion table with tilt, work light, and DRO for RPM. Sold at HD. It will take 1/2" bits and has a respectable travel on the spindle. If you need a floor model, you may need to keep looking. You may find a bargain at HF, but for my money, I've never regretted this purchase as it saves me the effort of looking all over again......

Well that's what I was hoping... that someone had upgraded and never got around to selling their old drill press. My tentative plan is to buy an inexpensive drill press now and work on getting an old vintage model down the road, like a 50's Craftsman or Rockwell. I've even been looking at old post drills and hand crank drill presses but the latter usually won't accept larger bits and I can't imagine hand cranking a Forstner.

 

[Berta]

I know this is not going to be a popular answer, but, I had a HF bench top drill press for a long time. It lasted quite a few years and was still running when I finally upgraded.

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

I have had my HF bench top drill press fo a few years now and it has done fine. I have used it to drill through 8/4 oak with a forstner bit as well as many other (mostly small) jobs. I paid around $40 for mine new. I figured this was about what a hand-held drill would cost. Read the reviews before embarking on this journey.

Steve H.

 

[merrill77]

I also went a LONG time without a DP. Picked up a little Delta 6" benchtop at a auction a while back. It is not a fine piece of machinery - there is a lot of runout on the quill and the stop is very sloppy. But I've had it for nearly 10 years now and it does the job when I need it. It has no problem spinning a 1 1/2" forstner into oak, as long as I keep the bit sharp. I occasionally think about upgrading...I'd like a mini-mill...but never get around to it.

You didn't say what non-WWing stuff you plan to use it for. But for basic WW-ing tasks, a little benchtop can get you a long way.

 

[Gotcha6]

I still have my first 'shoelace belt' Craftsman DP I purchased 40 years ago. I've upgraded over the years a couple times, but I always found it beneficial to keep the older DPs and delegate them to specific tasks, i.e. small metal drilling, large metal drilling, wood, pen blanks, etc. It's also useful if you have multiple tasks to perform on one project to have 2 work stations. After awhile DPs get to be like routers, you just want to hold on to them and not change the bits so often.......:icon_thum

 

[Gotcha6]

I can think of very few times when I've had the table of my floor drill press farther away from the chuck than what could be accomplished with a bench top. If it came to that, one could bolt the bench top to the work table backwards and turn the head around to hang over the front. I seem to remember a Thread some years back about a member who did just that to end drill a long piece.

 

[farmerbw]

Rick, how about this one?

rockwell 32" radial drill press - $125 (Durham - near Southpoint)

Rockwell 32" radial drill press model 11-280

designed for woodworking.
machine's ability to drill to the center of a 32" circle and the fact that the the drill head can be rotated 90° in either direction allowing for boring at any angle, including dead-on horizontal. Drilling to the center of a 32" board doesn't happen often, BUT when it does, its a sweet machine to have.


It's got the original 1/3 horse Rockwell motor (110v ac motor) which runs like new with no noticeable vibration and all joints lock up nice and tight. 1725 rpm, 4 speeds.
The chuck is a 1/2" capacity Multi-Craft Jacobs.

Please contact via e-mail if interested. The posting will remain up until sold, so there is no need to ask if it is available.


Brian.

 

[Skymaster]

I have a benchtop, 1/2 hp 1/2 chuck sweet small machine if interested PM me

 

[Rick M]

Rick, how about this one?

rockwell 32" radial drill press - $125 (Durham - near Southpoint)

Rockwell 32" radial drill press model 11-280

designed for woodworking.
machine's ability to drill to the center of a 32" circle and the fact that the the drill head can be rotated 90° in either direction allowing for boring at any angle, including dead-on horizontal. Drilling to the center of a 32" board doesn't happen often, BUT when it does, its a sweet machine to have.


It's got the original 1/3 horse Rockwell motor (110v ac motor) which runs like new with no noticeable vibration and all joints lock up nice and tight. 1725 rpm, 4 speeds.
The chuck is a 1/2" capacity Multi-Craft Jacobs.

Please contact via e-mail if interested. The posting will remain up until sold, so there is no need to ask if it is available.


Brian.

I've been looking at that and don't know what to make of it. I'll contact the guy and take a closer look.

 

[mkepke]

I've been looking at that and don't know what to make of it. I'll contact the guy and take a closer look.

That machine would probably work well for what you have in mind. My dad has had one for 30 years or more.

It's not a fine machine tool, but if you go into the deal with reasonable expectations, I think you'll be happy.

-Mark

 

[Rick M]

I emailed the guy yesterday and today but never heard back. I'm also going to check out the one Skymaster has.