Pillar drill choice

[RobertMP]

I want to get a pillar drill and have been looking around for a while.

When I was in business we bought used 'proper' brand drill presses over the years and whilst rugged there was always problems like something broken or stop that didn't work etc. The last one we had before closing the business was a Clarkes machine that was bought new and was better quality than expected. Floor standing and too big it went with the business.

With that in mind I'm not considering a used machine. Looking at bench mounted drill presses there seems to be one from Axminster that stands out. http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-ED16B-Pillar-Drill-33277.htm

It is an 'Engineers' press as opposed to a 'woodworkers' but seems a much higher spec for only £20 more than the 'wood' version http://www.axminster.co.uk/sessionID/FJW/product-Axminster-ND16B-Pillar-Drill-22811.htm
and it weighs a massive 82 kg compared to 45.

I'm a bit concerned it may be too massive but can anyone spot any other downside to choosing the 'engineers' drill press?

 

[RogerS]

I'm a bit concerned it may be too massive but can anyone spot any other downside to choosing the 'engineers' drill press?

How about 20mm less chuck travel than the other one?

 

[Scrums]

I've got the second one that you mentioned - in the floor standing variety, Though in a much earlier APTC blue - before they bought a job lot of white paint.

It drills holes, it drills holes at whatever angle you've set it to....the depth stop is good, the chuck's not bad, the motor's ok. The Rack and pinion is rubbish - but works ( Just) The tensioner for the belt pulley gave up long ago - and is now jammed in at a reasonable speed with a wedge of wood.

It drills holes and it's cheap.....what more can I say ?

Chris.

 

[RogerS]

You could also check out the Clarke range from MachineMart.

 

[RobertMP]

I'm a bit concerned it may be too massive but can anyone spot any other downside to choosing the 'engineers' drill press?

How about 20mm less chuck travel than the other one?

The engineers version has 80mm the wood one 60mm so it is the other way round.

also 550W motor v 250W and 16mm chuck v 13mm and keyed not keyless which I don't trust for higher power use.

Just can't work out why there isn't more of a price difference.

 

[RobertMP]

You could also check out the Clarke range from MachineMart.

I have been to the large local store. The cheaper ones look a bit nasty compared to the model we had at work.

I bought an Axminster belt+disc sander recently and was impressed at the value.

 

[MilkyBarKid]

If you get a chance chuck up a substantial bar of silver steel and wiggle it around. The last time I did this on an axminster drill - it was moving around all over the place, as was the scheppach and the SIP. The clarke didn't even need any silver steel in the chuck to feel the wobble!!.
MBK

 

[johnnyb]

ifail to see the point in using a drill with rubbish bearings what is the point?

 

[Scrit]

The obvious solution is to stump up the money and buy something like a Meddings which really are accurate - but the point is that you pay for accuracy. Ever wondered why you never see a cheap Chaiwanese drill press in an engineers shop? It's because they are nasty, sloppy, inaccurate machines and aren't a patch on a properly maintained older Ajax (who may these days be importing FE drills), Fobco (now no more, but probably the best), Pollard's of Leicester, Meddings or Elliott engineering drill (note I didn't say Startrite which were generally nasty, lightweight, under-engineered and prone to wear out too soon, IMHO). Even with older machines, though, you'll need to take your silver steel rod because everything wears out with time and (ab)use.

Scrit

 

[andycktm]

I've got the clarke floor standing drill and you know what its drills holes, but of course if ever bnf get on the line and ask me to drill some hole's for fuel rods for their reactor i'll upgrade :lol:

 

[Scrit]

The problem is that the Chiwanese ones are very variable - you can get good ones and bad ones, it's just that there appear to be a lot more nbad uns than good uns........

 

[RobertMP]

Well improved Chinese quality put me out of business so I may take a gamble and see if it can drill me a hole

If it really is 82 kg then getting it up on the bench could be fun!

Maybe I'll do a review when it turns up.

 

[andycktm]

The thing is if a shop is getting a drill for £25-00 and selling it for £150-00 you begin to understand why they get them from China.Ok so they may have to order 100 at a time but as long as they can sell 100.

 

[ivan]

Speaking personally, I'd not go for anything less than the 'light metalworking' spec.
I have one of Ax's (old blue colour) floor drills, similar to the current ND16F. This will drill up to about 10mm in mild steel without chatter, bigger requires much care. The drill itself is powerful enough but the table is too flexible and the cause of the problem for metal drilling. It handles wood adequately, including big forsteners etc. It is quite accurately made, but has rather too much clearance in the quill, the end of a 10mm bit can be wobbled side to side by about 0.5mm. (that's excess clearance, not run out) It has proved no problem with lip/spur bits for woodworking, but makes accurate metalwork tricky. I have a Tilgear keyless chuck which slips much less than the supplied 16mm keyed one.
I have had a look at the heavy duty range, which do seem to be better made and more robust - at a price, of course.

 

[beerbelly]

I was recently faced with exactly the same dilema and looked at a few of the cheaper new machines like JET, FOX etc but I've just managed to pick up a Fobco floor standing 240v model in superb condition for £150 on e bay. It is an absolutely fantastic bit of kit and far superior to the imported types. If I were you I would take your time and try to find something similar.

 

[RobertMP]

Meant to come back to this thread and post a follow up :roll:

I did buy the heavy Axminster beast and so far it seems pretty good value for money. I will do a review with pictures when I get a chance. Main thing about it is sheer mass! It really is that heavy! It came boxed on a pallet.

It has a decent depth stop on the left side not one of those rotation stops on the hand wheel thing, it came with a 16mm keyless chuck that goes down to 1mm and so far seems to grip well, table is substantial adjusts easy and locks solid and the tension release to slide the motor for speed change works well too.

No play with the spindle up, spindle down the full 80mm and there is a millimeter or so of sideways movement possible if you push on the chuck - but I don't see that as a problem.

So review and some pictures to follow...

I need a bigger workshop already and I still have more things to buy

 

[TonyW]

I have also been considering a pillar drill like RobertMP looked at the Axminster specs. I also came across another brand (photo in Collins Woodworker) named Warco. Found the site:
http://www.warco.co.uk/productimages/documents/Pg2.pdf. Just interested to know if any one has experience or opinions re this range/

EDIT. Sorry RoberMP missed the fact that you had made another post with details of your new purchase

Cheers
Tony