The drill press is one of the most versatile tools you'll find in any shop. It drills metal, wood and other materials, as well as performing other jobs such as mortising and sanding for woodworkers.

If you're planning to get a drill press, it's important that you understand the necessary aspects of this important shop tool, so you can get the right one for your shop to fulfill your needs.

This review focuses on the best drill presses on the market and provides you as well with all the information that you need to make the right choice.

Editor's Rating: (4.2 / 5)

• Power: 3.2 Amps
• Speed: 750 - 3,050 RPM
• Chuck size: 1/2 inch
• Weight: 52 lbs

The Skil 3320-01 benchtop press combines helpful features with a durable construction and a compact size to produce a reliable and long-lasting drill press for your shop.

It's made from cast iron and uses a 1/2-inch keyed chuck to take as many drill bits as possible. In addition to that, you get a 45-degree tilting table, so you can precisely drill at an angle of your choosing. To further improve your drilling precision, a laser-beam guide is also included.

Its 5-speed settings allow you to choose the perfect speed between 750 and 3,050 RPM (Rotations Per Minute) and the included depth stop helps you to drill to the right depth each time.

You also get a bump-off switch for extra safety, a 10-inch swing, and a 3-year manufacturer warranty, which all combine to make this the best overall drill press on this list.

#2. Wen 4208 5-Speed 8-Inch Benchtop Drill Press

Editor's Rating:  (4.3 / 5)

• Power: 2.3 Amps
• Speed: 740-3,140 RPM
• Chuck size: 1/2 inch
• Weight: 38 lbs

Wen's 4208 is a small but powerful benchtop drill press with everything you need in a good entry-level press. By combining all its features with an attractive price, it becomes the best benchtop drill press on this list.

These features include its 1/2-inch chuck, its 8 inches of swing, its 2 inches spindle travel, and 5-speed system allowing for speeds between 740 and 3,140 RPM.

It doesn't have a laser guide, but it does include a beveling worktable, which measures 6.5x6.5 inches and can bevel up to 45 degrees. Also interesting is its simple but effective depth adjustment system.

Of course, Wen makes larger drill presses with more features, but this is the one to pay attention to when you need the best compact drill press for the money.

Editor's Rating: (4.4 / 5)

• Power: N/A
• Speed: N/A
• Chuck size: 1/32-1/8 inch
• Weight: 26 lbs

Unlike the rest of the drill presses on this list, this offer is for the workstation, which means the frame for a drill press. It does not include a motor, so it requires you to own any of the many Dremel rotary tools so you can turn this into a drill press.

There are about 18 compatible Dremel rotary tools that you can attach to this workstation to create the best budget dill press because this workstation and chuck offer comes at a very attractive price.

It even goes beyond a drill press. This workstation also functions as a tool holder, holding the rotary tool at 90 degrees for polishing, sanding, and grinding jobs, for example.

The holder will make 15-degree tilts up to 90 degrees, offering you much flexibility. It also offers you onboard storage of drill bits and wrenches, plus clips to manage the rotary tool's cord, and a 1-year warranty from Dremel.

Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)

• Power: 13 Amps
• Speed: 180-2,940 RPM
• Chuck size: 1/8-5/8 inch
• Weight: 214 lbs

If you want the best floor drill press, then here comes the 4227 from Wen, with all the bells and whistles you can ask for in a drill press. This offer is for the 17-inch swing version, although you can also get the 15-inch version.

Everything comes included, from a working light to a precision laser, a 14x14-inch cast iron work table with coolant run-off channels to prevent overheating when drilling.

The Wen 4227 offers a 4.75-inch stroke and a 12-speed choice to offer the operator with the best conditions for either softwood, hardwood, plastic, metals, and more.

Its worktable will bevel up to 45 degrees as well, and the locking depth gauge helps you to drill equal lengths every time. Wen backs it with a 2-year warranty.

Editor's Rating: (4.2 / 5)

• Power: 5 amps
• Speed: 580-3,200 RPM
• Chuck size: 5/8 inch
• Weight: 89 lbs

If you are looking for a benchtop drill press that packs the power of a floor-standing model, then Wen's 4214 might be of interest to you with its 5-amp motor and variable speed system.

Using a mechanical variable system, you can select any speed you want between 580 and 3,200 RPM while maintaining equal torque. An LED display additionally displays the speed to you.

It comes with a 9.5 x 9.5 inches cast iron work table with up to 45-degree beveling. It also offers a spindle travel of 3.1 inches, including a depth adjustment system, and a table roller extension to make the table longer or wider for certain jobs.

You get a 5/8-inch keyed chuck, an onboard laser guide to improve your drilling accuracy, and Wen's 2-year warranty to make this offer the best variable speed drill press on this list.

Editor's Rating: (4.4 / 5)

• Power: 3.2 Amps
• Speed: 600-3,100 RPM
• Chuck size: 1/2 inch
• Weight: 51 lbs

In case the earlier Wen 4214 was too much for you, then here's something a little less brute. The Wen 4210 comes with a 3.2-amp motor which gets controlled in 5 speeds to produce 600 to 3,100 RPM.

The trade-off here is less power. While the 4210 rotates at the same speed as the 4214, it does so with less torque, meaning it might not handle certain hardwoods or metals as easily as the 4214.

Still, it's a great drill press, with its 2.5-inch stroke, depth adjustment, precision laser, an onboard work light, and Wen's 4-year warranty.

It's also cheaper than the 4214, making it a great alternative for those searching for the best affordable drill presses. The table will bevel and its base is cast iron to make it sturdy and prevent the entire drill press from walking during operation.

Editor's Rating: (4.4 / 5)

• Power: 19 Amps
• Speed: 150-4,200 RPM
• Chuck size: 3/4 inch
• Weight: 325 lbs

Built for stability, accuracy, and versatility, the JET JDP-20MF is a powerful machine that'll keep things moving smoothly in your shop. Powered by a 19.5-Amp motor which produces 1.5 horsepower of drilling power, it has a 3/4-inch drilling capacity for steel and 1-inch for iron.

There are 12 available spindle speeds between 150 and 4,200 RPM, and they can enable you to easily set whichever speed or torque that's necessary for the material you're working on.

The table is crank operated and can get as far away as 29 inches from the chuck which is a 3/4 inch. This press measures 33 x 19 x 67 inches in physical dimensions, it weighs 325 lbs and JET Tools backs it with a 2-year warranty.

Editor's Rating: (4.2 / 5)

• Power: 9 Amps
• Speed: 210-3,500 RPM
• Chuck size: 5/8 inch
• Weight: 187 lbs

Supposing you love the brute nature of JET drill presses, but you just want something a little less powerful but as equally impressive as the JET 19.5-Amp monster above, then check out this one because it only comes with a 9-Amp motor.

It also has other impressive features like its 5-inch stroke, which is the second longest spindle travel on this list and it does it with just one revolution of the handle.

There is an integrated depth stop to make your repetitive drilling jobs easier, plus a one-handed belt tensioning system which allows you to change speed rapidly. The table itself is large enough for most projects with its 14 x 19-inch dimensions.

This floor drill press stands over 40 inches tall, which makes it able to handle many kinds of jobs, including large materials, plus the table will tilt up to 90 degrees to either left or right for special jobs.

Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)

• Power: 9 Amps
• Speed: 250-3,050 RPM
• Chuck size: 5/8 inch
• Weight: 122 lbs

For a truly powerful benchtop drill press, check out this oscillating model from Shop Fox. It's powered by a 9-amp electric motor with 0.75 HP and it also doubles as a sander.

You get 12 speeds from this press, ranging from 250 to 3,050 RPM. The table is round and measures 12.3 inches in diameter. It can swing 360° horizontally, as well as bevel up to 90°.

This drill press also includes a dust port, but unlike other designs, this dust port is part of the table. The spindle has a stroke of 3.2 inches and oscillates up and down, which is perfect for sanding.

Shop Fox includes a 3-piece sanding drum kit with this package, including a mandrel and 80-grit sanding paper. You can also get this drill press in a floor version for roughly the same price.

Editor's Rating: (3.7 / 5)

• Power: 9 Amps
• Speed: 170-3,000 RPM
• Chuck size: 5/8 inch
• Weight: 261 lbs

With 16 drilling speeds and the longest stroke on this list with 6 inches, this Delta 18-900L drill press is an exceptional and high-quality drill press designed for those who want only the best.

It does cost quite some money but it's probably worth it, given its features. You get an over-sized worktable which bevels both left and right, up to 90 degrees, plus it even tilts forward as well, up to 48 degrees.

A flexible onboard LED light is part of the package and a laser cross-hair helps you to maximize your drilling precision. Other features include the auto-tensioning drive system, which makes it fast and easy for you to switch speeds, and its micro-adjustable depth stops.

The Delta 18-900L is truly a precise, accurate, and user-friendly floor drill press, which every shop owner will appreciate for its many features and Delta Machinery backs it with a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

​Types of Drill Presses

There are two types of drill presses and both have their advantages and disadvantages. The first type is the benchtop drill press, while the second is the floor or stationary drill press, which stands on the floor. Following is a closer look at these two types.

#1. Benchtop Drill Press

Most people who buy the benchtop press do so because they are space saving and usually cost less.

There is no standard size or output power for benchtop drill presses. They also have fewer features than the stationary variety because they are most often targeted at hobbyists, while the stationary type gets targeted at professionals.

#2. Floor Drill Press

How to Buy the Best Drill Presses

When you're considering which drill press to buy, it's necessary that you understand the important features to look out for, so you can make the best decision possible. These features are as follows:

#1. Power

The first and most important aspect of a drill press to consider is its power and this is usually given in horsepower or the motor's ampere usage. A higher horsepower means a more powerful machine, which simply means you can more easily get more work done.

Most drill presses are electrically powered and so come with an electric motor which connects to the spindle through a belt system, which often gets gear for speed and torque delivery.

It's always advisable to buy a press with a power rating that's slightly above what you actually need. This allows you the freedom of doing much more jobs when they come up.

#2. Speed

Your drill press will most likely come with a system to select different operating speeds. This is necessary because different materials are often best worked on at certain speeds.

With a multi-speed and powerful drill press, for instance, you can use high speeds to quickly bore through wood, while you'll select lower speeds for boring through metal.

Spin rates are given in RPM (Rotations Per Minute) and they can range anywhere from just a few hundred RPMs to over 3,000 RPM. A good drill press should allow you to select 2 or 3 speeds, at least.

#3. Throat Depth

The throat depth is the distance between the center of the spindle and the column. This measure is important because it helps to know the size of the press.

This size of any drill press is the swing and it's twice the throat depth, measured in inches. So a press with a 5-inch throat depth, for example, has a 10-inch swing or is simply 10 inches wide.

Benchtop model throat depths range from 5 to 6 inches, while stationary presses have throat depths around 8 inches and more.

#5. Extra feature

As technology advances, so too, do many tools come with extra features. Such features to look out for include a depth stop for setting how deep you want to drill into a material and an inclination angle for drilling at angles other than 90-degrees straight down.

More modern features include laser guides for precision drilling, flexible tool holders for arranging your tools, and even dust collection vacuum systems for keeping your work table neat.

#4. Accessories

There's a range of accessories for the drill press and some manufacturers will add some to their packages. These can range from clamps, lighting systems, and jigs.

This one is a personal decision because what a manufacturer includes in its package may or may not interest you based on your kind of work and on your needs.

#6. Warranty

Any competent tool-maker will offer a warranty for its tool, usually for a year or longer. It's understandable here that the longer the warranty, the better quality the tool usually is.

Conclusion

We've come to the end of this best drill press review and you've seen the different products in the market, as well as the dos and don'ts of choosing the right press for your shop.

Whether you're looking for the best-value drill press or you're only interested in top-rated drill press offers, the choice is now yours to make.

Just take your time to find that tool that offers you the features you need and at a price you can easily afford.