press brake + drill press purchase advice
 

Hi all,

I am looking for an inexpensive drill press and press brake for my shop. I do not need anything fancy and don't need to bend or drill anything larger than, say, 10 gauge mild steel.

I saw they had a 12 ton press brake at Harbor Freight for around $100. I also have seen several drill presses, but I'll admit, it's daunting to find the right one, or to even know what the heck I need in a drill press...I found a 16.5" floor standing one, old Craftsman for $100 on craigslist....not sure if I should pick it up?

I'm sure some of you guys can give inexpensive recommendations, so I'm curious to see if anyone has good advice.

Mind you, I am not going to be running a freaking shop and these tools will not get more than a dozen uses per year, so I am not looking for anything fancy (hence why I would buy something from HF)

Thanks!

Re: press brake + drill press purchase advice
 

I picked up a $150 Home Depot drill press three years ago (it's a Ryobi)... I had to have one that day for something and figured that when it broke I would replace it with a "nice" one... it's still going strong and gets used quite regularly.

Re: press brake + drill press purchase advice
 

i've got an older craftsman drill press it was about top of the line back then// i like big heavy bases, big heavy girder , powerfull motor, big work table that you can easily clamp things to that tilts both left and right, the belt should be easy to change ,tighten and adjust speeds with, i also needed a unit that you can easily ghange out the chuck and would accept a 1 inch chuck// the thing to watch on used machines is worn bearings and stripped gears in the spindle and feed area HEAVY is good

Re: press brake + drill press purchase advice
 

Search the local paper:classifieds and sales/auctions.The old stuff is all industrial rated.I got a 5' brake for $75 at a sale.

Re: press brake + drill press purchase advice
 

For a drill press, get a floor mount. I bought the HF 43389 a few years ago. Only problem has been the switch, poor design that I had to replace. Unless you have to have one right away, wait for HF to have a sale. The older used presses are good, but around here people want too much for them.

I don't know about the HF brake. You can do some comparing at Northern Tool

Re: press brake + drill press purchase advice
 

looked at this same model yesterday at our local HF ... not industrial grade, but not bad for home use.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91012