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Not all drill presses are created equal.
Most of them work well with wood and PVC, but when it comes to metal, you have to be pickier.
At a Glance: Best Drill Press for Metal to Buy
In the comparison table below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. You’ll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
| PICTURE | NAME | RATING | SHOPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 1 | WEN 4214 12-Inch Variable Speed Drill Press Show more | ||
 2 | Genesis GDP1005A Show more | ||
 3 | SKIL 3320-01 3.2 Amp 10-Inch Drill Press Show more | ||
 4 | SHOP FOX Oscillating Drill Press Show more | ||
 5 | Craftsman 10 in Bench Drill Press w/ Laser Trac Show more |
You can’t expect the same drill to work perfectly on all materials, and you need to be careful about what drills you choose. Remember that there are several factors in play, which will determine whether the drill press you get is a good fit for your needs.
Now that you know what you should be looking for when you buy a drill press for metal, here are some of the best products on the market. We based our picks on the price being charged, the durability of the product, the features it offers, and the value provided.
Top 5 Best Rated Drill Press for Metal Reviewed
- Durable and sturdy build.
- Easily adjustable.
- Powerful motor.
- May become wobbly due to motor vibrations, in which case it will require repair.
- Durable and sturdy build.
- Easily adjustable.
- Powerful motor.
- May become wobbly due to motor vibrations, in which case it will require repair.
You’ll get anywhere from 580 to 3,200 RPMs from this WEN drill, and the motor is designed to handle tough metalworking jobs as well as gentler woodworking. You can easily adjust the height of the drill press and the angle of the table to give yourself the perfect cut each time. The LED screen provides a digital readout that tells you how fast the drill is moving and makes it easy to adjust the speed to whatever you like. You can also change the speed without having to change any belts. The motor is pretty powerful, though, and can get a little too loud and even cause the drive shaft to wobble as it moves. That won’t happen all the time, but if it does, the drill press will need to be repaired.
- Made to be simple to operate.
- Comes with a quiet motor.
- Work light included.
- Priced affordably.
- Not as durable as some of the competition.
- Made to be simple to operate.
- Comes with a quiet motor.
- Work light included.
- Priced affordably.
- Not as durable as some of the competition.
The Genesis is also easily adjustable, and you can change the height and the angle of the drill press to suit your needs. This is one of the better value drill presses for those wanting one for private metalworking. It retails for about $150 and offers up to five speeds. The Genesis drill press also has a work light to make it easy to see what you are doing at all times. It has all the same features as a lot of the competition but sells for far less. What you get for that lower price is a drill press that may not last as long as the competition, but still packs a lot of value. Just don’t expect it to hold up to industrial strength tasks day in and day out. This tool performs far better as a personal drill press, and the price is a good indication of that.
- Worktable can tilt and move up and down.
- Great price for what you get.
- Offers five speeds.
- Some components are not very durable.
- Can only handle light work.
- Worktable can tilt and move up and down.
- Great price for what you get.
- Offers five speeds.
- Some components are not very durable.
- Can only handle light work.
This is another drill press that is of decent quality, but it is really made for private residential use and not intended for commercial tasks. That’s why it is priced so low, and you get some decent value for that price. The working surface will tilt for you and there are five speeds available, so it has all the standard features. It comes with a rapid repetitive drill setting, which allows you to produce lots of holes of the same depth over a short period of time. It’s a very efficient and simple to use machine, which makes it ideal for hobbyists and those who want it for their personal use.
- Versatile, can be used as a sander.
- Offers 12 different drilling speeds.
- Some electrical components are not very sturdy.
- Versatile, can be used as a sander.
- Offers 12 different drilling speeds.
- Some electrical components are not very sturdy.
You can use this drill press in two different ways- as a drill for metal, wood, PVC, and more or as a sanding tool. It includes a dust collection port to keep the dust from falling and flying everywhere while you are working. That reduces the cleanup time for you and makes using this tool in multiple ways a bit more convenient. You can move the table up, down, at an angle and even completely off to work the way you want to work. The motor can provide anywhere from 250-3,050 RPMs, and you get a total of 12 drilling speeds. The one downside that consumers have reported when using this drill press is that the electrical box and some of the electrical components are not of the highest quality. The worktable, drill and most other parts of this product are heavy duty, high quality stuff, but the electrical components fall short of that high standard in some regards.
- Very easy to use.
- Included steel fence makes for more efficient work.
- Laser tracker is a great addition.
- Not all components are made with the same level of quality.
- Very easy to use.
- Included steel fence makes for more efficient work.
- Laser tracker is a great addition.
- Not all components are made with the same level of quality.
This is a great precision drilling instrument. It is backed by a great brand name and a powerful warranty, and it comes with a laser tracking tool to help you make more precise holes. The steel fence that it comes with ensures that you can set and hold surfaces being drilled right where you want them every time, ensuring the same, precise holes with each cut.
What to Consider Before You Buy a Drill Press for Metal
We don’t want you to buy a drill press and then be disappointed that you bought the wrong one or feel like you spent more money than you should have. We have put together a list of factors you need to consider before you make your purchase to ensure that you really are getting the best possible deal and the most suitable drill for your needs:
- Price– Do you have a budget in mind for a metal drill press? If not, then it should be based on what the cost of these tools really is. If you set your budget too low, then you might end up with a low-quality drill press that you have to replace shortly. Those who are buying a press for their business will want a bigger budget to work with than someone who is just buying one for their personal use.
- Usability– Not all drill presses are designed to cut through metal, as we said before. Make sure that metal is listed as one of the drillable materials in the item’s product details. If it is not listed, then it isn’t something that the drill is specifically designed for, and you can destroy your drill press quickly by using it on the wrong materials.
- Avoid expensive attachments– You don’t have to buy specialty drill bits for working with metal. The drill bits included in the drill press package should work just fine, if it is designed for drilling through metal that is. You should not have to pay extra to enjoy the service the drill press is already supposed to be providing.
- Durability– How long do you expect the drill to last? If you buy a very expensive drill for your worksite, then you should expect it to work well for years, even if you put it through the toughest working conditions every day. If you are buying something for personal use at home, though, then it may not need to be as durable. Since you will likely be using it a few times a week, it should still last you years, even if it was inexpensive and is not designed to be very durable. In other words, durability matters, especially when you buy it for commercial use.
- Warranty– How durable the product is won’t really matter if the warranty isn’t there to cover it for you. Just because a drill press is made from tough stuff, that does not mean that it will work well for years to come. You need a warranty to cover the product for as long as possible. Warranties for drill presses tend to range from one to five years.
Conclusion
We hope that one of these picks proved helpful to you. We picked the drill presses that are most suitable for metal drilling, but keep in mind that you usually want the middle speed when drilling metal. You may not need all the features that some of these drills offer, so figure out what you need in a drill before you go for the more robust and expensive ones.
