Drill Press question

[UpstateNYdude]

And you are following the instructions like, you've noted if the press is supposed to be running when you made the adjustment?

I only ask because I had a Makita drill set and one of my friends tried adjusting the speed and pronounced, "this is a piece of crap."

When I spun it up and switched gears easily, he got the picture.

I do read the instructions that come with all my machines, and considering it says that exact thing in about three different places, yeah I followed the instructions.

[UpstateNYdude]

Not sure what you read, but I've had my Delta 18-900L for over five years and have been very happy with it.  Very well designed DP with lots of great features.  No problems with the belt tensioning system or anything else.   Most of the feedback for it on this forum, that I've seen, has been positive.  As to what do I use a DP for?  Holes...small holes with brad point bits (wood) or twist bits (metal) and large holes with forstner bits or hole saws.  I don't use it for mortises (have a mortise machine but usually use router with loose tenons) or sanding...just holes.  Yes, you can get by without a DP with guides and jigs, but it's really nice to be able to quickly drill accurately placed vertical holes on a DP equipped with a good auxiliary table and fence.

There's at least half a dozen reviews on Amazon and another 5-6 on SMC with a few on Lumberjocks. They could all be bogus, but that's hard to believe seeing as how most of them have pictures to back up the evidence, but that could also be user error playing into that.

[UpstateNYdude]

A good 15" VS drill press such as the Powermatic 1150A would cost well over $3000. these days if available.  The new shiny-from-China Powermatic 2800 costs about half that, so some disappointment with quality should be expected.

I don't expect anything that's near $1500 and at the top of price point outside of industrial grade machines and supposed to be a specifically made for woodworking machine to be expectant of disappointment, that's why it has the higher price tag (or at least it's supposed to) engineering, QC, the name, warranty. If what you say is true then why the hell doesn't everyone buy HF stuff and expect that disappointment and pocket the 80-90% lower price tag?

[Tapper]

So last year around this time I purchased a brand new Powermatic PM2800B drill press, my impression of it has diminished greatly as to how great it was touted to be. First the speed adjustment has been nothing but a giant headache, after I'd say maybe 30 hours use on the drill press the two gears that link to adjustment the speed stripped all the teeth. I called Powermatic and they are a great company I was just asked the usual questions serial # problem blah blah they didn't have a tech close to come out and I wasn't about to dive into fixing it so they sent me a new one and I got to "destroy" the old one as I see fit, A.K.A. it's sitting in my garage still. Well I tested the speed adjustment handle again on the new one and I can already feel the strong tension as I adjust it so it's only a matter of time before this happens again. 

I love Powermatic and I'm not dissing them or going to say anything bad about the company, but I don't know if I've got two lemons in a row or what, but this speed adjustment is just a horrible design in my opinion and was one of the only reasons I bought it because of the "ease of speed changes".

Now that I've had some time to think I'm not so sure I even really want a super nice drill press anymore, to be honest I don't really use it a whole hell of lot in my work flow. The occasional pegged hole or depth stopped hole, but I have a mortiser (Powermatic also) and it does a hell of a lot nicer job than the drill press. 

So my question to anyone who would like to respond is, what do you use your drill press for besides mortising that makes it an essential tool to have?

And lastly what do you think would be a good replacement once I sell the PM?

Fixed - DT

[BobW]

There's at least half a dozen reviews on Amazon and another 5-6 on SMC with a few on Lumberjocks. They could all be bogus, but that's hard to believe seeing as how most of them have pictures to back up the evidence, but that could also be user error playing into that.

Yeah, I haven't had a reason to look at the reviews for some time.  I agree that the percentage of sub-prime reviews is concerning.  Two things give me comfort, though:  First, I bought it in 2011, before the last change in Delta ownership...perhaps the QC was better then.  Second, I only paid $680 for it, including shipping, when Tools-plus was having a sale.  I doubt that I would pay the nearly $1200 it seems to be going for now.  But I stand by my statement that I am happy with the 18-900L...it's working great for me.

[UpstateNYdude]

Fixed - DT

Very noble of you to contribute lol

[BloomingtonMike]

A press i liked was the steelcity one. It had a split head design to keep the wear of the quill in check. I also liked the depth adjustment. I should have never sold that press.

I also like a 20" grizzly.

Man i love tools.

[MarkSingleton]

Depending on the design, it is possible to take a DP apart and "split" the casting yourself.
Make up some "take up" blocks ( threaded pieces attached to either side of the split )
and add a bolt to tighten the 'gap' against the spindle.

Helped a buddy of mine do that on a late fifties Craftsman Drill Press ( King-Sealey ) and
it went from a 'wobbler" to dead on accurate. A pleasant afternoon job.

[BloomingtonMike]

Found a steel city drill press in Cleveland that a buddy is bringing home for me. Thanks for the influence. My next one will be a Clausing or PM1200 3phase.

[GeorgeV]

I have a 15 1/2" Craftsman DP that I bought in the 1975 and wouldn't be without it. It has drilled thousands of holes in wood and metal and has performed flawlessly all these years and only had to replace the belt once.