Part One

A drill press is one of the best tools for repetitive, precise drilling needs that a manual drill simply won’t be able to match. If you’re looking to make your time in the workshop a bit cumbersome, a tad more precise and a whole lot more powerful, this is the tool for you. Today we’ll be exploring the best drill presses of 2022, their features, functions and how they can level up your drilling game. And to top it all off, we’re including a complete guide of what you should watch out for when you’re deciding on the right drill press for your needs. Let’s jump into it!

Best Drill Presses Buying Guide

Whether your drill press will be suitable for the work you intend is essential. Before you get started and choose the power tool you think is best, you should keep in mind the following aspects.

What material will you need to drill?

It’s important to keep in mind that not all drill presses will be able to handle all types of workpieces. A five-speed drill press should be enough for you if most of your projects are wood-based but if you’re looking for something that can handle metal you might want to look for a drill press with more speed range. This is because, with drill presses, the harder a material is, the lower the rotations per minute need to be. 

The head of the drill press
The head of the drill press is going to be crucial in determining what type of material you will be able to work with. The two essential measurements you need to keep in mind are the swing and the travel.
The swing is the distance between the chuck and the metal column supporting the drill. This will be the aspect that limits how far into the workpiece you can drill.
The travel is the distance that the spindle on which the drill is held can travel down. This is going to determine how deep your drill holes will be.

The speeds
The speeds that the drill press will have determine what sort of capacity your power tool has as well. More professional models have between 12-16 speeds which makes them ideal for drilling in any kind of material you can think of. More lightweight bench models usually have 5 speeds. These types of drill presses have narrower scopes and they’re generally more suitable for woodworking than metal drilling.

The power of the motor
Another important aspect is the power of the motor. A powerful motor will have high torque on lower speeds which are important when you’re working with harder materials. This is another crucial factor that will determine what your drill can do.