DELTA 17-950L 16.5-Inch TwinLaser Crosshair Drill Press

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Average Customer Rating:	4.5
Brand:	Delta
Model:	17-950L
Weight:	209.5 pounds

Product Categories

Delta; Drill Presses; All Woodworking; Drill Presses; 14-inch; Electric

Product description

Thanks to its adjustable Twin Laser pod that projects a bright laser cross hair on your work piece to indicate the point of bit contact, the DELTA 17-950L 16.5-inch Twin Laser Crosshair Drill Press lets you drill more accurately than ever before . You'll never have an inaccurate hole placement again. The large 14 x 18-inch cast iron table includes T-slots, a removable insert, and has the capacity to tilt up to 45 degrees forward so you can make angular drills. A flexible light is integrated to keep your workspace illuminated, and the table can be raised and lowered to your comfort level via a rack and pinion system. The drill press uses a 5/8-inch chuck, and offers a 3-7/8-inch quill stroke. The drill features a 1/2 HP induction motor with 12 speeds ranging from 250 to 3000 RPM, making it suitable for a variety of materials such as wood, metal, and plastic.

Features

Drill press with twin laser projects a crosshair on workpiece for accurate hole placements every time

1/2 HP motor provides 12 speeds from 250 to 3000 RPM

Large 14 x 18-inch, tiltable cast iron table with an integrated work light and removable insert and T-slots

Measures 66 x 12-3/4 x 25-1/4 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 194 pounds; backed by a 2-year warranty.

Included with 17-950L Drill Press: 18 x 14 inch table, twin laser pod, flexible light.

Customer reviews

« Great drill press, great value »

I use the drill press for hobby projects in the garage, so not a commercial operation. But that being said, this is a great value. It appears to be very well made and will last generations. I work with wood and metal, have probably drilled 50 to 100 items and I am very happy with the product. I highly recommend it. I looked at used drill presses first, but was worried about lost precision or poor quality for the cheaper products (craftsman, etc.). When I saw the price ($404) with free shipping, it was a no brainer.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2008-12-20

« Good Drill Press For The Money »

I have had this machine for about a year now. I bought it after thoroughly researching models in this price range +/- 50%. This press has proven itself to be accurate and versatile. As others have pointed out, there is virtually no runout. Build quality is good, but not perfect. (For example, there was a rattle to quiet.) It has plenty of travel (just under 4") for the wide range of tasks I have given it, and ample power, even for large hole saws. The large rectangular table is a pleasure to use and was fairly easy to calibrate to level. The T-tracks are super handy. The laser is nice in some cases, but not necessary.

I immediately added a shop-built fence, a light bulb (it does not come with one), about an inch of foam weather stripping under top lid to quiet the rattle, and a couple of zip ties to better route the cords. I also mounted the whole unit on a mobile base made of 1.5" square oak and a double layer of 3/4" plywood. After these, it is just about perfect, and certainly, I believe, the best value in this price range.

It is helpful to have a helper for assembly, as the heavy head has to be lifted onto the top of the column once the column is vertical. If you want a mobile base, it is much easier to mount it while you are assembling the unit rather than later. Two layers of plywood were necessary for the base to reduce flex.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2008-11-17

« An 11 out of 10. »

I was sad when my old drill press was killed by a combination of a fire and having a load of lumber delivered on top of it. I had been saving up for this one for a while. It puts my old one to shame. No noticeable vibration or run out. There is nearly 4 inches of quill travel. The table has three axes of freedom. It can rotate out of the way around the column. It can tip side to side, indexed at common angles, with a scale, although you will need to use the included hex wrench. It also tips front to back on dual trunions with handles. I have only used it a few times so far, but I love it. The laser feature is nothing great. It is a separate accessory, plastic that you bolt on the column and it uses its own 9v. battery and it is a bit tricky to get it to stay aimed properly. One draw back is that it takes two outlets, one for the motor and one for the lamp. I would recommend bolting a power strip to the machine some how and adding a 9v battery adapter so you don't need to worry about the laser battery and multiple outlets.

Although the box was fairly beaten up when it arrived, there was no damage or missing parts. The screw for the spring on the table index pin had worked loose in transit and took only a moment to put back together. I had little trouble assembling it. Had my wife and daughter help putting the head on just to be safe. I put the table in place upside-down so it could sit on my lap while I was assembling the joint, then I used the rotation feature to put it in the proper orientation and finish tightening the table. I decided it would be easier than trying to align it and start the bolt from the bottom.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2008-05-13

« Regular Guy »

The assembly instructions were clear and easy to use. The drill press is excellent with plenty of power and table area. The laser is a gimick; and could use a focus adjustment to sharpen the lines. Be prepared to build a stabilizing base out of plywood if you don't anchor it to the floor. Definitely worth the money...:)

Rating: (4 out of 5) @ 2008-03-28

« Could be better, but certainly does the job »

I must corroborate what other reviewers have said here: the drill is very nice, but not perfect. It could be smoother, more powerful, and better integrated, but it gets the job done.

The table is versatile and more than enough for most uses. The adjustment is as smooth as one would expect it to be, and the press itself is easy to use. The belts are a little noisy but not excessively so-- who wants a silent drill, after all?

One area of disappointment for me is the lack of integration between all the different electrical components:

The lasers run off a 9v battery attached to a conveniently placed switch. The switch is independent of the drill and so it's easy to leave the lasers on. Forget it one night and you've drained the battery completely. I'd invest in rechargeable 9volts-- but why isn't this run off of line current like the rest of the drill?

The lamp has a separate plug. At first I thought this was a shortcoming of the drill, but it's a good thing if you use it correctly. I found this out by not: a workpiece busted loose while I was boring at speed, causing the drill to draw inconsistent current as the piece bounced around the bit freely before I could stop it.

The lamp was plugged into the same outlet as the drill press, and the bulb blew before the circuit breaker did. Lesson learned: plug the lamp into a different circuit. :-)

But overall the unit is very nice, very solid.