That is a lot of drill press to drill with a 1/8" Dremel-size bit. Love it!!!

Nice to see just how easy that is. I know I could benefit from a new one on my inexpensive drill press too. Thanks

Matt when you are trying to measure chuck run-out under power you are really actually measuring machine vibration more than anything. If you really want to reduce your DP vibration you could start with high quality us made drive belts.also try mounting the motor on rubber threaded stud mounts to isolate motor vibration. Drive pulley's are another source of DP vibration mine were cast iron and way out of balance so I balanced them sideways like you would a lawn mower blade and drilled the pulley on the large side of the pulley to remove excess weight on the heavy portion. If your pulley set up is aluminum I probably would not bother. Probably the ultimate would be a US made motor but that would be expensive. Another idea would be spindle bearing upgrade to a Japanese ball bearings. Of course you probably don't need to do any of these things.

hey Matt little late on this but they chuck issue i always just take my old cordless keyless chucks and nock them out of the drill and then just chuck them up into the bigger chuck to use smaller drills . and you also get the benifits of a keyless chuck for your smaller drills that way also . cheers !! thanks for the review!!

Awesome review. I have been wondering about this drill for a while. Thanks.

Probably the best toy from Santa (would be for Me anyway - haha). Nice upgrade!

Thanks for the link Matt. I gotta get one of those ! I hate having to use those keys, but, I guess till I upgrade it's a necessary evil...

I bought the same drill press earlier this year & it cost about $580.00. I had nothing but problems with from the start. Since I have been a machinist for over 20 years & know how to install machines I started with putting leveling pads on the base & leveled out he base with a machinist level. Then I leveled out the table with the machinist level. Then with a test indicator magnetic base on the spindle nose, I swept the table. Doing this measures how square the spindle is to the table. From side to side I was .125 off & from front to back I was about .060 out. So I re-leveled the table by tilting the table so I was within ,005. That was the best I could get it since when you start tightening the bolt for the table the table moves. The only way the square from front to back was to put shim stock under the column. I ended up having to put a lot of shim under the column & when I tried to tighten the bolts, two stripped out since there was only about 5 threads in the base for the bolts. I decided to get longer bolts & nuts so I could tighten all the bolts. The best I could get from front to back was .030 without putting a shit load of shim stock under the column. then it was back to squaring the the table from side to side moving the table then squaring from front to back just like you would do to any piece of machinery. The next thing I had to do was raise the motor since the top of the pulley on the motor was not level with the other pulleys. Next was checking the run out of the spindle nose. It was out by .030 moving the spindle by hand & .060 with the spindle running. The quill locking screw was a piece of shit & would lock the column into place. The markings on the depth adjustment was not accurate. Overall the drill press was a piece of crap. For my needs & the money, it was not worth all the trouble I had to go through & I took it back.

Hey Matt i have the 13"x16s HF and love it for the $.. im getting a speed chuck also being a CNC of 30+ yrs its got to be best i can afford with in reason.

Hi Matt, We have a new Harbor Freight in town and I am SO glad to hear that you are happy with your 20" drill press. That's the one I have my eye on. Although, I would never NEED to use a 1" shank drill, I love the large table and total height of the unit. I suspect it is the same unit other companies sell under their brands and color schemes. Probably made in the same factory too. Thanks for the in-depth way you approach your project/review videos. All the best, Charlie

The new model HF production drill press now comes with a MT4 arbor, so the Vertex integrated chuck no longer works. I found out the hard way, having bought the chuck before having removed the factory arbor. Although the owner's manual that came with the press - i didn't read it obviously - shows the MT4 spec, the on-lime HF version still shows an MT3 spec. Having trouble finding an integrated MT4 chuck. any leads?

At higher RPMs you are driving the arm of the dial indicator at a higher speed. Some of that higher reading is the inertial of the arm overcoming the compression of the spring. If you had a camera to capture the interface between the test dowel and the sensing arm of the dial indicator I'll bet you'd see it 'jumping' off the dowel. I think your slow test is more reflective of reality.

Nice vid, thanks for sharing. I have what appears to be the same drill press, but mine is over 20 years old. Still runs great. Do you happen to know what taper the chuck is? Never mind. I found the answer on your other drill press video. #3 Morse and #3 Jacobs

Thank you for an exceptional video...I need to replace the chuck on my 16 inch floor drill press and you REALLY helped me. Being a 73 year old female means I am ALWAYS having to learn more when working what is considered a man's world of tools & machinery. Thanks again...

Thank you brother! I bought the 17" version, used and got that weird wedge thing at the last minute with a bunch of gigantic bits, and had no idea what it was for! Have you tried to do any milling with that new chuck?

Great stuff. thanks for sharing.

need help please, I have the HF 8 in drill press drilling 1mm holes. the wobble is to much for tiny bits. What's the name and will it fit my 8 in drill? thanks

Oh yes, your chuck problem is mine and your solution seems like mine. Many thanks Cy O'Hara

I have the newer model 20" Drill press with the MT4 taper on the headstock side of the arbor. Does anyone know what the taper is on the chuck side? JT3? JT33? The reason I ask, is because you can just buy the keyless chuck itself, sans arbor, and use the original arbor if you are willing to forego the integrated unit. This is a much cheaper solution, but I'm one piece of info away.

Matt what is the morse taper for this drill press and where / what is the part number of the chuck you have replaced the original one with?

Great video! I need to by a dial indicator and test my equipment.

great videos. exactly what I was wondering about. thanks.

My little drill press does not have a Morse Taper I still plan to go keyless it will just be a bit more of a challenge.

Great video on the drill press! A keyless chuck is a great improvement. Where did you get the new chuck and what brand is it? I would like to do the same thing to my drill press.

Not bad. I love good quality keyless chucks. The original is called Albrecht, made in Germany. Also over $300. The reproductions are quite good. Some of that runout may be traceable to Chinese spindle bearings, quill to body fit, or to vibration in the splined spindle shaft as it passes through the pulley.

Got the chuck, now where to get the machinist clamps for the table??

Hi Sir How To Make Drill Chuck Key I Want A New Drill Chuck Key Only key Please Tell Me

I noticed that you changed out the chuck with a built in arbor. If your drill was really wobbly would you still have to replace the spindle and bearings?

will one of those fit pretty much any drill press ?

so I just did the exact same thing with mine. What I was wondering is I installed a 1/2" bit and cannot loosen it to get it out, I didn't want to damage the neralling so I was hoping for an easy answer, I guess I am going to have to grab the neralling with a big pair of channel locks and go for it.

I have the same exact drill press with the same exact problems where did you find the smaller Chuck I went to the harbor freight store but they didn't have a clue where I could find one.

A cheaper solution to buying a new chuck... is run a 1/8th" bit with a hex shank. That's what I did with mine.

here os my thought , if you get big drill like you should many different chucks because not all are the same , so are for drill bits and they some out there for other things ,

Good presentation and good info. Subbed.

great video thanks !

Hey Matt: Awesome review. I've also been looking at this press with the attitude that I would be getting a "kit" that can be improved. I've watched all three of your vids on this machine and like them a lot. If I bought this machine, I would take the head completely apart and clean out all the manufacturing iron dust and crud, smooth up any rough casting if necessary, then re-assemble it slowly and lovingly with proper lube, upgraded hardware (grade 8), a better chuck (thanks), and whatever mods I could find to improve it. Question: Did you ever check the pulleys for parallel? If so, how were they? Did you install link belts?

HI Matt could you please tell me where did you buy your drill press, I'm looking for something similar

where you get the chuck from

Where did you get the smaller Chuck I would love to get one of those because I plan on buying the same jewel price that you got. Please let me know where you got that smaller truck for your drill press to put in a 1/16 drill bit I’m looking forward to your response.

The replacement chuck link is in the description. HF sells two versions of the press, one with a #3 Morse taper in the quill and one with a #4 taper.

Very good video

Please help just got mine put together turned it on an the chuck wobbles bad what can I do

Hiii Matt :) hilarious now that I need to do exactly this swap

Good video. Thanks. What size is your new chuck and what brand?

Enjoyed the video Matt, it's important to have things right for good accuracy. Off topic, what software did you use for the fast forward and picture in picture shot of the dial indicator? Thanks

You can also purchase a chuck without an attached arbor. They make the arbors with the various Morse and other tapers on one end and a variety of Jacobs tapers on the end for the chuck. This allows you to more easily purchase the exact chuck that you want. A tip: when you are going to mount a taper in the spindle it is a good idea to always clean both the taper itself and the inside of the hole in the spindle just prior to inserting it. This avoids having a metal chip or a grain of sawdust between them which will cause run-out and also may allow the chuck to fall out during use. I use a clean rag for the taper and the clean rag over a clean finger for the hole.

I picked this drill press up today. It appears the chuck has 10thou plus of run out going to replace it with a USA 🇺🇸 chuck and go from there other then that it’s deff worth the $400 the grizzly is far much more and probably has the same run out

Hey Matt, I've got the 10" HF 12-speed drill. I'd like to do the same upgrade. I can't figure out what size integrated keyless chuck I need. Can you comment on what I need

Every drill press does NOT come with a Morse taper arbor, just the big boys. Smaller drill presses are more likely to use a JT33 chuck. But I love your press.

How do you loosen the chuck when the spindle is free to turn?

Hi Matt, Just found that you had done these vids just as I was contemplating this purchase (maybe I just forgot you did them:) Can you tell me if you impressions are still the same as of today? Still a great buy?

I'm leaning towards getting this keyless chuck for my benchtop drill press, but at $150, I'm gonna have to think about it ?

What is the brand and model of the new chuck?

nice

Great video. Is the table square to the Drill Chuck?

Can't I use my dead-soft copper sledge to tap it in? It is what I cast it for. ;)

I am in the market for a new drill press! The floor models all seem expensive & the table top models, I am not sure that I would be pleased! Please keep in mind that I refuse to buy anything electronic from harbor freight due to the fact that every electronic item that I purchased from Harbor freight went up in smoke instantly! THREE SEPERATE ITEMS! AN ELECTRIC DIE GRINDER, A 6" BENCH GRINDER, & A 8"BENCH GRINDER SO, I went to Lowe's & purchased a 6" Delta bench grinder & it works good! So, I never considered purchasing a Harbor Freight drill press! How much did it cost? I need to look it up! Plus, I get a discount at one of the mentioned stores!!!! I have been eyeing up the floor model type of Delta drill press for arround $500.00 right now (usually $550.00!) I have always thought about using a drill press to bore out an engine though, I am sure that is an unreasonable idea for many reasons! Wish that I had my own machine shop, wood shop, & blacksmith shop, maybe one day?

599 now cost of the drill

Thanks for a really informative video! It was very helpfull indeed. You have a new subscriber. I am currently assembling a cheap drill press, and found it had some wobble after assembly, and that the drill bit was not square with the table in the back-forward direction. So... I have some work adhead of me. Where was that arbor/chuck piece bought by the way? If you have the inclination, stop by my fledgling woodworking channel, aNomadsProjects, and show some support. Cheers.

The wedge is called a "drift" the keyed part of the taper is the "tang" the 7 to 10 thou under power is akin to a vibration measurement. Vibration might be reduced by a better belt and static balancing your quill. intermediate and motor pulley's. hope this helps...love those keyless chucks!

What is the brand of your new chuck ?

Why does my bit keep falling out my keyless chuck. It’s driving me crazy

Cant buy with % off coupons anymore

Went to Amazon, that chuck is $137. ????

The drill press looks great. Give me a keyed chuck any day. Don't like keyless.

It’s Phil Mitchell

go to ebay,,buy a smaller chuck that goes INTO your chuck,,they are awesome for smaller bits!

A 1/8 bit with a hex base is cheaper than a new chuck.

the tool is called a DRIFT.

Didn't know rick harrison liked woodworking.

You must drive a mack truck to the shops for milk

My name is Rick harrison and this is my pawnshop

I wish I would have known that you wanted a key-less chuck, you could of had mine, just can't stand the keyless chuck, mine is being replaced with a keyed-chuck, different strokes for different folks..

#1 I am not a big fan of No Key chucks. I replaced every one of my hand drill chucks with Key type chucks. My solution to Big chuck is I bought a small Jacobs "key type" chuck with a straight 1/2" shank that I could chuck with my larger chuck. Less expensive than a larger chuck with a tapered shank and quicker and easier to change. The "thing" is called a "Drift Pin". Just saying. Checking runout with machine running is not cool.

Ah, but now can you add a REVERSING SWITCH? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eqiUdcqet9u0aGg.html

ten though of runout with it running could be vibration and or dust or just a piece of hair off your beard or head. Now a hair is only about .003 but they very and with the drill running that might act like a mini ramp causing the needle to jump that far. If that's the worst case its better than most drill presses made today even one in a machine shop isn't that good. But here is my point Why do you need a drill press that good working with wood? Come on its wood a 5 dg temperature change the hole's changed it shape. add 30% humidity the hole egg shaped now. Its not like your drilling 6061 aircraft aluminum and making parts for a Jet engine where more than a few tenths would cause the motor to explode. I really doubt your doing anything at home that's got to be that precise. There is a difference between woodworking and metal fabrication or machining parts. I like the use of the step blocks for a drill press Smart move, these are used on Mills and will hold down super strong. You parts not going to move. I cringe when I see some fool holding metal with his hands on a drill press, if the bit grabs it will sling that part before you can let go. And somthing is going to give be it the drill press, the part your arm or the drill bit. I'd find me a machine shop drill vice clamp that down the its always set up ready to go. because the step blocks can be a pain to move and set up but one they are on its locked into place. Thanks for the film anyway. Now I'll be looking into a Harbor freight drill press because with some American made parts you can make it a good one. Your Chuck cost as much as the drill press I'll bet. Also I don't care what your drilling, you want the chuck as tight as you can get it, or the bit can spin in the chuck messing up the chuck and the shank of the drill bit. Tight is always better.

It's sounds like you bought too much drill press and then dumbed it down. I did the opposite. 🙄

Machine vibration, will give false readings.