Best drill press for £400-£500

[Nathan.J]

Good morning all,

Looking to add a floor standing drill press to the garage, as i've got a job coming that requires drilling 17mm holes into extruded aluminium box section, so a drill with T slots on the bench would be useful for mounting a vice.

Currently looking at Sealey, Clarke, SIP and possibly a possibly Axminster, but open to advice.

Previously had a bargain basement drill press and it was terrible- i could drill better holes freehand with my cordless drill! Hoping that anything within the budget i have will be a significant improvement on my previous drill.

I've spent the past few weeks looking at the second hand market, and while there are some tidy offerings within my budget from excellent makes, they are generally all 3 phase and the extra cost of VFD pushes things over budget.



Any suggestions please?

 

[Sideways]

Two suggestions.
For holes of that size in ally box section, get a starrett tungsten carbide tipped holesaw. That will romp through the job so you could do it with a cordless drill if need be. If a high degree of precision is needed in placing the holes, then a drill press still makes sense but don't even think of using a twist drill unless you need the length to go straight through two opposing sides of the box section in one go.
All depending on the task, a simple jig to place pilot holes at a constant distance from an edge might be worth it and then use the holesaw.

Floor standers with T slots - the smart money is usually on vintage drill presses as modern china made of whatever brand aren't terribly impressive.
Assuming you don't want to take the time and effort to go down this route, I'd suggest watching out for an old Jet drill press. I think Jet were better than most among modern drills but older Jet were better made than the ones being made now.

Just my opinion. I tried a "Bernardo" brand China made bench drill and got rid of it. My impression was that it was on par with / slightly better than Axminster trade. I'm going down the vintage route now but it takes time to restore those.

 

[Nathan.J]

Thanks for the feedback- very helpful.

In terms of the older drill presses, apart from slop in the quill, is there anything else to look out for when viewing?

 

[Sideways]

Runout most of all. Is the point of the drill bit staying in one place or the drill drawing circles like an egg beater.

Tired spindle bearings of course but these are not usually too difficult to replace.
Same for the motor bearings.
Just slacken the belt, turn the pulleys and spindle by hand and go by feel. Do the bearings feel smooth and greased or rough / dry / sloppy.

The quality and condition of the chuck affects runout. On a decent drill press, you will probably have a morse taper socket either MT2 or MT3. A top quality keyless chuck on a MT shank to fit this costs about £90 to £100 if the chuck is worn out or missing. Cheaper options maybe half that.

The condition of the MT socket is important for low runout of the drill bit too.

To remove the chuck you normally wind down the quill to expose a slot in the side, lock it extended if you can and tap a tapered "drift key" into the slot to pop the tapered shank out of the spindle. Have a hand or something below to catch the chuck when it drops.

 

[highwood122]

Good morning all,

Looking to add a floor standing drill press to the garage, as i've got a job coming that requires drilling 17mm holes into extruded aluminium box section, so a drill with T slots on the bench would be useful for mounting a vice.

Currently looking at Sealey, Clarke, SIP and possibly a possibly Axminster, but open to advice.

Previously had a bargain basement drill press and it was terrible- i could drill better holes freehand with my cordless drill! Hoping that anything within the budget i have will be a significant improvement on my previous drill.

I've spent the past few weeks looking at the second hand market, and while there are some tidy offerings within my budget from excellent makes, they are generally all 3 phase and the extra cost of VFD pushes things over budget.



Any suggestions please?

hole saws not very accurate for size, rota broach set up better and much quicker,

 

[Nathan.J]

hole saws not very accurate for size, rota broach set up better and much quicker,

is it possible to obtain rotabroach type cutters to run in a conventional drill press? I've only seen them advertised for mag drills?

 

[Nathan.J]

is it possible to obtain rotabroach type cutters to run in a conventional drill press? I've only seen them advertised for mag drills?

Looks like morse taper arbors are available?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Keep an eye on F.B. Marketplace, Gumtree and https://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/
good ones do show up occasionally. There was a Rexon one locally on FBM for £50 a week or two ago - Rexon is reasonable quality. Ebay can be good if you find something locally as the weight goes against their being transported and affects the price.

 

[Nathan.J]

Keep an eye on F.B. Marketplace, Gumtree and https://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/
good ones do show up occasionally. There was a Rexon one locally on FBM for £50 a week or two ago - Rexon is reasonable quality. Ebay can be good if you find something locally as the weight goes against their being transported and affects the price.

Thanks Phil. Looks like i might have found an old "Union" drill press in good visible condition for the bottom end of my budget. Just trying to get hold of the vendor...

 

[Sideways]

hole saws not very accurate for size, rota broach set up better and much quicker,

You aren't familar with the TCT ones. They are as precise as rotabroach cutters and don't need a special spindle to hold them.
Also probably cheaper.

This style of cutter is also available from CK, Armeg, and others; even Rotabroach sell this style, and Bosch do a quick change version with a large hex shank arbor and interchangeable cutters though that costs more to get into.

 

[ChaiLatte]

is it possible to obtain rotabroach type cutters to run in a conventional drill press?

You can buy an adaptor that allows you to hold an annular cutter in a standard 1/2" Jacobs chuck:

https://toolingsuperstore.co.uk/products/1-2-cutter-adaptor

It will be a little less accurate than the Morse taper-shank annular cutter holder.

 

[ChaiLatte]

You aren't familar with the TCT ones. They are as precise as rotabroach cutters

In a very strict sense, the comment about precision cannot be true. Look at the end of the cutter that is held in the drill chuck. It is forged, not machined. Compare to how an annular cutter is made: fully ground and held in a machined socket. The practical difference between the two is not worth worrying about but it is better not to say things that are not true.

We should note that the cutter you show has a limited depth capability (see the 1/2" measurement written on the box). Given that the OP wants to drill box section, that could limit his options of material or require him to turn it over and drill two holes, one from each side.

If you have one in your possession, please asssess whether the cylindrical bit above the Starrett writing might easily be turned down in diameter so it is slightly smaller than the diameter swept by the teeth. That would enable it to go into the box section and out the other side.

Drilling box section as an exercise can be tricky: once you go through the first wall, what happens to the slug of material? It will either fall downwards onto the 'second front' and cause problems or get pushed up inside the cutter.

With an annular cutter, that would not be too much of a problem but the Starrett cutter seems to have a stated thickness capacity of 5mm. You'd have to check that the cutter could accommodate two thicknesses of material before starting and make a plan if it could not.

 

[deema]

I’d take a look for a small mill. Basic machines that are a small step up from a drill can be got for your budget secondhand. Fit irony not much larger. You will then have a lot more capability than just drilling!!! It’s a rabbit hole beware…

 

[Nathan.J]

Thank for the feedback. The box section i'm looking to drill isn't quite straightforward box, but the broach/ hole saw cutters would be significantly easier and less likely to wander than a conventional drill bit:

 

[Nathan.J]

I’d take a look for a small mill. Basic machines that are a small step up from a drill can be got for your budget secondhand. Fit irony not much larger. You will then have a lot more capability than just drilling!!! It’s a rabbit hole beware…

I'm really trying to avoid that for obvious reasons!

 

[Sideways]

In a very strict sense, the comment about precision cannot be true. Look at the end of the cutter that is held in the drill chuck. It is forged...

You're entirely correct. The rotabroach must have the edge as you point out so, fairly said.
In practice I think there will be little in it. These TCT holesaws do cut a far better hole than the traditional type and the pilot drill and simple shank do make them easy to use.

(Answered, thanks) It would be useful to know what precision the OP needs, whether they need to drill through two sides in one pass, the dimensions and wall thickness of the aluminium, etc.
Magnetic and pillar drills both have limits to their travel which may make drill through impractical depending on the section.

I have a few of these cutters. My originals are Korean and better than the Starretts but I think they all have a depth limitation because they are really intended for cutting holes in sheet and the stop is actually a useful feature. It would be easy to machine the lip off if you have access to a lathe, but not so easy without.

 

[Nathan.J]

You're entirely correct. The rotabroach must have the edge as you point out so, fairly said.
In practice I think there will be little in it. These TCT holesaws do cut a far better hole than the traditional type and the pilot drill and simple shank do make them easy to use.

(Answered, thanks) It would be useful to know what precision the OP needs, whether they need to drill through two sides in one pass, the dimensions and wall thickness of the aluminium, etc.
Magnetic and pillar drills both have limits to their travel which may make drill through impractical depending on the section.

I have a few of these cutters. My originals are Korean and better than the Starretts but I think they all have a depth limitation because they are really intended for cutting holes in sheet and the stop is actually a useful feature. It would be easy to machine the lip off if you have access to a lathe, but not so easy without.

Ideally i'd like to drill through in one pass. The image in post #14 shows the section profile that i'll be drilling through.

In terms of accuracy, i think there is some movement, essentially the hole will take a "half round" pin that will alllow 2 pieces of extrusion to be mounted at 90 degrees to each other:

The pin that requires the 17mm hole, is circled in yellow in the above image, and looking at the above fixing, it should accommodate a bit of movement. That said personal pride means i want to get this as close to spot on as possible, especially at this is a for a prototype for new business venture.

 

[imageel]

I'd second the recommendation for Starrett carbide tipped hole saws, albeit I can't remember where I bought mine which are way deeper than those e.g. available from RS.
I was using them in a stand mounted drill - a Record DMS26 cast mortice stand and Metabo EDV1000 metal gearbox variable speed drill to drill solid Stainless 22mm bar for a bespoke overhead pot and pan hanger.
Their deep range of cutters have shanks just under the carbide dia so drilling 45mm depth in one pass ought to be possible -
https://www.starrett.co.uk/products...e-holesaw-accessories/ctd-tct-deep-cut/ctd17/
As long as you have a rigid stand and a machine vice to clamp the workpiece you should be good to go

 

[ChaiLatte]

Their deep range of cutters...

As long as you have a rigid stand and a machine vice to clamp the workpiece...

Thanks for showing those. I did not know they existed and it is another tool to keep on the watchlist for special occasions.

Can I please reinforce your comment about the need or rigidity. Now the OP has shown what he wants to drill, it will be very important to hold it securely.

 

[Sideways]

Their deep range of cutters have shanks just under the carbide dia so drilling 45mm depth in one pass ought to be possible -
https://www.starrett.co.uk/products...e-holesaw-accessories/ctd-tct-deep-cut/ctd17/

Thanks from me too. There's another brand that do a deep hole TCT holesaw but those are in the £50 + bracket and I hadn't seen the Starrett version of these before either. Much more affordable