Floor standing drill is a blessing to handle hard pieces of materials. But woodwork is a traditional and fine art. That’s why choosing the best floor standing drill press for woodworking is not that easy.
A floor standing woodworking drill press has a metal body, variable speed range RPM, adjustable work table, lightweight design, and most importantly stability. This drill will make your woodworking projects speedy and precise. At the same time, a powerful motor, durable keyed chuck will let you drill tough hardwood smoothly and provide a pro finish.
Handyman’s Pick: 7 Best Drill Press for Woodworking
Take the drill press considering some factors and performances like the drill press power, chuck size, purpose of using, led light or laser and after sale services. Our woodwork handyman tested and reviewed the 7 best floor drill presses that are particularly appropriate for woodworking. So, let’s check these out and choose the most fitted floor standing drill press.
Our Top Pick
1. Shop Fox W1848: Floor Drill Press for Woodworking
- Allow moving the table out of the way to make the drilling comfortable.
- Includes 3-piece spindle sander drum kit and 80 grit sanding paper.
- Offer more space to accommodate the larger pieces with high accuracy.
- With high power, motor, and maximum RPM range user will have the opportunity to drill extreme wood.
This Shop Fox W1848 Oscillating Floor Drill Press is the number one pick in our list that is the ultimate you can get from the W line-up. It’s an upgraded version from the brands that come with an oscillating spindle. The feature will allow you to efficiently handle the woodworking job.
Moreover, if you are looking for a high-capacity floor standing drill for sanding, still it will be an acceptable option. Because of its improved design, the woodworker will have them just convert the tools from drilling operations to sanding operations within just a few seconds. At the same time, its Oscillation ability will help reduces heat build-up.
Thus the user will have a smooth finish whatever he is drilling, hardwood, softwood, or other materials. It doesn’t matter who using the floor standing industrial drill is a tall guy or shot. The best floor standing drill press features an adjustable table that will help get a comfortable height and angle to drill the wood accurately.
- Reasonable price.
- Durable construction.
- Suitable for both sanding and drilling.
- Offer more space to drill comfortable.
- The paint of the column may come off.
- Average aftercare service.
Best Budget
2. WEN 4208: 5-Speed Drill Press for Woodworking
- Allow fixing the depth adjustment knobs to limit spindle travel to get the precise and repeatable drilling operations.
- To ensure accurately angled holes the floor standing drill press features bevelling worktable.
- With a 1/3 HP induction motor the user can easily drill tough wood effortlessly.
Looking for a floor-standing drill that extremely fits in the budget and makes the woodworking season speedy and professional? Then this WEN 4208 8 in. 5-Speed Drill Press will be the right option for you. It includes a 1/2-inch keyed chuck and onboard key storage.
Thus it floor standing drill press will let you work on a variety of projects by accepting drill bits up to a 1/2-inch. Moreover, you won’t need to worry about losing the chuck key as you can simply store it on the key storage. The best part of this budget-friendly woodworking drill is it is designed with a range of speed modes.
With five different speed modes, the operator will have the opportunity to drill made on the type of wood and the season of the drilling. With a durable 1/3 HP induction, motor nothing can come in the way of getting ample torque and power.
- Offer one-year warranty
- Budget-friendly option
- Design with variable speed mode
- Offer enough power.
- Average quality Springs
Premium Pick
3. JET J-2500: Best Floor Standing Drill Press for Woodworking
- Allow enlarging the telescoping spindle guard to ensure the safest drilling season.
- Design with a quick-set bolt to allow adjusting accurately and quickly.
- The floor-standing drill construct with a large ground steel column and cast iron head to ensure long-lasting service.
- With the largest speed changing mode, the user will have the most smooth and pro-level woodwork.
Don’t have a problem with the budget and want to try something safe in any lighting condition? Then the JET J-2500 is where your search ends. Even it comes with greater speed variations if you compare it with an ordinary floor standing drill press.
With 16 different speed settings and up to 3630 rpm, the drill machine will provide you greater control and the ability to drill both thick and thin wood. To prevent breaking or wearing down quickly the manufacturer design this heavy-duty floor standing drill with a permanently lubricated ball bearing spindle.
At the same time, its large ground steel column and cast iron head will boost the durability and longevity of this drill. Furthermore, up to 2 years, the warranty will surely impress you providing promised service. Most importantly it is equipped with a light to allow doing woodworking both day and night.
- Solid cast-iron head.
- Low vibration.
- Safest option.
- Greatly maintain consistency.
- Expensive than other competitors
- Only for professionals.
Best Alternative
4. Shop Fox W1667: BenchTop drill press for woodworking
- The manufacturer offers two years of warranty to ensure longer service.
- Design with short in size to allow fitting on small space.
- Greatly fitted with a depth stop that allows drilling holes at a fixed dept.
- Includes a 2-1/4-inch dust port to help keep your clean.
This Shop Fox W1667 Top Oscillating Drill Press will be a better option for those who often had to work on tough jobs. It is filled with plenty of quality features however available at an affordable price.
Firstly, this best floor standing drill press for woodworking designs with 5 different speed ranges between 620 RPM to 3100 RPM. Thus drilling the variety range of material will be an easy task. Conversely, it is made of high-grade yet lightweight material.
As a result, controlling this drill press will be trouble-free and carrying from one place to other will a lot simple. This best floor standing drill press is consists of an oscillating spindle with a tilting table. So it will remain stable while allowing you to work at any angle. The highlight feature of the woodworking drill press is it includes a safety switch to ensure the safe while operating.
- 2 years warranty.
- Affordable price.
- Includes safety switch.
- Design with a powerful motor.
- Not suitable for tall people.
Customer Choice
5. BILT HARD: Floor Standing Drill Press
- Allow controlling both upstroke travel and down stroke depth to get repeatable drilling operations.
- With adjustable work table bevels, the operator can adjust the angle for those tricky operations.
- Design with large size keyed chuck that will provide versatility with a variety of bits.
With a compact design and durable construction, this BILT HARD Floor Drill Press is another great addition to our list. Besides, it includes all the necessary accessories that make it suitable for rough use from metal to wood, plastic to other material.
The best part of this best drill press for woodworking is it includes an adjustable depth stop and variable speeds up to 3600 RPM. These features will not only let allow them to target the exact speed but help complete the job more conveniently comparing handheld drill.
On the other hand, the table, head, and base of the bench top drill press construct from cast iron material that makes it a tough consideration. With 5/8 inch keyed chuck the users will have enough versatility with a variety of bits. Moreover, the keyed chuck is well-matched with Bits’ from 1/8 to 5/8 inch.
- Durable cast iron construction.
- Includes heavy-duty ball-bearing motor.
- 16 different speed options with a higher RPM range.
- Suitable for a tough job.
- A bit noisy.
- Not suitable for beginners.
Best Beginner
6. Sunex: Floor Standing Drill Press for Woodworking
- With a heavy-duty 3/4 HP motor and 5/8″ drill capacity, the drill press will make the woodworking more comfortable.
- Includes convenient belt tension lever so the woodworker can make the job done quickly.
- Designed with advanced technology to provide impressive performance.
This Sunex 5000A Drill Press comes with a great combination of strength and design to tackle woodworking. Besides the drill press has a heavy-duty ¾ HP motor to offer sufficient power so you can make any tough job with ease. With a 360° adjustable table the user can set it based on comfort job to drill continuously.
As it is approved by UL and CSA customers will have the standard quality drill at a reasonable budget. The highlight feature of this floor-standing drill is it includes a convenient belt tension lever to ensure quick speed transition. As usual, the floor standing drill has a cast iron work table.
With 138 pounds weight, the drill press will allow to assemble and transport easily. Simultaneously it is versatile enough that makes it suitable for beginner users. Finally, the manufacturer offers a 2-year warranty and better customer service to experience smooth and improved woodworking.
- Reasonable price
- Suitable for beginner
- Powerful motor
- Stable and easy to use
- Poor packaging.
- Average quality chuck.
Pro Budget
7. WEN 4214: Floor Drill Press for Woodworking
- With infinitely variable speed it will deliver equal torque throughout the range.
- Includes locking linear depth stop to ensure repeatable drilling operations.
- A durable 2/3hp induction motor will enhance the torque and power.
The last option on our list is WEN 4214 Drill Press. With Infinitely changeable speed ranges up to 3200 RPMS the floor standing drill press will deliver equal torque all through the range. Thus the woodworking season will be highly smooth and accurate. At the same time, its LED display will help you read out the speed.
With a durable 2/3hp induction motor the drill press is ready to boost the torque and power. The table of this drill machine is made of cast iron and a pinion operating system to allow adjusting easily. Another top feature of this tool is its table roller extension.
It greatly helps increases the capacity of the table to allow completing the project effortlessly. Most importantly the drill press constructs with a rigid frame to ensure balanced performance even at high speeds. Lastly, this WEN 4214 Drill Press is available at an inexpensive cost that you can get easily.
- Includes all the accessories
- Affordable solution
- Two-year warranty
- Digital speed readout ability
- Lack of aftercare service
Features to pick the Best Floor Standing Drill Press for Woodworking
Following the guide will help you pick the most matched floor standing drill presses whether you choose from our list or the broad market. So here is the deal!
Strong Torque
Drilling on wood can be overwhelming for a few floor-standing drills particularly those designed with poor-quality motors. That why, it is recommended to choose a floor drill press that includes at least 2/3 HP motor. It will provide you sufficient power that is needed for the majority of woodworking applications.
Speeds
Choose a floor-standing drill press that makes drilling comfortable for any type of wood. In this case, a floor-standing drills press with a minimum of 10 speeds will be acceptable. Even if you find a drill with a variable speed mechanism, it will be a better option to choose as it will provide infinite speeds. Furthermore, an adjustable speed mood will make the drilling easier. It will help you perform depending on the wood type and working season as you may want more speed in the middle of that starting point.
Wide Speed Range
As we are talking about earlier, a wide speed range feature is needed to make the woodworking comfortable and accurate. It will provide uses the possibility to drill on a variety of woods by using different speeds.
For example, metal and hardwood usually need lower RPM to be drilled. Conversely, if you want to drill softer woods, it will require a higher drilling speed. To handle these situations going for a drill that has a speed range of 200/400 RPM to 2,500/3000 RPM is highly suggested. However, still you can choose a floor-standing drill press with higher RPM.
Deep Spindle Travel
A best floor standing drill press should have the ability to drill both soft and hardwood. Most importantly, consider the duration of the hole drilled that suits your project.
In this case, the length of the spindle and the drill bit play a responsible role as these control how long the hole you’re going to drill. So if you don’t want to fail, you should pick a floor standing drill press with a 3″ to 6″ spindle. These will be quite enough to handle most serious woodworking.
Chuck Size
The drill bits had to attach to the chuck. It means the bigger the chuck will be, you will have the opportunity to use the bigger drill bits. Thus it will be a good idea to pick a drill with a bigger chuck as it will suit most drill bits. However, it is you who know the purpose of using a floor standing drill press. So whatever the chuck you choose ensure that it is compatible with your projects.
Convenient Work Table
To get the awesome filling at the end of the work, a drill machine had to be stable as it will allow you to drill comfortably without vibrations. However, it’s a tricky task to find such a drill as there is not sufficient option out there. Luckily we have listed some of them. A floor drill press with a 14″ by 14″ spacious worktable and made of quality material like shorts and cast iron is highly recommended.
It will assure you not only prevent vibration but provide you enough surfaces to drill. Thus you will have a stable drill setting to enjoy woodworking. Moreover, a floor drill press with a tilting workbench will be a bonus as sometimes woodworking projects need different angles to perform. Having this feature will help you get relief from a huge headache
Led Lighting
Drilling without noticing the point is very uncomfortable and it’s a big issue for expert woodworkers. The bad news is most of the drills aren’t sufficiently illuminated that brings lots of problems for woodworkers.
To prevent these frustrating situations, a floor-standing drill press with led light will be the best solution as it will ideally illuminate the surface being drilled appears. However a drill with led lights isn’t inexpensive, but if you looking for better drilling performance, you should go for this option.
Weight and Portability
The balance between the weight of a floor standing drill press and its power is a huge issue for most woodworkers. The larger and heavier the floor-standing drill is, it will come with a bigger motor. Likewise, it will require a bigger space to perform. At the same time, it will be more complicated to install and carry. So it is essential to determine the exact size and weight needed for certain protection before making a final decision. However, it doesn’t mean you had to compromise with the power. The fact is choosing a drill that is well balanced between size and power.
Warranty
As you have to spend hundreds of dollars, so you won’t want to buy a drill every year. Thus it is recommended to choose a drill that has a strong warranty program. Even it will help you avoid awkward situations calling and sending hundreds of unanswered emails to the manufacturer. Many brands are available that offer a floor standing drill press for woodworking with 2 years guarantee. Just keep the things in your mind and make the choice.
Advantages of a Floor Standing Drill Press for Woodworking
Apart from doing smooth woodworking, a floor-standing drill press offers plenty of benefits. Let’s check these out!
Steady: The crucial benefit of a floor model is it is greatly steady. Even after producing a super-high-speed level, the tools remain stable during the drilling session. It means you won’t experience any vibrations. Thus you will have accurate woodworking.
Variable speed: It’s a great thing about a drilling machine is it allows to drill based on the requirement. Some floor stand drill is available that has several levels of speed. Even you may find a drill with up to 16-speed level.
End to End drilling: While you will need to reposition a common drill to complete a task, but using a floor standing drill won’t let you experience these. It designs with a larger size that provides end to end drilling opportunity for a large object quite comfortably.
Mortising: It plays a big role in drilling. A floor-standing drill allows doing mortising better than other models. For thousands of years, woodworkers joining wood following this method. Now a day’s using a floor standing drill help make it accurately and perfectly.
Better angle: Floor standing drill is design in such an amazing way that allows them to turn their head to a 360-degree angle. It’s a great advantage to use a floor standing drill to work following the comfort level and better zone. At the same time, it will let you drill wood for a longer season constantly and help get a better result.
Usability: A floor-standing drill is suitable for both home use and commercial purposes. As the drill produces more power and constructs with durable material, so it can greatly deal with the extreme job. Similarly, it can handle the constant load that makes it preferable for industrial use.
FAQs on Best drill press for woodworking
Why an 8 inch and 10-inch drill press are different?
The main difference between these two drill presses is the distance between their chuck and column. Usually, the 8-inch drill press maintain 4 inches distance between the column to the center of the chuck while 10 inches drill press maintain 5 inches
Does a drill press need to be bolted to the floor?
However, most of the drill press comes with heavyweight but controlling the drill is not so tough job. So it doesn’t need to bolt to the floor to use a drill press. Anyone can easily move it around on a mobile base to complete a long project.
What is the meaning of a drill press?
To measure a drill press, one had to calculate the distance from the center of the spindle to the edge of the column and had to make it twice. It is known as the swing of the drill press and it determines how largest diameter piece can a drill handle.
How much Horsepower does a drill press can produce?
Most of the drill press includes a motor power rating. This motor power rating is the source of HP or horsepower. There are plenty of brands out there that offer a drill press with 3 HP or 4 HP motors.
What are the slots in a drill press base for?
To drill a hole in a big object, it needs to swivel the table out of the way and had to set the object directly on the base. This is where a slot does its duty by holding the object perfectly as the table holds the smaller object.
Take the best drill press for woodworking
We have done a lot of hard work to provide you the best piece of information on the best floor standing drill press for woodworking. Now you have plenty of woodworking drill press reviews from high-end budget to good value option.
So, whatever your intention is to use for home maintaining woodwork or commercial sanding, these won’t let you down. Our top pick is Shop Fox W1848 Oscillating Floor Drill Press. Apart from these still you can make your decision keeping in mind several aspects mentioned in buying guide.
