Would you spend $1000 on this ? (Nova Viking Drill Press)

[graham-xrf]

It's all a no belts direct drive servo-motor tech. . (and I need a drill press)!
This kit is clearly aimed at woodwork, although I am sure it can drill holes in metal OK.
From budget to posh, one can get drill presses starting at less than a fifth of the price, with fairly decent setups costing a bit over half.
The lad himself is not getting rid of his existing machine, despite it's annoyances. The old press drills holes just fine, and is to be moved into his metal shop.

There is lots about it's operation that has me nodding .. "Yeah - that's nice"!
There is something else in me saying "Ya know.. for that much, I might get a reasonable little mill-drill".

While I do get it that we have among us high-skill hardball metal kings who might not be too taken by some of the plastic theatrics, there are some subtle points. To servo-regulate torque to keep the rotation speed constant might or might not be good for the hole cut quality. I have no idea how good is a constant torque cut, if it can do it, even slowing down to a regulated limit stall. I guess it might save a few broken taps. The video does, of course, lead on to others which go into these products in greater detail - runout measurements, etc.

[Edit: Apparently it has some kind of smart tapping mode that periodically reverses to clear chips]

So - let's see what some HM members think.

 

[Alcap]

It seems like a awesome drill press for a home shop . I too am looking far a drill press , I did make a $500 offer on this but guess he wants more https://newjersey.craigslist.org/tls/d/washington-vernon-sheldon-vertical/7182935163.html one of the features I was looking for is a nice spindle travel and varibile speed . I was thinking of ordering this WEN 4225 that's on sale through Walmart for $447 , w/free shipping . I like that it uses old school variable pulleys instead of electronic controls , https://www.walmart.com/ip/WEN-8-6A...C74tWMNJLrrVHJM-JGv3hG-dVjZWuK3BoCBa4QAvD_BwE

 

[JRaut]

Sort of depends on what you've got in your shop already.

If you've already got a mill (knee, bench, or otherwise), probably not worth having it.

I can say that in my shop (which has a Bridgeport), the only thing I do on my drill press is debur holes. I'm actually thinking of getting rid of it because I use it so infrequently and could use the space.

 

[graham-xrf]

The Craigslist Sheldon is much more butch than a drill press, and could handle some milling. But 70 + years old and used. I do like what the Viking does - but not the price. @JRaut has a point. Something that is nice, but not used often, maybe does not need to eat up a grand of budget!

 

[projectnut]

To me a drill press is one of the most basic machines in the shop. The one in the video has lots of bells and whistles, but when you get down to the basics it drills holes period. I have an older Jet JDP 125 VS3 that had many of the same bells and whistles. Keep in mind I said HAD. It came with a 2 speed motor, variable speed sheaves, forward and reverse, depth stops, work light, bla , bla, bla.

All the bells and whistles on mine worked fine for around 20 years. It would drill to a preset depth at one speed, slow to a lower speed for tapping, reverse when it met the second depth stop, and back out of the hole. Then someone decided it didn't work quite like they wanted it to and made some changes. Net, net trying to make "improvements" they disabled some of the original functions. I still use the machine today. It still has variable speed, forward and reverse, and depth stops. What it doesn't have is auto speed change, and auto reverse. Does it matter, not to me. It still performs the same basic functions it did when it was built in 1987.

That may sound trivial, but ask yourself how long the electronics on the machine in the video are going to last, then think about how long they are going to be supported. While everything works fine today will it in 20 years, and if it needs parts will there be anyone around to sell them to you. Every time I see an add for a machine like this I think back to the Sears Craftsman fiasco of electronic feedback constant torque drills and saws of the late 1980's. They worked fine for a while, then failed in droves when people over stressed them and the feedback circuits fried the motors or control boards.

Of all the used Craftsman tools on the market today you rarely see one of those saws or drills. Most ended up in the junk because they were either too expensive to repair, or parts were no longer available. Saws and drills from the 50's and 60's are still out there because they were basic machines that could be repaired.

As for the direct drive servo motor, what happens when constant torque meets drill stuck in a part. Something has to give. Will it be the drill bit, the gear drive, the motor, or the control board.

 

[graham-xrf]

Yep - a bit like a running car a working colleague had "trouble" with. It had all the ingredients to burn fuel and make the wheels go around, but was turned into a chunk of scrap because another "electronic engine management unit" could not be found at a price lower than the value of the car.

 

[Reddinr]

I still have an old Craftsman drill press that I bought used in ~1985. At the time I was looking for ALL the bells and whistles. Eg. table moves up and down, tilts, it drills holes, has a work light, many speeds (belts), big table, deep throat to handle larger stock... It still has all of those features and has drilled thousands of holes in wood and metal. I use about 2-3 of the speeds most of the time. I have drooled over the electronic ones in the past but always come back to "will it really drill better holes or drill them much faster?" To me the answer has been no. If the motor ever goes I might mount up a big DC motor I have laying around.

I would keep the drill press simple. Maybe make some fixtures for the table for work positioning and holding and that gets you 99% of what is needed. Then, with the money saved and other money saved by not getting that shiny new F250 or whatever, get a mill too.

Or if you really like the electronic one get that. The tapping feature sounds a little drool worthy.

 

[Shopsweeper]

I've had the forerunner (Voyager) to this machine in my shop for 3 years now. My machine is just a drill press with no milling capability whatsoever.

I use it often and I really like the speed control. My machine has an MT1 nose and I just think that is way too small. Having said that I have made 1/2" holes in steel. My machine can never become a mill because the spindle is in line (same piece of steel I think) with the rotor shaft in the motor. So in my Voyager any hard side action on the nose would translate right into the fancy DVR motor - bad.

The beauty is there never ANY excuse for not dialing in the RPM perfectly for your job even if you are "in a hurry". (note: everything bad that has ever happened in my shop as been when I was in a hurry)

I had a moment of discontinuity when I updated the firmware via USB last year and I set the USB drive down on the table of my 120 year old bandsaw.

 

[Aaron_W]

I know nothing about that specific machine, but I've been casually DP shopping and the general question is one I have been wondering about myself when looking at vintage Craftman or similar for $200 or less, and higher end brands upwards of $1000.

General build quality, size and variable speed by dial vs changing belts I can understand, but beyond that I'm not sure there is anything really worth paying extra for, particularly if you already have a mill.

 

[Nogoingback]

This guy bought a new drill press because using the depth stop on his Jet "ruined his day"?
More likely he's taken in by the promise of a shiny new toy (who isn't sometimes) and the lure of having a DP with a USB cable.
Personally I agree with projectnut. There is no way of knowing how long the electronics on that thing will be supported, but if
experience with other modern consumer products is any indication, it won't be long. Some companies now are so indifferent to
their customer's needs they no longer support products as soon as they go out of production. If I wanted variable speed on my
DP, I'd just put a VFD on it: if it fails you can at least bin it and simply buy another. With proprietary electronics, you're stuck.
And, despite all the kool-aid that manufacturers put out, (consumer) electronics aren't very reliable.

If I planned on spending a bunch of money on a DP, I'd look for the nicest 20" Powermatic or Rockwell I could find.