Customer Reviews for Delta 18 in. Floor Standing Drill Press with Worklight, Laser and 16-Speeds

I bought this drill press principally because it is the most highest rated across the internet, and a neighbor endorsed it too. It was easy to set up and has worked reliably for the short time I've owned it. There;s not much to adjust once set up. I have found changing the speeds to be a simple process. The more I change the speeds (by rearranging the belts on the motor pulleys) the more proficient and faster I become. The drill has more than enough power. I have made a number of a large Forstner bit holes at the recommended low speed without the slightest difficulty. The bit hardly even create any smoke due to the proper speed and power applied. If you're looking to upgrade from a bench top model (Like I was), this is the way to go.

Drill press seems to be a good value for the price until you use it. After 2 weeks the belts broke due to very poorly made pulleys in the top. The casting was so bad that the grooves for the belt were no where near smooth, cutting the belts. When we looked at replacement parts for this unit, the only thing that was available was the belts themselves. The pulleys were completely out of stock, which lead us to believe it was a manufacturing issue and not just a single unit problem. We returned it.

Meets all expectations! Easy assembly. It replaces my 40 year old Craftsman Drill Press. Laser is very accurate. Six inch quill movement with one turn of the handle is a big plus.

Assembly instructions were clear, parts were easily identified and everything fit together perfectly. While most steps can be readily accomplished single-handedly, lifting the head and placing it on the floor column is more than a one person job. If you'll be moving the drill press around the shop follow the advice shown in the manual. I'd recommend using two pieces of 3/4" plywood instead of just one. Quill runout was 0.003 in. which is fine for woodworking. Speed changes are easy and relatively quick. The LED lamp is quite bright but it only illuminates a small area of the table. Laser alignment guides speed in positioning work pieces as desired under the drill chuck.

Once set up, it's a joy to work with. It's solid and easy to adjust. I used a hoist to raise the head onto the column because the head weighs roughly 100 pounds and lifting such over my head stopped decades ago. The alternative would have been to assemble it with the column horizontal, the tip the whole thing upright. For me, same problem. Hoisting the head over the vertical column and lowering it worked better for me. Re the "Good" rather than "Excellent" quality, I would actually rate it 98 out of 100. The connector for the work light is flimsy and is not attached to the wire at all, let alone securely. My first career was as an electrical engineer, so no big deal, but it's one of the places where "Made in China" shows. Another is the table tilt pointer. It requires separate assembly and looks like a toy. In operation, the belt noise sounds cheap, but the tool works perfectly. Unless you have a pickup truck and a good, strong friend, pay the $55 to have it delivered to your home or shop. The 265 pound box is too large to fit in any car I've ever owned. In sum, I got my money's worth.

shipping box - heavy, (260+ ls.) but if the plastic banding is not cut off, 2 people can easily load into pickup. Assembly fairly easy. You will either need a hoist or 2 strong people with to lift head & motor at least 5 feet in the air to slide onto shaft. I chose a come-a-long and a beam. Works like a champ. large table, stable, powerful. works better than advertised. Dislikes: Price could be lower.... look for sales. Chuck key holder a bit cheap, look for a better one. Overall - - - 5 stars !!

Drill Press was picked up at location, excellent service department helped loading it , after opening it and looking for any possible damage during shipping, all was well. There was some surface rust and milling chips under the base, upon cleaning and assembly looks real good. The only real problem was, one side of laser lamp went out. After call the toll free number they sent a replacement, but that one could not be adjusted, glued in tight, they sent another one and all's well. Very pleased with with it

I'm a professional wood worker and manufacture products for sale. I also owned a precision machining business for 20 years so i have a lot of experience working with equipment. The drill press has everything going for it except that the most important part makes the machine i bought worthless. Let me explain: The table, smooth running, power, spindle travel are all awesome. Now for the bad. The spindle has a bad wobble to it which renders it useless. After trying out the arbor and chuck that came with the machine that had serious wobble. I bought and installed an American made Jacobs arbor and chuck, however:, the result were only slightly better. I went out and bought a porter cable drill press for 319 one third the price and it extremely accurate. Maybe i just ended up with a bad machine. I would strongly suggest looking up the reviews on amazon. Good luck.

I have owned a Delta drill press for 25 years and been pleased with its performance. (It is still running strong in the home shop of a relative.) Given that the company has changed ownership several times I was concerned that this new model would not live up to the standards of the past. Now that I have it set up in my shop, I believe that it does: I take heart that the company is now again based in the United States; this model is heavier, thereby enhancing stability, has a slightly deeper throat, and a larger, better designed table. Assembly was not difficult, and the instructions were clear. The laser light was easy to adjust and is a welcome feature as is the included LED work light. Setting drilling depth is also easier than on the old unit. Heavier than most home shop drill presses, the 18-900L has a professional look and feel that I believe make it an excellent value in its price range.

This was a terrific choice. Given very high remarks in recent reviews and deservedly so. As one of the other reviews indicates, you probably want to attach the drill head with the machine on its side, because the prospects of lifting it high enough to assemble are fairly daunting. I also made plywood base made of two pieces of 3/4" plywood glued together, along with locking casters. I bought it for a particular project and given what I've seen so far, my grandchildren will be enjoying this machine long after I am gone. One minor complaint: you need a step stool to change the belts. That is, unless you are 6'6". Finally, the worst part about this purchase is the delivery. Home Depot uses a third party provider that is much more suited to businesses than to home deliveries. They had my wrong number, didn't work well with email, etc. It took two weeks to schedule a delivery to my house--in part because of my work schedule, but also in part because they really are set up to deliver to businesses. Given the weight and size, delivery to the store is not an option unless you have a forklift at home. And I'm guessing you don't. So, great purchase, but better plan ahead because delivery is going to be slow.

Very pleased with how easy it is for students to us correctly, safely and speed of accuracy.

The good: very smooth and quiet. Has plenty of power to cut large diameter blanks. The laser is dead on and love the LED light. The bad:. Missing the nut that holds the spindle pulley on. Found that out when trying to drill a large hole. Called Delta to send me one. Noticed the center pulley is beaten up. Looks as is if it was shoot blasted with steel ball. May have to contact Delta on that one, Could eat the belts.

Machine works well. Used for around 30 days now. Quick speed adjustment and really like the laser, thought it was an unneeded frill but wow that's handy.

as a novice woodworker, I may not be qualified to review this drill press: did allot of research prior to the purchase, read the reviews and found the Delta overall the best value for the dollar; Rock solid, easy to put together (very little to do actually) two people are really needed to do this, three would make it a snap. Laser is nice but I have not used it, settings are easy to adjust and achieve different speeds for different materials. Made the mistake of getting some cheap bits to try out the drill press, they are now scribes. Everything is centered, very quiet, easy to adjust settings on height and depth of hole. Very happy with it (the build in light is great)

Easy to assemble..well built, worth the money..should of purchased yrs. ago..

Great value for the money. Easy to use, great features, storage for tools.

This drill press was found on line, had all of the features we desired...ie, large motor, variable speeds, larger table, and large stroke. In addition, we found the light and lazer guide as a bonus. The free shipping to the nearest store was helpful, and the email updates useful in knowing arrival date.

Heavy and solid. Easy to adjust speed. It could an LED light on the right side. Compound tilt table is very helpful.

The instructions for aiming the laser have to be reversed for the right side. It takes 2 people to set it up but afterwards....this is an epic tool that will do everything *I* will ever use a drill press for!