floor drill press

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You would want a good sized base under it not bolted to the floor, because a drill press is very top heavy.
 
Casters on a drill press is a bad idea. By definition, you need to apply torque to the handle to operate it.
It is also rotating machinery so you need to be aware of all the safety concerns that come along with that.
Bolt it down and do it right.
 
Its HF right? What is a new one.

HF has gotten better quality over the years. Newer might be better. (Thats a very generalized statement however).

Its not a Delta.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Its HF right? What is a new one.

HF has gotten better quality over the years. Newer might be better. (Thats a very generalized statement however).

Its not a Delta.



It's HF? I did not realize that.
 
I've got a Delta. 17-900. 16 1/2" press. Good piece of equipment. Your listing looks similar. Spindle runout would be my concern with a name I don't know.

Powermatic, Grizzly, old Delta, all good.

A lot of weight on a drill press, up high, and significant load on the handle and spindle. Casters are a horribly dangerous idea.
 
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I would wait for a vintage, American-made press from the 1970s or earlier.
 
Originally Posted by Astro14
Powermatic, Grizzly, old Delta, all good.
One of these things is not like the other, Grizzly is offshore.
Originally Posted by ET16
I would wait for a vintage, American-made press from the 1970s or earlier.
Finding one that can spin slow enough for metal outside of auctions is difficult, I tried. Certain tools like drill presses and floor jacks have been offshored since the early 70s. That makes it really hard to find one that isn't 3ph, and even then it will most likely be clapped out.
 
I know the Grizzly is offshore, but I've been impressed with their power/machine tools in recent years. Well made (in Taiwan) machines with good fit & finish. You can't even get a new General or Delta tablesaw anymore, only Powermatic is left, as many of the old makers of good machines have given up.

Jet is also off shore, and not as good as some of the Grizzly machines. I've got a Jet jointer. It's OK. in my dream shop, I want an old Powermatic Model 60, or perhaps a DJ-20. The new Powermatic don't seem as well made as the old ones...
 
Look for a vintage one. This is a Delta from 1960 I would guess is when my Dad bought it. At some point he modified it to run even slower by adding a mandrel and pulleys. The table has one pot-mark that I did when a teenager in the late 1960s.

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That is a harbor freight 16" I bought the exact same press drill in 95 for $169i used it with out fail up until I passed it down to my son a year ago. Nothing wrong with them and no issues. In the lowest gear step on the pulleys it will dril 1" holes in steel no problem.
 
Donald.... just so you know (tongue in cheek) there are 3 things that will get you fired in a machine shop.
1. Leave a chuck key in an unattended lathe chuck
2. Drill into a mill or press drill table
3 . Drill through a part into a mill or drill vise. Damaging vise jaws is just a beer buying offense.
Very nice press drill!
 
Originally Posted by P10crew
Donald.... just so you know (tongue in cheek) there are 3 things that will get you fired in a machine shop.
1. Leave a chuck key in an unattended lathe chuck
2. Drill into a mill or press drill table
3 . Drill through a part into a mill or drill vise. Damaging vise jaws is just a beer buying offense.
Very nice press drill!


It was a minor "pot-mark" and my Dad never made a big deal about it. Can't fire your son!
 
I'm going to keep looking. I've had a heavy bench top drill press, but i don't have room for it after a garage remodel, so i gave it to a friend. I have never owned a floor mount. Maybe i'll watch for a grizzly. I want one that i can belt down slow enough to drill steel , like 500 rpm or less. 350rpm would be good, yet belt it up for 1500-2000 if i want to drill aluminum.
 
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Spas that was one real nice feature of the 16" HF.
If I remember correctly low speed was 160 ish.
Lots of torque at that rpm.
 
Originally Posted by P10crew
Spas that was one real nice feature of the 16" HF.
If I remember correctly low speed was 160 ish.
Lots of torque at that rpm.


It does show going to 170rpm which is nice. But i do worry about being able to drill straight holes with the HF. I did not realize it was an HF when i looked at it and posted it.
 
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I may go look at it. Since he is selling an x/y table, i am worried that he tried to use it as a milling machine. That would cause a lot of spindle run-out if he did.
 
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