The Shop Fox W1668 Benchtop is a popular and versatile drill press. Ever since its introduction 10 years ago, Shop Fox has sold thousands of units and many people seem to be fairly satisfied with it - from beginners to experts alike. It has favorable ratings, a good price and good specs - the whole nine yards. But beneath the layers of hype and rave reviews, how much does it actually benefit you?

Today we are going to provide a hands-on review of this power tool. We took our time to get to the core details, and this is information you will want to know. You will then be better equipped to decide if this tool is right for your need or not.

Shop Fox W1668 Drill Press Review

#1. Feature

Power

The Shop Fox W1668 benchtop sports a powerful motor. With its 3/4 horsepower, it is more than adequate for heavy-duty drilling. The motor even has metal heat dissipators the front side, which shows this unit can cope with heavy-duty drilling.

It uses 110 V, which is not good news for international users. But if you still need it to work on an international 220 V - 230 V, you can simply use a step-up transformer.

Speed

It has a decent variable speed of 250 - 3050 RPM. A speed of 250 RPM is excellent when you want to drill through hard and resistant material, while the 3050 RPM will leave a smooth splinterless hole, ideal for piercing material like plywood. It can perform 12 pre-defined speeds that can be activated by the push of a button. The best thing is that when you switch off the drill press, it remembers your last setting and will start right from the speed setting you last left.

So, it is very versatile and easy to work with. That’s a good thing.

Size

This is a fairly compact unit at 23 x 14 x 38 inches. It should not require too much space in the workshop and will easily fit on a small work table.

Construction

The unit is professionally built using a variety of quality materials. Shop Fox has been building quality power tools for decades and this drill press shows their know-how.

Angles

Buying using a side swivel, the table is easily tiltable to a 90-degree angle to both the left and right direction. It contains a standard center aperture, side drilling slits along with a handy sanding clearance hole on the table top side. Best, it can be fully tilted to leave way for the base.

The base of this unit is tough and stable. It is quite large with a rectangular shape. This is not a co-incidence. The table can be tucked away and the base can be used for drilling. It is even fitted with drilling holes that go from one end to the other for even more drilling versatility.

Sanding Pad

The goodies do not stop there. The drill press also retrofits as an oscillating sander. You can sand complex contours by fitting a sanding pad to a mandrel. It even has a handy clearance hole with a dust collection port right on the table top. You can achieve all this by the flick of a button and this drill press immediately changes from a drill press to an oscillating tool.

Out of the box, you get an 80 grit sanding paper along with a mandrel. Of course, you can use any grit sand paper you want and the mandrel will accommodate even standard sanding paper.

Spindle Travel

The spindle travel of 3-1/4" is quite generous and will work with very thick lumber. You can even stack materials together and quickly bore holes of exact dimensions because of the long spindle travel.

#2. User-Friendliness

Safety

Safety is important when working with a power tool like the drill press. Shop Fox doubled on the quality control and this unit is built not only to last - but also work safely and efficiently.

Ease of Use

This unit is very easy to work with, even for beginners. It has a straightforward form factor and the swivels make it easy to adjust both the height or tilt of the table. Drill presses are not very complex power tools, and the Shop Fox W1668 is a prime example of a beginner-friendly power tool that simply works.

#3. Price of Shop Fox W1668

You always get what you pay for. This is not a budget or entry-level drill press. It has a price to match. But it still remains fairly affordable for those who need some serious work done. It has features that make it very competitive, especially when compared to other models in its price range.

#4. Pros/Cons of Shop Fox W1668

Pros

• Power: The 3/4 HP motor is ample for most drilling purposes.
• Versatility: You can bore holes quickly and easily. It has slits in both the table top as well as the base. It also retrofits as a very decent oscillating tool with the push of a button. It cannot be more versatile than this.
• Speed: The 12 speeds of this unit are well thought of. The lowest setting of 250 RPM is perfect for drilling through tough material and the highest speed of 3,050 RPM is more than enough for fast and efficient drilling in thin material.

Cons

N/A

#5. Expert Review

Since this is a popular drill press solution, many experts use and know this product well. Some have taken their precious time to review it. Most of them have good things to say while detailing the specs and features along the way. 

Who Should Buy?

The Shop Fox W1668 is an agile and performing drill machine that is mostly suited for heavy-duty drilling. The 3/4 HP of this motor will be overkill for someone who only performs casual drilling. It will be hard to justify the price.

This unit is more targeted to those who need a drill press for both frequent and heavy-duty drilling. It has the same features and specs of much pricier drill presses and manages to outperform other reputable models in its own price range. Bottom line, if you need to drill in tough material faster and easier, this is an excellent drill press for the money. It will boost your productivity and pay for itself faster than you think.