# Harbor Freight Drill press for a newbie?



## huyz (Jan 16, 2016)

Hey all, I'm looking for a drill press, but don't want to sink a ton of money into it. Woodworking is getting expensive!

Looking at this cheap drill press from HF: http://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-5-speed-bench-drill-press-60238.html

I don't see many other options under the $100 range. Most are $200-300ish for entry level.

Right now I just need to drill a hole for zero clearance inserts, a router table plate, and to make some more jigs. Mostly I'll be making furniture for the house.

Have you guys discovered you need a higher max height? What does a higher priced press get you in terms of quality?

Thanks!


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## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

I started out with one of those HF 8 inch drillpresses, i got it for $50 with coupons, couldn't say no…
I ended up returning it. Way too much runout in the spindle, and the quill didn't move freely or smoothly.

For the money your'e willing to spend, I think you'll have better luck with a 10 inch Craftsman. Not the best, but for a little over $100 it's a pretty good little drill press. It's what i have now, and so far it's done everything i've asked of it. But if i had the money or need for something better, i would definitely replace it. I'm not sure, but with a few subtle differences I think Harbor Freight's 10 inch Drill press might be the same machine as the Craftsman….

You should also look at your local Craigslist, you never know what you might find. If you can get your hands on a vintage american made Craftsman, Buffallo, Delta, or Atlas machine, it would be way better than any cheap drill press you'll find commercially.

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-in-12-speed-bench-drill-press-60237.html

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-10inch-bench-drill-press-with-laser/p-00934983000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&gclid=CjwKEAiAjfq2BRDpmdHmssaW5xsSJABToP4lofqhGHKg6n3lxokbvf3UvX1EHTsDceTJLY8tGuIEXxoC09Lw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds



















You should also look at your local Craigslist, you never know what you might find. If you can get your hands on a vintage american made Craftsman, Buffallo, Delta, or Atlas machine, it would be way better than any cheap drill press you'll find commercially.


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## Joel_B (Aug 14, 2014)

Craigslist


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## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

You might also want to consider the Skil 10 inch drill press. It's a barebones machine that gets good overall reviews, and it's less than $120! But, if you want a little bit bigger machine, and your'e willing to spend a little more money, you can get a WEN 12" Benchtop or 15" Floor drill press for $237.26 and $399 (+$79 S&H) respectively from Walmart.com.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Skil-10-in-Drill-Press-with-Laser-3320-01/204504289?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D25T-PowerTools-SKU%7c&gclid=CjwKEAiAjfq2BRDpmdHmssaW5xsSJABToP4l1MvlLWKgxw9z8hMfInVgArssKWHqEXWLK-XI732O3BoCUmjw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

http://www.walmart.com/ip/WEN-8.6A-Variable-Speed-Floor-Standing-Drill-Press-15/43310327?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=43310327&placement_id=irs-106-t1&strategy=PWVAV&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=5dd69e6f-38b2-4c4e-a425-bfb59cbd0e1a&customer_id_enc&config_id=106&parent_item_id=39386432&parent_anchor_item_id=39386432&guid=72c60c22-ff42-4ca4-ba28-f6cadeef4831&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n


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## huyz (Jan 16, 2016)

Those two options look decent. I could try Craigslist and have them cut a sample piece. What would you look out for/inspect on old presses? Belts? Wobble?


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## Clarkie (May 11, 2013)

Take your time and do as suggested, watch CL and sooner or later there will be an older American model for sale under a hundred. I just got one for my shop and it was under the 100 price mark, so they are out there. Have fun, make some dust.


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## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

> Those two options look decent. I could try Craigslist and have them cut a sample piece. What would you look out for/inspect on old presses? Belts? Wobble?
> 
> - huyz


Belts are easily replaceable, so are bearings. If it vibrates a little or squeals, it's probably the old belt that has a set in it or bearings that need replacing, i would'nt consider those reasons for not buying one.

Make sure it hasn't any serious runout or "wobble", and that the quill has no play in it. Extend the quill all the way down, and try and budge it back and forth, looking for any movement. Depending on the machine, it may be an easy fix, a matter of tightening some nuts and bolts. Take some pictures of any machine your'e considering, and post them here. Usually someone will be able to tell you everything you ned to know.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

I have the 12 speed HF press. Honestly, save your money. Buy something old for $100-200 that's floor standing if you can.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I got the HF 13" x 16 speed and really like it.
Has a 3/4HP motor. Can get down to 200 RPM.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

I have the benchtop Skil for two years of steady use and it has been a great little tool. I've maxed it out with a 3" forstner! There is little wobble and it runs quiet and smooth. I think I paid $115 or so.









M


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Been using the H-F one for a few years now. "wobble" went away, after I put the chuck on the correct way.









$70 out the door at the time.  The vise? was a $5 Yard Sale find.


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## SignWave (Feb 2, 2010)

I have the craftsman variant, and every time I use it, I'm reminded of the limited stroke length (2" in this case). The one I have is slightly better than not having one, but just barely. A replacement is definitely on my list.


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## Rayne (Mar 9, 2014)

Definitely CL. I got my Ridgid 15" Drill Press for $125. No wobble, perfect quill travel. I've since built a DP Table and a cabinet for it.


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## DirtyMike (Dec 6, 2015)

I would advise against the 8 and 10 inch harbor freight drill presses. the amount of run out on both units was unacceptable , even after some polishing. good luck


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## bbasiaga (Dec 8, 2012)

I guess I must have gotten lucky, because my 8" HF benchtop was one of the best tools I have ever had. I used it until it just finally wore out. The job that killed it was drilling holes in stainless steel. I didn't have a low enough speed for proper cutting, and it bound a few times. The chuck popped off the taper like its supposed to, but eventually it wouldn't stay on there any more. I cried the day I buried it. 

I don't know what they cost these days, but at $50 -70 they are a great value I think. Except with my planer, which I had gotten a GREAT deal on, I've always started with value tools to save money.

-Brian


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## huyz (Jan 16, 2016)

What do you do with the Horsepower you have? And what would you do if you had more?
And the height too.. wondering 8" will be fine, or bench top vs a standing one.

Thanks guys. I have a Craigslist alert setup.


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## MinnesotaSteve (Dec 17, 2015)

I actually just bought the Craftsman 10", although I haven't taken it out of the box yet.

I have to say… Sears likes to play pricing games. Every day I'd check the price had changed. I ended up signing up for their shopyourway member program, and then one day I got this note that I'd received surprise dollars. So I ended up getting it for like $118.

I looked at it in the store and I thought it seemed decent, I'm hoping to put it together tonight.


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## bbasiaga (Dec 8, 2012)

Just like a bandsaw, the drill press has a reach, and a height adjustment. Bigger drill presses will have more distance between the quill and column, allowing bigger pieces to fit. Taller drill presses will have more room between the quill and the base, which allow taller projects to fit.

No matter how big your drill press (or bandsaw) there will always be a project bigger than your machine. 

So look ahead to what you think you'll be doing. If you think you're going to work on a lot of tall stuff, get a floor standing. If you think you're going to have to reach deeper in to a sheet or panel, then get one with the most available reach.

Brian


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## CB_Cohick (Dec 22, 2014)

I have the little 8" HF drill press. It is cheap, and small, and it makes holes in things that are straight and where I want them. I will probably get a nice floor mounted DP someday, but this one is working fine for me now.


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## bellstone (Mar 10, 2016)

You need Diamond Drill machine for your home furniture purpose you can used this drill machine as you want and its also give you zero clearance inserts, a router table plate, and to make some more jigs. Mostly I'll be making furniture for the house.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Why use a Concrete Core drill? I used those all the time, drilling holes through a slab floor, to install guard posts or guard rails. Sometimes, we used the ones with a Magnetic base. Not all red/gray iron came pre-drilled, we'd need an extra hole to add "clips" to the beams.

been using my Central machinery $70, 5 speed drill press for a lot of years now. no issues. Still have the original belt, too. Have seen the need for that much over-kill.


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## huyz (Jan 16, 2016)

Thanks everyone.

I must ask-are American made drill presses that much better quality? And are they ALL better than non-American? This Craigslist waiting game isn't turning up much stuff so far.

Those suggested Skil and Craftsman drill presses have a spindle travel of 2.5", .5" better than the Harbor Freight, also 2" taller as well. How often do you guys actually drill something past 2"? For one-off uses, can you just move the table up to drill deeper?


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## SignWave (Feb 2, 2010)

I hit the 2" limit every time I try to drill (slimline) pen blanks on the drill press. I have to drill half way, add a spacer, then finish the cut. Notice on the HF model in the original post that there's no crank for the table, either, so adjusting the table is not only a pain, but it's hard to move it straight up or down. The Skil one that MadMark showed has the crank, so adjusting the table straight up/down is more feasible.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> I guess I must have gotten lucky, because my 8" HF benchtop was one of the best tools I have ever had. I used it until it just finally wore out. The job that killed it was drilling holes in stainless steel. I didn t have a low enough speed for proper cutting, and it bound a few times. The chuck popped off the taper like its supposed to, but eventually it wouldn t stay on there any more. I cried the day I buried it.
> 
> I don t know what they cost these days, but at $50 -70 they are a great value I think. Except with my planer, which I had gotten a GREAT deal on, I ve always started with value tools to save money.
> 
> -Brian- bbasiaga


Yeah, you got your money's worth alright. :-D)) Now, me, I have 3 of those $15 4" grinders, one with a cut off blade, one a wire brush, one a grinding wheel. 5 years later (admittedly intermittent but intense use) the switch finally when bad on one of them. So do I throw it in the trash and buy another one or spend $80 on a DeWalt I'll use 10 times a year?

It really bothers me and goes against my grain to buy cheap tools knowing I'll just toss them.

I've quit doing that.

My advice is do it once/do it right. Save your money, buy a drill press that will last you 20 years, not fall apart the first time you ask it to really do something.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

I have the 8" HF drill press and have found that it certainly beats hand drilling. Not having a proper table height adjustment is the 2nd most annoying thing about it. The most annoying thing is that when the quill is extended it will move at least 1/32" in any direction. I'm being kind. It may be 1/16". Still, most of the time, the hole goes where I want it to.

Here's some examples of how I have used it.
http://lumberjocks.com/Ocelot/blog/38701

-Paul


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

The 2 1/16" stroke limit was one of my main problems with the smaller HF drill.
The 12" with 16 speeds has a 3 1/4" stroke.
It's just a much bigger machine. Weighs more, longer stroke and almost 16" working space between the chuck and table for the bench top version. Overall height is 41".
I took the 8", 12 speed press and made a morticing machine out of it.


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## kathy50 (Mar 3, 2018)

Easy to assemble and operates as advertised. Construction of unit isn't of highest quality.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I'd look elsewhere. It doesn't have a rack and pinion to raise or lower the table. That is something that you will need to do almost every time you use it. I wouldn't own a drill press with out it.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Just buy 10 of them, try 'em, send 9 back 'cause it has the least amount of runout.
Bill


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Been using mine for a LONG time….$70 out the door. All it really needed was a set screw in the pulley for the quill…Once the chuck was installed correctly, have not had any problems.

I don't change the table's height often enough to need a crank to do such an easy job. IF you can add a vise to the table…go for it.


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