Five Tips for Buying Drill Presses
Type
One of the first things you need to consider when buying drill presses is the type. You can either choose one mounted on a bench or one designed to stand on the floor. Floor-standing models deliver more power. They will also allow you to work with more types of materials. Drill presses that are mounted on a bench are less expensive and smaller.
Speed
One of the next things you need to consider when buying drill presses is speed. If you plan on drilling different materials such as wood and metal, you will need a press capable of providing a wide range of speeds. Drill presses can provide between 200 and 4,000 RPMs. You will need faster speeds for drilling wood and lower speeds for metal.
Table
You will also need to consider the table when buying drill presses. You should look for a tilting table if you typically drill at angles. Another option would be for you to buy a radial drill press instead. If you want to attach vises and fences to the table, you should look for one with a flat edge.
Stroke
One of the next things you need to think about when buying drill presses is the quill stroke. This measures how deep the press can drill. If you need more quill stroke, then you should look at floor-standing drill presses as they can provide longer strokes.
Power
One of the final things to consider when buying drill presses is horsepower. Presses that stand on the floor have to have more powerful motors. These drill presses can have between a 1/2 to 3/4 horsepower motor. Bench-mounted designs usually have between a 1/3 or 1/4 horsepower motor.
These are a few tips for buying drill presses. You should look to buy a design that provides a wide range of speeds, especially if you drill both metal and wood. If you need to drill through thick materials, you should look for drill presses with a longer quill stroke. Floor-standing designs can provide longer strokes than the bench-mounted variety.
