Which Drill Press

Hello,

My old Nu-tool drill press packed up at the weekend (in the middle of a job of course) so I am looking for a replacement.

I have eyes for the Axminster ED16B2 but they are out of stock for three weeks. This led me to look elsewhere and I found the Chester D19 which is almost identical specs and a little bit cheaper.

Has anyone any experience of either machine or suggestions of an alternative in a similar price bracket (£250 - £300)?

regards

Brian

Dear Brian,

Just had to replace my inherited 1982 Warco 3/8 bench drill. After much agonising I decided I needed no more than a 13mm chuck and no more than 5 speeds. (Friends with more speed choices said they seldom botheredv with them.) Following two very helpful conversations with Chester's staff, I ordered one of their D13R drills last Thursday afternoon, i.e. just before the Easter shutdown - it should arrive tomorrow! I realise this is smaller than you want, but I'll give an initial reaction in case it helps.

Best wishes,

Bill.

I've had a Warco 2B12 bench drill for a few years now and it has given excellent unfailing service.

No affiliation to Warco, just a satisfied customer for many years

Graeme

I second Graeme's post. I too have one which I bought new some years ago. A sturdy machine with a "T" slotted table. Good range of speeds and reliable. No2 MT spindle. I have two chucks - one a conventional key operated type, the other a keyless chuck - very good for small drills. My lathe is also No 2MT so they are interchangeable.

Norman

Edited By NJH on 03/04/2013 23:02:46

Hi Brian,

I bought the ED16SB about 18 months ago. It is a lower spec but similar in other respects. At the time they did woodworking versions of the engineering drills that were identical apart from having a through slotted table which I think I would find more useful when trying to clamp things to it. They don't seem to stock them any more. Also easier to clear swarf off.

Gary

Further to my earlier post, my new Chester D13R bench drill arrived yesterday, as promised. It was snowing at the time! However the driver was very helpful and managed to get the large, palleted, box across about 30 yards of gravel drive and then helped me lift it into my shed. It seemed well packed, but one small screw for adjusting the belt tension had its plastic 'thumb screw' broken. I've been promised a replacement.

I was disappointed to find the chuck was keyless. However I've checked the website and there's no mention of key or keyless. So don't make assumptions - my fault entirely.

The worm gear for raising and lowering the table needed a few minutes work with a file to make it work freely. Otherwise the only possible comments on the condition were that a small amount of paint had to be removed from the lower fixing for the table rack and the plastic cover over the on/off switches was wrongly fitted - trivial and easily corrected. The motor runs smoothly and quietly. One thing that I particularly looked for was play at the drill point with the quill fully extended. I estimate this to be a couple of thou only - pretty good. The instruction book is generic and doesn't claim to cover my model, but everything is very straightforward.

So, excellent service from Chester, before and after purchase, with the machine delivered in good order. However the procedure for changing speed seems to be a real pain. Firstly the belt cover is held closed by a fiddly little cross head screw. I've added a rubber buffer for the cover to rest on and will rely on gravity to keep it shut. Secondly the belt tension is adjusted by moving the motor in or out on two horizontal pegs locating in lugs on the drill head and locked by two thumb screws - see above. There is no built-in means of moving the motor and I found I had to put a lever between it and the head and heave. Quite a struggle to shift it. According to the instruction book, larger models have lever adjustment.

Moral: make sure you ask the right questions before buying and/or have a look at the product first - not so easy from remote Norfolk. Never the less I'm very pleased with my first ever piece of brand new equipment and hope speed changing gets easier with practice.

Bill.

Shoot me down in flames but I dislike any bit of kit that has a pillar, unless you are doing just small work, the accuracy is not there, why do you not look at a mill with jibs.. you will get a lot more for your money. go for variable speed very usefull and no belt changing. There are lots on the market and the small ones are around this price, you are going to have this item hopefully for many years, so at the extra price of a couple of tanks of petrol that in my case lasts about 3 months, and is gone look around

Bob

? ? BOB

Brian was asking which drill press to buy.

( Ready the fire extinguisher!!)

N

Edited By NJH on 06/04/2013 11:52:49

I have the larger brother of your Axminster drill you suggested and it is a lovely bit of kit. Bigger is always better for rigidity and therefore accuracy. I also agree with Bob that a mill can be better still. I probably use my Bridgeport more than the drill but nevertheless I wouldn't be without the Axminster. I think the speed range is perhaps less important on a drilling machine and I rarely change the speed on mine, but the option of course is always there.

Mike

Well, I've finally made a firm decision - I bought the Chester one, the Axminster one is still out of stock. I drove over today to check it out before purchasing, well worth the visit, loads of goodies

I was attended to by a very helpful guy called Paul. They had several in stock and when I asked if they have any ex-demo ones he said he would go have a quick word with his boss. He  came back with a price of £215 inc. VAT - and that was for a brand new machine, so to say I am pleased would be an understatement - £76 cheaper than the Axminster

The drill is currently in the back of the car waiting for another pair of hands to help me lift it into the workshop. I'll let you know how I get on with it.

regards

Brian

Edited By Brian Hall on 09/04/2013 22:08:14

It is interesting the amount of comments here which state I rarely change the speed. I wonder if that is because with a belt drive it’s such a faff? I also tend to use my Bridgeport in preference to the bench drill because it’s a vari speed head.

To free up some bench space I have been looking at getting a pedestal/pillar drill with a geared head. What I cannot get my mind around is just how expensive they are compared to a similar size “milling machine”. A reasonable capacity drill is about £1500 and the electronic variable speed versions are even more.

The generally look to be similar heads and all your buying is a bit more column but are saving on table X and y travel gearing so I would have thought you would have been better off than just playing a draw.

Jim

When I retired, I took up wood turning, and after a while desided I needed a drill press, I found a mill drill/ vertical milling machine for about the same price as a similar sized drill press, and bought the mill, it wasn't much longer before I bought my engineering lathe. Ian S C

We've been here before but my position is firmly that I need both a mill and a drill.

How often have you spent ages setting up your mill for some job and then a need arises for a hole in something else? It may not be part of your current project - a bit of urgent household work, a "could you put a hole in this" from a friend/ neighbour etc etc. What's more my workshop has to function for all my " making stuff" projects and I don't want wood chippings etc on my milling machine. I conceed that, in Jim's case of needing a geared head drill to satisify his requirements, then his Bridgeport ( I wish!!) is probably a better option.

Cheers

Norman

My drillpress is an Austrailian made black smiths wall mounted drill, converted to electric drive. Its got one thing the average machine does not, power feed, a ratchet drive to the under side of the hand wheel on top of the spindle. The straight cut gears make a fair bit of noise. I have it with a Jacobs 1/2" chuck mounted in the 1/2" hole that used to take the 1/2" shank of black smith drills. Ian S C

Hi Jim,

With machine tools I suspect the VOLUME of sales is one of the determinants of price. If you import a load of geared head drills, several could still be in the packing after five years.

Neil