DaveJr. Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Hey TIA crew, been a while since my last post. I need some opinions on a drill press. I recently began woodworking and even more recently began turning pens. I want to get a drill press to drill out the holes for the brass tubes. I have a Shopsmith mark 5 which has the capability of being a drill press but it is a pain to switch between the lathe and drill press. I want to keep it in "lathe mode". I want to get an inexpensive drill press that won't break the bank. It will not get abused. I was looking at the Ryobi 10" drill press, any experience with it? Thanks in advance! -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboS1ice Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Rikon might be reasonably priced Jimbo Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 I'd say yeah to the Rikon but in the Ryobis case, I've only heard good things about the press. The plunge isn't deep enough to for some jobs but it has a pretty good rep. I would add the Skil has gotten some really good reviews too. If you fill like shelling out some cash though the Rikons are pretty nice machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboS1ice Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Porter cable has a reasonably priced one as well Jimbo Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJr. Posted March 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 8 minutes ago, ChrisK said: I'd say yeah to the Rikon but in the Ryobis case, I've only heard good things about the press. The plunge isn't deep enough to for some jobs but it has a pretty good rep. I would add the Skil has gotten some really good reviews too. If you fill like shelling out some cash though the Rikons are pretty nice machines For what I need it for (drilling a >2" hole) i'm not concerned with the depth. If I need something much biger then that I can still use the shopsmith. I just don't want to convert it all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 I think you'd be fine with what your asking for then. The Ryobi is a really basic press but it is a solid design that should last you quite some time. I'm still operating without and was seriously looking at the two option I mentioned but I have revisited my original thoughts and have been looking at the larger Jet and Rikon floor models. No rush right now but depth is something I'm looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboS1ice Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 If you have questions Kato has a ryobi press Jimbo Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Yup, I certainly do, and I like using it. The only thing I don't like, which is common to a lot of drill presses, is that the rack can rattle depending on how low the bed is. Other than that, it works great. It drills straight, that's all I need. It'd be nice to have more depth, but if it were a necessity I'd have a larger press. It works great with Forstner bits, well heck, it works great with any bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99_XC600 Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 I have the Ryobi as well. My only complaint is that of the light location. It's buried behind the spindle and essentially casts light on the tube and not the work. It should have included a flex light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJr. Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 1 hour ago, 99_XC600 said: I have the Ryobi as well. My only complaint is that of the light location. It's buried behind the spindle and essentially casts light on the tube and not the work. It should have included a flex light. 1 hour ago, Kato said: Yup, I certainly do, and I like using it. The only thing I don't like, which is common to a lot of drill presses, is that the rack can rattle depending on how low the bed is. Other than that, it works great. It drills straight, that's all I need. It'd be nice to have more depth, but if it were a necessity I'd have a larger press. It works great with Forstner bits, well heck, it works great with any bit. If those are the only complaints then I think the ryobi will do just fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJr. Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Has anyone had any experience with Ryobi's forstner bit set? I would like to get a set but won't use it that much so it doesn't pay to spend a fortune. For $20, I don't think you can go wrong. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-Forstner-Bit-Set-8-Piece-A9FS8R1/202078676 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Why yes, yes I do. I have a set, and I use them. They're nice, they cut decent. I've had to sharpen one, can't remember what size but I use the shit out of it, and any Forstner is gonna dull sooner or later. They work good to clean as they cut, and you'll find that they cut better at or near the recommended speeds. Try a faster speed with some sizes and they won't cut as well. The "green" set is newer, I don't know if they're different from the "blue" set that I have. I think their design is the same, it might just be the new color that's changed and nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJr. Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 1 minute ago, Kato said: Why yes, yes I do. I have a set, and I use them. They're nice, they cut decent. I've had to sharpen one, can't remember what size but I use the shit out of it, and any Forstner is gonna dull sooner or later. They work good to clean as they cut, and you'll find that they cut better at or near the recommended speeds. Try a faster speed with some sizes and they won't cut as well. The "green" set is newer, I don't know if they're different from the "blue" set that I have. I think their design is the same, it might just be the new color that's changed and nothing else. Thanks for the input. I guess i'll have to buy a set when I get my drill press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 I have a lot of Ryobi stuff, so if you keep asking Ryobi questions, I might keep answering. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJr. Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 1 minute ago, Kato said: I have a lot of Ryobi stuff, so if you keep asking Ryobi questions, I might keep answering. Good to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboS1ice Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 I have the green set and they are pretty good, buried in one of my YouTube videos I've used them Jimbo Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kato Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 This photo is older, doesn't include the drill press, jigsaw, and a few other random Ryobi things I have... Ryobi Family Portrait 02 by Edward Durbin, on Flickr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnarlyCarl Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 26 minutes ago, Kato said: I have a lot of Ryobi stuff, so if you keep asking Ryobi questions, I might keep answering. I don't have a lot of Ryobi, just got their LED work lights, so that's all the questions you can ask me about lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboS1ice Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 ryobi makes nice drill bits, thats about the only consumables i use of theirs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WigWagWorkshop Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 When I started out building my workshop, I bought one from Harbor Freight, and honestly, I been impressed with the performance. But like most drill presses it's a pain to change speeds, so I have it on my upgrade list to purchase a variable speed (without having to move belts) model. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMG Posted March 25, 2016 Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 I use an old small vertical milling machine instead of a drill press. Bought it used a long time ago. It can be a real pain to move, due to size and weight, so I added casters to the base and mounted an old craftsman compressor inside the base cabinet as well. Takes up a bit of space overall, but the drilling control can't be beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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