Which floor standing pillar drill?

[Trevanion]

I think my CVA Toolroom Lathe back when it was built in 1964 cost about £2000 which would've been about as much as you'd spend on an average house back then. I think I've got the paperwork for the lathe somewhere so I'll have a look.

It would be very interesting to know how much the pillar drills like the Meddings drill-tru cost new back then.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

1960ish my father was selling two bed bungalows for £999.

 

[AndyT]

Here are a couple of price points.
From Gregory and Sutcliffe of Huddersfield in 1969, the Fobco Star and Seven Eight machines - under £50 up to £136.

From Buck and Hickman in 1972, the Elliott larger model, equivalent to the bigger Fobcos:

 

[TFrench]

I found a brand new Alzmetall floor standing drill on ebay for 7200Eur. I think they're still european made, or if they're chinese its to a very high QC standard.
According to lathes.co.uk, my new-to-me Hardinge cost £1300 back in the 1950s - £44k today. That's the other thing with buying quality old kit - if you buy a decent old drill for £400, tomorrow it's still going to be worth £400. I wouldn't pay more than £75 for a used draper...

 

[DamoF]

Draper is just another badge for the standard chinese churned out tat. Search ebay for "floor standing drill" and tick the "used" tab. I just had a look and there are some absolute crackers on there for between £3-500, buy it now. Good ones are Meddings (or pacera - same thing), Union, Startrite, Pollard, Grimston - the list goes on.

Some crackers there for sure, a few single phase ones, only issue is I live in Glasgow so could be a very long drive to pick up. Thanks though, given the price of them it'd likely still be cheaper for me to buy one and pay fuel to pick up. Will check them all out and see what the power/max travel of each of them is

 

[DamoF]

There's one or two within potential range, I was wondering, a couple seem to be around the 300-500w power range, the newer ones I looked at are over 1kw, will these old machines at 370w really have the guts to cut deep forstner holes in hardwood?

Thanks

 

[DamoF]

Probably worth mentioning that it's not for a hobby or pastime, I'm a furniture maker and designer and it'll be used a lot in a busy workshop.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My Meddings is 370w, it'll do 16mm holes in steel no problem.

 

[DamoF]

My Meddings is 370w, it'll do 16mm holes in steel no problem.

Great, I think I've been getting too caught up in numbers...

 

[AndyT]

Looking at the Elliott, I see that the lowest speed is only 36 rpm. I would expect rather a lot of torque at that speed!
Is this sort of very low gearing something you only get on old professional kit?

 

[AJB Temple]

I have no idea what the power rating of my Fobco is, but at low speed and with lubrication it will do a 20mm hole in cast iron and steel without even noticing it. I had to grind the soft to fit the chuck though. These old machines were meant for factory applications. Takes a while to cut big holes in metal. In my case I need to make some brackets / straps for building ties that would take 20mm rod and bolts and I was quite amazed at how capable the drill was.

I expect the Axminster one will be fine if it is industrial rated.

 

[Bm101]

A new floor-standing Meddings is over £2000, and they don't make them as they used to either! :lol:

Just had a look on an inflation calculator... Assuming you paid £150 for a floor standing drill in 1969 the current equivalent would be £2114 and 65 pence.

They are about the same price!

 

[whiskywill]

A few Fobco drills at this auction. http://www.hjpugh.com/timbersales/290220catalogue.pdf
A bit far from Glasgow but on line bidding is available.

 

[DamoF]

Great advice guys, thanks. I've spotted a Kerry drill, are they known to anyone?

 

[TFrench]

Kerry is definitely a good make!

 

[Trevanion]

Great advice guys, thanks. I've spotted a Kerry drill, are they known to anyone?

Kerry's are very well regarded, just as good as any of the others!

Here's some info on them if you like to read:
Kerry Page 1
Kerry Page 2
Kerry Page 3

 

[DamoF]

So I've spotted these on ebay, anyone known if they're any good? Would open up a whole world of machines to me...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2759556647

 

[TFrench]

Lots of info on VFD's on here. Honestly though, if you think you might buy more 3 phase machines (and as you're a pro in a proper workshop you want better than hobby grade kit) I would look at a rotary phase converter. Had I known what direction my workshop would go when I bought my first VFD, I'd have bit the bullet and got a rotary converter. More expensive initially, but less than the 4 VFD's I have currently. Plus there's no messing around rewiring stuff and programming - you just plug in and off you go. I have got a small static converter as well which is great for smaller things like my drill and morticer but it's not powerful enough for the bandsaw or lathe.

 

[RogerS]

Have also been having a gander at the Draper, are they any good?

https://www.drapertools.com/product/950 ... ill-(1500W)

1500w seems like plenty power, 120mm travel, anyone k ow how accurate they are?

Massive thanks for all the help so far

Draper ? Good for curtains. Nowt much else

 

[DamoF]

So, there's potential for me to obtain one of these but I.m unsure as to the model and spec of it, does anyone know what kind of meddings it is and if it would stand up to professional use?

Massive thanks for all the help so far, I'm almost at the point of purchase having looked at every single used drill in the uk on ebay, gumtree and facebook...