Buying A Woodwork Delta 18-900l? Read This First!
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At the risk of stating the obvious, I had want to mention that the goal of the Delta 18-900L is really to drill consistently straight holes accurately into wood, metal or plastic. The goal of a Delta Drill Press using a fence is really to drill persistent holes in a work piece at a consistent distance from the edge of a work piece. The objective of the Delta Drill Press with a fence and one (or 2) quits would be to drill holes at a consistent distance from one or both ends of a work piece or work pieces. The goal of the Delta 18-900L with a tilting table is to drill precise and repeatable holes at a precise angle to the work piece. The goal of an electric drill is to drill holes just where with a Delta 18-900L would be impossible or impractical.
There are numerous things to consider when comparing Delta Drill Press such as motor size, table size as well as features, quill stroke, task lights, laser availability, rotation speeds, simple speed change, number of speeds, reversible feed handle (for lefties) and also the size of the foundation (for machine equilibrium).
With regard to motor size, experience tells me that 3/4 horsepower is about the lowest size motor I'd like to see on a Delta 18-900L. Some models strive to get away with a 1/2 horsepower motor. There are times, especially at higher belt speed ratios that a half hp motor will prove to be inadequate.
I recently completed a side-by-side comparison report on 3 Delta 18-900L from three different manufacturers. The Powermatic 2800 PM was, definitely, the most expensive I reviewed. The other 2 Delta 18-900L Reviews I considered are aggressive with each other and list for around half the price of the Powermatic. I am discussing the 2800 PM as an example of what a Delta 18-900L may be if money were no object. Another Delta 18-900L I reviewed were both quite capable machines and also would undoubtedly get the job done within a normal woodworking store.
The thing about the Powermatic is that it's just plain awesome! It has all the bells and whistles a designer could dream up. The person who designed this thing undoubtedly understands a good deal about Delta 18-900L Reviewses and woodworking from personal experience. If money were no object it is the Delta 18-900L I'd purchase. A man can dream, can not he?
Like all Powermatic machine, this Delta Drill Press has excellent, easy operation and includes to die for. It also has a relatively hefty price-tag in comparison to other similar machines. Having said that, let us take a look at what you get for the cash so that you may decide if it's worth making the jump.
This Delta 18-900L features twin LED lights, mounted in the head which do not cast shadows, headmounted twin lasers that pin-point the drill point, a 16\" x 14$1 dining table with twin T-slots that expands to 16\" x 26\" when required to support large work pieces. The table tilts left or right 90 degrees with a positive stop at zero degrees. A huge handle makes raising or lowering the table easy. An additional, unique feature that's contained in the cost of this machine is an adjustable split fence with a dust collection port. A fence is vital to manufacturing work so plan on purchasing or making one if you do not purchase this device.
Speeds are readily altered from 400 to 3000 RPM with a handle in the top left side of the top, meaning that you do not need to concern yourself with belt and pulley access. And, you can tell how quick or slow the machine is running by looking at an electronic speed indicator right in the front of the head. Also in the very front part of the head is really a lighted on/off switch with an integral Click This Link.
