I came back 7 years later for the assembly advice. I just bought the 17" model yesterday from HF for $387 on sale. My bday present along with a 13" DeWalt planer. Hope all is well Matt.

*Bought as a gift for my son and his second grade son to use on a Pinewood Derby car. Wanted something relatively safe and able to be packed away when not in use. Worked well. **MyBest.Tools** Easy to use and set up. Case provides good storage.*

Glad its the new year I missed your videos. I learn a lot from vids. Hope you had a nice holiday. Look forward to the tweeking of this press.

Great job on the details! Thanks for making these vids. If most people were to watch your vids when they buy HF stuff there would be less returns and bad reviews. Some of their tools are gems. The main problem is their quality control. I like to tinker so I don't mind modifying or tweaking their tools which makes a huge difference. BTW, I have noticed some improvements in a lot of the tools over the past few years.

Matt...you did a great review on this drill press!!! I think you made up my mind on which one I want!!!

The motor is the heaviest part of the head. I removed the motor and then it was much easier to put the head on the support tube. I was able to do that by myself without any machine or help.

Just put mine together , your video was awesome thank you

I use 800 rpm for 90% of my work. That seems to be the ideal speed for steel and even metal. I chose my press for the mid range speeds. I use 400, 800, 1,200 rpm's. I had to go with another brand to find those speeds. I also chose the press I bought so I can also use my MT3 collets from the mill and lathe in the press.

thank you Pat of harbor freight. very good video!!! you sold me, this will be my very next tool from harbor freight. thanks again,waiting for my next coupond!!!

Great assembly video

Nice video... I have the Black Bull version from Tractor Supply. Looks essentially the same except for the pulleys. and light fixture. The Black Bull version has 4 position pulleys for 16 speeds. I have found 4 speeds UNUSABLE due to the slackness the belts even under maximum tension. These speeds need another idler just to take up the slackness to stop the vibration. I actually need shorter belts to eliminate the issue. Anyway I run it near 280 rpm to avoid making excess dust. Also makes it right for metal. I prefer shavings to powderd dust. Also the Black Bull version was partially assembled with the table track on the post. It has a semi-useful laser guide and I snapped the plastic heads off both tension bolts for the belt tension just trying to hand tighten. Going to weld some metal tabs to them now. Also the round table center did not line up with the bit and I had to adjust it with some spacer washers. They also missed drilling through some pieces for the set screws for the table angle adjustments. Holes are in the wrong place to easily access and adjust. Going have to drill and tap them myself to be able to properly rotate the table and lock the position into place. But it drilled nicely. Not bad for $99.00. Once you strip that cosmoline off the table it is best to wax it. The instructsions were very poor with my drill but i eventally figured ut the assembly.

I have one of these. After assembly, I immediately noticed that the chuck they supplied was very large. It's smallest opening was rated at 1mm but it did not go that far down. It would not grip a 1/16" drill bit or several sizes up from there. So, one of the first things I purchased for use with it was a 1/2", Rohm chuck that did grip 1/16" bits and even a bit smaller. That is the chuck that I use most of the time. I only use the Central Machinery chuck when I need to use a bit larger than 1/2". I also replaced the belts with some better quality ones that I purchased locally: they reduced the vibration a lot.

Use a retractable key ring holder! Zip tie the key to the retractable holder and you'll never loose it and it automatically returns as soon as you let it go.

I have an old Chinese made drill press from before the days of Harbor Freight. I got it from the now defunct Home Owners Warehouse back in the 80's. It's a 16 speed though, goes from 195 to 3630 rpm (at 60 hz). Maybe not quite the hp that the HF unit has, but it's served me well all these years. Could use a new set of belts as the ones on there now are a bit stretched out, and the chuck is also a bit worn and could stand being replaced. Still, the machine has withstood the test of time. It was inexpensive at the time, yet has probably proved to be better made than a similar Delta!

Nice vid Matt. Pretty sweet looking John Deer 2520 too.

The sticky grease stuff is cosmoline they use it to stop rust on metal. It is the same stuff on rotors the best remover is brake clean.

Do not even think of using gasoline as a cleaning solvent unless you want to take a trip to the burn unit. Otherwise a excellent review.

The substance on it is most likely Cosmoline not grease. It is put on tools and equipment and sometimes even firearms that is shipped in containers on ocean going vessels. It is needed to protect from salt air on those trips. If you were ever in the military you would be very familiar with this as almost every new piece of equipment I ever used was covered in the same stuff. Solvent is correct use for taking it off then needs to be re-oiled and greased.

Your having so much fun here

I got one but returned it, because after trying to drill through some old hard disk drives (at the 180 speed) it seemed the drill went in at a slight angle causing the bit to flex as it turned. The bit did not break, but I got the impression that this was not designed for close metal work. The quill would jiggle in the head, and I thought that might be a defect. Also I could not apply full pressure to the workpiece as the table would move downward and the head deflect upwards. This surprised me, because the whole thing was constructed around that awesome steel tube. It was enormous, and I thought it would be more stiff. I don't know drill presses though, so maybe they all do that.

Looks and sounds nice. Really hope it turns out to be a good machine for you. I just don't like having to change belts for speed and why I like my Shopsmith.

This is a very useful video. Thanks for making it. The grease on all the surfaces, I would bet, is to prevent rust while it is in transport from China and storage. It might be the same kind of super thick / sticky grease that the military used to coat weapons with, called Cosmoline.

Thank You for showing how to put table and gears on.

OOPs, I found it on your other video. GREAT Work.

You can get a longer belt to go from the motor to the front drive bypassing the center pulleys. That should give you 4 more speeds

Good video man

Glue a really strong magnet to the front of the motor cover and your chuck key will always be there.

Windex/Sparkle (window cleaner) works great for taking that stuff off. Seriously, it melts it off. Worth a shot.

Matt are you still pleased with your this drill press and what are your opinions now on the drill 5 years later ?

Funny how little things change. I just bought (May, 2021) the same drill. - Still 18mm bolts on the column - Still 10mm flats on the handles - Got a printed manual with mine - The anti-rust coating must not be the same thing. Didn't take me any time at all to get it off using mineral spirits. For install, me and a co-worker lifted the head unit onto the column while it was vertical. No trouble at all. Easy two-man job. I do wonder what someone who really knows (like on the manufacturing side of things) would say about the difference between HF, Grizzly and Baileigh. At a glance, they look all but identical besides paint. Mine has some spots on the castings that are positively eyebrow raising. I'd never have let that work out of my shop. I suspect all the iffy castings get sent to HF, and all the pristine ones get sent to Baleigh. No matter. It's all cosmetic. The press runs fine. I haven't put a dial indicator on it to measure runout, but for what we're using it for, eyeball inspection says it's "good enough" out of the box. Assuming the motor holds up over time, this feels like really good value.

Could I use s 1-1/2 - 2" drill if I got the right size chuck??

Many years ago, they used to use cosmoline to coat bare metal to prevent rust during shipping or storage. I don't know if it is still used or not.

Seems to be a decent value for the money ! one thing that caught me a little surprised is you don’t see many of the Harbor Freight Floor Standing Drill Presses used and for sale on Craigslist and Ebay ? yet there are plenty of other HF tools for sale i’ve been watching for a 14 “ Bandsaw which is a decent clone of the Delta and good for Wood working and easy enough to convert for non ferrous metalworking

The gear assembly for the table raising and lowering, wants to pull in on the shaft when raising and pull the handle off the shaft (the set screw is some small mm philips screw for the handle and still wants pull the handle off even when tightened), when lowering the shaft wants to push out. Both ways want to bind the gears and is very hard to turn to operate the table position. Not happy with this problem and calling HF about this. 15 Jan 24. The table handle assembly is now set at a 45 degrees to the table so there is no table interference.

To set belt tension for pretty much any belt tighten the belt open the top squeeze the belts together from either side of the two pulleys with one hand firmly they should not touch but they should have about a half inch slack on either side. This is pretty much for any machinery I'll see if I can upload a link

Just wondering!!! Why you took the grease out of the holes of the handles while it should be there to ease rotating the base they are connected to!

I put a magnetic parts tray on the top of my drill press for the chuck key

great video. For those of us who don't own a loader, a set of pulleys rigged to a joist will lift that sucker no prob.

Some additional comments based on my purchase and use. 1), the vertical tube is 3-5/8" (92mm?) diameter, with a wall thickness of (sit down), about 1/16". I haven't measured it accurately yet, but now I understand why everything flexes when the chuck is pressed into the spindle. When I get an accurate wall thickness (hoping the tube has a 3-1/2" ID), then my plan is to take the head back off, and drive a piece of 3" DOM (3-1/2" OD) into this supplied tube (if there isn't a weld line inside of it) in the hopes of stiffening it up a bit. 2) Unlike my previous comparable HF big floor drill press (that this newer model replaced), the collar holding the column onto the base plate is made of something other than steel. Guessing is is cast aluminum now (not magnetic), and praying it doesn't snap when I put my heavy-assed cross-slide on the table. 3), the collar for the table surface does not come out perpendicular to the axis of the spindle (front to back). Nothing I can do about that, even if I lift the front edge of the table upward while simultaneously tightening the collar. 4) Purchased a smaller Jacobs chuck along with a MT4-JT2 arbor so that I could swap out chucks to utilize smaller than 3/32" drill bits that the HF supplied chuck cannot grip. 5) Lastly, the raise/lower crank mechanism is atrocious. I thought the old one was sometimes a bit difficult, but the new version's is a lot worse. I have ensured the gears are completely clean and greased, and it still takes a lot of effort on some parts of the rack gear. Will take a wire wheel to the rack gear and see if that doesn't smooth things out a bit. Things I like better than my older 20" press: The motor/belt system is much quieter, and the quill is about 1/2" larger, so I hope more stable. The splined spindle is much larger in diameter as well. Based on this video, HF appears to have taken some cues, or is using the Grizzly larger spindle with their new presses (bought my new one in 2023).

can the column lift higher out of the black section on the bottom. I was measuring this drill press at a Harbor Freight store and it did n't give me enough height with the table all the way down that I need. I thought if that pipe could rise up 4 inches it would work.

You got a 'like' and a big grin from this side of the Atlantic. I have a similar sacroiliac-buster waiting for me to clear a space in the workshop and you really taught me a few things here. Thanks!

What do you call that little holder at the bottom at 21:10, the thing that make sure the wood stays in place.

The grease is to prevent it from rust due to it being kept in storage for long periods.

I like the mt and jt arbor. This would let you get some milling machine parts that would fit it. I am in no way suggesting this would make a good milling machine but it may work fairly decent in a pinch.

The top speed may be handy if you use it as a vertical lathe.

15:30 Buy the spindles/pulleys from Grizzly and have a second motor for the price of a pair of pulleys. Now youd have every gear available!

I have the HF 20 inch and I previously purchased a Grizzly for my former employer. Assembly was much the same on both of them. The Grizzly ran smoother out of the box. I purchase a new pair of premium, notched belts for the HF and that cut the vibration at least in half. I plan to do some balancing when I get a chance. The HF chuck was big and could take drill shanks that are over 3/4" but the low end is lacking at about 1/8" or 3/16". I bought a 1/2" Rohm chuck which will hold drills down at least to #60 and that is what I use most of the time. When I checked the run-out on both of them I was surprised to find that the HF chuck was actually better. Go figure? The depth stop is OK, but I prefer one with a threaded rod and a speed nut so I can quickly do precise adjustments when I do things like countersinks and counterbores. It is very nice to be able to reliability change the depth by a few thousandths with just a twist of the nut. My 8" bench DP has one that I added and it is the bees knees. A future project for the HF. I plan to keep the present depth stop as it can be used in reverse to hold the spindle down. Another future project may be a variable speed drive for the motor. I may have to get a three phase motor for that. I also have improved the lighting and added a tool rack on the column. Time, time, time......... But I love it. It is a great DP and a very good value for the price.

I like the drill press & thx for posting the assembly vid. Harbor freight should use this in their 'Ad'. Good stuff! While I laughed at your lifting it w/ the tractor, I guess it was a safer way to stand it up other than 'man-handling' it. Funny. My thoughts were that you just wanted a reason to 'Play' w/ the said 'front-loader'. I don't blame you :-) nice tractor. Again, thanks for the info. & your candidness.

Just came across your channel and enjoying your video's. Any plans on doing another video on the upgrades you talked about doing to this drill press?

Do know if there is out there the square tenonAccessory Benchs Drill To Square Tenon Machine Converter Eyelet Utility Conversion Tool?

For future reference, WD40 seems to get the harbor freight grease/cosmoline stuff off very easily

I use a magnet stuck to the side of the head to keep my chuck key from getting lost.

Nice vid....I would say approx. 1/4" defection in the belts is the proper tightness. Curious to know how this drill press holds up over time...I am a big fan of Grizzly, but if I can save a few bucks on this one that would be awesome...I am never apposed to saving money as long as the quality is there. Currently own a Ridgid 15" Drill Press

Hey I like it, but I can find it in UAE?

I never had any luck with link belts. I always thought they were for emergency only and should be changed the first chance you get ! they have links in them, a lot of links so they stretch very easy and thats why your woodworking tools vibrate less . they slip if there not put on very tight. you don't see the auto industries selling cars an trucks with them installed ! and you don't see any power tools of any kind being sold with them either ! and there's a reason for that !!!

Great job! THAT is a review! Much better than what some of these other knuckleheads on KZfaq do..... EXCELLENT job!

Correct v belt deflection is 1/4 inch deflection for every 7 inches of span

@8:44 i would of taken the table off the arm first to make it lighter. I had to do mine recently, and thankfully it was not a pedestal, but it was still a rather tall bench version.

Why didn't you turn the drill press on to check it to see if it worked while it was laying on the dolly

How do you remove the MT3? I haven't tried on mine yet but you seem to have gotten it out. Thanks and great video

Nice tractor

Remove the motor and the head is more easily put into position on the column. I added wheels to the bottom to allow it to be moved around.

Great video thank you. After about a year any concerns would buy again? Performance issues whatever!!!..

Have you filled the post up with concrete? I heard of some people doing this to stabilize it.

Great video Matt. Keep em' coming. Looks like a nice drill press, should serve you well. Did you ever try my Drill Doctor trick? -Zak

All that greese you could use carb cleaner and that should work. I used it to clean my weapons when i was in the army. I have no idea why they put sooooooooooo much greese or whatever it is. I just got a 6ton arbor press and the instructions was junk i had to relly on pics to put it together, also instead of there little BS screws i went and bought some usa made screws. it seems to work ok, with HBF you get what you get. There cheap for a reason so when it breaks you will just go get another tool from them. I used to set tile and i would buy the angle grinders 10 at a time they lasted for just one around 4-6 months but they was 10 bucks lol looks like your gonna have a good drill press there. cheers Michael

Keep up the HF vids. Subbed.

Your looking for about a 1/2" of play in your belts.

I'm planning to buy one of these. Since I'm 66 years old, I plan to use a hydraulic lift that I have to help lifting this thing. Use hydraulic lift to lift to a work table. Then, hydraulic lift goes on table and head goes on it. Then lift with hydraulic lift again until upright. Piece of cake! The issue is going to be once I move from this house. How do I get that thing down?

Did you ever test the runnout? Or check how close to 90 the table is?

They actually make a V belt deflection measurement tool

You mentioned in your video "If anyone knows how you're supposed to know what the right tension is let me know". Being an ex engineer, I knew there was bound to be a formula and reference for it so I entered the search terms "engineering rule for belt tension" and found this...www.clark-transmission.com/images/pdf/techinfo/CARLISLE_VBELT_TENSIONING.PDF I hope it helps you and your listeners.

What is the 20inches? is it spindle to base?

My 20 inch Wilton weight 685 lbs.

Have you ever considered a career as a narrator? You have a very good voice with great timing and an outstanding cadence. A great unboxing vedio.

they made in china and they ship them across the ocean on a cargo ship and the grease in that amount is so the cast iron do rust out before they get where there going!

Learn to love metric. Its much easier than imperial.

20 inch?

I got the 16 inch drill press last week. just put it together. Question is - my light didn't come with a bulb - that i can find anywhere. Did yours come with a bulb? The look like the same lights, can you tell me what bulb is in yours so I can go buy one, can't figure it out

What is better the 20 inch 12 speed or the 17 inch 16 speed?

All this and no wobble/run out test?

they are left lose at the factory so they dont get all stretched out !!! oh i love it ! lmfao

order a set of pulleys from Grizzley.

Oh god. I hate red loctite. Broken many bolts due to red loctite on used cars and equipment has caused me so much trouble. Why not just blue?

Yeah.... !!! 4x4 Front end loader. Jealous !!

One can of brake clean would have took it all off easy and quick

WD-40 works the best for cleaning and protecting 👌

There is absolutely no reason a drill press needs to go faster than 2000-2500rpm. Slower speeds are more useful on a machine like this.

Cosmoline

My 20 ton shop press I got 8 months ago box was worse then this

I have mine half put together as of now. Waiting on assistance with the head... The set screw for the collar doesn't seem to tighten beyond the inside face of the collar and does not tighten at all? Is the collar supposed to be that loose? I ran a tap to clean the threads, but didn't help. Any ideas?

There is no such thing as "harbor freight goodness" lol

I've literally worked in the metal working industry my entire life. I'm a journeyman mold maker (plastic) I have never heard, when you're tightening a drill chuck, to tighten all 3 positions.. lol!! You've been had... lol

Since when does anything heavy from harbor freight ever have a nice un damaged box brother lmfao

What the fuck they told me the coupon did not work on those drill presses because of the brand name when I bought mine

I’m still lost

The fact you waxed this and had to stand it up with a tractor tells me everything I need to know!😐

Gee handles, how else are you going to use it? Gee, the head and the floor stand are not in line? MAKE the final adjustments after you get it up right, duh.

How come every person that reviews any harbor freight tool has to complain about the oil that it’s soaked in, do you want a rusty ass tools because that’s how you get rusty ass tools. Remember it’s coming across the sea in a shipping container.

You're not ChuckE2009