Thread: Drill Press

I purchased a pillar drill from a woodwork show some years back.
Belt drive, about $350 at the time. Gets used for woodwork & metal.

Hare & Forbes have a good range and are in WA.
I know other places in Melbourne but freight might be an issue.

Drilling Machines Belt Drive Radial Arm Geared Head Magnetic Base Drills | machineryhouse.com.au


There will also be secondhand machinery companies but s/h drill presses, like small lathes, seem to hold their price.


Colin

Don't count out some of the older ones that may look like they need work. I scored a big old banger from work - it was heading for scrap and I was told it needed a lot of work, and a new motor. I got it home, soaked everything in WD40 and once cleaned up, all the mechanical stuff worked fine. The dud motor turned out to be a loose screw in the start/stop switch. About 2 hours work, $0 spent and I have a very good drill press I was told was not worth saving.

If you have 3 phase power some absolute beauties come up at auctions. A mate scored a huge drill/mill that is all gear driven with automatic feeds and everything, in perfect working order for $300. It ended up being too big for his workshop and he sold it on for $500 a few days later...

Most 240 volt drills used in industry are light machines, mostly bench mounted. If you have or can organise three phase power then the opportunities to buy decent machines increase. See if you can find one with a geared head. much more convenient than swapping belt pulleys to get the correct speed for the job.

I would be looking for a pedestal drill, good range of speeds say 40 to 2500 rpm, geared head, power feed, No.3 or 4 Morse taper.

There are plenty of 240 volt Chinese Cheapies around on e-bay, Trading Post, etc. Don't pay more than $100 for one. You can get them on special a Bunnings/Masters around $200.

I can only seem to find pulley drive drills in my price range. This is the best one i've found in terms of power, speed range and dropping depth. Carba-Tec® 1HP 16 Speed Pedestal Drill Press : CARBA-TEC It's a better spec-set than the Kincrome equivalent. They were on sale for $450 in a post christmas sale, but I decided to hold off as a couple of jobs I was on got postponed.

I'm not finding many three-phase options (Idon't have three-phase in my shed anyway) - and all the decent 2nd hand options are pickup only from the eastern states. But if I keep my eyes peeled for long enough and one is bound to pop up... I hope.

Also - went and had a look at Bunnings/Masters - their home-brand drills might be OK for most of my planned usage, but maybe a little underpowered and a bit too much slop to tackle metal jobs. But, you can't expect perfection for $100 (probably won't get it for $500 either). I'd also prefer a pedestal drill, not a bench drill.

Originally Posted by SlowRide

I can only seem to find pulley drive drills in my price range. This is the best one i've found in terms of power, speed range and dropping depth. Carba-Tec® 1HP 16 Speed Pedestal Drill Press : CARBA-TEC It's a better spec-set than the Kincrome equivalent. They were on sale for $450 in a post christmas sale, but I decided to hold off as a couple of jobs I was on got postponed.

I'm not finding many three-phase options (Idon't have three-phase in my shed anyway) - and all the decent 2nd hand options are pickup only from the eastern states. But if I keep my eyes peeled for long enough and one is bound to pop up... I hope.

Also - went and had a look at Bunnings/Masters - their home-brand drills might be OK for most of my planned usage, but maybe a little underpowered and a bit too much slop to tackle metal jobs. But, you can't expect perfection for $100 (probably won't get it for $500 either). I'd also prefer a pedestal drill, not a bench drill.

That looks like the standard Chinese drill press sold by all and sundry under a multitude of brand names. Price is about what everyone else charges. It would be No.2 Morse taper and have a 5/8" chuck. Home hobbyist machine not an industrial one.

Originally Posted by SlowRide

I can only seem to find pulley drive drills in my price range. This is the best one i've found in terms of power, speed range and dropping depth. Carba-Tec® 1HP 16 Speed Pedestal Drill Press : CARBA-TEC It's a better spec-set than the Kincrome equivalent. They were on sale for $450 in a post christmas sale, but I decided to hold off as a couple of jobs I was on got postponed.

I'm not finding many three-phase options (Idon't have three-phase in my shed anyway) - and all the decent 2nd hand options are pickup only from the eastern states. But if I keep my eyes peeled for long enough and one is bound to pop up... I hope.

Also - went and had a look at Bunnings/Masters - their home-brand drills might be OK for most of my planned usage, but maybe a little underpowered and a bit too much slop to tackle metal jobs. But, you can't expect perfection for $100 (probably won't get it for $500 either). I'd also prefer a pedestal drill, not a bench drill.

That looks like the one I have.

Never had a problem with it, and find it perfect for what we do, which is similar to your planned usage.

I have bought a LOT of stuff from Carbatec, and have found that they are very easy to deal with if there is a problem, and also offer good advice.

Originally Posted by SlowRide

I can only seem to find pulley drive drills in my price range. This is the best one i've found in terms of power, speed range and dropping depth. Carba-Tec® 1HP 16 Speed Pedestal Drill Press : CARBA-TEC It's a better spec-set than the Kincrome equivalent. They were on sale for $450 in a post christmas sale, but I decided to hold off as a couple of jobs I was on got postponed.

I'm not finding many three-phase options (Idon't have three-phase in my shed anyway) - and all the decent 2nd hand options are pickup only from the eastern states. But if I keep my eyes peeled for long enough and one is bound to pop up... I hope.

Also - went and had a look at Bunnings/Masters - their home-brand drills might be OK for most of my planned usage, but maybe a little underpowered and a bit too much slop to tackle metal jobs. But, you can't expect perfection for $100 (probably won't get it for $500 either). I'd also prefer a pedestal drill, not a bench drill.

That is a similar size and HP to mine - it works fine for most things, but does start to struggle in thicker steel above a 3/4" hole. If you don't have any requirements for drilling large holes in steel on a regular basis, then it will be fine.

Dad's friend had a small shop that was getting two new ones, and offered Dad the two old ones. I helped him get them home. Two identical Craftsman floor stand units. Stripped them down. Reassembled one from the best parts. Been in our shop for 30+ years.

Les