Delta 17-900 16-1/2" 12-Speed Drill Press

by Delta

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

If your projects require you to drill with big bits or if you find yourself attempting to drill with precision under questionable circumstances, this heavy-duty 16-1/2-inch drill press from Delta will help you get out of your, um, hole. Running off a 3/4-horsepower motor that can be wired for either 115 or 230 volts, it gives you an impressive deep plunge length of 3-3/8 inches and holds up to 5/8-inch-diameter bits. Solid cast-iron construction and a 3-1/8-inch column give it the industrial feel and durability we look for in this type of tool. You'll enjoy the rotating work base--which bevels, of course, 45 degrees each way for drilling angles--as well as the depth stop that can be set quickly and easily with microadjustments and a locking mechanism, great for repetitive drilling. While other models sometimes place hard-to-read speed and belt charts under the top cap, Delta uses a wide, clearly legible chart to explain how to configure the belts for each of 12 speeds (250 to 3,000 rpm). And, thanks to the smooth, cool-running induction motor inside, you're not likely to find yourself shopping for a drill press again for an extremely long time. --Justin Paul

Product Description

16-1/2" Floor Drill Press

See all Product Description

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 25.2 x 12.8 x 66 inches ; 194 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 203 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B0000223AX
• Item model number: 17-900
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #808,543 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good value but not a great tool, November 18, 1999

By 

Philip C. Jones (Iowa City, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Delta 17-900 16-1/2" 12-Speed Drill Press (Tools & Home Improvement)

Bought one of these about 8 years ago after having had excellent experiences with American-made Delta products (eg, Unisaw, shaper, etc.)

I was a bit disappointed with this tool. It was difficult to assemble & the instructions were virtually incomprehensible---had to give up on them and just use common sense/knowledge to get it together. Fit and finish is quite rough in comparison to US made tools----some filing/deburring/minor machining was required to get everything to work smoothly.

Runout was a bit more than I had hoped for, but was within the tolerances I need for woodworking. For more precise tolerances needed in metal working--no way.

The tool works okay, but for those into tool aesthetics (as am I) it comes up short.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expect from Delta, May 24, 2001

By 

Mitchell Moschetti "mrm" (asheville, nc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Delta 17-900 16-1/2" 12-Speed Drill Press (Tools & Home Improvement)

Where should I start? The belts that came with it were so tight that it was almost impossible to change speeds and the free Delta replacements were the same size. Had to buy the correct size locally. In the first month- of light use- the chuck wouldn't stay seated in the taper mortise, so I had to use cylindrical bonding Loctite to secure it so it wouldn't fall out when drilling. The table column clamp has so much slop that when I need to set an exact height, like for very light milling operations, I have to guess low, by at least a sixteenth of an inch, because the table will rise at least that much when the column clamp is tightened. The excessive chuck run-out makes using any bit smaller than a number 60 a total waste of time and error is annoyingly noticeable with bigger bits, too. Finally, when I needed to drill and countersink about 600 holes in some fence slats (soft cedar) the other day, after only fifteen minutes or so into a three hour project, the idler pulley shaft walked out of its bushing and crashed around inside the drive housing!!!!!! After analyzing the problem, I determined that the motor mount will allow the pulleys to be aligned at roughly the same height, OR, in parallel planes, but not BOTH at the same time! So, every few minutes I would have to stop the machine and peek under the hood to make sure the idler pulley wasn't about to make the great escape again. All things considered, I wouldn't buy another Delta drill press at gunpoint.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a quality tool!, January 3, 2000

By 

Scott Pointon "Former Marine, Librarian, Wood... (Crest Hill, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Delta 17-900 16-1/2" 12-Speed Drill Press (Tools & Home Improvement)

Santa Claus was nice enough to bring me one of these this year (1999) and I couldn't be happier with it. Although it is extremely heavy, assembly was a snap. I had it together in about 30 minutes. Once assembled I practically spent the next two days straight putting it through the paces. I found this press to be solid, powerful, and well built. Although it is cumbersome to make frequent speed adjustments via the belts, it is worth the $500 savings to buy this machine and do just that (as opposed to the electronic variable speed presses). I highly recommend this tool for its quality and value.