Originally I did not want something this big or expensive. I want to drill through 15mm square tubing and thin steel plate. But as looked at reviews of smaller hobby drill presses for crafting perhaps or the ones that looked like a 1/2' drill built into a drill press frame, I came to realize that they all operate at a high rpm and the one that looks like the vertical 1/2" drill is quite noisy. So I reluctantly purchased this larger unit.
It is built like a traditional drill press with a pully system for changing speeds. One notable plus; the substantial chuck is not quite full size and easily grips small drill bits, better that some hand drills that I have owned. Another big plus is that the drill is very, very quiet and smooth.
Things I did not know before purchasing: very fine steel wool is needed to prep the tapered chuck before it is hammered into place (not a big deal). The drill press should be bolted down. For my uses I setup my Work-Mate on the balcony and have drilled a couple of holes in it to better suit the 1/2' bolts used to hold it down. Also, the drill press vise that was included with my unit at a price lower than the regular price of the drill, also needs to be bolted to the drill press' table. So I purchased the necessary bolts, nuts, washers to do all this, and now the whole setup for this takes 5 minutes.
Up until now, I've used it for the purposes stated above, but today I gave it a bigger challenge: cutting ten 5/32" holes in 1/2" and 5/8" mild steel plates. I used a dab of cutting paste to lube the drill bit a couple of times for each hole. The cutting was easy and accurate, and the drill bit was cutting just as easy on the last hole as the first. I used the recommended pulley setup for this, 750 rpm. I bet the systems that operate at several times that speed would overheat the drill bits and themselves.....
| Manufacturer | WEN |
|---|---|
| Place of Business | ELGIN, IL, 60123 US |
| Part Number | 4206T |
| Product Dimensions | 42.88 x 21.92 x 58.12 cm; 14.51 kg |
| Item model number | 4206T |
| Colour | Black |
| Style | 2021 Model |
| Material | Cast Iron |
| Pattern | Drill Press |
| Power Source | AC |
| Voltage | 120 |
| Maximum Power | 253 Watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Speed | 3200 RPM |
| Special Features | Compact |
| Included Components | 5-speed drill press, mandrel with key, and key storage |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium |
| Warranty Description | Two-year limited |
| Item Weight | 14.5 kg |
