Bench Drills

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Has anyone else noticed just how many bench drills are cloned?

Badge engineering at it's best?

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Clones “How many!!!”

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Jesse – mine is an ALDI special and a good example of a cheap drill with massive play on the quill. I am on the lookout for something better – maybe a FOBCO or something similar.

Rik

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

I was shopping around today (net wise) to see if I could find a reasonable replacement for my Power Performance bench drill which has the same play as your Aldi special Rik. British second hand models carry prices which are just like buying a Myford as opposed to a Yingtong lathe.

The idea was to keep the motor and anything that might be useful and use the pulley's to make a belt drive for the Mill.

On looking about, the same drill which I have could be seen under many other trade names and paint jobs.

The worst aspect, to me at least, was the variation in prices. Anything from £50 quid to £120.00 for the same item?!

The one I have I think I gave about £25.00 some four years ago. I had one before this but it got stolen which I know I gave £15.00 for. So adding inflation I suppose £50.00 isn't too bad under the circumstances but £120!?! The other option buying pulleys also seems an expensive way to convert a machine since that's just the start of it. Finding suitable pulleys gave me a headache and I didn't earmark anything I thought would easily do the job. (Not enough information on the parts. See returning stuff from the internet.))

Perhaps the best thing to do is chew a couple of triple fall pulleys out of ally bar? Unless of course someone knows of a good supplier of pulleys?

Jesse.

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 28/01/2015 22:20:22

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

I have been considering one of these. **LINK**

But at that price probably will be of a quality that causes disharmony to my desired tranquil existence.

Nick

[BikepeteParticipant @bikepete]

"British second hand models carry prices which are just like buying a Myford as opposed to a Yingtong lathe."

Depends how fussy and/or patient doing Ebay you are I guess – this search shows bargains are to be had under £100 with skill/luck, and that's just for the ones with the brand name in the title. Condition a lucky dip of course. Sorry if this is teaching granny etc.

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

I got my Taiwanese bench drill many years ago and it is still delivering good work. Very little play in the quill. Hasn't been used that much the last years though, most of my drilling jobs are done with the mill/drill.

Thor

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

I'm always on the lookout on eBay for a decent old British bench drill but they're always so far away as to make collection uneconomic. Costs as much in fuel and time than the drill. One day maybe I'll find one but in the meantime my Ryobi variable speed EDP5530L does a reasonable job and is very convenient for drilling at the right speed.

Roger

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Same as Thor my Nu-Tool drill must be 30 years old and still works fine, think its Taiwanese but I now mostly drill on the mill since fitting the DRO.

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Thanks Bikepete but you'll see that most are collect and usually up around Yorkshire or in London areas. now If I make it out alive from the M25 wall of death I would deserve a medal in my humble opinion. Oh and yes did GooGoo every possible combo of ideas including local papers.

Nike_G, Thor, JasonB, I'm in the same boat as Rodger Provins, after a days run and petrol , another day to get over the trip (not as young as I was once) I feel it's not worth it.

I can't say this drill doesn't give good service it's that I want to use my new cross work table for spot drilling and so feel it has to be accurate.

PS: My drilling is rubbish since now only one eye.

PS: This editor needs retiringg IMHO see left.

[andrew winksParticipant @andrewwinks64215]

I have a Chinese cheapie but only because I could not hold out for a tool room quality drill. They do the job, just and it's easy to use as a tapping/staking tool. I missed out on a Fobco at a sale many years ago, the bidding frenzy by those in the know resembled a group of girls front row at a Rolling Stones concert! Did finally have a win, picked up a old Waldown machine, made in Aust, solid and heavy with adjustable quill, in the process of converting the drive, was 3 phase.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

My Clarke one (that's one of the clones) is about sixteen and has had a lot of abuse. The quill is a little sloppy, but I am still able to drill PCBs with 0.7mm drills using it without breaking them. I did get through a pack of 10 1/32" drills making the rivet holes in my shunter, but I suspect I would have broken 9 of them even with the best drill in the world…

All the movement is at the bottom of the housing quill. One day I will strip it., saw a cut 1/2" up from the bottom, split it and add a pinch bolt. One day…

Neil

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Nick G the drill you are contemplating is one of those that I rejected since the main body of the drill is an exact copy of my cheapo £25.00 jobbie. Trouble is is how to check without the hassle of returns? RE: my earlier reply.

Jesse.

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Neil I have just finished extending the height of my Power Performance cheappo. I can stand it on the floor and sit or leave it on the bench and stand to use it. G Clamp to secure.

Tried modifying a cheap lever type drill stand to suite my Dremel but worst problem was the soft feel drill body. The accuracy also left a lot to be disired ie I have broken 10mm drills using the thing but it comes down at an angle as it flexes between base and post. Oh and the row the Dremel kicks up is enough to wake the gods.

Jesse

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 29/01/2015 09:18:36

[_Paul_Participant @_paul_]

Some 20+ years ago I bought a "NuTool" 5 speed drill press….what a waste of money it must have had around 1/8" of play with the quill fully extended.

I see that most of the ones you see in B&Q & Wickes etc. all these years later still use that same basic "NuTool" design (and very similar castings).

I finally got around to doing something with the NuTool drill and put a slitting saw through the casting and fitted a pinch bolt which fixed the play but while cutting the slot in it I had a good chance to see how really poor quality the castings etc. were.

Once completed I gave it away to my old mate Jeff Harris who has used it for some years now.

This site shows quite well whats involved Drill Press Mods

Paul

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Hi Paul, Yes I saw that on my wanderings it's a good idea and Neil is also contemplating this mod. Me I might have a go but I'm already worrying about cost of cutters and an arbour to suite the mill. No wonder people end up just modifying their tools.

Jesse.

[Douglas JohnstonParticipant @douglasjohnston98463]

The Record Power stuff seems to be a better quality than the real cheap stuff, but how much better is open to question. I bought a Record Power bandsaw a couple of years ago and have been quite impressed with the quality. As has been said before, Chinese sourced machinery seems to be available in different qualities ,even if the basic design is the same, so it is probably unfair to think that the £40 drill is the same quality as the £120 one.

Doug

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Paul

Had a look at your mod's via the link you provided interesting and informative

Thanks

H

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Paul,

Climb milling I see.

How did that go?

That link has made me think, as I was going to modify one of those 'Canopy' type round LED lamps to fit to my Mitco.

If anyone comes across a Mitco floor standing drilling machine, manufactured in Pietermaritzburg SA, snap it up, you won't regret it.

Geoff – Not coughing myself stupid at last, only silly. Back to normal then

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Doug I take your point but how without the cost of returns, do I find out?

Just found a neat trick with a couple of mirrors at 90 degrees may help with my mono vision. If I knew how to link I would. Guidance anyone?

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 29/01/2015 11:41:59

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Seems to be the standard way with Chinese machine tools. Air compressors and some lathes are much the same with different brand names. Apparently under their government controlled economy, the standard design is given to various companies to produce under their name. Small factories produce the standard parts, others slap them all together and put their name on them.

What gets me is that you don't seem to be able to buy spare parts for any of them. "Cheaper to buy another compressor mate" is the standard refrain.

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

My dad bought me my "universal clone" 16 speed 2MT Taiwanese bench/pillar drill as a birthday present in 1983. I have still got it, that's over 30 years old. Original motor, original capacitor, original brgs, quill etc. Never, ever been to pieces. Quill still in good nick. Binned and changed the 5/8" capacity chuck early on.

Now here's the rub, not only is it my "hobby" bench drill now, but between 1988 and 2003 it was our main pillar drill in my full time m/c workshop run as a business. Day in, day out use, and including drilling 1000's of 5/8" holes with a 2MT drill bit in 1/4" thick flat bar for window security grills (another sideline).

Bloody marvelous.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

When I was looking to replace my Naerok with a wobbly quill, the only drills I could find that actually mentioned the run out were these JETs. You pay for the privilege though. However, measured run out on mine is negligible.

Rod

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

AFAIK the government don't control production in China like that anymore, but yes many factories produce products originating from the same original designs. Also one factory will produce the same product to different standards and duff batches end up being shifted cheap through bargain basement sources.

My advice is to buy from the bigger suppliers and have confidence you will be looked after. Imported stuff is cheap whatever you pay, so saving the last few quid at the cost of customer service isn't always a good idea.

> What gets me is that you don't seem to be able to buy spare parts for any of them. "Cheaper to buy another compressor mate" is the standard refrain.

That's why the decent suppliers charge more – it allows them to cover the overheads of hold stocks of spares on the shelf.

Jesse – click the button that looks like a planet with a link of chain in front of it, and paste your link in the box that comes up.

Neil

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

I have just looked at the link posted by Nick, and was surprised to see that the small Record bench drill shown was just a Far Eastern machine.

I remember that 15 – 20 years ago Record used to produce their own bench and floor standing drill presses, what ever happened to those? They were the usual Record blue with hexagon shaped tables and excellent castings. One of the three Tabwell Tools shops in Bakewell used to stock them.

Record had an advert out at the time that showed close up photos of the inferior details of an imported drill press against their own product.

On the whole though I think the Far Eastern drills work fine and are mostly worth the money. Last time I looked you could buy a floor standing machine with a two morse taper and sixteen speeds for just over £200. The few that I have used have been fairly quiet and smooth running.

Alright, they can flex a bit with their thin light castings, particularly the casting that supports the table, and the quills are a sloppy fit on most of them. But they are just a drilling machine and most are light years better than a noisy Black & Decker hand drill clamped in a drill stand.

Having said that, I have just been using my Elliot Progress 2G back geared pillar drill, what joy! Although I do wish it had a rack and pinion rise and fall table like most of the Taiwanese and Chinese machines do. I must get the new three phase motor and VFD fitted that I bought a few years ago.

Edited By Lathejack on 29/01/2015 18:15:01

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