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

[Winegrower]

I only use my Powermatic 2800B drill press for wood. The Bridgeport does everything else. After working on the mill with DRO, the drill press just doesn't seem up to metal precision. I know, you disagree, but that's my opinion.

 

[C-Bag]

I hope NortonDommi doesn’t think we’re bagging on this because it was conceived in NZ. I was the butt end of the spear for the whole time I was tasked with fixing cars and have a super resentment against hi tech that lures the folks who are into that in order to boost sales. And when even the dealers couldn’t fix it whole lines of vehicles went away. Lemon laws and these laws trying to make it mandatory to support stuff after sale is just bandaids on a blimp. The idea the user is too lazy or clueless to set a depth stop or hit the reverse is more of this trend that as a true Luddite I have no use for. There is no replacement for skill because when the complicated solution for simple skill dies your just left with two pieces for the landfill. The work and the dead tool.

 

[MikeInOr]

I have seen REALLY NICE old Walker Turner, Rockwell and Powermatic variable drive drill presses on craigslist in the $1000 range. There is no way I would spend $1000 on that drill press.

I own a HF, a Jet and a Walker Turner drill press (Metal drilling, Wood drilling and "It's a Walker Turner, enough said"). The WT is the smallest and by far the tightest with no jiggle or ramble. The WT is heads and tails above the Chinese dp's... but ALL THREE of them drill holes perfectly well! If I were going to spend $1000 on a drill press it would be an old American variable belt drive drill press... not a servo drive plastic drill press.

My largest drill press, a 20+ year old HF floor standing 17" drill press stands about 3 feet away from my mill. I would hate to have to swap a 3 jaw chuck into my mill every time I just needed to drill a hole! My DP gets MORE use since I bought a mill rather than less... mainly because I do more metal working now.

P.S. When the cheap 20+ year old Chinese motor on my HF craps out how much do you think an American made replacement is going to cost me? How much do you think a servo motor for that fancy drill press will cost to replace 10 or 20 years from now? How about the servo motor controller? Do you think there is ANY chance that either will be available 10+ years from now?