HF/Central Machinery Drill Press

[HomeRacingWorld]

[Gameover]

I can't get past the cars in the background of the last pic :)

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[HomeRacingWorld]

Rob, the second pic shows those magnets doing that very thing :)

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Ha! I thought that was plastic brackets like mine had- long ago.

[Ember]

Well, I'm still upset that I don't have access to such a bargain. But, I finally took the plunge and have ordered myself a Kincrome benchtop unit that will do what I want (hopefully). Of course, as with everything, I get to pay about 4 times the price you guys do. Now to find a pin-chuck and machining vise for it. Hopefully I'll get a call to pick it up from my local AutoPro on Friday.

[btaylor]

HF Tools are no better or worse than most tools we can buy under any name brand. At my work, i have to purchase more power tools, and electrical machinery in a year than several of us would buy in a lifetime. The major differences are usually found in the motor windings, the really cheap stuff has aluminum wound arms.and do not like heavy loads put on them because they build heat pretty fast. One of the other major differences is the kind of bushings/ bearings being used.obviously the high end machines use bearings,and the cheaper produced items use bushings. All of this means very little to the average hobbyist, unless absolute accuracy is needed. I have several parts sources that i use to purchase replacement parts, and most would be very surprised at the list of manufacturers names that fall under one part number! I wont go into brand bashing, or even promotion of any particular brand, but suffice it to say,that buying a piece of equipment at a low price does not always guarantee a poorly built item, nor does paying known brand prices,assure that you are getting anything any better quality. With most production of these types of bargain machines being made oversees, there are very few manufacturers that do more than assemble in the US. The benchtop drill press in the picture as well as the standup floor model, is listed under 23 various names that can be bought at various chain stores nationwide,and the only variance is the Name decal,the price, and sometimes the accessory kits that come with them. Oh, and the color varies as well!
Bottom line is, most of us can buy what we need, for what we need it for, keep it clean and oiled and it will last as long as its brand name counter part, because it is usually the same thing.
Bob

[waaytoomuchintothis]

There is one gigantic foundry/factory network in China that makes all the parts. The parts go in piles according to tolerance. If its 15 thousandths out, that's in a pile, if its 1 thousandth out, that's another pile, and all in between. Plants that assemble in the US, like Jet, Steel City, Porter-Cable, Powermatic, and some others get parts from the best pile and assemble here with very little machining, which allows us to buy replacement parts quick and easy. The vast majority of what is sold here is completed in China, but from the graded parts piles according to whatever their contract is, and how closely they watch the untrustworthy Chinese factories. This includes names like Grizzly, Woodtek, and Micromark. HF gets the machines made from the bad parts pile, re-machines them to usable tolerances and ships direct from China for large machines, and to a warehouse here for the rest. This is why occasionally you hear about junk from HF, and other times quality from the same place that rivals the US tools from the 1960s in the US (when we still made them). Bosch and Hitachi are in countries that still make their own steel and the quality is wonderful consistently. Makita uses a mix of parts, as do several other names you see at the big box stores. A new plastic handle for Makita is in a warehouse here, but the armature for the motor takes weeks to get here from China.

One of the most important differences is what has been said here already, that bearing parts also vary in quality, or even whether or not they are even there, then there's the alignment and installation of these vital parts.

[SlotCarCorner]

Nice find Harry - at that price point and for what you are intending to use it for, how can you go wrong?

:)

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Exactly. And that's the wisdom to follow when you look at these things.

[btaylor]

[HomeRacingWorld]

The whole corner of this bench is HF. Still works. :)

[Ember]

I must admit, I still love my Bosch gear, but the last sander I bought was a bit feeble. Makita prices have gone through the roof for the average person these days. Ryobi, which used to be equivalent to Makita have taken a price point tumble over the last years. Not sure what has happened with their quality. I bought a Ryobi plunge router when I intended to build a couple of tracks and open a commercial centre but haven't used it because the shop isn't possible.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[Ember]

I have a little Bosch laminate trimmer that was used for the hill climb, but didn't fancy using it for 18m x 5 lanes + gains plus whatever the small track was going to be. Might as well try selling it now as it will never get used anyway.