This is my first drill press that I've added to my well equipped wood shop. It was easy to set up. I was able to carry the base, shaft and table by myself. A buddy helped me carry the head to my basement shop. I had it running within minutes. It does not come with a fence. So I ordered the Delta 18-901 24-in Biesemeyer Drill Press Fence The laser was spot on. It also comes with a light that mounts on the left side. When the light is on the laser is very difficult to see. Not a big deal but worth noting.
I really like the 6" quill travel. It runs super smooth. Changing speeds is fast. Pop the lid open, push the handle which losens the tension on the belt, and move the belt then move the handle back. There is a chart glued to the bottom of the lid. Pick the type and size of bit along with the material and you have your needed speed. There is a spot on the right side of the head to put the key chuck. Which helps guys like me who are bad about misplacing tools. I am really impressed by the spindle nuts. They have a side button which allows them to quickly move without turning. Not new to those more knowledgeable about DP's but a nice for me. Machine operates quietly and looks great in my shop with the mobile base HTC HTC2000 Universal Mobile Base Delta supplied all the necessary hex wrenches necessary for assembly.
So far the only problem I've had was the left over locknut after finishing the build. It is around 1/4". ??? Great machine that is probably more than I need. Just don't tell my wife!! Delta 18-900L 18-Inch Laser Drill Press
I looked at large drill presses for over a year before deciding on this model. I was looking at the other Delta drill press that never went into production. I compared this machine to the Powermatic model for about a month every time I went to my local Woodcraft store. I like things about both machines. I decided to go with the Delta model because it tilts forward, has very little vibration if any, 6 inch quill stroke, and super easy clamping ability. I like the keyed chuck on this model it ensures a good grip on the bit. I waited awhile before writing this review so I could do justice to the review. I prefer this model even though it isn't instant variable speed, however, it takes only one minute to change the belt speed and there is no run out on the bit. Read all the descriptions on both machines. I honestly love this machine and am very proud to own it and recommend it to my fellow woodworkers out there.
I received this as a Christmas present early. Set up was less than 30 minutes. Kind of neat, I used the laser to locate the drilling head right over the center of the base, no need for a plumbob. I am very pleased with this Delta product. I thought about buying a used drill press but decided on a new one. I came close to pulling the trigger on the Powermatic but I read in one of the reviews that the RPM range of the Delta, 170 - 3,000 would allow me to drill metal at a lower RPM. I read one review of a complaint about the chuck, and upgraded the 900L to a Jacobs Superchuck, I think the standard chuck is fine and seems to be made to a pretty good tolerance but the Superchuck, being ball bearing, can be spun to different size drills quite easily. The spring loaded push button quick set depth stops are pretty sweet too. The one stop can be adjusted to lock the quill in a down position and then by turning the stop, it allows for a fine adjustment if needed. Love the twin lasers and the built in light and of course the quick change belt adjustment and the 6" stroke.
One more thing, I picked this up at the terminal so I could have it to play with over the weekend but when I read the delivery paperwork, it was to be delivered inside, so that is a Plus One for Amazon's free shipping. Other big equipment from other companies that I have ordered from have always wanted to charge me extra for a power tail gate drop off, if I did not pick it up at the terminal, or I had to provide muscle power to get it down off the trailer.
Purchased to replace a 30 year old Craftsman drill press that I had upgraded to a 1 hp Baldor motor. My only complaint was the belt drive Craftsman used was 1/4 inch, way to small for a 1 hp motor. This resulted in occasional stalling out when using larger drill bits, in particual a 3" forrester bit.
Therefore I have always had my eye open to replacing the Craftsman drill press. Well, with the introduction of the new Powermatic and Delta drill presses I have been looking a little harder. When attending a local woodworking show they had a special on the Delta 18-900L for $708 + tax, and I made the purchase.
Overall I am very satisfied and agree with the other 5 star ratings of this tool. Easy to assembly, runs smooth, lasers are very nice to use but hard to see with the drill press light on. However, I fine these lasers very very very useful. They do need slight adjusting if moving the table around, however they are very easy to adjust and provide a high degree of accuracy when positioning a drill bit over the stock to be drilled. Changing the drill press speed is easy and can be done within one minute as another reviewer noted. I like the tilting table (left, right and foward) and the 5/8" chuck.
Complants:
I wish they had used a 1 hp motor instead of a 3/4 hp.
I wish they had used a slightly larger belt drive, however, this was an improvement over my other drill press.
The one thing to watch out for is the chuck. The runout on the chuck that came with the drill press was 0.022"; totally unacceptable. I checked the runout on the drill press spindle (without the chuck mounted) and it was 0.001"; excellent. I notified the local seller that was at the woodworking show and they gave me a replacement chuck. When I checked the runout on this chuck it was 0.0045"; a whole lot better and very acceptable for drilling holes in wood, but I was hoping for a little better. I ended up purchasing a Jacobs chuck and ended up with a runout of 0.0015".
Well I ended up a satisfied customer with a very accurate drill press having some very nice features. I think the drill press is well made and lives up to my expectations, however you may want to check runout. At 0.022 you can see the tip of a 6 inch twist drill bit wavering. My experience with Amazon has been very good. I have always found they stand behind their products if you experience a problem. - Woodworking'
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