Customer Reviews

Powermatic PM2800 1792800 18-Inch Variable Speed Drill Press

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First the Pros:

I have always looked on with envy when some of my woodworking friends show off their latest Powermatic tool and so recently when I decided to upgrade my much older drill press, I gulped a couple of times when I saw the price tag on the Powermatic PM2800 but finally convinced myself that I had to have it. Without a doubt it is a feature loaded superbly crafted drill press. The Morse 5/8" chuck, the 1 HP motor, the laser cross hair, the large expandable work surface and the variable speed control with the LED spindle speed readout were features that were lacking on the older press and after you experiences how convenient these are you can't help wondering how you ever got along without them.

The cons:

That said, there were a couple of things that left me with a less than satisfied feeling that this may just not be the drill press for me. Let me explain...I estimate that about 25% of the time I use a drill press for metal work as opposed to woodwork. When doing the metalwork I use a machinist vice that I clamp in place on the drill press table and the table on the Powermatic is not designed to accommodate this vise. The other problem is the lowest speed available is 400 RPM and I need to have 300RPM or less when drilling into steel. I did manage to come up with a method to attach the vice to the table using the T-slots but I don't know of any way that I can overcome the lack of a lower speed. Of course none of this detracts from the high quality of this tool. In my desire to acquire my first Powermatic I failed to consider all the ways I use a drill press So I guess I'll just keep the old drill press for my metal work.

ress.

OK first for the bad.

- Vibration, Vibration, Vibration

- locking stops on table tilt does not work

- Table will not rotate around the main post without binding

- .01 Runout

- Chuck wont stay seated

- Plastic table insert flexes

- No holes to mount aux tables

- Fence not square with table (warped)

- Table not flat

- Base not flat

- Noisy

- Lasers wont stay adjusted

- Table mared and pited

I called customer service and they want me to drop of this brand new less than one day old 200 Lb drill press at a service center 100 miles away.

This is the worst Chineese piece of crap I have ever owned. I have owned a few.

Now let tme talk about the good things. Well I cant think of any right now.

FYI this is the second Powermatic purchase I have made this year. I purchased a joiner and it was just as bad. They Powematic has zero quality control and they just dont care.

Do your reearch and get smart. Dont waste your money on this drill press. I wish I had done better reearch as I found that most individuals who purchased this drill press regret it.

You have been warned.

I purchased the PM Drill Press and am very satisified with it. However, the instruction manual completely omitted where and when to install the worm gear.

At the time you are installing the rack to the frame, you need to insert the Worm into the table support ring.

This is the only Powermatic tool I've actually regretted purchasing. That said, there aren't really very many good options for those in the market for a new drill press. It's probably still an okay choice but it's way too expensive unless you can get it on sale. Anyone thinking about buying this should maybe think about getting a Jet. Or a Craftsman.

Here's what I've noticed in the first month:

-the brackets that hold the sliding table extensions are made out of plastic; seriously, the table extensions are attached using 2 pieces of plastic

-the keyless chuck loosens unexpectedly and the drill bit falls out

-the table doesn't raise and swing easily because the rack and pinion is undersized and binds hopelessly against the column

-the T-slots in the table are not accommodating to any drill press vice

-the depth stop is a piece of crap; it doesn't stay locked at all (which can completely ruin a project if you're not paying attention) and it's just a cheap piece of aluminum that feels like I could easily snap it off

-the hole in the middle of the table is gigantic and they put stupid piece of plastic in there in hopes that you wouldn't notice

-it's not very heavy and, as such, it seems to vibrate a lot more than a 12" benchtop drill press

-drill press smells very strongly of burning rubber if it's on for longer than 2 minutes; Poweratic says this is normal

-it displays 0 RPM very brightly when it's off and the only way to stop this is to unplug it

I don't use the extensions anymore because they're made like junk. The table is large enough on its own. I've ordered a new chuck so you should really plan to spend an extra $100 so you can get a real chuck so that you can actually use your drill press. I've mounted my vices to pieces of 1/4" plate steel which can then mount to the T-slots. I've removed the pinion crank and the piece-of-crap rack so now I just use brute strength to maneuver the table. It's much easier than fighting with the stupid crank.

Even when anchored to the floor, this thing sways like a palm tree.

This was my first major Powermatic purchase. My dad, God rest his wood-whispering soul, had several large PM tools in his shop when I was growing up, and it has been a long wait for me to get to the point where I could afford to start outfitting my own shop with such things. This was a very disappointing first step. It's clear to me now that PM is no longer the gold standard tool maker that it was in my dad's day. This drill press is clearly very powerful, but honestly it has the look, fit, finish, and sound of a Harbour Freight sale item. The beast vibrates as though nearly all of its horses are dedicated to making it vibrate. At the highest speed. he belt system actually wears against the inside of large plastic top cover, creating a heck of a noise and burnt rubber smell (PM apparently says this is normal!?). The laser system took me over an hour to align properly (not even close out of the box) and even now I'm not sure it's on. Dust collection is virtually useless. I will say that it has the power (I have it wired for and plugged into 220v) to bore easily into very hard wood. In other words, it performs the basic purpose of a drill press well. For the money, though, I expected it to perform that purpose without rattling the walls apart, stinking up the shop, and causing the wild animals outside to run for cover. No more PM for me.

I have working in two different shops with this drill press, and agree with the rest of the bad reviews. They are not just experiencing a random lemon off the production line. Keyless chuck unscrews, and locks up. The gear mechanism for table raising will bow and break just under the weight of the table. I have replaced this part 5 times on the 2 separate machines. Table will not spin or rotate without damaging the gear raising mechanism. The only good news the replacement part is real cheap, add a pair of 4" hose clamps to your order to hold that machine gear that runs up the side of the press to keep it together. PowerMatic=ProblemMatic.

I've owned the Powermatic drill press for over a year.

It has some very nice features.

I use the variable speed because I use it as much to drill metal (at low speed) for home repair type projects as true woodworking projects and that's why I got a Powermatic.

However, overall, the fit and finish and detail is better on a Delta. Look at the close up of the table. There are NO slots thru the table for a clamp. And Powermatic does NOT sell clamps that fit the T-track. Come on now!

The fence is light weight. It has a T-track on top. I made the mistake of putting a clamp in the T-track. Instead of holding the work, it just lifted and tilted the fence.

Turning the table to the left or right works, but it is far from smooth motion, the vertical rack screams and as it rotates it grabs and releases. Try the Delta, perfectly smooth and very little sound.

The variable speed is great, but locking the adjustment lever in place is very hard. You have to REALLY screw it down, so tight you're afraid you'll strip the threads. I haven't but I wish it held at less force. Perhaps some sort of simple notched design?

Overall I get good results, but with inconvenience and compromise. I chose to accept that, and haven't changed my mind, but Powermatic is capable of much better.

I read a bunch of reviews of this drill press online and hesitated to buy it because of some that were negative. I don't know what the negative reviewers were complaining about, as this thing is quite finely engineered. It went together quickly and easily, and it works perfectly. I did not even have to adjust the laser crosshairs, as they are dead on. This replaces a very old, low-cost drill press, and I'm glad I have the precision this machine provides.

Not a bad drill press for under $1000. the lowest speed is 400 RPM. the quailty is pretty good, but there are signs of made in China manufacturing shortcuts. not american made quality but a good deal for the money

We bought this to complete some of our woodwork projects and I'll tell ya it was a blast to see this drill press flow right through the wood. It came perfect, and was used right away.

Brandon

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