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But that being said, this is a great value. I looked at used drill presses first, but was worried about lost precision or poor quality for the cheaper products (craftsman, etc). I highly recommend it. I use the drill press for hobby projects in the garage, so not a commercial operation. It appears to be very well made and will last generations. When I saw the price ($404) with free shipping, it was a no brainer. I work with wood and metal, have probably drilled 50 to 100 items and I am very happy with the product.
After these, it is just about perfect, and certainly, I believe, the best value in this price range.It is helpful to have a helper for assembly, as the heavy head has to be lifted onto the top of the column once the column is vertical. If you want a mobile base, it is much easier to mount it while you are assembling the unit rather than later. As others have pointed out, there is virtually no runout. (For example, there was a rattle to quiet). The laser is nice in some cases, but not necessary.I immediately added a shop-built fence, a light bulb (it does not come with one), about an inch of foam weather stripping under top lid to quiet the rattle, and a couple of zip ties to better route the cords. I have had this machine for about a year now.
This press has proven itself to be accurate and versatile. Build quality is good, but not perfect. I also mounted the whole unit on a mobile base made of 1.5" square oak and a double layer of 3/4" plywood. The T-tracks are super handy. I bought it after thoroughly researching models in this price range +/- 50%. It has plenty of travel (just under 4") for the wide range of tasks I have given it, and ample power, even for large hole saws.
Two layers of plywood were necessary for the base to reduce flex. The large rectangular table is a pleasure to use and was fairly easy to calibrate to level.
I would recommend bolting a power strip to the machine some how and adding a 9v battery adapter so you don't need to worry about the laser battery and multiple outlets.Although the box was fairly beaten up when it arrived, there was no damage or missing parts. The laser feature is nothing great. There is nearly 4 inches of quill travel. I had been saving up for this one for a while. The screw for the spring on the table index pin had worked loose in transit and took only a moment to put back together. battery and it is a bit tricky to get it to stay aimed properly.
It can rotate out of the way around the column. It can tip side to side, indexed at common angles, with a scale, although you will need to use the included hex wrench. Had my wife and daughter help putting the head on just to be safe. I put the table in place upside-down so it could sit on my lap while I was assembling the joint, then I used the rotation feature to put it in the proper orientation and finish tightening the table. I had little trouble assembling it. I was sad when my old drill press was killed by a combination of a fire and having a load of lumber delivered on top of it. The table has three axes of freedom.
It also tips front to back on dual trunions with handles. It puts my old one to shame. One draw back is that it takes two outlets, one for the motor and one for the lamp. No noticeable vibration or run out. I have only used it a few times so far, but I love it. I decided it would be easier than trying to align it and start the bolt from the bottom. It is a separate accessory, plastic that you bolt on the column and it uses its own 9v.
Be prepared to build a stabilizing base out of plywood if you don't anchor it to the floor. The assembly instructions were clear and easy to use. The drill press is excellent with plenty of power and table area. Definitely worth the money.:) The laser is a gimick; and could use a focus adjustment to sharpen the lines.
The belts are a little noisy but not excessively so-- who wants a silent drill, after all.One area of disappointment for me is the lack of integration between all the different electrical components:The lasers run off a 9v battery attached to a conveniently placed switch. The lamp was plugged into the same outlet as the drill press, and the bulb blew before the circuit breaker did. I'd invest in rechargeable 9volts-- but why isn't this run off of line current like the rest of the drill. At first I thought this was a shortcoming of the drill, but it's a good thing if you use it correctly. I must corroborate what other reviewers have said here: the drill is very nice, but not perfect.
The adjustment is as smooth as one would expect it to be, and the press itself is easy to use. The switch is independent of the drill and so it's easy to leave the lasers on. I found this out by not: a workpiece busted loose while I was boring at speed, causing the drill to draw inconsistent current as the piece bounced around the bit freely before I could stop it. Lesson learned: plug the lamp into a different circuit. It could be smoother, more powerful, and better integrated, but it gets the job done.The table is versatile and more than enough for most uses.
Forget it one night and you've drained the battery completely. :-)But overall the unit is very nice, very solid. The lamp has a separate plug.
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