Customer Reviews for WEN 12 in. Variable Speed Drill Press

I purchased this drill press on January 11th, however due to a foot surgery I wasn’t able to assemble it for weeks after that. The day came when i was finally able to assemble it. I was a bit surprised that the laser didn’t line up essentially since other reviews stated it was perfect out of the box. But then I noticed a real problem. The table cranked up fine but slipped and fell when cranked down. I called the company and they said the replacement part was on its way. I received the part today and it looks used and the gears don’t mesh properly. It’s the wrong color, it’s missing two threaded screw holes, the decals are worn/damaged and in the wrong position. I’ve been in possession of this for one month and if this is what I can expect from WEN in customer service and quality then this drill press is going back

Very nice press. I was considering buying an older heavy duty second or third or fourth hand press but the new features of variable speed without moving belts around and the lazer and LED lights changed my mind. It feels very smooth and solidly built. I put it on a table, I got the wide shelf, the clamps were inadequate. I put 4 clamps on using two of these Black Gridwall Joining Clips - Grid Panel Joiner Connectors. They hold the deck solid to the cable. I also got a smoker cover that goes over the whole thing.

This drill press was easy to assemble. I have only used it a couple of times, so far and seems to be working. The laser light is way off but not really an issue. Maybe due to the fact that it got dropped on its corner. My complaint is, Why is the packaging damaged. Looking at other reviews I'm not the only one with this issue. I guess in time I will find out if this drill press will last.

Very disappointed in this product. Have other Wen tools that are good. First off, speed only gets to 3020. Not the advertised 3200. Makes a racket when running, like it's ready to fall apart. Table cast part wasn't cast good and they tried to hide it with a weld and paint. The lever that moves the table up and down slips out and you have to screw around with it to engage it (ironically it's right where the bad cast repair is). The speed adjustment lever requires a lot of force to move.

The assembly went smoothly, had to use the hoist in my shop to get the head on. It is top heavy so be sure to secure the base to whatever it is sitting on. The spindle rpm lever is very stiff, but should loosen up over time. Runs well and does what I need it to. Knocked off one star because of the damage to the box, fortunately everything inside was okay and nothing fell out.

Used a handful of times. My table support snapped at the column. The crank handle always felt a little clunky, but for the price and country of origin, I wasn't alarmed. About a year later, I moved the table down, STARTED to tighten the column clamp, and the whole table came crashing down. The table support split all the way down near the crank. See photos. Still waiting on my warranty claim response from WEN. According to their website's estimates, it is overdue.

The build quality on this DP is terrible, but not much different than similar Rikon and Jet models. There are lots of cosmetic issues, which I decided weren't a big deal, but mine made a clicking sound at shutdown and had an incorrectly installed Motor Compression Spring. CS told me that "they all make that sound", and that the Motor Pulley Assembly could be removed to reseat the spring. The fix was easy, but shouldn't have been necessary. Either pass on this one, or buy with caution.

The drill exceeded my expectations relative to quality of the finish, as well as the ease of assembly. I was however disturbed at the lack of quality control relative to the fact that the drill's 3 handle feed hub only had holes for two of the feed handles - obviously the part had been incorrectly manufactured - something that should have been caught by even the most minimal of quality control. These kind of problems may seem insignificant to a manufacturer like Wen, but become a very annoying problem for the consumer when you are dealing with a 86 lbs. pound device, which has to be disassembled and returned to a store located 45 minutes away. Other observations were that either the speed indicator is off or the motor RPM is low - my speed range was 510 to 3050 (not 540 to 3200) Also noticed that the chuck is prone to slipping unless cranked down extremely hard - I have two 1/2" Milwaukee drills with keyed chucks and neither of those slip the way the Wen does with the same 2 1/2 inch forstner bits

1. It wS a snap to assemble. 2. Insteuctions well written. 3. Runs smoothly. 4. Easy speed change. 5. Heavy duty and well machined. 6. Love the laser. Very accurate,

The base has one foot 1/16 lower than the rest. Ordered replacement and the same thing. Talked to tech support and they know about it and that it’s happened frequently. It seems to be a factory defect in a certain assembly line product output. Even if you shimmy it up it will be hard to keep from vibration with a motor running 3000rpm. I would suspect that a piece of one base broke off in a cast where others where subsequently made over it.

I bought this drill press to drill 3 inch holes into Red Cedar end grain. Slow and go was the ticket. Not bad for a DIY drill. Will work great for my other projects.,

I like most of the features of this drill press, especially the tilting platform and the easy speed adjustment. If everything worked, I would have given it five stars. When I first assembled the drill press the tachometer (RPM display) and lasers did not work. I contacted WEN customer service and they mailed me a new tachometer, which they said would fix both problems. I installed the part and now I have a working tachometer and one laser line. The two laser lines are supposed to intersect at the exact point that the drill bit makes contact, so having one line doesn't do much good. I will contact WEN customer service again and they will likely mail me another part, but replacing one of the lasers will be much more invasive and I'm tired if messing with it. This could have all been avoided if a factory worker had taken five seconds to plug it in and flip a switch.

Well... it works, it reaches what I need it to... not a huge fan of the laser... I dont understand it... maybe... in time I'll realize its use...

Delivery was delayed, that's a minus. Aside from that, this is a nice machine. I like the variable speed pulley, as opposed to swapping pullies. Too bad that the speed display is always on, but it's not a deal breaker. I've used it a few times, and I like it. I added a 1/2" keyless chuck to it, as well.

This Wen 12" drill press is packed with useful features. It seems to be high quality. I like the laser X guide, the work light. It has variable chuck speed and a digital readout. The table has a roller extension for bigger pieces. It is big and heavy. I mounted it on a rolling work station.

Works very well. Easy to set up. Only problem is the top cover, it is badly corroded, like it has been exposed long term to ocean air.

Ordered on a Saturday. Came in that Wednesday. Perfect condition. Set up & assembly were easy. My only problem is the swivel for the table will not lock completely. It's as tight as it will go without breaking the knob/lever and it still swivels some.

Assembly is quick but instructions could use more details. Solid machine and great chuck. love the laser and it was perfect. Looks like a little complicated if you need to adjust. only reason I don't give it 5 stars is the table is cast with machine surface. Solid and flat but the slots have lots of material around them making a little more work to put auxiliary table on it. Still a major upgrade from the little harbor frieght drill I had

This WEN 12 in. Variable Speed Drill Press is powered by 2/3 HP induction motor. I like the variable speed from 580 to 3200 RPM. This model to change the speed is move the lever up or down and it adjust the speed as needed without ever touch the pulleys or belts. It has a digital read out on the front of the drill press so it makes it easy to read. The only negative I have about it is it stay on all the time even when not in use. I don’t use my a lot so I just unplug the drill press since I cannot turn off the LED readout. The only way to turn it off is to unplug the drill press. On some of the reviews that stated the laser and the light was run by batteries. But the one I received run off the electrical power. I did check the spindle for wobble but did not have an issue. This Wen 12 in variable speed drill press has a lot of very nice features. It was pretty true. This is a very heavy weighing in around 89 pounds. It is well made it should last a lifetime for my usage.

Easy to put together works great. I got the 4in vise to go with it

So far the drill press has performed as needed. Seems like a well built machine. I have drilled 9/16 holes in mild steel with no problems. There is a little run out but what press is perfect. I have run big machine shop quality presses with run out. My only complaint is I wish the RPM would go down into the 300s. For $250 it is a great addition to your home shop.

Easy to assemble and adjust speed range with one lever! Also nice sized table with extended roller for longer pieces helps with stability of project! Then you have an individual light and laser to help with accuracy! Before long, this begins to be one of your favorite toys!

This is a really nice drill press for my woodshop and I would highly recommend it after I received the second one they shipped to me. I gave it 4 stars only because the first drill press that was shipped to me came from Ontario California (10 days, not the 3 days they said when ordering ). It was a repacked damaged unit with missing parts and the speed control was very hard to adjust.. I disassembled it and returned it. After complaining to H.D. they sent me a second one from Illinois, (in 2 days) where the WEN assembly plant is. This one came in perfect condition. The speed adjustment worked real easy. Even the painted parts looked a lot better than the last. If you see broken Styrofoam when you open the box, it's a sign that something isn't right. Don't except one with any damage at all. It may be damaged worse on the inside.

PRODUCT IS GOOD QUALITY AND EASY TO ASSEMBLE. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THIS DRILL PRESS.

The drill press comes mostly pre-assembled. You have to put the head on the post, and the handles in, but then you're pretty much done. It is super smooth. Very little runout. The laser is spot on. The bulb that came with it is not very bright at all. It's a very nice drill press. I have a freestanding drill press and this thing runs circles around it. I bought the Wen drill press table for 30 dollars from another store(starts with a W) and it bolted right on and works great.

Really happy with this Wen 4214 drill press. This is a really good value and very well built drill press. I am very picky and held off buying a drill press for many years because changing belts was not something I wanted to deal with. The quill/spindle is very true with no detectable play. It is 37" tall, so you likely do not want to mount it on a surface any higher than 34". I mounted mine on a rolling Husky tool cabinet (bolted thru the top). Then I filled the cabinet with all the heaviest tools I could find.

I've used the WEN 12" Variable Speed Drill Press extensively since it arrived 3 weeks ago. I love the variable speed adjustment which allows you to change speed without moving belts. The LASER and LED work lights are great additions to this tool. The only 2 reservations I have with the drill press are the following: First, the Bevel Lock Bolt for adjusting the angle of the table is not "easily" accessible. Second, the scale to which you adjust the angle of the table is just a stick on scale and is already starting to come off. WEN would be better served to have a scale that is permanently attached.

It was finally time to upgrade my old craftsman so after reading reviews, I’m glad I choose this tool. I really like the laser and it runs better then my craftsman, very happy with it. And as a bonus my husband was very impressed with the design of the belt...

For a bench top drill press, this is remarkably heavy duty. The ability to change speeds with one lever is a big advantage and is something you would normally find only in higher end floor standing drill presses. The tapered spindle is great for allowing the use of tapered spindle bits and for changing chucks. The table swivels and height adjust easily and allows for flexibility in operation without a great deal of time and effort. The laser locating device worked well out of the box and is actually much more useful than I anticipated. The work light is a small LED and quite bright but only adequate for the table top area. I am very satisfied with this drill press and recommend it for the home workshop. Pros- Heavy construction Easy speed change Flexible table adjustments Tapered spindle Cons- Some slippage in heavy load situations You will need additional lighting

About a month in, I can say this drill press is a great value and fun to use. The table was square out of the box and the laser was close to dead on. (Note that you line up laser before lowering spindle as the laser gets partially blocked when lowering) It's easy to assemble too. Regarding assembly, the instructions are ok but there are a couple things to note. One is when they say use a hammer with block or rubber mallet to put the spindle on. They don't say how far in it sets. It does not sit flush. There is about a 1 inch length from top remaining (this will make sense when you try it), the first couple whacks with a mallet easily gets it all the way up. I mention this because I fear that some will keep whacking it trying to seat it further than it can go. The spindle is trued quite well. I don't notice wobble when using. I do see some wobble with the chuck, but this does carry to the bit for any noticeable run out. Back to the instructions, the other minor thing is they say 3 bolts attach the column to the base but there is actually 4. Beyond the instructions, the drill is pretty quite. My sweet-spot on speed is 980 rpm. The speed adjustment handle is incredibly tight and takes muscle to move. My guess is this is on purpose so you don't move it too fast and throw a belt. Yes, the RPM light stays on when not turned on, but this is a non-issue for me as it is plugged into a strip with a switch that I turn off anyway when I leave my shop. I do wish the speed went lower than 500 for serious metal cutting, but for the money this is a lot of drill and well made. I am really happy with this drill press. I was tempted by the full length floor version, but just made my own stand and saved a lot of money. I also took a piece of scrap wood and made a holder for all the tools it comes with. Oh, spend $20 and buy a drill vice and clamp it in with a couple 2" clamps. The vice is a must-have. I'm having fun. It's my first drill press and I am learning how great it is to have one. This one should meet all of my needs for a long time. I am becoming a big fan of Wen's tools lately. I have the 10" bandsaw and it is a great value too.