The Wen 4212 is a semi-professional drill press from WEN. Everyone who has tried shopping for a drill press before know how expensive those power tools can be. This is the exact problem that the WEN 4212 drill press tries to solve. It sits right between professional drill presses and budget ones without sacrificing features. It has a fairly powerful motor, a variable speed control, and a quality build. What’s more to ask? Well, it even has professional features that will surely benefit you in the workshop.

How well does it stack up against the competition and is it worth the hard-earned cash? We’re glad you asked! Let’s find out!

Speed

As expected from a drill press of this caliber, it has a variable speed control that can be calibrated to any speed between 530 - 3100 RPM. This "infinite" adjustment of speed and no restriction to a specific speed setting means that it is extreme versatile. This power tool can easily adapt to both the material density and the way you work with a drill press.

Bottom line, it delivers a more efficient drilling. Additionally, the speed can quickly and easily be adjusted with the mechanical variable speed control at the left side of the unit. The switch is located at a convenient position that makes it easy to adjust the speed setting on-the-fly.

A speed setting that is too high will cause the drill bit to warp under the heat. Clearly, WEN designed this drill press to be very performing when drilling through metal. This model scores a big plus in our book as most drill presses at this price range tend to have difficulty piercing through metal. This is not a problem with this WEN 10-inch drill press.

Size

The chuck capacity remains 1/2 inch which means that it allows drill bit with a 1/2 inch shank. This is very convenient because many professional drill bits, either for wood or metal are 1/2 inch shanked.

The table size also get a big boost in this drill press model offering a generous 8 x 7-2/3 Inches of space. Do not get us wrong, this is not the largest work table out there and it simply cannot compare to the 14 x 14 Inches work table of the WEN 4227, but it is still a decent performer offering good maneuverability for general-purpose drilling. At this size, it will gladly hold any type of commercially available material like wood plank, plastic sheets, or ceramic tiles, to name a few.

Furthermore, the generous 10 inches swing size allows this model to accommodate material of 5 inches from the edge to the drill hole. This is more than enough for most general-purpose, DIY and even professional drilling.

However, what we like the most about the WEN 4212 drill press is its spindle travel of 3-1/8 Inches. What this means is that it can comfortably drill through very thick material of up to 3-1/8 Inches in thickness. This is amazing, especially considering that most commercial stock are no more than 1 inch in thickness. This opens up a whole new avenue of possibilities when drilling with this unit, especially that it can drill through both wood and metal like butter.

Construction

We like the construction quality of this drill press. It is solidly built from metal. The base as well as the work table are made from cast-iron for stability and durability. They are also thick which helps diminish vibration, thus enabling a more stable and accurate drilling. It is also more comfortable to drill with this drill press, mostly because of the stability it provides.

But it does not stop there! The swing and knobs are made from high quality plastic that is both comfortable to hold and durable. There are many small details that show that this model has a better build quality and superior engineering than its more budget friendly counterparts like the WEN 4208 and WEN 4210. Overall, it is a very precisely built and quality drill press.

Angle

The table can be tilted to perform angular drilling. You can tilt it to either the right or the left at a 45-degree angle. This brings a lot of versatility in the drilling process. What we like is the ease of making those adjustments. All it takes is simply unscrewing a knob to adjust the work table. It's that easy! In addition, when adjustments have been made, you can lock the worktable in position for repetitive drilling.

Other Function

• Digital Readout: The digital readout gives you your speed in a clear and easy to read panel.
• Laser: This model has on-board laser lights for more accurate and speedy drilling.
• Depth Adjustment Gauge: The depth adjustment gauge allows you to position and lock your spindle in any position you want. Reading the depth setting is easy thanks to the depth gauge.

User-Friendly

All in all, this is a very user-friendly model that offers a lot of bang for the buck. It is easy-to-use with almost no prior knowledge required. Adjusting the bit depth, changing the speed and tilting the table are all child play.

#2. Price of WEN 4212 Drill Press

In our opinion, this WEN 10-inch drill press offers the perfect balance between affordability and performance which makes it the best WEN drill press on a performance to price basis. It is superior to the WEN 4208 and WEN 4210 both in terms of performance and versatility. We highly recommend this model over those two.

#3. Pros/Cons of WEN 4212 Drill Press

Pros

• A powerful 4.5-Amp motor that can drill through both wood and metal easily.
• The infinite variable speed control allows you to adapt the material you are drilling. You are not limited by preset speeds and the speed adjustment knob makes it easy to change the speed on the fly.
• Excellent build quality. Durable.
• Large work table size of 9-1/2 x 9-1/2 Inches.
• Spindle travel of 3-1/8 Inches can bore holes in very thick material.

Cons

N/A

Who Should Buy?

In our opinion, the WEN 4212 is the most value for money WEN drill press. It has the right amount of performance, features, and price. It is hard to beat what this drill press brings to the table at the price that it is offered. If you are looking for a drill press for both wood and metal at a fairly affordable price, then we think that this model fits the bill with change to spare.