New Drill press advice please

[JWD]

Hi all,

I'm going to upgrade my drill press for xmas and was hoping for some advice. I'd like to use it straight away so don't really want to bother waiting with ebay.

Has anyone recently bought a mid range drill press (£3-400) and would recommend it? im thinking maybe axi trade or something like that?

cheers
Joe

 

[bourbon]

Bench or Pillar? Do you have for a radial?

 

[Mark A]

I have an Axminster AT2801DP which cost £360 three years ago. It's a step up from the cheapest drills available, but I don't think it's worth what I paid.

You said you would prefer to buy a drill outright than wait for eBay, but in all honesty there's no comparison between the modern tat and a nice old Fobco or Startrite in decent condition, which would be within your budget.

 

[Distinterior]

I picked up a really nice Startrite Mercury Pillar drill off Gumtree a couple of weeks back,....only about 30 miles from home. They do come up every now and then in good condition and for a reasonable price! I paid £230 for mine and I'm well pleased with it...

 

[graduate_owner]

Hi,
I upgraded from a ghastly Nutool bench drill to an Axminster floor standing model, it was on special offer at £200 instead of £275. It's a hobby rated one, model AH 2003fdp ( probably discontinued, hence the discount) and there is definitely play in the quill especially when extended, but it is far and away better than Nutool. I find the run out quite acceptable for woodworking purposes. For £200 I think it was OK, but I wouldn't want to pay full price.
I think if you want metal working accuracy then a hobby rated press will not be adequate. You will need to spend at least £400 for a trade rated one though.

I had been looking for a used Startrite, Fobco or similar but there was nothing available in my area, plus I had Axminster vouchers to spend.

K

 

[Distinterior]

I bought the Startrite to replace a Titan pillar drill that I bought from Screwfix a few years ago.......the difference in quality and accuracy is like chalk and cheese.....!! The amount of play in the quill on the Titan at full depth is awful. No amount of fettling could improve it.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I got an 3 phase Elliott Progress No1 floorstander a few years ago for 90 pounds of that ebay. 75 pounds for an inverter. It is likely older than me, but is smoother and more precise than anything I have seen new below 1000. And it now has infinitely variable speed. I can understand the need for a drill sooner rather than later, but waiting will save money and buy better.

Mike.

 

[memzey]

I got my single phase Fobco Star a couple of years ago for about £50. My dti only goes down to .0005” but it can’t detect any appreciable wobble (will pick up specs of dust on the bit I’m testing with though). Bargains are there to be had but you might need to be patient. You said you wanted something now and that is the trade off I’m afraid. I doubt I could get anything as good as the Star for less than a couple of grand.

 

[cutting42]

I have just upgraded to a second hand slightly earlier version of this one http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... ill-101927

It is great and a massive upgrade from my noname chiawanese bench top pillar drill. It is well worth the money for a new £300 pillar drill. An older eBay Meddings or Startrite would clearly be better long term value but you never quite know what you are getting.

 

[Droogs]

have a look at some of the refurbishing companies like this:
https://www.wilkinsonmachinery.com/meta ... g-machines

http://www.amadeal.co.uk/acatalog/Drill ... ml#SID=188

or sites like this
http://www.machineryclassified.co.uk/us ... 635/677610

 

[dtecting]

Must admit i got the titan but was able to take the worse of the play out the quill .Out of the box it was terrible but a bit of fettling sorted it out.
most of it was adjustment screw they fit it's larger than the quill guide its supposed to fit

 

[deema]

I’ve owned three drills, a modern drill, a Startrite Mercury and now a Meddings Mk 4. The single thing they all had in common was that they cost less than £200. The first was new and the other two secondhand off an auction site.

With each new acquisition I had a marked improvement in quil run out and overall drill accuracy. Of the three, the Meddings is head and shoulders above the rest. The Meddings company are extremely helpful even for the old drills for which they don’t keep parts anymore. My only regret is not having sort out a secondhand Meddings first time around.

Most of the older drill such as Fobco etc are all extremely good quality highly accurate drills. If you switch it in and it runs and you know how to check for run out on the quill you can’t really buy a dud.

The tables can be easily filled where a stray drill bit has made it look like a piece of cheese by melting solder / lead into the holes and sanding flat. Easy, cheap and far more effective than epoxy filler etc. After a few months the colour of solder / lead almost matches the cast iron.

 

[DTR]

The tables can be easily filled where a stray drill bit has made it look like a piece of cheese by melting solder / lead into the holes and sanding flat. Easy, cheap and far more effective than epoxy filler etc. After a few months the colour of solder / lead almost matches the cast iron.

Interesting tip, thanks. My Walker Turner must have had a traumatic existence under one of its former custodians. I've often thought about redressing the balance. Do give the cast iron any treatment first? Use flux etc?

My BCA could do with some treatment too, it looks like the surface of the moon. I'm reluctant to sand the table back though because keeping it flat is rather important.