Best Drill Presses On The Market | June 2023 - See Our Editors' Choice

Drill presses may be an old-fashioned tool, but they've been updated to make them safer. Bit guards keep the hands from being near a rotating drill bit, and they also prevent metal or wood shavings from flying into the face of the user. The large on/off switches allow users to quickly turn off the machine if anything goes wrong.

Clamping devices hold workpieces in place to improve accuracy, but they also keep them from moving and causing injury to the drill press operator. These devices are mostly accessories that drill press users must purchase separately.

Quill travel, or the stroke of the quill, is often overlooked by people when they shop for drill presses. This is the distance that the chuck moves up and down.

This is a crucial number, as it determines how deep you can drill a hole. Quill travel can be viewed as the maximum thickness through which you can drill.

The standard model will have a quill travel of about two inches. Professional-grade tools may have a quill travel of six inches or even more.

It's nice to know how much horsepower a drill press has, but this is not as important for benchtop models used in workshops as it is for production floor models. When it comes to a drill press, speed variability is more important than horsepower.

Standard benchtop drill presss are available in models ranging from 1/3 to 3/4 horsepower. Both will work for most workshop projects. When a drill presses starts to bog, it is because the user has put too much pressure on its bit. It is harmful to the spindle and chuck.

Even experienced drill press operators could use some guidance from time to time. Selecting a drill with an onboard lighting system will allow them to see more clearly in dark corners of the workshop and ensure better drilling.

If you want to take your drill press to the next step, look for models with laser guides. These are usually crosshair-shaped guides that align exactly with where the drill point touches the workpiece. Once the drill press is adjusted, it becomes easier to track every drop.

The drill press tables tend to be small, ranging between 6 and 8 square inches. These sizes are perfect for many jobs. Drilling long workpieces is difficult.

Some people make additional tables that clamp onto the original. Some manufacturers provide larger tables as standard. They are especially useful for woodworkers.

The drill press table can be tilted 45 degrees to the left or right to allow drilling at an angle. Others can be tilted to the front, allowing for compound angles. This is not common.

Drill presses don't have keyless chucks like modern cordless drills. A keyed chuck has the advantage that you can tighten more by hand than with a cordless drill. It is crucial because drill presses can produce a lot of force. The drill bit should not be able to turn in the chuck.

There are two standard sizes: 1/2" and 5/8". The size refers to the maximum size of drill shank that the chuck will accept, and not the maximum size of drill. A 3" holesaw, for example, might only have 1/2" shank.

The majority of drills used in garages or home workshops have a 1/2" shank, while some professional tools -- like mortising chisels -- use a 5/8". Before buying a drill press, it's important to know what kind of bits you will be using.

Drill presses are commonly available with speeds between 200 and 3,600 rpm. The lower the speed required, the harder the materials. The drill will generate less heat, which helps to maintain the cutting edge of the bit. Certain materials require faster speeds than others. Drilling through pine is fine at high speeds, while drilling through oak or other materials requires medium rates.

Pro tip: If you're drilling metal, keep a lubricant can or cutting oil near by. Spraying lubricant or cutting oil on the bit will help to maintain the sharpness of the cutting edge and keep the tip cool.

You would think horsepower was a key factor when deciding on the best drill press, or the one with the most power. In fact, many manufacturers don't even mention it. It's not important. Motors between 1/3 hp to 3/4 hp are sufficient for all machines except the largest. A 1 HP drill press is considered to be a monster!

The number of gears and the range of speeds available is more important. It is important to vary the speed based on the drill size and material being drilled.

The optimal speed to use a twist drill is 1,500 rpm. For example, if you want to drill a hole of 3/8" in maple, the best speed would be 1,500 rpm. For pine, this speed should be 3,500 rpm. In acrylic, the speed should be 2,800 rpm. Online, you can find useful drilling speed charts.

The basic drill press has five gears with a range from 700 to 3,000 revolutions per minute. The highest-end models have up to 16 gears. The lower range (starting at around 150 rpm), and the increments are obviously more, but it is unlikely that the top speed will be much higher than 3,000 rpm. It's not necessary to go faster.

The manufacturer will give a specific size for the drill press: an 8" or 14" drill. This is a bit misleading. This measurement is actually the double distance between the center of chuck and the front of column. If you have an 8" drill, and a material that is 8 by 8 inches in size, you can drill a middle hole. A 14" drill could be used to make a hole at the center of a 14 inch by 14 inch piece.

Basic benchtop models are typically eight to ten inches in size. On the other side of the scale, few drill presses are larger than 24 inches.

Another factor that impacts the size of workpieces you can drill is height under the chuck. Remember that you can move the table or remove it completely if necessary. The floor-standing models have a greater capacity for height than the benchtop models.