I am looking for a heavier drill press than the typical Chinese fair. I see these Clausing variable speed drill presses on Ebay often and relatively cloce to home. Are these good drill presses? Any thing to be aware off. It will get used for light home shop use.
Simular to this,
Karl
I have seen them as low as $750, and up to, well the sky is the limit! If I can grab one for under $1000, and reasonably local I may buy it. I just wanted to know opinions on the quality. Are parts available?? Greg
I'm sure parts aren't a problem IF you got gold lined pockets
Karl
Very good drill presses. Similar ones sold last week at a liquidation auction for $200 apiece. Make sure not to pay this imachine asshole $2000 for something like this.
All that imachine did was, he brought them to his warehouse and cleaned them.
Note that most of them have a three phase motor. Some of those are single voltage only, and furthermore, some are 440v only. This drill press from imachine, for example, is 440v only. (which means it is useless in a home shop).
In any case, be ready to spend more $$ to run the three phase motors on those drill presses, from single phase.
I just finished installing a similar Powermatic 1200 drill press (1 HP, 3 phase). I run it from 110v now.
i
you can buy one for $300 pretty easily if you scan your local auctions.
I've bought 4 in the past 5 years, they're top notch! The most I paid was $500 and it had power feed and was in great shape. Clausing sent me a book for $5 and all the parts are available. Here's a 2-head from my supplier for $850 and they will haggle.
They are very good machines, but this one is vastly overpriced, as others have mentioned.
I almost bought one (for $600, a dollar a pound), but I am space limited, so I instead got a knee mill (Millrite MVI, about 2/3 the size of a Bridgeport), which makes a very good drill press as well.
Joe Gwinn
a 1.5hp drill press for light home use? Blink blink.....blink....
Well....they are good drill presses.
They are also very expensive to repair the Reeves drive if one is worn out or broken. $500 or more for the variable pulley IRRC. ( I generally let the customer buy those parts and I only charge to install em)
You might..might want to consider a decent pulley style drill press and if you feel the need..do as Iggy just did and put on a cheap VFD
Clausings tend to be a bit noisy as well, if they have a Reeves drive in them.
They ARE excellent machines if you buy one in decent condition. But I think Id buy a decent old Delta step pully first. And I have both.
Gunner
"Aren't cats Libertarian? They just want to be left alone. I think our dog is a Democrat, as he is always looking for a handout" Unknown Usnet Poster
Heh, heh, I'm pretty sure my dog is a liberal - he has no balls. Keyton
Yep That is one heavy duty drill press. We have one exactly like it at school. ...lew...
Mine was not even a cheap VFD. It cost me $199.
i
Not in this part of the country! Perhaps in the bigger cities, but here in Fargo I never see any dals on machine tools, or wood working tools, and I have been watching sales for years! Probably not enough manufacturing here to have a large amount of used equipment. Anything I do find the seller wants new price for it! Greg
I have a 10 HP VFD waiting to power up a three phase unit if I go that way. I have tried it on single phase, running a three phase motor and it works, so I am ready for single phase, or 208 three phase. Greg
Well, I know it may be a bit over kill, but I can not find any decent step pulley drill presses for much less than these go for. Also I hate the quality, and rigidity of most of these lower priced drills. I figured if I need to spend $500-$1000 for porr China junk, I may as well buy a high quality machine. Right now my next best choice would be a new Delta, Jet, or Powermatic, less tool, for more money! Greg
Gosh Gunner,
I got a 5 hp. radial arm drill press for my light home use.
Karl
We have one at work with air over hydraulics controling the downfeed. The varidrive craps out every couple years but we use ours in a balancer drilling 5/8" diameter ballancing holes in cast iron pulleys on at least two shifts. I'd consider it severe duty.
For a typical shop application that drill press is bulletproof. Also, you can still get parts for it but they are a bit pricey.
Wes
-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
You're in my corner of the world. There were several at a k-bid.com auction just last week. Also watch hoff-hilk.com auctions. Both auctioneers do all of Minnesota. But i think you'd be very lucky to get it for $500. Iggy and gunner seem to live a charmed life for deals on used machinery. Email me if you want me to look at one by the twin cities.
Karl
Which city/state are you located in?
Gunner
"Aren't cats Libertarian? They just want to be left alone. I think our dog is a Democrat, as he is always looking for a handout" Unknown Usnet Poster
Heh, heh, I'm pretty sure my dog is a liberal - he has no balls. Keyton
Snicker..but you (and I) are not exactly the average "home shop machinists"
Ive got hummm...lets see...pair of Walker Turner 18" drill presses on a
3 drill press cast iron table..with a pair of Pratt & Whitney Sensitive .25" 208, 3ph drill presses between..and a 3/.4 hp Delta (with VFD) on the other end of the shop..and of course the Gorton MasterMill and a pair of Clausing drills out in the welding shop...Shrug..but they are only used for light home use.......
Gunner
"Aren't cats Libertarian? They just want to be left alone. I think our dog is a Democrat, as he is always looking for a handout" Unknown Usnet Poster
Heh, heh, I'm pretty sure my dog is a liberal - he has no balls. Keyton
You in NortDickota?
Indeed..things might be a bit harder to find up there....hummm...
Road trip or shipping suit you better?
Leigh at MarMachine goes out to Hersey every year, and into the midwest on a regular basis, with a decent sized trailer with all manner of machine tools for pickup or delivery...
Gunner
"Aren't cats Libertarian? They just want to be left alone. I think our dog is a Democrat, as he is always looking for a handout" Unknown Usnet Poster
Heh, heh, I'm pretty sure my dog is a liberal - he has no balls. Keyton
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