Today, we’re continuing the 2 Minute Tool Review series with a very affordable and quality tool… the 8″ Central Machinery Bench Drill Press. First, let’s go over some of the technical details of the tool.
It features a 5 speed, 120 VAC motor that has RPM speeds of: 760, 1150, 1630, 2180 and 3070 throughout the gears. The table for stock has an adjustable height up to 8″ and can title 45 degrees left and right. The chuck capacity rages between 1/16″ and 1/2″. It also comes equipped with a flexible work light with a 15W bulb. The current price for this particular drill press on the Harbor Freight website is $69.00.
Here’s a link to the drill press on the Harbor Freight website: http://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-5-speed-bench-drill-press-60238.html
Now to what I like and don’t like about this tool:
What I like:
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Price: You can’t beat the price. $70 for a drill press is pretty uncommon. WEN has an 8″ drill press on the Home Depot site for the exact same price, but my personal experience with WEN products has made me wary of this drill pres. Other than that, the next closest in price of the major brands would be the Ryobi 10″ Drill Press and it retails from $129.99.
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Power: I’ve been impressed with this drill press. I’ve cut through all types of hardwoods, including Purple Heart with ease.
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Ease of use: Adjusting the speed and bit in the chuck is simple. To change the belts on the spindles you simple look a few bolts on the motor mount and then change the belt out. To change out bits, you use the provided chuck key and replace away. It’s also simple to adjust the height of the stock platform. There’s a small lever and bolt on the back of the platform and move it to where you need.
What I don’t like:
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The platform tilt mechanism is difficult to adjust when the platform is at it’s lower settings. That is because the tilt mechanism works off a bolt and nut system, without a lever. So you have to use a wrench or socket to loosen the bolt to tilt the platform. Not a huge deal, but can be annoying.
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Another thing that I’m not a fan of is the work light. Although its a great feature, the problem is that they light is underpowered. That may be a quick fix by changing out the bulb, but it’s still fairly weak in my opinion. Not a deal breaker though.
