Drill Press Guide
Looking for a high-quality drill press under 500 I came across the power tool review site Tool inspector.
I was happy to find the best drill press reviews on one page as it saved me some time but also opened my eyes a little bit as to what’s important to consider.
Best Drill Press
There is a large selection of pillar drills to choose from and I wanted one under the $500 mark. There was also the best drill press for under $200 and the best drill press under $100 but I wanted one for quite a heavy load so I opted for the $500 budget.
The WEN drill press reviews where prominent in the top 10 with I think it was 3 entries and one of them being at number 1 the WEN 4208 drill press at under $100 was a real tempter to go for as it had a solid review but I stuck to my guns and decided I wanted a more commercial drill press or an industrial one.
I had to decide did I want a Portable drill press or a bench-mounted drill press.
The DEWALT DWE1622K Drill Press review had me leaning towards that because it was a portable dill press but it didn’t seem to compromise on quality or power, It is in the higher price bracket than the WEN 4208 drill press but DEWALT is renowned as a great power tool brand and it was a high-end pillar drill that would offer more options because it is portable.
Determined to find the best drill press for the money I decided to keep looking through the rest knowing I could come back to the DEWALT DWE1622K if the rest of the options are not what I wanted.
Next, I went through the Delta 18-900l drill press review, this is a beast of a machine but it was a bit of an overkill for what I needed, partly because the Delta 18-9001 is what can be considered a commercial drill press or an industrial drill press but mostly because of the $1400+ price tag.
Then at number 6, I found the WEN 4214 drill press review it was $200 below my budget but covers everything I need, Variable speed, 12-inch benchtop drill press.
The build quality was said to be very good, the review was backed up by the previous user reviews on the internet so I looked online and purchased one from a well-known retailer. 2 years warranty included.
2 days later there was a big box on the workshop floor it was the WEN she was here.
I was apprehensive when I started unpacking it. Will it be as well built as the review and the previous buyers of the product claimed. Yes I can say I was happy as soon as I picked the parts out of the boxes it’s been built to last I thought to myself if it performs as good as it looks I think I will be considering it a gem of a find.
All I had to do was assemble it which was pleasantly easy the adjustable table, base, the column, and the elevation gear come in separate boxes making simple to put together. It took about 15 minutes to assemble it and I was ready to start using it. My advice is to read the instructions as you go because if you rush it you can prevent it from operating properly and I noticed a few previous buyers reviews that showed this to be true.
I reached for a piece of wood that didn’t even need drilling placed it on the drill press base table and fired it up and began to turn the handle plunging the drill into the wood and like the wood wasn’t there went through it.
I wanted to try it on some metal 3mm plate sheet I had knocking around the workshop that too didn’t need any holes but I was determined to test my new tool out properly, the right way, with a metal sheet.
I had to trim a piece off the metal sheet so I could get it on the workbench as it was 2m x 3m in size so I fired up the grinder with a cutting disc on it and took a 30cm square from it.
I changed the drill bit to a drill bit for metal and started it up I start drilling and let the drill do the work not forcing the drill bit down hard as that is counterproductive.
RESULT it went through the 3mm plate easily and produce a very clean hole.
So I can say I am happy with my purchase of the WEN 4214 drill press and it remains an important
part of my tool kit and I think it was one of the best drill under 500 categories.
