Ebay chuckle

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

I had one like this a few years ago and it ended its acquaintance with me at a car boot sale and good riddance. I know exactly where this bloke is coming from.

**LINK**>>

 

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Pretty much what I got at Lidl recently.

Fine for wee holes but big holes (over 5mm) in metal are simply asking too much from it

Edit: mine has an extra pulley in the middle, so a larger range of speeds

Edited By Ady1 on 09/06/2017 18:31:12

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

When a local DIY multiple closed down, several years ago. I picked up a very similar one for £15. I chose the best of three that were left and assumed it might be OK for a little light drilling with a few tweaks.

Well, it is still going strong and manages a 15mm blacksmith drill, in steel, with no sweat! I am constantly amazed at what it does. I have been waiting for the motor to expire, but no sign of that yet. I modified the grub screw in the quill groove with a brass spacer, and trued up the table and that is about all I have done to it.

I have a 1/2 inch Fobco which is more or less unused, I need to change the motor to a single phase job. However I am too lazy to do the conversion while the cheapie Chinese drill keeps going.

Andrew

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Looks identical to the drill press that kept me going for 17 years! Yes it wobbled a bit, but no problem drilling up to 10mm or less than 1mm for circuit boards!

I never did get around to splitting the casting to get rid of the wobble.

Neil

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Ahhh no, I thought I was the only one to own such rubbish. In fairness mine was kindly given to me and is ok for very light use. The table bends downwards if I use too much pressure with larger drills, hence no accuracy built in, oh yes and mine also has the idler in the middle, mine is noisy, vibrates and hardly gets used now as I use the mill.

Ian

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I had a Naerok drill which I was pleased with initially, it became apparent that it had some major shortcomings as an engineering machine, I bought a Meddings MF4 and have been totally satisfied as it ticks all the boxes that an engineering drilling machine should. It made me realise that some machines do not meet the expectations of a well engineered and fit for purpose machine. Over the last 30 years huge strides have been made in the quality and functionality of imported machinery and now we have the opportunity to buy some very good value for money machines. The highest spec and highest quality will still cost serious money but the hobby market machines chosen with care will give a very satisfying performance for the price, far better than some of the bargain basement equipment served up from the home market in the past.

Mike

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Just looking at the bottom of the page, are these tools any good because the prices are surely give away prices.
**LINK**

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

I have a small drill press that looks the same, got it from the workshop of a deceased friend, had hardly been used.

Made in Taiwan in 1989, branded AOK, it is a lovely little machine, no excessive play anywhere. I did have a Meddings Pacera which was really in the way, this little job has happily replaced it.

[John FlackParticipant @johnflack59079]

Assuming the pic is the guys workbench, he has some serious 'weeding' to do. Swarf,sawdust and spiders in my shed, but plant life never. Perhaps I should avoid the question as to the nature and purpose in 'weed' culture.😈😈

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

worth £15 for the motor ?

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

The motors are partial dutycycle and they get pretty hot when you work them

No-one has ever said they managed to fry one yet though, and some owners have had one for at least a decade

The lidl one is s2-15min class B, 500w

Edited By Ady1 on 10/06/2017 08:45:48

Edited By Ady1 on 10/06/2017 08:51:43

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I would say that their greatest potential advantage is their portability

If you can sort out the design shortcomings you have a very portable bench drill you can lug almost anywhere

Edited By Ady1 on 10/06/2017 08:52:42

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

The thing about cheap Chinese machine tools that has interested me most is the amazing polarity of the buyers….on the one hand there are those who love to repeat how bad this rubbish is because it's so badly made compared to Myford and how any half accurate work is completely impossible to achieve….ad infinitum…

On the other side are those who are quietly turning out the most amazing work while acknowledging their low initial expectations and their pleasure in discovering that you don't indeed, always get what you pay for!….sometimes you get a bit more besides!

My 'Chinese Cheapies' have enabled me to stretch my money much further than I ever imagined…my Aldi drilling machine is still making nice accurate holes in steel and brass after 5 years but strangely enough I have never deflected the table by using drilling pressure………

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I've had one very like that for over 10 years. It's nowhere near as bad as the seller describes. It's not a precision tool either! I'd say the thing is OK within it's limitations, I tend to use mine for quick drilling where accuracy isn't paramount. It will drill metal.

A few things come to mind:

• Having bought a cheap drill, the seller may also be using cheap twist drills. As we know most of them are hopeless on metal. Discovering the more reliable types and making sure they're sharp made a big difference for me.
• Drilling sheet metal tends to blunt twist drills rather quickly especially if there's nothing underneath.
• User may not be selecting optimum speed by moving the belt. (It's a bit of a faff.)
• Cutting fluid helps
• Early on I tried to force accuracy by clamping everything down hard. This was a bad move. These pillar drills are more accurate if you let the centre-popped work float under the spinning drill point. I think this aligns the centre-pop with the centrifugally stabilised axis of the of the twist drill, making any run-out in the spindle irrelevant. There's a bit of skill in this.
• The type of metal being drilled makes a big difference. Newbies tend to experiment on odd bits of scrap metal with discouraging results. Hard skinned sash weights full of inclusions, work-hardening stainless steel, tool-steel, copper, rebar, and sticky aluminium are just some of the many booby traps waiting to deter the beginner. Much better to find metal intended for machining even if you have to pay for it.

Dave

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 10/06/2017 09:51:29:

• Early on I tried to force accuracy by clamping everything down hard. This was a bad move. These pillar drills are more accurate if you let the centre-popped work float under the spinning drill point. I think this aligns the centre-pop with the centrifugally stabilised axis of the of the twist drill, making any run-out in the spindle irrelevant. There's a bit of skill in this.

Not just cheap drill presses benefit from this approach. Was the way I was taught to use a drill press in the toolroom. Mount job in vice, put bolt/s loosely through the vice hold-down slots and through the drill press table slots, tighten nuts lightly by finger, allowing job to "float" yet preventing rotation if the drill bit grabs. Yes, drill will pick up on the centre punch mark and centre the job to suit. For trickier set ups, same result is obtained by clamping job or vice firmly to the table, but allowing table to pivot on centre pivot and the mounting arm on the pillar so it floats to correct position.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Hopper on 10/06/2017 10:17:38:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 10/06/2017 09:51:29:

• …

…

For trickier set ups, same result is obtained by clamping job or vice firmly to the table, but allowing table to pivot on centre pivot and the mounting arm on the pillar so it floats to correct position.

Another useful hint, thanks! You can't do that directly on the cheapo model I have because table height and angle are both locked by the same screw. Making a collar to control height independently would be easy enough: I'm tempted.

Can anyone suggest any other improvements to this type of drill?

Dave

[wheeltapperParticipant @wheeltapper]

I've got one like that, had it at least 25 years, got it in buy and queue for £30.

it, s done everything I needed.

Roy.

[speelwerkParticipant @speelwerk]

Posted by wheeltapper on 10/06/2017 11:02:32:

I've got one like that, had it at least 25 years, got it in buy and queue for £30.

it, s done everything I needed.

 

Roy.

Same with me, have it now for over 30 years. German made it came with a Rohm 1-13 mm drill chuck. No idea what I paid for it but not much. Niko.

Edited By speelwerk on 10/06/2017 12:41:05

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Like I said, I was given mine, so it's only to be expected that it isn't going to be a fine quality machine. Yes the table distorts downwards when drilling 30mm aluminium even drilling it slowly and using gradually bigger drills, it results in the top of the hole being where it should be and the bottom of the hole being forward of the axis.

It has however served me well but as I now have a mill that is very precise and functional I tend to use that, i might look at servicing the drill, or just scrap it off.

My Chinese lathe is doing a great job and is certainly worth every penny and means that I have managed to get a good quality lathe producing great results, rather than a worn out British one at the same price.

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Posted by Bob Stevenson on 10/06/2017 09:01:10:

The thing about cheap Chinese machine tools that has interested me most is the amazing polarity of the buyers….on the one hand there are those who love to repeat how bad this rubbish is because it's so badly made compared to Myford and how any half accurate work is completely impossible to achieve….ad infinitum…

The cheap drilling machine given to me , is not great, has had lots of use by x number of previous owners. Being Chinese doesn't mean that all the machinery is the same, just that they were all made in China.

On the other side are those who are quietly turning out the most amazing work while acknowledging their low initial expectations and their pleasure in discovering that you don't indeed, always get what you pay for!….sometimes you get a bit more besides!

My Chinese lathe is great, no run out on the spindle, smooth and vibration free, accurate every time.

My 'Chinese Cheapies' have enabled me to stretch my money much further than I ever imagined…my Aldi drilling machine is still making nice accurate holes in steel and brass after 5 years but strangely enough I have never deflected the table by using drilling pressure………

I've seen the diameter of brass you turn Bob and given how light a cut you take, I doubt you will ever deflect anything. II'll give you some of my stock to have a go with if you want ?

ATB Ian

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

If it can't speak it can't lie, note, this is finger pressure!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I will be honest, changing to a MUCH bigger Clarke drill press (a still made in China) has been a bit of a revelation:

12 speeds is more than any mortal needs and takes much longer to change than 5!

The table and spindle are solid as a rock, although this doesn't make as much difference as I expected, perhaps because I simply used to compensate by taking it easy with the old machine.

The wind up/down table is slower but better than the simple clamp it or drop it arrangement!

The rotating/swinging table makes zeroing in on a centre punch mark much easier.

Having a built in work light is good.

The MT2 spindle is handy, as I can keep a smaller chuck in it most of the time, the supplied 16mm chuck is too chunky for most jobs, but handy to have.

The cast handle is definitely better than three rods that regularly unscrew (until loctited in place – no I don't know what number).

Woo-hoo a depth readout that works!

It is essential to have the big machine bolted to the bench, in 17 years I never quite got round to bolting the little un' down.

Essential to have the vice, if not bolted down securely, located by a loose bolt so it can't spin/lift. Unlike the small one you can't just put the vice handle against the pillar.

Neil

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

I think the EBay sellers comments are quite fair. He isn't just slagging off cheap Chinese machinery, he is just describing it like it is, so where it is made and how much it cost are irrelevant.

But I do think he has overlooked the drills possible real potential. In some of his photos the drill is sat on the ground close to a door, and appears to be preventing the door from closing fully. So if he had given it some thought, and moved it a little further to the right, I am sure that the drill would be at least good enough to make an excellent door stop.

Edited By Lathejack on 11/06/2017 23:51:40

Edited By Lathejack on 11/06/2017 23:53:12

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

I bought my one of these from Argos for £29 when they sold them in 1995-ish. Kept it for at least 15 years, and it was good for all sorts of jobs. One I was particularly pleased it did was to drill a 0.7mm diameter hole through the side wall of 1.5mm OD, 0.7mm ID stainless tube enabling me to replace the corroded silver breather tube in a 1952 Parker 51 fountain pen and turn it into a true 'Aerometric' after doing this. It didn't even break the 0.7mm drill. In order to get the tube and drill exactly in line, I put a bit of the tube in the chuck, clamped the drill vice to it, then bolted it to the table, finally set the tube in the vice & drill in the pin chuck which then went in the drill chuck

I sold it for £28 in 2010-ish when I bought an MT2/12 speed Clarke with light, probably the version prior to Neil's – having unscrewable capstan levers. I won't say it's 'Much' better, because I'm not sure the Parker 51 drilling could be bettered. Just do 'bigger' stuff, and having an MT2 socket means I can fit an ER32 collet chuck for more certain concentricity with small drills.

Regards,

Richard.

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