Pillar Drill and Sanding machine?

[mrbmcg]

Hi Guys

I'm looking to add a floor standing pillar drill and a Belt/Disc sander combo to my workshop.

I'm a bit skint since buying my last couple of bits of kit so I don't really want to go overboard on this.

So.........I was thumbing through the latest SIP offers catalogue and they have a radial floor standing machine http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/acatalog/Industrial_Workshop_Bench_Drills.html (SIP01363) which looks ok and certainly has a lot of features for £165.

Does anybody have this drill and any opinion of it? :?:

Also, they have a 10x6 belt disc combo http://www.worldofpower.co.uk/acatalog/SANDERS.html (SIP01331) for £218.

Again, anybody any opinions?

I know that these are cheapo tools, but they won't be used really hard in my workshop but I've had bad experience of not spending enough on tools and regretting it. Their table saw seems to get a decent review, I wondered about their other stuff?

Any alternatives in a similar price range?

 

[cambournepete]

Don't know about the pillar drill - I'd like a decent one myself, but for the sander try this Record Power currently on offer at £199 including stand. It was £192 at Yandles this weekend, so might be worth a trip to a RP demo day somewhere. It looks a very serious piece of kit.

This might be a stupid question, but why buy a belt/disc sander rather than, say, a hand-held random orbit sander? I'm not entirely sure why I'd want one.

 

[Adam]

Hi Guys

I'm looking to add a floor standing pillar drill and a Belt/Disc sander combo to my workshop.
?

If I was buying a pillar drill again, I'd find my local S/H machine stockists (probably metalworking) and pick up an old pillar drill. It'll be a fraction of the price, have a bigger motor, and be significantly better built.

E.g. G&M tools have pillar drills from £50 onwards. They look a bit ropey in the picture, but there are some nice machines to be had for a £100+

There must be something similar near you surely?

Adam

 

[Bean]

I picked up a second hand industrial Bench Drill, all cast iron but a bit grubby, now cleaned it works a treat. I just had to make a cover for the pullies and source some belts (washing Machine spares).

I have looked at the ones sold in the sheds and they are not even close on quality or price. As adam says it will pay you to look around for a second hand industrial on first. this will also hold true for your sanding equipment.

Bean

 

[Mdotflorida]

If I was buying a pillar drill again, I'd find my local S/H machine stockists (probably metalworking) and pick up an old pillar drill. It'll be a fraction of the price, have a bigger motor, and be significantly better built.

Adam

Adam

IIRC you haven't had your Scheppach radial drill long. As it's potentially on my Crimbo list, It was interesting to see you recommending going another route.

Are you not impressed with the Scheppach ?

Jeff

 

[Adam]

IIRC you haven't had your Scheppach radial drill long. As it's potentially on my Crimbo list, It was interesting to see you recommending going another route.

Are you not impressed with the Scheppach ?

Jeff

Couple of comments, having visited G&M recently, I became acutely aware I could have got something better for half the price. Their really is a lot of S/H drilling machines around it seems - why waste money? These are really heavyweight drills from an era when they were made to a very high standard - and will last forever.

The radial aspect of the drill had been superb - I really like moving the drill head forward and being "off" the table - it's much more versatile.

I have a nagging feeling it's not built as well as the rest of the Scheppach range, although I can't quite place what exactly it is I don't like. It has accomplished every task I have asked of it, without any protest, and in that respect I would reccomend it, but I just feel there is something more "flimsy" than drills I have used in the past. This may be a reflection on that fact its radial, rather than fixed head, until such time as I try another radial drill I'll not know.

Adam

 

[mrbmcg]

Don't know about the pillar drill - I'd like a decent one myself, but for the sander try this Record Power currently on offer at £199 including stand. It was £192 at Yandles this weekend, so might be worth a trip to a RP demo day somewhere. It looks a very serious piece of kit.

This might be a stupid question, but why buy a belt/disc sander rather than, say, a hand-held random orbit sander? I'm not entirely sure why I'd want one.

Cheers for the record tip. I just bought one £208 all in including shipping.

I already have a random orbit Metabo sander for finishing work, but I like a disc sander for cleaning up mitres and circle making etc and the round bit of the belt is reasonable for cleaning up inside curves and stuff. I guess I just got used to having one as I had use of a smaller one which a friend took back a while ago. I just seemed to head over to it several times a day for a quick touch up (oooh err!)

Not sure who might be in and around the Glasgow area for second hand machinery Adam. Will investigate though thanks.

 

[tim]

What sort of power is a good level?
A lot of the pillar drills seem to be 250W which seem a bit pokey to me esp for drilling cup hinges etc.

Also is it only Sheppach and the Axminster perform range that make radial drills? I haven't seen any others.

I liked the look of the heavier duty Axminster floor standing drill (not the Axminster Plus)at Tools but i'd like that quality/ power in a radial model. The Perform one looked pretty rough and noone could give me an answer as to why it was only their hobby range that had this set up. Has anyone any experience of the ax HD16FC?

Thanks

Tim

 

[Pete W]

A lot of the pillar drills seem to be 250W which seem a bit pokey to me esp for drilling cup hinges etc.

Being financially challenged this year, I bought the Axminster Perform drill with a 250W motor and find it perfectly adequate for everything I've done so far, including drilling for concealed hinges on a dozen cupboard doors.

I believe it's identical to the one revied here:
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/review/review.php?id=20
except I bought the taller model at £50-ish.

Recommended to anyone on a tight budget .

 

[tim]

Pete

Thanks for the info. Have you used it for 35mm holes? I do quite a few and I've got a crappy bench top drill that a mate had but it fades when any pressure is put on - I know thats 250W.
My concern is that since I do this fulltime i don't want to 'buy twice' hence the reason for waiting. I saw the drill at Tools and thought it looked good but its a bit rough around the edges and at the price you can't complain at all There seems to be lots of choices out there but all slightly different which makes it so difficult :?

Cheers

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

I must say i'm very pleased with my Nu- Tool piller drill, £150 and 750 w.
No complaints.
Andrew

 

[Chris Knight]

Tim,

I would second Adam's comments. Try and find a second-hand industrial drill at a dealers like G&M or Home and Workshop machinery - I guess there will be some in your neck of the woods somewhere.

I'd look for a Meddings or similar. The imports are OK for woodwork but only just in my view and the more precisely engineered things would be my choice if I was buying again.

 

[Pete W]

Have you used it for 35mm holes?

Yes, all my cupboard doors are mounted on 35mm hinges (using a forstner-style bit and template also bought from Axminster).

I certainly wouldn't advise you against some extra power, and if I was buying on a bigger budget one feature I'd be looking for is a rack-and-pinion adjust on the table.

I've read some people say they're one of those 'nice but not necessary' features, and that may be true when you're just moving the standard table. But if you add an extended table (mine's in melamine-faced chipboard) and a decent bit of work timber, it suddenly becomes a big weight to try and move by hand with any kind of precision.

 

[AndyBoyd]

I've got the same as this http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... 17&recno=4 but mine is branded by a German Company and not Perform. I replaced the stick on disk with stick on Velcro which also adds a nice cushion and it works a treat for 120euro or 99 quid from Axminster. That and my random orbit does all the sanding I need.

On the drill font as Woodworking is less demanding than metalworking(as the point of the wood work drill when it enters the wood stops the slight wobble on the cheap machines) to me a cheap new one or a low cost second hand one will last for years and give adequate service.

 

[Jake]

It's amazing how many times this gets said, and how it gets ignored every time.

Try and find a second-hand industrial drill

They are cheaper and much, much better! You will not get anything equivalent to something you could get for £100- £150 until you spend £750 upwards. Forget the shiny paintwork.

 

[tim]

This industrial drill thing - what specs do these have that are so much better?
I've never been too much of a fan of second hand stuff - I like to have warranties etc esp on big tools but I also don't want to ignore a bargain.
However I also don't want to have something that is far too big and overengineered for my needs. I'm thinking that even something like the Axminster HD16FC might be a bit OTT but I don't know.

Cheers

T

 

[Chris Knight]

Tim,

An industrial machine can come in many sizes - some even smaller than the imports we all tend to use these days. I like them for the fact that they are made with quality bearings, no run-out to speak of and built to last. I do a bit of metal work and my Nu-Tool drill is very borderline when it comes the the accuracy needed - I end up doing most of my drilling on my (metalworking) lathe when I can.

Some industrial pedestal drills have extra features but in most cases they are simple machines and you may indeed have to hunt to find one with a rack and pinion table.

If you buy from a reputable dealer they will stand behind a machine even if it is many years old.

If you do get an import, it is worth investing in a quality chuck - I use a Borman precision hand operated chuck on my drill and it was a huge improvement.

 

[Hans]

Also is it only Sheppach and the Axminster perform range that make radial drills? I haven't seen any others.

Yesterday I went to look at the Scheppach T16 X, with intention to buy. I made some 51 mm holes in beech without a problem. At the top of the drill I clocked a runout of about .80 mm, the chuck moved about .65 mm, the quill only .02 to .03 mm. I do not know if the chuck was mounted incorrectly, or if the chuck is below standard. I hoped the drill could be used horizontally, but I thought the way of locking cumbersome. I decided not to buy and am looking now to Jet, Optimum and Quantum drills. The Quantum offers some radial drills, but I have not seen them yet.

Hans

 

[Chris Knight]

Hans,

It was probably the chuck. A quality chuck can cost nearly as much as the entire drill so the manufacturers generally put rubbish chucks on. It is always worth replacing the standard chuck with a better one in my experience of two or three of these Far Eastern pillar drills.

Radial drills look very useful but often suffer from flex in the arms/fixings etc and may not deliver the accuracy you need.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Hans

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers
Neil