Jet Drill Press Choices for Your Home Shop

With a multitude of companies (not to mention products) available on the market it may be really difficult to pick out the equipment which is appropriate for your wood shop. Jet woodworking tools can be the most suitable option for any folks interested in basic solid power tools. Let's look at several jet drill press models first.

Jet is a popular line of woodworking and various other power tools made by Walter Meier Manufacturing. Ranging from home-shop tools to manufacturing tools, they give you numerous products. I ended up being a little bit surprised to find Jet; I assumed I knew all of the good brand names. As it happens Jet is known for a devoted following, plus Walter Meir has existed for more than seventy years. If you want good prices, toughness, and precision the Jet brand is a popular pick. I'll be specifically commenting on Jet drill presses later on in the following paragraphs.

The amount of room you have may be a major decision element in which power tool you end up picking. You'll in all probability want to get a bench top model in case your space is restricted. Most of these may be set up so its possible to move them aside. Free standing drill presses usually are too heavy (and tall) to get placed on a portable stand. You'll require a unit that has a large work table and swing in the event you expect you'll often be working away at larger sized pieces. It's at the same time necessary to check out the motor's horsepower. As Tim the tool man says, "more power!" Though take care not to find yourself with a machine which is too large for the shop. Variable speed might be a further aspect to consider. Even with no variable speed drive you’re able to choose between a dozen or maybe more speeds by simply switching the drive belt to a variety of pulleys. On the other hand, having a variable-speed drive you'll be able to simply turn a knob to get a continuous range of speeds.

To keep things brief, We'll be looking at just 3 of the Jet drill presses which are the most popular for home shops.

Perhaps the most common Jet drill press unit is the mid-range JPD-15M. It's a table top product that has a 15" swing. Known for its ruggedness, stiffness, as well as power this product incorporates a substantial 3/4 hp electric motor. This is truly a dependable nothing-fancy tool. The sixteen belt-selectable speeds range between 200 to 3,600 RPM. Other mid-size attributes include a 5/8" chuck as well as a big 10" x 13" work surface. If you would want a floor mount version, the JPD-15MF is otherwise pretty much the same.

Note: Although shown in the picture, the JPD-15M does not include the stand.

The Jet JPD-12 may be a more suitable alternative for anyone in need of something smaller. With a 12" swing it is significantly more compact. The bottom is just 11. 5 by 16. 5 inches. Unfortunately, you'll have to drop down to 1/3 horsepower to have this scaled-down size. But you will get several attractive capabilities from the trade. It features continuous speed adjustment from 530 to 3100 rpm, but the adjustment is mechanical. You in addition get a electronic digital rpm readout which means you are going to know just what the speed is. There's in addition a good X-laser drilling guide. (Like I have regularly wished for on my own present press for free drilling.) With that compactness will come a smaller work table, at 9.5 in . square. To assist you to with larger sized work there's a simple retracting roller. The JPD-12 comes with a 5/8" chuck, plenty large given the hp.

If you've plenty of room you'll want to most definitely check out seventeen " free-standing JPD-17DX. It features a 3/4 hp electric motor, like the 15M. This specific version includes capabilities specifically for woodworking. The 17DX features precision stops to get highly accurate drilling. These 2 capabilities insure that it is an easy task to accomplish regular spacings as well as depths. At 14 by 18 in, the work table is plenty big. This specific version additionally features a 5/8" chuck plus just like the 15M may be set from 200 to 3,620 rpm in sixteen steps.  The JPD-17MF costs a bit less.  It doesn't have the laser guide, but is otherwise pretty much the same.

For swings as much as 20" as well as power to 1 horsepower, you can find various other Jet versions from which to choose. Several feature electronic speed control. Regardless of the unit, owners together with reviewers commend Jet drill presses for accuracy and reliability together with ruggedness and durability.

Here's my eZine article on Jet drill presses.