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Craftsman 12" drill press
I recently have been shopping for a bench drill press and after comparing a few I went with the Craftsman 12" on sale for 169.00 with club card. After using it a few times I'm actually impressed with the quality. Chuck is straight and the electronic depth is great. You can zero it to the work piece and measure as needed. The light and laser are ok at best but not a huge factor for me. I compared the delta at similar price and found the depth guage a little too difficult to use accurately from the display. I'm not a big Craftsman fan but they seem to have done a good job on this model for the money. If you are looking for a budget press give this one a look. Any comments welcome I just thought I would share my impressions.
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I thought the HF drill press was the budget model?
sparkeyjames -
no offense, but craftsman has so many models changing all the time, made by different manufacturers for them, unless you put down a model number it's impossible to compare. Better yet, put a link to the specifications page at www.sears.com
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
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Thanks. Again, this is not your fault, but that is a sorry spec (the spec, not the DP).
Doesn't list some key features like
table size, Chuck size, Stroke, and actual speeds, & HP.
It does however give real useful info like
On/off control: Switch
There's no manufacturer's page with this info so the sears retail page is as good as it gets.
OTOH, a pretty much direct competitor is the Delta Shopmaster DP300L (5-speed, 12", laser guide with light)
discussed in another thread at $127 and I'm quite sorry to say the Amazon page gives about the same info (or lack therof)
e.g. no table size, stroke, no speeds, no power. At least they do say it has a 1/2" chuck.
BUT, I have no idea how you turn it on and off since they don't list the on/off control type (screaming sarcasm).
There's more info on the Delta page http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=136&p=6120
they do list the stroke (2-3/8"), speed range (620-3100), dimensions, but not HP.Last edited by LCHIEN; 04-03-2007, 08:02 AM.Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
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Alex,
Glad you had a good drill buying experience.
Had occasion to stop by Sears tonight so I took a look at this drill I think the basic drill is pretty nice. It's 1/3 HP and appears to be a substantial piece of metal. The swivel handle is very nice, the drill appears to have an interchangable arbor, and the table is a good size. I didn't think to measure the quill travel but I'd guess it's in the 2 to 3 inch range which seems to be pretty standard for drills this size.
On the bad side the light is clearly some kind of joke and the laser assembly was broken which jives with the reviews (ie fine 'til it breaks which it does) - These things are not that essential but why do they even bother? Also its now $199.
They didn't have the fence out so I don't know what that is like. Looks fairly minimal from the picture.
I was possibly considering this drill before the Lowes DP300L deal came up but the thing that bothered me about is was the thing you like - the digital depth readout - seems like the sort of thing that may fail way before the rest of the drill and be a hard part to fix. On the other hand I agree the depth setting mechanism on the Delta could be easier to use. In either case it's possible to create a home made substitute should the need and inclination arise so probably my reaction is irrational and you will be enjoying digital depth readouts for many years to come
Bottom line I think the basic 21914 drill is a better design than the DP300L but the Delta is a better thought out package - the work-light, laser and "Dr. Suess" work table are actually useful. At $125 vs $170 on sale I think the Delta has it but at the regular price $180+ for the Delta vs $200 for the Craftsman, the Craftsman may be worth the difference.
Tools in this price range are very prone to quality problems (as I just experienced) so in the end happiness depends on the particular unit you happen to get.
Happy drilling.
TimComment
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