A popular Jet drill press

 

Drill Press Reviews is a web site set up to provide reviews on popular drill presses. Presently you will find drill press reviews on various delta, Ridgid and jet drill presses. Overtime we will add more reviews as models come to market.

If you are a qualified carpenter or tradesperson you will be familiar with the various types of drill press available and possibly what makes or models and at what price they can be purchased offline. However if your a weekend DIY enthusiast you may not be as familiar with the various types, functionality and prices.

So hopefully here at Drill Press Reviews at the least we can offer the professional drill press user a guide to specific model features and the best prices we found online and to the DIY enthusiast hopefully we can provide some more basic information in addition to features, prices etc.

Before browsing the site, maybe this is a good time to give the beginner DIY enthusiast a quick overview of the various types of press.

So if you are a professional user you may just want to skip on to read the various model drill press reviews.

Click on the individual review links below

• Delta dp300L
• Deltal 17-950L
•  Jet Drill Press
•  Ridgid Drill Press

 If you just want to go buy the product you can click these links 

• Delta dp300L
• Delta 17-950L
• Jet Drill Press
• Ridgid Drill Press

Drill Press Reviews – Types Drill presses come in two basic types:
1) The Free standing (stand alone) drilling presses
2) The bench top drill presses

More about each type:

The free standing (standalone) drill press
Generally, free standing models are heavier, more powerful (motors up to 4 horsepower and maybe more) can be used on drilling a wider range of materials and cost more.

The bench top drill press In general bench top drill presses as the name suggests are designed for use on a work bench and are lighter and more compact than the free standing models. The typical motors are in the 1 to 3 horse power range.

So it is probably fair to say that bench top models are for the lighter / smaller projects.No doubt somebody will argue the point with me but I am talking in general terms. Bench top drills tend to be cheaper than the floor mounted types.

I could continue here to discuss the sub categories of the above and talk about upright sensitive presses, radial arm drill presses and multi spindle drilling press but I think I will save that for another article.

In the meantime I hope the drill press reviews on this site will help you make a more informed choice before you buy.

Regards,
Drill Press Reviews

Ridgid Drill Press DP1550, 15-Inch

Available on Amazon for $349

The Rigid Drill Press DP1550 (15 inch) comes with a 1/2 HP totally enclosed fan cooled motor with heavy duty power to drill the hardest of materials
The DP 1550 is a heavy duty piece of kit with a cast iron base, table and heavy gauge tubular steel column.The table is user friendly and very versatile.

The left/right hub allows positioning of the crank handles on the left or right hand side of the head.The large capacity throat depth allows drilling to the center of 15 inch workpieces.The smooth rack and pinion table elevation, tilting table, quick release belt tension lever, built-in work lighting and chuck key storage are useful and practical features.

The belts are smooth, and the running motor is pleasantly quiet
When last checked the Rigid Drill Press DP1550  was available at Amazon with a 31% Discount. Also available was a free shipping option – Click this link to take advantage of this discount while it lasts!

If you decide to buy the supplied instruction manual is adequate and assembly is quick enough.

Given the weight of this equipment you might be well advised to have a second pair of hands ready to help with mounting and assembly of the Rigid drill press.

Key Features Include:

• 1/2 HP Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled Motor
• Heavy duty construction
• Easy-to-use woodworking table
• The Poly-V belt drive limits vibration and improves power transfer
• User-friendly handles and controls

All in all the Rigid DP1550 has all of the basic functionality and won’t blow the budget

One interesting point about the the built-in work light. Apparently, some DP1550 owners use standard lightbulbs on their drill press. These owners remove a fitting cap that enables fitting a standard bulb. Of course this may invalidate any warranties or guarantees.

“Here’s what one of the owners had to say about the Rigid DP1550″

Awesome Drill Press for the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,
Don’t hesitate, buy this Drill Press now in case they stop producing it or something!!!!
G. Wade

G. Wade awarded the Rigid Drill Press DP1550 Five Stars

Review excerpt – view the full review from G. Wade here

JET Drill Press – 354165 JDP-15M 3/4-HP 15-Inch Bench Drill Press

Available on Amazon for $399.99

The Jet Drill Press 354165 is a 15 inch bench drill press.This drill press is ideal when space is limited. The JDP-15M is veratile and cuts perfectly perpendicular holes. The 16 various speeds allow you for other non-drilling workshop tasks such as sanding, shaping mortising, routing, plating, and other such jobs. Configuring and reconfiguring the Jet JDP 15 is easy. The hinged metal belt and pulley cover gives you easy access for quick-adjustment for rapid spindle motor speed changes. 

When last viewed the Jet drill press 354165 JDP was available at Amazon with a 14% Discount. Also available was a free shipping option – Click this link to take advantage of this discount before withdrawn!

Assembly of this Jet Drill Press is easy but some assistance maybe required when fitting the head given its weight and the height of the column.

Great Features Include:

• Bench mount drill press with 16 speeds ranging from 200 to 3,630 RPM
• A rank-operated, rotating worktable tilts up to 45-Degree; full 10-by-13-Inch work surface
• 3/4 HP 115/230-Volt motor; 15-Inch swing; adjustable tension spindle return spring
• Includes 5/8-Inch drill chuck and key; built-in work-light (bulb not included)
• Measures 31-by-13-by-39-1/2-Inch (Length by Weight by Height); weighs 150-Pound

A very useful and practical feature on this Jet drill press is the dedicated work light, positioned inside the drill head behind the drill bit. The light takes standard medium base bulbs.The light is controlled by a rocker switch on the side of the drill head.The light canbe turn on or off independently of the the drill. The light provides good lighting from behind the bit – an area normally shadowed if you are only using ambient lighting within the workshop.In practice it means lining up your drilling work is much easier.
Speed changes and setting the depth stop is quick and easy.

“Here’s what one owner said about this Jet Drill Press”

“Probably the best bench top drill press…”
G Peterson

If you are in any doubt about purchasing the Jet JDP 15inch the full review by G Peterson is worth a read.

Review excerpt – view the full review here

(This Jet Drill Press was awarded 5 stars by G Peterson)

DELTA 17-950L 16.5-Inch TwinLaser

Available on Amazon for $399.99

The Delta 17-950L drill press has been designed with accuracy in mind.
The adjustable Twin Laser pod projects a bright laser cross hair down on to your work piece indicating the exact point of contact for your drill bit. This should make inaccurate hole placement a thing of the past. There is a large 14 x 18 inch cast iron table including T-slots, a removable insert, and the table can be tilted up to 45 degrees forward so you can make those challenging angular drills.

The integrated flexible light is useful and lights the work area well. The table is a good size and well finished. It can be raised and lowered to your preferred comfort level via the rack-and-pinion system. The Delta 17950L drill press itself uses a 5/8-inch chuck, and provides a 3-7/8-inch quill stroke. The Delta 17-950L drill features a 1/2 HP induction motor with 12 speeds ranging from 250 through to 3000 RPM. This makes the 17-950L suitable for drilling a variety of materials including wood, metal, and plastics.

The Delta 17950L drill runs smoothly with minimal vibrartion even at 3000 rpm

Assembly of the 17-950L is easy. Laser assembly is likewise straight forward and also easy to target.

When last checked the Delta 17-950L Drill Press was available at Amazon with a 46% Discount. Also available was a free shipping option – Click this link to take advantage of this discount while it lasts!

Something worth considering is adding a 4 inch vise, makes lifting the table a bit more difficult but can be a useful addition when working.

Great Features of the DElta 17950L include:

• Flexible lamp provides extra light to the work surface
• Adjustable-position, locking depth stop for accurate depth measurement and repetitive drilling
• Bright laser crosshairs clearly indicate the drill point
• 9v battery needed for crosshair lasers (battery not included)
• 14-inch by 18-inch woodworker-friendly table
• Allen wrenches and chuck removal tool are all included with your purchase but you will need a metric socket set or some wrenches to assemble.

“Here’s what one of the owners had to say about the Delta 17-950DPL”
(This statement alone probably says all that is needed to be said.)

“Great Drill Press”

“I looked at a lot of drill presses before buying this one, both free-standing and benchtop. I am definitely glad that I bought this one and I would highly recommend it to others…”

Mike M. (awarded five stars out of five)

Review Paraphrased due to space constraints – view the original review here

DELTA DP300L 12-Inch TwinLaser drill press

Available on Amazon for $179.25

The DELTA DP300L 12-Inch TwinLaser drill press is a useful piece of equipment for precision drilling. It boasts five adjustable speeds. The speed adjustment enables drilling of a variety of materials including plastics, woods, and metals.

Drilling height adjustment upwards and downwards is smooth on the rack and pinion table. Adjustable position locking makes for easy angle adjustment particularly when doing repetitive drilling jobs. Consistent drilling accuracy is achieved by the bright laser cross hairs.Included in the bundle is a useful 11 inch work table and a very handy flexible lamp for additional light on those awkward jobs.

When last checked the Delata DP300L was available at Amazon with a 48% Discount. Also available was a free shipping option – Click this link to take advantage of this discount while it lasts!

The Delta DP300L is certainly better than a hobby drill press but probably not quite as good as a professional “shop quality” drill press.

Having said that one must take in to account the price. The discounted price is significantly less than that expected of a professional “shop quality” drill press.

Features Highlights Include:

• A flexible lamp provides extra light to the work surface
• Durable, textured plastic, 11-inch diameter tray keeps tools within reach; swings out of the way when necessary
• Industrial induction motor for long-lasting, smooth performance
• Bright laser crosshairs clearly indicate the drill point
• Tilting table for angular drilling, with sides ledges and slots for fast clamping work
• Five speeds for drilling a wide variety of woods, plastics and metals

One item of note was the packaging, not the best but having said that the packaging will only wind up in the bin.

Here’s what one of the owners had to say about the Delta Dp300L

“Great Tool for the Price”

I give the Delta DP300L Drill Press 5 stars for what it offers in it’s class and for it’s functionality. Note it is not a floor standing drill press and it does not have 18 speeds so dont expect it to perform like a $500 drill press. But for the low cost(less than $200), compact size, ease of use, and low maintenance you will find it hard to beat.

Scott E.
Review Paraphrased due to space constraints – click here to view the original review here