What's new
By:
Filters

Drill Press or cheaper mill for $2k budget?

If you can get a bridgeport or clone for under $2k (depends heavily on location) it will run circles around a drill press at everything other than fitting large work on the table.

Source: been there done that.
 
What kind of work are you going to do with this machine?

Knee mills (think bridgeports) can be had for under $2k like others said. They can take longer to set up and aren't necessarily as flexible as a drill press depending on what you're doing. That being said, I had a large nice drill press for a while, then got a mill and learned i should have got a mill from the start. I then sold the large drill press and got a smaller table drill press for the quick hole, primarily in plate, which can be tough to do in a mill without a pallet.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
What kind of work are you going to do with this machine?

Knee mills (think bridgeports) can be had for under $2k like others said. They can take longer to set up and aren't necessarily as flexible as a drill press depending on what you're doing. That being said, I had a large nice drill press for a while, then got a mill and learned i should have got a mill from the start. I then sold the large drill press and got a smaller table drill press for the quick hole, primarily in plate, which can be tough to do in a mill without a pallet.
Click to expand...
Yeah, setups are definitely slower sometimes. I think if you do find yourself drilling that often on the mill then it might be worth setting something up on one side of the table. If it's a part with multiple holes in the same face you make it back though.

If it's a part with existing bolt holes I like to space it up using nuts. For parts without holes I like to use scrap plywood. This is assuming they don't easily fit in the vise.

I bet if I cared enough I could find some trick clamps that are much faster than the tried and true studs and blocks
 
Look at the auction sites like Auctions International, Government Liquidators and so on They often liquidate trade schools and you can get some cool stuff.
 
I don't need a mill by any stretch, nor do I have experience using one. However if I'm spending the same amount of money, I'm sure I could find a reason to use it.

I'm not sure what to look for. I'd rather not have a full sized machine that requires equipment to move or 3 phase.
 
I use a rong-fu mill. Sold under a bunch of brands/colors including Grizzley and Jet. Even HF back in the day. I got mine off craigslist over 20 years ago for $50. It is wore out and tired, so using it as a mill is not practical, but it makes a great drill press. So much so that I got rid of my standing drill press cause I never used it anymore. It is still a belt drive, but I only seem to slip belts reaming out holes over 1" and even then just slow my advance rate. There are several websites that have tricks and upgrades for that mill. The only downside is the vertical distance, the machine isnt a full knee, so only so much room there. But, if I need to drill something that big, I tend to use the mag drill anyway.

rongfu.com

Bench Type Milling Drilling Machine RF-25 - RongFu

Bench Type Milling Drilling Machine RF-25 Small workshop workhorse milling drilling machine capable of handling a range of small workpiece requirements.
rongfu.com rongfu.com
 
CJNTN said:
I hate my drill press. I'm looking at options for a new one under $2k that is gear driven.(No Reeves or swapping pulleys) Is there anything in that price range like a small mill that I should consider instead? It will be used for a mix of wood and metal.

Here's the one on top of my list currently.
Click to expand...
Dangit... added another tool to the list. My experience with other Powermatic tools have been great.
 
Another mill vote...assuming you're primarily drilling metal. Wood I'll take the drill press because that's an easy job for it and you don't dirty up all the fine mechanisms in the milling machine. Steel though, the fact that the table doesn't deflect on a mill and you can drill slower rpm with bigger tooling and you can feed and align easier, it's just silly not to.

I got my benchtop Craftex CX-601 for $3000 CAD, it's a decent enough sized bench top...I'm sure you can find something similar in the US for $2k.
 
I wouldn't rule out a drill press but I'd cap the budget for it under $2-300 or something.
Leaves enough money for the mill when you find the right one.

I got a 18" Buffalo Forge for $125, it was 3-phase so a $100 vfd got it running. (Not to be confused with Buffalo Chinese junk)

A knee mill is on my list but I'd take about any NON round column milling machine I can find cheap.

Something like this, 1960's vintage and bad ass.

31911-C.jpg


Photo Index - Buffalo Forge Co. - #18 Drill Press | VintageMachinery.org
Photo Index - Buffalo Forge Co. - #18 Drill Press | VintageMachinery.org
 

Attachments

  • 1709091956708.jpeg
    1709091956708.jpeg
    11.6 KB · Views: 3
Last edited:
Shame I already have a buyer for my all gear driven, 24" Barnes Gear drill. It would be exactly what you are looking for. Moving it is a little on the challenging side with the whole 3k lb situation.

Thats something else to consider with a decent size knee mill; weight of moving it. Rigidity is key in machine work. You can also hawk for a radial arm drill that is very versatile. After having one now, I don't want a regular floor or bench press.

www.ebay.com

DFW-HERCULES 3'/8" RADIAL ARM DRILL 3'8" ARM, 60-2000RPM, 18" X 26" X 15" PLATE | eBay

Manufacturer: HERCULES. Capacity: 3'8" ARM, 60-2000RPM, 18" X 26" X 15" PLATE. (c) Truckload and Partial Truckload: HGR can assist you in setting up truckloads or partial truckload loads (flat bed, step deck, double drop, etc.).
www.ebay.com
 
AlxJ64 said:
Thats something else to consider with a decent size knee mill; weight of moving it. Rigidity is key in machine work.
Click to expand...
Bridgeports break down into components that weigh less than smallblock V8s. Basically a non-issue.
 
arse_sidewards said:
Bridgeports break down into components that weigh less than smallblock V8s. Basically a non-issue.
Click to expand...

Where can I learn what to look for and what to avoid in these machines? I always have time to learn how to use it once I have it.
 
CJNTN said:
Where can I learn what to look for and what to avoid in these machines? I always have time to learn how to use it once I have it.
Click to expand...
Just buy whatever has the least scars from mistakes in the table.

The newer and nicer and more expensive of a machine you get the more likely it is to be in good shape for machining duties but all the wearable parts are readily available.

People get all stupid over "hurr durr muh scraping marks on the ways" but realistically anything that hasn't seen a lifetime of really hard use will be fine for hobbyist use.
 
CJNTN said:
I don't need a mill by any stretch, nor do I have experience using one. However if I'm spending the same amount of money, I'm sure I could find a reason to use it.

I'm not sure what to look for. I'd rather not have a full sized machine that requires equipment to move or 3 phase.
Click to expand...
if you want a drill press then get a drill press

milling machines make very poor drill presses, it's something of a badge of ignorance to extoll the virtues of using a turret mill as a drill press
 
[486] said:
milling machines make very poor drill presses, it's something of a badge of ignorance to extoll the virtues of using a turret mill as a drill press
Click to expand...
That's an uncharacteristically stupid opinion from you. You move to the desert or something?

If you have neither a mill nor a big drill press a mill is a better use of the money because it can do all sorts of important things that the drill can't even if it's not as efficient at a lot of the bigger drilling tasks.
 
I use my mill for milling and a drill press for drilling holes. The drill press is faster, much cheaper and takes up much less space. Much easier to move.

Different tools for different jobs.
 
[486] said:
if you want a drill press then get a drill press

milling machines make very poor drill presses, it's something of a badge of ignorance to extoll the virtues of using a turret mill as a drill press
Click to expand...

No, they make excellent drill presses...you can drill holes far more accurately in far more materials with a mill. Yes, there's downsides like size and cost, they're slower to use, etc. but if I need to drill holes in metal, 8 times out of 10 I'm going for my milling machine.
 
rattle_snake said:
Using a mill for a drill press is a pain in the ass. Not worth time to set up for 99% of what I do.
Click to expand...

What do you do?

If it's something I can drill in my milling vise, I find it faster than the drill press, since I can just throw the piece of work in, then use the table x/y to line things up rather than trying to align by hand on the drill press...I also rarely rarely ever just hold a work piece in the drill press, so there's always some clamping to be done which is a pita on the drill press.
 
If you're dedicating $2k to drilling holes I'd absolutely get a mill.

Then get a garage sale benchtop drill press for $40 for doing quick n dirty stuff with a step bit. The one where the belt will slip before it sends the piece of plate you're holding on top of a 2x4 through your palm.
 
mjlogan88 said:
Then get a garage sale benchtop drill press for $40 for doing quick n dirty stuff with a step bit. The one where the belt will slip before it sends the piece of plate you're holding on top of a 2x4 through your palm.
Click to expand...

I got one of those piles o crap that he can have.:laughing: I clamp shit to the table and attack it with a cordless drill before I use that fuggin thing
 
[486] said:
if you want a drill press then get a drill press

milling machines make very poor drill presses, it's something of a badge of ignorance to extoll the virtues of using a turret mill as a drill press
Click to expand...
I can back this in the sense that the drill presses I own will accept a lot larger parts for punching holes than my Bridgeport will. I also hate having to re-tram the mill if I use it as a drill when a bigger part needs to go on the table because it doesn't hold well in the vise based on size of the part or odd shape. The DRO on the mill makes locating holes a bit easier but when it comes to just punching drilled holes... yes, a drill press is for drilling holes, and a mill is for milling, and yes... you can precision locate holes.
 
Steve300xcw said:
how so?
Click to expand...

maybe you like cranking your knee for a minute at a time every time
maybe you like having a very small work envelope
maybe you like having a short quill travel, and a quill handle that's either good for drilling and bad for milling or one that's...

but then there are those who buy universal turret head mills, then swear off using any of the tilt/swivel capabilities, like those guys that like getting their balls stepped on
 
[486] said:
maybe you like cranking your knee for a minute at a time every time
maybe you like having a very small work envelope
maybe you like having a short quill travel, and a quill handle that's either good for drilling and bad for milling or one that's...

but then there are those who buy universal turret head mills, then swear off using any of the tilt/swivel capabilities, like those guys that like getting their balls stepped on
Click to expand...
You can set up a mill to be pretty efficient as a drill press. To be honest, the vast majority of drilling, at least that I do, is holes in plate. The quill is short, 6" of throw, but more than enough to plate and smaller sections with the head at one setting. Add a chuck instead of swapping collets for every bit. bolt down press vice on the table. Suddenly, my mill is almost as fast as a press for 99% of what I need. And the rare time I need to raise the head to drill something taller, all that is offset by the times I need to slot a hole or do some other quick milling and the machine is there to do it. Besides, the whole thing is more rigid, all functions are better geared for metal work and it has many more speed options in the slow range that is better with metal. And if I am laying out a flange pattern and accuracy matters, it is pretty nice to just bolt it down and run the X-Y to get things nats on. Scooting things around on a drill press and dealing with the little bit of fudge movement from the clamping aggravates me.

I get it. You have a drill press and you like using it. I dont think anyone is suggesting drill presses dont have thier place. I had one, what I started with. But I lucked into a bombed out table mill, and after about 2 years, realized I NEVER used the drill press anymore. My preference was to use the mill for all my work. So I freed up floorspace and ditched the drill press. If I was outfitting a shop that wasnt an airplane hanger huge situation, space kinda matters, then I would go straight to the mill and get a few tooling items to make it a brawny driller. Just input based on my experience.
 
All fair comments. Do I need a mill, fuck no, but I also won't be using it for a day job so speed isn't really a concern. The only downsides I'm seeing for a mill are speed and wood shavings will be a cleanup chore. The first, I'm not worried about, but I will use it for 50/50 wood/metal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh