Variable Speed Floor standing Pillar Drills

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I had my eye on the SIP F32-20 Floor Pillar Drill. What attracted me to it is the massive table, which I think will be really useful. Unfortunately, it doesn't have variable speed though :( (relies on changing pulleys). I've always told myself that my next drill must have variable speed as having used it in someone else's shop, ...it's such a game changer.

It seems like only the cheaper models, like the SIP 01535 Floor Variable Speed Drill Press have variable speed? Whats up with that?

Axminster don't even have any machines with variable speed (other than their engineering ones).

There are of course the Nova electronic variable speed drills, but they're out of my price range really.

Seems like variable speed on lathes (Reeves Drive) has been around for ages. Why is it still pretty uncommon with drill presses?
 
Torque...

Using a direct drive dosent give you the torque required for bigger jobs.

I suppose you could get a 3 phase drill and run it off a speed controller??
 
Torque...

Using a direct drive dosent give you the torque required for bigger jobs.

I suppose you could get a 3 phase drill and run it off a speed controller??
So true on both counts. An inverter is a perfect solution to general purpose variable speed drilling and then belt changing when extra torque is needed.
 
Torque...

Using a direct drive dosent give you the torque required for bigger jobs.

I suppose you could get a 3 phase drill and run it off a speed controller??

But the SIP one I linked to doesn't look to be a speed controller. But some kind of Reeves drive system like you see on the older/cheaper lathes.

Like this :

1649932818196.png
 
This has come up many times and I think the general view was that most of us rarely actually change the speed. If you do have to then on any of mine it's a 30 second job. As Jameshow says the problem with just changing motor speed is that you lose torque at the lower speeds, just where you most need it.
 
If it was easier to change speed, we should all do it much more often. 3mm pilot drilling metal 1800 - 2500 rpm is recommended depending on alloy or steel. Change to a 10 or 12mm bit and you might want to be as low as 400 and even less.
In wood, big Forstners need torque and flat bits if you have to resort to them need high speeds.
A back geared drill can be useful for switching between high and low ranges, but if you are dong your own VFD conversion and maybe a motor swap, then you have the option to fit a 4 or 6 pole motor for higher torque at low speed and program your VFD to go to (say) 100 Hz which will give you higher speed but at reduced torque which is a good match to the smaller drill biit.
This is a far better solution than fitting a 2 pole motor and just slowing it down as this reduces low speed torque just where you need it.
 
I have a few pillar drills and leave them on one speed.....
the general purp one, too slow for small drills and a bit to fast for the bigger stuff (I only drill steel plate etc)....but it does the job...
I'm too lazy to change the pulley/belt unless it a special or a big job....
 
I have a few pillar drills and leave them on one speed.....
the general purp one, too slow for small drills and a bit to fast for the bigger stuff (I only drill steel plate etc)....but it does the job...
I'm too lazy to change the pulley/belt unless it a special or a big job....
Same here, but I can see the point of you only have one drill and it has to do everything. I suppose it depends how much of a faff it is to swap belts. The only variable speed one I have is an old American toolkraft floor standing machine. Speed control from 100-2500 rpm, but has bigger all torque at low speeds. Otherwise I have a big old floor standing Sealey running at 200, and a large bench top one at 500. Also have one of the little Wickes ones which is at about 800, handy for little stuff.
 
For the money of that SIP one I would look for a geared head meddings, Kerry super 8, Grimston Electric or Elliott progress 2g. They've got gear levers on the side so it's much less faff to change speed.
 
Reeves drive isn't the same as gears. The ones I mentioned all have a back gear so you can slow them down. My grimston has two gears, so each speed (it's driven by pairs of changegears, not belts) can be split into 4.
 

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Reeves drive isn't the same as gears. The ones I mentioned all have a back gear so you can slow them down. My grimston has two gears, so each speed (it's driven by pairs of changegears, not belts) can be split into 4.

Ah. I see. Thanks for explaining
 

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