Customer Reviews

Grizzly G7946 5 Speed Floor Radial Drill Press

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Let me preface my comments by stating that I own and love many pieces of grizzly machinery. That being said, this is not one of them.

The design of this drill press intrigued me to the point that I decided to purchase it. It has occupied a place in my shop for over a year now. It is a great idea, 34" swing,drill at compound angles on a flat table, how can you beat features like that, right? They fall short of the theory in the application.

First and foremost the motor is way underpowered. It is not the 1/2 hp motor that they use on most of their heavier machines, it is a very poorly made import of about half the physical size you would expect. drilling holes with any sized forstner bit over about 1/2" will stop the motor, you must feed very slowly and back it off every 1/16" to let the motor regain momentum.

I should have replaced the motor immediately, but figured I would use it until it burned up, which happened last weekend at the most inopportune time. Thick clouds of black smoke, whining, hissing, the smell of burning plastic, of course it happened 13 months after I purchased it, 1 month after the 12 month warranty expired, not that i would want another of those motors anyway.

I replaced it with a 1/2 hp Dayton motor of corresponding specifications (would have used larger, but It was what I had immediately available). Talk about a night and day difference, it powered through drilling 2" holes with no problem whatsoever. I had used this underpowered drill press long enough that I forgot what a drill press was supposed to work like.

The other main problem is the amount of flex in the main column and in the shaft for the radial head, it is acceptable for most tasks but can cause a little more deflection than desired for precision work. I still like the radial head idea. I wish the larger radial head drill press grizzly offers was mounted on a conventional main column with a conventional table.

If you do buy this press, replace the motor immediately, it's not worth the aggravation or inefficiency to even bother with the original.

I purchased this machine because I needed to drill stepped holes in the middle of disks with forstner bits. I needed a floor model. And this is the only one available from anyone that I know of. I would have been happy to spend much more money and I didn't expect much for the price. My expectations were met.

The motor is severely underpowered. I need to drill 1.125 holes in the middle of up to 25" sheet stock. I have to be very careful and just take small "baby steps" lowering the forstner bit in and then removing it to keep the motor spinning. I'm thinking of replacing the motor as soon as I can get around to it.

The table is not square to the bit. I made a larger table and attached it to the stock table. I do this on all my drill presses anyway to prevent tearout on the back side of the piece. I had to shim significantly ( 1/4 of an inch) on one side to get it square to the bit.

There is a stop which operates on both the up and down stroke which is a good idea. It's basically a bolt with nuts above and below a piece of cheap angle. The first time you use your stop, the angle will bend. You'll need to replace it with something more substantial.

The handles on the clamps have a plastic cover which wants to come off every time you attempt to tighten or loosen any of the various settings. This really bothers me.

The press will allow you to drill holes 18" from the support stand. This is very good. You can also rotate the head for angled holes. This is also very good for those awkward angled holes on furniture.

The bottom line is this.... it's a machine that I love to hate. Don't plan on using it for the only press in your shop. But if you need to drill holes in wide stock or angles for chairs and such, buy it, fix it, and enjoy.

I read the previous reviews that mentioned the severely underpowered "1/2" horsepower motor, but when I saw the press, I just had to get it. The head swivels and telescopes - very cool! It's great for doing unusual drilling jobs.

However, I would agree with the other reviews regarding the severely under-powered motor. By simply holding the chuck, I can keep the spindle from turning when geared to the LOW speed! I can keep the spindle from turning with my thumb and forefinger when it's geared to the fastest speed. There is NO WAY this is actually 1/2 horsepower. My cordless pistol drill is probably at least twice as strong. Next item on my list... a new motor!

Don't be scared away from Grizzly products, though. I have purchased other Grizzly products, and this underpowered motor is not typical of their usual high quality (and fantastic prices). I would probably buy this drill again, underpowered motor and all, for $200. It's still worth it.