Bench mounted drill press vs floor

[urnesBeast]

So, I asked a similar question for grinders and got some good answers. As I am looking around for a drill press, I find that the floor models are significantly more expensive. How are they really different?

Also, with a longer steel pole can a benchtop be converted easily?

Thanks,
Doug

[Charlotte]

The big difference in the two is the size and weight of the base. I traded and older Rockwell bench for and newer Rockwell that was a floor stander. Other than cosmetic differences the only difference was the weight and size of the base and length of the column. I made the change because at the time I wanted to drill some partialy assembled tables. Longer column and 300 degree acess allowed me to correct a silly oversite. Floor standing should be bolted down to the floor any way. Real easy to knock over if completly free standing.

[wedwards]

A bench mount drill press mounted to a discarded truck tire rim will make it a free standing floor model. As long as the rim is heavy it makes a very robust base and gives the bench mount all of the advantages of a floor mount without the added expense. It could tip over but I'd have to work at it. Three pieces of 1 1/2" to 2" schedule 40 iron pipe (it could be lighter, that's just what I had on hand) evenly spaced and welded around the rim and topped by a 3/8" plate cut to the size of the drill press base will do the trick. An added benefit is that the drill press can be easily moved by rolling it like a gas bottle.

Bill

[Francis Trez Cole]

I had a bench model wore it out. then I got a Jet floor modle lot bigger moter better speed ratio that is the most important thing how slow will it go

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Seems like there's alway something that just won't fit under the bench drill. Usually "missed it by that much".

[urnesBeast]

It is looking very much like I will be getting a bench top and making a stand. The first job is drilling through 2x4s the 3.5inch direction. Seems no drill presses have that kind of movement, so I will be starting on the press and finishing with a drill- unless there is a trick...


How can something not fit under a bench drill. Is it because the table can not lower far enough? Can't the table be moved aside when needed?

Doug

[David Einhorn]

......How can something not fit under a bench drill. Is it because the table can not lower far enough? Can't the table be moved aside when needed? Doug

Horizontal boring is sometimes done when the object is larger than the distance between the drill bit and the floor. An example is tenoning the ends of the spokes on a very large wooden wheel, or boring the fellows to match the spokes as shown below. The drill press is mounted horizontally on the bench and provides drilling holes and tenons onto practically unlimited sized objects: :D

[welder19]

A lot of times the floor models have more power.
If the table cranks up and down then most of the time the pipe will have teeth and cannot just be changed out with a longer pipe, but if the table just gets loosend and slid up and down then the pipe can usually be changed out with a longer one to make it a floor model.
When I needed to get a new drill press I looked around at used ones and found an old Buffalo, it is a big floor model drill press that had a newer motor on it and was in excellent shape, it is an industrial press and weighs about 400-500 lbs, I paid $300 for it and it beats the heck out of any new drill press that I would have been able to afford.
Just something to think about.

welder19

[Charlotte]

The big advantage of the long column is that it can be dropped all the way to the floor if necessary.
There is another type of bench mounted press that is used in the furniture industry a lot.
The radial arm drill press. It has a great depth and versitility of position as well as the ability to function in horizontal and vertical position and any place in between.
The one thing that it lacks is ridigity.

Every thing is a trade off

Not may bench top models will accomadate drilling out a head bolt in an engine.

The choice depends mostly on the size of the work you plan on doing. Knife work is usually ok with a bench top. Decorative Architectural Iron will usually want an floor model suplemented by a half inch chuck portable drill.

[urnesBeast]

After searching around, I had three major choices:

1.) Good bench mount, put on a pedestal ~$100
2.) Harbor Freight high end floor mount ~$300
3.) Delta floor mount ~$360 (10% off coupon from $400)

I am strongly leaning towards the Delta:
Delta at Lowe's: 10-Amp 16 Speed Drill Press

The swing is long enough to go through 2x4 the 3.5 inch way, important for the first project. The reviews seem strong for it. The market for used drill presses around here runs in the $250+ range for presses that do not seem discounted very well. It looks like they hold value pretty well.

-Doug

[Charlotte]

Delta/Rockwell has been a reliable brand. The only thing that has changed over the years are a few features and better motors because of newer technology.

[wedwards]

Our Home Depot caries a Jet floor model (5/8" chuck, 1/2 hp) for $300 which looks pretty good. I don't know about the drill presses but their band saws do a good job and come with a rock solid guarantee.

Bill

[arftist]

The swing of a drill press is determined by measuring from the edge of the colunm to the center of the chuck. The depth capicity is known as the length of quill travel.

[Avadon]

If you get a floor mount definitely get one that has some serious weigh to it or bolt it down. A number of years ago I was doing something, probably something unwise, (lol) and it tipped over and smashed the belt housing on something. Lucky it didn't topple onto the floor, that would have probably totalled it. But it made me realize that a cheapo floor model drill press is not very great as it's mostly top heavy and the rest is cheapo cast iron. Again I could have just bolted it down but if you had a really heavy duty quality one i'd think you wouldn't even need to. (but it woudln't hurt) In my mind though the floor model really is the way to go unless all you do is drill holes in thin stock and never need a lot of room to drill in assembled items.

[Sam Thompson]

A floor mounted press will do everything that a bench mounted machine will do and then do more stuff as well. A bench mounted press takes up far more valuable space on the work surface than just its footprint, drilling long bars can mean clearing months worth of stuff from the bench; swarf gets everywhere and there is only limited free space around and under the drill table for odd shaped work.