Drill press recommendations

[farmmachine]

I am outfitting a shop and need suggestions for a good quality, full size drill press.

Have been looking at the Jet JDP-17DX and the Delta 18-900L (seeking similar features, capabilities and price range). It will be used largely for home shop woodworking and not production or high precision applications. Just want to do very well what needs to be done--if I operate it properly.

Many thanks for the input.

 

[thebicyclecafe]

I am outfitting a shop and need suggestions for a good quality, full size drill press.

Have been looking at the Jet JDP-17DX and the Delta 18-900L (seeking similar features, capabilities and price range). It will be used largely for home shop woodworking and not production or high precision applications. Just want to do very well what needs to be done--if I operate it properly.

Many thanks for the input.

I looked at both before deciding in favor of the Delta 18-900. When you see the two, the decision is quite easy. The 18-900L wins in just about every area: easy speed changes, swing, quill travel, large multi-tilting woodworking table, build quality, lasers. The LED light is also a huge plus, love how everything was very well thought out.
It is easily the best DP on the market in the sub-$1000 range, highly, highly recommended.
The only thing I was not so happy with was the chuck, but then again none of these DPs come with a high quality chuck anyway. I haven't needed to replace mine, simply because I don't need any more precision than what the stock chuck provides for woodworking (metalworking would be a different story).

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Walker Turner.

 

[TomGadwa1]

Test post with attachment.

 

[TomGadwa1]

Buy the Delta. It is a great unit. I mounted mine to a mobile base. It moves about and is more stabile than before I put it on the mobile base!

 

[Paul G]

Test post

I was reading this and thinking: "what kind of test do you do to the upright post of a drill press?"

What can I say, it's been a long week lol

 

[TomGadwa1]

I scribed a horizontal line near the top and bottom of the post on the drill press. I then took a laser measuring device and took a distance reading for the post length. I did this as I was drilling into several different materials. The deviation was less than .0000001 of an inch! Thus proving the test of the post to be quite accurate. I am very relieved to know that my drill press has a stabile post and subsequently will no longer be performing test posts on this unit!