Advise on Craigslist find: Drill Press

pics would go a long way in helping to provide reasoned replies to this request for opinions.

-- there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

And how much are those 2 drill presses going for?

I would look at the depth stop feature. I like a depth stop that is quick and easy to set.
I have the Ridgid DP, and it has a unique depth stop that is easy to set.
Most DP’s were not made for woodworking, and will require an aftermarket / shop made table with fence.

I have more confidence in Jet tools than the Hitachi brand.

Good luck with your search!

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

Sorry about that guys, had to run out real quick. Here’s the listings. got a reply form the guy selling the hatachi and seen some pics (not very good ones), but it looks to be in great condition.

Hitachi B16RM listing $150

Jet JSL-14DP listing $125

-- Rob - Indianapolis IN - Learning... one mistake at a time...

I’m hoping that the Jet is still available, plus he has a few other tools from this line that he had listed at very good prices, including a dust collector that I will get if it’s still available.

-- Rob - Indianapolis IN - Learning... one mistake at a time...

Prices seem fair. If you’re going to move on one, inspect it in person and make sure everything runs smooth. I bought a drill press on Craigslist a while back. It’s a 12” bench top machine, and the seller lived an hour away, so he met me halfway from my place.

Turns out, the DP runs, but the power switch was really finicky, something the seller declined to mention. For a while, I’d have to jiggle the switch to find the right spot that would not only make the motor run, but stay running. And other times the vibration from starting to drill into a piece would knock the switch out of the sweet spot and the DP would shut down.

Now, the switch is totally busted and it actually can’t be turned off. So I just plug it in whenever I need it. I’ll bet that replacing a switch is relatively easy, but I’m rubbish with electronics so I haven’t bothered.

Anyway, the moral of the story is to inspect it while it’s actually running. Mine works, but in hindsight I obviously should’ve been more careful.

-- Brian Timmons - http://www.BigTWoodworks.com

BT, “move on one” is very, very similar to “pull the trigger”. You get a pass though…no boo, hiss.

-- Have fun and laugh alot. Life can end at any moment. You old guys out there know what I mean...

Is “get a pass” the same as a mulligan?

-- “While the world with closed eyes sleeps, The sky knows and weeps - steel rain. ” ― Nathan Bell

well the good thing with the Jet is that the guy selling it is selling everything in his shop, jointer, planer, dust collector, 2 table saws, band saw, etc. all Jet too. So I’m sure this a retired gentleman that is no longer able to use them any more or a maybe widower/relative selling off a loved ones things, so it’s probably all been taken care of.

-- Rob - Indianapolis IN - Learning... one mistake at a time...

I agree with go jet, especially if you have the means to start “packaging” stuff together. I have had good luck with that in the past.

-- Who is John Galt?

I can’t see where either one is bad. The Hitachi has a laser, which is cool. It is a pain to set up all the time, but if you are doing repetition, it is cool….I recently did a couple of very large cribbage boards and I added an after market laser and it was a huge help. I have an older Craftman with a bunch of modifications and it works great. So while the Hatichi is pretty, I bet you get a long time out of either one…
IMHO
Mike

The Hitachi is probably made in China while the Jet is made in Taiwan. If that’s the case, I would go with the Jet. Jet tools are regarded as top of the line for Asian tools.

Missed out on both. The seller finally responded to me last evening regarding the Jet to tell me it was sold, so I contacted the other seller and he had sold it yesterday morning.

...I hate Craigslist

-- Rob - Indianapolis IN - Learning... one mistake at a time...