Tool review: Floor-standing Drill Presses
We test 8 workhorse models and give you the lowdown on which to buy.
- • Floor-standing Drill Presses
- • Top two qualities in a drill press
- • Three more that matter
- • 4. WOODWORKER-FRIENDLY TABLES.
- • You can't go wrong with either of these machines
Floor-standing Drill Presses
Like a great character actor, a drill press doesn't enjoy the glamour or glory of a tablesaw or router, but it often still plays a critical -- and often underappreciated -- role in building projects. That's especially true when it comes to drilling precisely angled holes or multiple holes to the same depth.
For most routine drilling duties, a benchtop model packs sufficient capacity and power. (See our review of these models in the November 2007 issue.) But for the most demanding tasks, such as boring deep mortises, plowing a 3" Forstner bit into hardwoods, or drilling into the end of a long workpiece (think: lamp), you'll want to step up to a floor-standing drill press. To help you get the most for your money, we shop-tested models in the 16-18" class. (That figure refers to "swing" capacity -- the maximum width of workpiece into which you can drill to the center -- measured by doubling the distance from the front of the support column to the center of the chuck.)
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