Shopsmith 10ER

[GsxrMike]

I was looking for a drill press and I came across this Shopsmith 10ER. I don't know much about them but my B-day is tomorrow and my wife said she would buy me a drill press. I don't know if I should try to sell her on this or go for the $300 Rigid at HD. Any other ideas of where to look for a decent drill press?

Thanks!

 

[dremu]

LOL ... wait 'til Scott weighs in, he'll bitch about my Shopsmiths as well as the ballpeen =))

I've found it to be a perfectly adequate drill press; I've not gotten around to using the other functions. To be fair, it's made as a woodworking gizmo, really. It's a wood lathe, great for making bed legs and candlesticks, but you won't be turning metal on it. And they're bloody antiques; I don't think the 10* models have been made since the 50's.

That said, I've done boatloads of metal drilling with mine, even reamed my steering arms for TRE's with it. I did change the pulleys out to slow it down (imagine higher ratio gears )

If it's well-maintained, they're a decent piece of hardware. They are not, however, worth that kind of money except maybe to weird woodworking collector types ... I think I paid like $160 for my last one, with all the goodies.

-- A

 

[4X4HIGH]

The old Delta/Rockwell presses are very good. I found one on e-bay and snagged it for $60.00 "buy it now" (bought it because it was local and i was able to pick it up).

EDIT: Aaron, i was all over this post already. Actually, Aaron drove me to the guys place to pick up my drill press since i figured it would be relatively hard to fit into the back of a lifted blazer.

 

[GsxrMike]

What about a craftsman or a ridgid?