With up to 5 operating speeds, giving users a range of 620-3,100 RPM, users will find a lot of versatility is available with this tool. There is also a scaled steel fence available that helps to align, brace, and guide each working piece. The Craftsman 10-inch bench drill press even comes with a stop block for repetitive drilling jobs.
Equipped with a 3.2-amp motor (not 6 amps as sometimes indicated), users will definitely take advantage of the rack-and-pinion table elevation feature. This makes adjusting the table height a simple and easy process, allowing for accurate drilling on multiple types of metals or wood.
Here are some of our additional observations about this drill press after we had the honor of being able to take a look at it.
#1. The total stroke length is about 3.5 inches. If you’re looking at the spindle travel measurement only, then you can achieve a consistent depth of 2 9/16 inches.
#2. It has been equipped with a laser guide. Just beware that the batteries for the laser guide are going to burn out very quickly. We receive about 30 minutes of total usage time. Replacing the batteries doesn’t take much time. Just look for the battery icon and use the slide lever to access the compartment. Takes about a minute at most.
#3. The sheet metal cover on this drill press is challenging – to say the least. It is virtually impossible to open the sheet metal cover on this Craftsman drill press. It also tends to fit improperly, with one of the pulley posts rubbing on the underside of the cover. You can’t pull very hard on the cover because the sheet metal has a tendency to bend. Didn’t want to accidentally damage the equipment, so we left this alone after a quick experiment.
#4. It’s a little heavy for some portable workbenches. We like the fact that this drill press weighs a little more than 60 pounds. This prevents the tool from moving around on you while you’re trying to drill. The problem is that the weight may interfere with the performance of the lighter workbenches that are on the market today.
#5. There isn’t a depth setting you can use. The only way to control the depth of your holes is by taking advantage of the table adjustment feature. There isn’t a depth setting equipped to this drill press if you need to be drilling repetitive holes as part of your woodworking.
We see the Craftsman 10-inch bench drill press being suitable for the casual woodworker or the hobbyist. It uses Forstner and twist bits just fine, but just doesn’t have the capacity for heavy duty daily work. We felt that it was able to work as advertised, however, and that is why it earns our recommendation for light duty work.
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