I just unpacked and setup the Delta 12" drill press. Problems: The plastic power switch was broken off during shipping (once the plastic is cracked there is no easy way to re-attach it). So now I have a brand new drill press with a broken power switch! Be warned if you are having this item shipped! It is not packed well enough to survive UPS Ground.
Otherwise the quality of this tool is equal to the price. It's better than a hobby drill press but not quite as good as a professional "shop quality" drill press.
The setup and assembly instructions were OK. But there were many opportunities for mistakes in assembly that could be more explicitly addressed. Specifically, I recommend assembling the drill press - but leave off the laser unit and the bracket for the tool tray. Leave the bolts a little loose. Then using the base plate as the reference point, use a carpenter's square to align the other components (so everything is aligned with the same centerline. Now tighten everything down and add the laser unit.
The laser cross-hair unit is surprisingly not a gimmick! It's actually designed pretty well. But you must follow the instructions to calibrate it (take a moment to contemplate what you are doing and why!) You must first adjust the lasers so they are "exactly parallel" to each other. The next step is adjusting the lasers so they cross exactly where the drill bit touches. Getting the lasers parallel is essential because this is what allows you to move the drilling platform up and down without loosing proper laser alignment.
I would not buy a drill press that is any lower in quality/cost than this Delta otherwise you'll end up with a piece of junk. DELTA DP300L 12-Inch TwinLaser Crosshair Drill Press
I am overall satisfied with the tool.
It is a little difficult to adjust precisely the depth stop.
Same with the laser. I actually found that I need to recalibrate the lasers each time I change the table height slighty if I want them to be dead accurate.
UPDATE: I now have used this drill press for almost a year and stick with my original review. The tool is still functionning properly. I had a chance to use the different speeds to bore bigger holes, it is a little annoying to have to move the belt but the operation is overall easy. The tool is working as it did the first time I powered it, there is no noticable play.
Overall a good buy.
The drill arrived in a box that appeared to have been handled roughly during shipping. I was initially concerned. However, the foam packaging did its job and all drill componenents were in brand-new condition.
Assembly was easy and proceeded exactly as the manual specified. All metal parts have a healthy dose of protective oil. You can wipe the excess oil with a clean rag (but never actually wash or "clean" the oiled surfaces).
The laser alignment process works as advertised thanks to the included alignment pin that fits into the drill chuck. It is important (as another reviewer has mentioned) to align each laser parallel to the alignment pin. Once each laser is parallel, you can adjust where they intersect for perfect alignment below the drill bit regardless of the height of the adjustable table.
For the money, this is an excellent drill press. I haven't used it extensively yet, but initial tests have been perfect.
This is my first drill press and for a sub $200 drill press it appears to be the best in breed in terms of features and quality. Assembling the drill was straight forward and the instructions were clear. The laser alignment was a little tricky and I ended up adjusting it by hand rather than using the method described in the manual. Once set, it was good.
While I was assembling the drill press the movement of the quill was sticky and would not fully reset until after I turned the machine on. I then proceeded to drill 512 1/8" holes in pine and it recessed properly every time. As I drilled the holes I noticed there was a grinding sound emanating from the gear box as mentioned in another review, but it did not affect the drill's operation.
The drill's operation was smooth, but the depth stop is cheap and difficult to set. Once it was set, it stayed set for all 512 holes. The external parts do seem a little light weigh like the handles, the depth stop, the table crank, and the annoying grinding sound in the gear box. However, the drill table and drill base are solid metal, the motor is strong and smooth, the drill accurate, and the speed is easily adjusted.
But it cannot be overstated how bad the shipping box's condition was when it arrived. The box was shredded and the foam packing core was crushed. I have no idea whether the shipper or the warehouse is to blame. However, several other reviewers have stated the same thing. The only damage was the speed belt housing cover clip which was bent. I was able to bend it back out. This was not the first time I have ordered from Amazon and had the product arrive in a damaged box. Hopefully Amazon is looking into this issue.
All in all I am happy with the drill. I got a lot of use out of it and it worked well. The shipping issue needs to be addressed and it cost the drill a star. The cheap feeling parts are what keeps the drill under $200, and have little bearing on its operation. Plus the laser guide is a nice addition. So for money, it is a good value.
And thanks to the reviewers that wrote about the Delta 20-619 6-Inch Drill Press Vise not fitting the DP300L, despite Amazon's advice to the contrary. You saved me time, money, and frustration!
There is no better benchtop drill press but the Delta customer service couldn't get any worse. I don't know who to blame, Amazon or Delta. The box was beaten up and I realized that the chuck key was missing. I wrote Amazon and they told me to contact Delta or send the drill back for a complete replacement. Delta didn't respond and I wasn't about to send the drill back and risk having something worse happen to the replacement. I've purchased a few power tools on amazon and I don't remember any package showing up clean. The good out of this is Delta helped me make a decision on what table saw to purchase... SawStop thanks you Delta. I recommend purchasing this drill from a local retailer so you can deal with them versus amazon or delta.
As for the drill press itself, putting it together was semi-challenging due to the poorly written instructions. What really stunk is adjusting the dual laser to hit the center. It's nearly impossible to do this due to the design of the adjustment levers (located inside the individual modules). The instructions tell you to remove the cap from each laser module but when you do this, the module wants to fall out of the base. After making the rough adjustments, because that's all you're able to do, you screw the cap back on and you end up trying to twist the module in the base to get the center. If you're lucky you'll get it close enough to give yourself a ROUGH idea of the drill center,,, TIP - don't get greedy and thinking you can get it dead-on you'll end up screwing it up and cursing the darn thing. For my adjustment I know the drill center is a smidge back from the crosshair intersection.
After all of this the max score that this drill press could achieve is 3 stars because the drill itself is outstanding; minus 1 for lack of customer service, minus 1 for the frustration factor (missing chuck key, dual-laser calibration instructions/design).'
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