Cheapo HF 8" drill press.

[hickory n Steel]

 C:-)For $70 out the door I don't expect a whole helluva lot quality wise, but it should be okay for a starter on small projects.
Certainly better than my Dremel in the plastic drill press attachment.
nearest fifth third atm to my location

It was easy to assemble and it does work, for how long I don't know but it won't be a heavy use thing when I do use it.

[J.A.F.E.]

I have one. It's actually not too bad. The biggest fault I have with it is the depth stop. When making a series of blind holes at an exact depth there can be some variation. The stop setup on yours looks better than the one on mine so perhaps that has been addressed but I had to do some modifications to get it where I thought it should be.

[DeadNutz]

Let us know what you think after a couple of hundred holes.
Did you get a vise for it? Those cheap vises are better than no vise.

[hickory n Steel]

Let us know what you think after a couple of hundred holes.
Did you get a vise for it? Those cheap vises are better than no vise.

Didn't, but will soon.
C-clamps it's for now I guess.

[lauver]

HnS,

I have essentially the same HF drill press that was purchased in 1981 .  It's my only drill press and I use it constantly for all kinds of work, not just drilling.

It is small and does have physical limitations, but I have learned to live with it and enjoy using it.

The only problem I have had with it is that I can't run it slow enough for some of my non-drilling applications.  But, I have managed to get it down to about 400 RPM
by swopping out the pulleys and belts.  Believe it or not, there are times I would like to have it run as low as 50-100 RPM.

So, congratulations on your new purchase.  I suspect you are going to love it and will be drilling holes like a wild man for a long time.  I also suspect you won't have any problems/issues with it.  It's a profoundly simple machine that can drill a gazillion holes and never fail unless you do something really stupid with it.

[hickory n Steel]

HnS,

I have essentially the same HF drill press that was purchased in 1981 .  It's my only drill press and I use it constantly for all kinds of work, not just drilling.

It is small and does have physical limitations, but I have learned to live with it and enjoy using it.

The only problem I have had with it is that I can't run it slow enough for some of my non-drilling applications.  But, I have managed to get it down to about 400 RPM
by swopping out the pulleys and belts.  Believe it or not, there are times I would like to have it run as low as 50 RPM.

So, congratulations on your new purchase.  I suspect you are going to love it and will be drilling holes like a wild man for a long time.  I also suspect you won't have any problems/issues with it.  It's a profoundly simple machine that can drill a gazillion holes and never fail unless you do something really stupid with it.

Well that's good to hear.
Thinking about the 1 year " protection plan" the guy offered me I was starting to wonder do they offer this because I'm going to need it.

[pep]

I would not buy a "protection plans" on that machine ...... even at 5k I avoid that hype. Use it like it is designed and it will work just fine. If the thing is going to break it will before the warranty runs it's course. Most machines are broken by a user not thinking.

My first DP was a bench top, the only down side I crossed. Was the distance of the table and head assembly.

That space gets eat up real quick when a bit and the work piece are introduced...

The bench you made is getting smaller and smaller ............ LOL  my crystal ball sees an extension in your future.

Pep   

[hickory n Steel]

I would not buy a "protection plans" on that machine ...... even at 5k I avoid that hype. Use it like it is designed and it will work just fine. If the thing is going to break it will before the warranty runs it's course. Most machines are broken by a user not thinking.

My first DP was a bench top, the only down side I crossed. Was the distance of the table and head assembly.

That space gets eat up real quick when a bit and the work piece are introduced...

The bench you made is getting smaller and smaller ............ LOL  my crystal ball sees an extension in your future.

Pep   

It's getting a little smaller but I've got no room for an extension, it's not that bad when I clean it off all the way though. I think it's still plenty.

I'm going to reposition some things and maybe even have either the drill press or bench grinder mounted on a separate stand I may make.
The two front corners on either end are the best place for such things and with the block grinder and vice moumted I don't much have a good place to put the drill press without taking up too much of my workspace.

[goodfellow]

I have a 1980's Taiwanese version and it does the job, but found that the runout was excessive. New models may have better QC, but in case it doesn't, simply take it apart and clean and deburr the rough bearing seat casting surfaces. That simple job turned it into a pretty precise little press.
Plus, there was a lot of casting grit and dirt in the casting as well. A simple clean up helped a lot

[hickory n Steel]

I have a bunch of shelf brackets in the garage, I'm thinking I'll just build a sturdy shelf to mount this on next to my work bench.
Should be a perfect solution as long as it's sturdy enough and mounted well.
I'm on lunch at work right now, but I'll see what I can come up with when I'm off later and report back.

[muddy]

Looks like it should serve you well! Keep us posted in a long term review!

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