How much do you use your drill press?

[Garasaki]

A few weeks ago, I bought the 100 dollar 10" DP on sale at sears, hearing it was a pretty good deal and it had some positive reviews on this and other forums. (I suppose I should point out that I'm a relatively new hobbyist, working on smaller, household type projects. Currently own a BT3k, router, and 4" jointer in terms of larger power tools. On a tight budget, of course...and have even less time available then $$)

I brought it home and set it up. Went to use it to do some doweling operations on a project, and was dismayed to find that the items I wanted to join did not fit in the DP.

Now, I understand it's a benchtop drill press, and a small one at that, but I hadn't even considered that it wouldn't fit in there.

Since then, I've tried to use the DP for a number of different things. Each time, I've come away with the feeling that using it is WAY more trouble then it's worth. It's extremely awkward to use, the table is so small that it seems only straight stock would conviently fit on it. Any sort of sheet or panel is nearly impossible to position on there. The fence it came with is a PIA to put on...and of course you have to take it off to drill on anything but straight stock. It's awkward to clamp items down. I could go on and on...

In the end, I continue to reach for my super cheap, corded, high speed drill, which isn't really very good for drilling wood (tear out anyone?) but is just so much easier to use, every time I need to drill some holes.

I am on the fence about wether I should keep the DP, or return it and buy something I think I'll find more useful (I need a random orbit sander, for instance). If I return it, I'll keep my eyes open for a smoking deal on a used floor mounted DP but who knows when I could score that...

I also think that if I built a good table for it, I'd like it a lot more. But that means putting in more time and money into a fairly large power tool (space is at a premium too...) that I'm just not sure I really need. This is the first woodworking item I'm having buyer's remorse on...

How often do you guys use your DP, and do you think it's something a hobbyist can't live without?

[LCHIEN]

A few weeks ago, I bought the 100 dollar 10" DP on sale at sears, hearing it was a pretty good deal and it had some positive reviews on this and other forums. (I suppose I should point out that I'm a relatively new hobbyist, working on smaller, household type projects. Currently own a BT3k, router, and 4" jointer in terms of larger power tools. On a tight budget, of course...and have even less time available then $$)

I brought it home and set it up. Went to use it to do some doweling operations on a project, and was dismayed to find that the items I wanted to join did not fit in the DP.

Now, I understand it's a benchtop drill press, and a small one at that, but I hadn't even considered that it wouldn't fit in there.

Since then, I've tried to use the DP for a number of different things. Each time, I've come away with the feeling that using it is WAY more trouble then it's worth. It's extremely awkward to use, the table is so small that it seems only straight stock would conviently fit on it. Any sort of sheet or panel is nearly impossible to position on there. The fence it came with is a PIA to put on...and of course you have to take it off to drill on anything but straight stock. It's awkward to clamp items down. I could go on and on...

In the end, I continue to reach for my super cheap, corded, high speed drill, which isn't really very good for drilling wood (tear out anyone?) but is just so much easier to use, every time I need to drill some holes.

I am on the fence about wether I should keep the DP, or return it and buy something I think I'll find more useful (I need a random orbit sander, for instance). If I return it, I'll keep my eyes open for a smoking deal on a used floor mounted DP but who knows when I could score that...

I also think that if I built a good table for it, I'd like it a lot more. But that means putting in more time and money into a fairly large power tool (space is at a premium too...) that I'm just not sure I really need. This is the first woodworking item I'm having buyer's remorse on...

How often do you guys use your DP, and do you think it's something a hobbyist can't live without?

I use mine A LOT. Its actually the first fixed base power tool I bought.
I liken using a drill press over using a hand drill to using a table saw instead of a circular saw.

I almost never use a circular saw or a hand drill anymore.

Using a DP and a fence -
your holes will be perpendicular to the wood surface (or at a consistent controllable angle)
Your through holes will exit the opposite side of the wood in exactly the same place as it entered
Your hole-based joinery will line up straight.
Better and more consistent drill speed - better quality holes
Wider range of speeds for better drilling
Able to use Forstners and other DP-only tools
More power
Able to control drilling feed rate and force better than with
hand held (important for drilling thin and fragile materials)
able to drill a line of holes truly in a line, with a fence
Reduce tear out with proper support of the back of the wood.
etc.

It does require some planning. You need to drill holes into the piece parts of a project rather than into the assembled project, and drill holes square to reference surfaces that may be rounded off or obscured later. This will make you a better project guy, though.

I can't live w/o it.

P.S. The small table and poor fence is exactly the reason you need to build a table for it.
A table and adjustable fence is really easy to build one youself. All you need is some T-Track ($10-20) and some flat wood stuff (I used a melamine-covered shelf board for my first one).

[LarryG]

I use my drill press heavily, on virtually every project. Maybe only for three or four holes, but it's rare that it doesn't get used at least a little bit on each job.

Your experience thus far is atypical. For most people, a drill press is a tool that they don't realize how much they needed until they get one. Anytime you see a short list of must-have tools -- you know, like "The Six Essential Tools You Must Have" -- a drill press is almost always on the list.

I can somewhat relate to your frustration, however. The limiting factor on a drill press is usually the swing (twice the distance from the column to the centerline of the quill). There's been more than a handful of times when I really wanted to use my drill press but couldn't, because it wouldn't reach far enough toward the middle of a large workpiece. Still, there are several tools in my shop I'd give up long before I'd surrender my drill press.

Hard to advise you what to do. Maybe consider making a quick-and-dirty table (a slab of 3/4 plywood) and fence (a piece of 2x4, jointed straight and clamped to the table) and see if your outlook improves. If, in the end, you decide you don't need it, you should have NO problem selling it since DPs are always in demand.

[Ed62]

That is the DP I have. When I bought it, I knew it wasn't a large DP, and it would have limitations. A larger table is easy enough to make, and the head swivels, so you could really drill into long pieces by bypassing the table. I'm satisfied with mine, but if you're not, maybe you should take it back. I use mine quite often.

Ed

[bthere]

I also use the DP a lot. It was one of my first big tools, coming shortly behind a tablesaw. If I can do it on the DP instead of with a hand held drill, I will.

With the DP, like all tools, when you buy a smaller version, you end up thinking you should have gone for the bigger. I spent the first few years with a 12" bench top that was used for lots of stuff. When I got to the point where I could afford something with more quill travel, a deeper throat, and a more powerful motor I was ready.

The tables on drill presses are really a legacy of the DP being thought of as a metal working machine instead of a wood working machine. One of the best upgrades for my DP was to add a large worksurface. Some T track embedded in a laminated MDF table with fence made from hardwood stock. The T track allows you to use various stops, hold downs, and other jigs as well as making the fence easy to use.

[ragswl4]

I also use my drill press alot, but only since I upgraded from a bench top (8") to a 13" floor model. When one needs an accurate hole there is no substitute, at least for me. Loring's post was right on the money. If one is building a jig for precise work on a machine, accurate holes are a must and very difficult to do with a hand drill.

One always has to weigh the cost vs how much use a machine will get. If what you have will not perform the work than seems you should return it, if thats an option. Re-think your needs and then buy the right machine. I have purchased many tools twice, its a learning experience.

[os1kne]

My DP gets used a lot as well. For most projects, I'm sure that I could get by without one - but it sure does make it easier and faster to do better work. Considering that the cost of several decent DP's is < $200, I think the "bang for the buck" is really great.

[vaking]

I have a 14" floor standing Jet JSL-14DP, which I got at Costco for $170. This is a budget version but I believe it is a good value for a hobbyist. Jet cut costs by putting smaller motor than professional presses of this size have. For my needs the motor is enough. As far as the drill press table goes - look up some plans here on the site (I remember Rod Kirby's work of art) or stop by Sears and look at Craftsman DP version. I am not suggesting buying it - much too steep for $120, just look and borrow ideas. As for saving space and money - my drill press does 90% of my drilling and in addition it saves me the need to buy a stationary sander. I often use sanding drums with my jet drill press.

[Russianwolf]

It depends a lot on your projects. For example, I use my enough to appreciate it but not on every project (not much need for drilling holes when you are making a chessboard). But, for example, I'm about to embark on the journey of turning pens and I can already see a multitude of uses my drill press might be used for (drilling blanks, preping blanks with the barrel trimmer, and assembling pens instead of buying a pen press right away).

[ejs1097]

I haven't used my Drill Press since yesterday (drilled 484 holes), don't plan on using it again for another 45 minutes or so (I have 144 plugs to make). I use it a lot. I also have a 10" and can pretty much do anything with it up to drilling a hole in the center of a 10" board. I also think it's one of the easier tools to use and operate, hang in there. Much quicker to get used to then the table saw, band saw, etc. I don't think I can live without it. Using the fence to align holes is critical for accuracy for some projects requiring repetitive drilling. Drilling perfectly perpendicular holes is also critical and you can't do those things with a hand drill. What about forstner's bits, also not the best idea with a handheld.

If you are doing a lot of wood drilling, then the standard table that comes with the DP is very frustrating. it's short and hard to drill on the end of longer pieces, through holes are a pain, fencing, clamping, etc.

I built this table and my joy for using the DP sky-rocketd. Removable inserts, easy clamping fence, and accessory hold downs are great. The wider table allows the piece to sit easily without falling off the side. It does take more then a little bit of time to make a table though, although mine was cheap to build. But think of the table as it's own tool, it's important to get everything right. You can get aftermarket tables but most are the cost of your DP.

Rod Kirby want-2-Be but never-will-be

[smorris]

The DP is second only to the table saw in the amount of use it gets in my shop. Whether drilling holes or cutting plugs is seems to be running quite a bit.

For cleaning some things, nothing beats a wire brush in the drill press.

[messmaker]

I like my drill press and use it often but I guess I could live without it although it is not a very expensive machine as well as being one that tends to last forever. If you decide to take it back, you might consider a drill guide like the one in the link below.It will give you some of the benefits at a lower cost and is portable.http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...X0DER&v=glance

[thrytis]

I use my drill press on just about every project, and mine is only the cheap 8" HF benchtop. If i can't make the part fit on the drill press, i use it to make a jig to help drill straight with a hand drill.

[gsmittle]

Ditto on what these guys are saying. I didn't know how much I needed a drill press until I got one. I took an afternoon to build a rough table and fence (still working on the dust collection), invested in some OK Forstner bits, and I'm a happy camper.

Of course, now that I have a 12" benchtop model, I've been eyeing a 16" floor model...

g.

[RodKirby]

The first thing I go to for a project is the Table saw.

The second thing (usually) is the DP. ie what everyone is saying...