Drill press Vs. Milling machine (not that way)

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I've been looking for a good drill press, and boy are they expensive, it seems there are the cheap ones like I currently have for $300-500, and then it jumps right up to $2000 and up. I found what seems to be a good deal on a used gear head at $900 and was talking about it with a friend and he said, "why don't you get a milling machine?". I hadn't thought of that before, and, the main reason I hadn't thought about that is because, I actually intend to use the drill press as a drill press. I've heard lots of talk about people trying to use a drill press like a mill, and I know exactly why that doesn't work well, but I've been able to find none about using a mill like a drill press. What are the pro's and con's?Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:From what I understand you can use a mill as a drillpress and for a lot more like actually milling things.  Depending on the pricing you would have a lot more capability with a mill instead of a drillpress, That is what I would go with again depending on the pricing.Millermatic 135Craftsman 7 Hp 80 Gallon           2 stage compressor
Reply:I have a table top mill, a bench top drill press and used to have access to a floor model drill press and a full sized mill. each has advantages/disadvantages.Biggest disadvantage I see with mills is that you are often limited by what will fit under the chuck. I'll grant this isn't as big a deal with a full sized bridgeport, but it's definitely more complicated than on a dedicated floor model drill press and the full size machine has down sides of it's own.Full size bridgeports are huge and heavy not to mention often expensive. I looked at a very nice full size BP at auction this summer that went for $500. However I've got no where to put it and no easy way to move it. Add rigging to the cost of the machine, and it's not such a great deal ant more... Power feed and DRO's are very helpful.Full size drill presses will allow you to do work on large odd shaped objects, they are light weigh ( relatively) but lack the repeatability of a mill and the rigidity. Also usually you are simply limited to moving the table up and down, rotating the table, and rotating the head side to side. Power feed is an option on some larger units and very handy.My table top mill is sort of in between. I like the precision I get with it, but really miss a lot of the options I had available on a bigger mill. Disassembled it's about as heavy as I can move on my own, and it really takes two people to remove/instal the head without a hoist. Biggest disadvantage would have to be what will fit under the chuck especially with a full sized vise on the table. Once I got this, I didn't know how I managed without a mill.My "baby" drill press is fine for small rough work. Simply drilling holes in angle and so on. It has no where near the power my mill has, nor the lower RPM's. Table is sloppy on mine so it almost never gets adjusted much. Biggest advantage was size and cost when I bought it at 1st..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:If you are looking in the $2k price range for a drill press, put a little more with it and get a full size vertical mill.  You should be able to pick up a good used one with digital readout for $2500 -$3500.  Once you have one and have used it you will wonder how you ever got by without one.  The step pulley style are generally cheaper but are less convenient when changing spindle speed.  The variable speed ones are really convenient, all you have to do is spin the little dial to the speed you want.  The Bridgeport brand units will usually be more expensive.  Supermax is an import brand that is real common and actually interchanges parts with the Bridgeport so fixing them isnt a problem.As for moving them, they really arent all that bad to move if you have a few people.  You can rent the trailers for scissor lifts that have the whole deck drop down to the ground.  With a come along you can pull it into the trailer pretty easily.  Some sections of small diameter pipe and a pry bar and you can roll them just about anywhere you want.
Reply:http://santamaria.craigslist.org/tls/3356547292.html
Reply:Another issue, If you do start using it as a mill, then it might not be available as a drill press.Since you might have to tear down fixtures change chuck... As mentioned, vertical capacity could be an issue depinding on size mill.
Reply:mills are great for drilling precise smallish holes,  but precision isn't always a requirement.  also know that the autofeed on a bridgeport type head isn't recommended for drilling larger than 3/8".  its really only intended for boring.personally,  I think a drill press is faster for your average job,  but you would gain a significant amount a versatility with a mill.XMT 350 MPa, w/D52-DTA 185 TSWHarris of
Reply:I sold my drill press when I got my mill. Drill press was only good for making holes. I converted my mill to CNC and now I can make even bigger holes, cut a round corner plate, etc. However learning curve is a big jump from a drill press. The rewards are great however even if its just a hobby.  If you still need the capacity of a drill, get a mill-drill type, they are not as good for cnc conversion because the head design.
Reply:A drill press is for drilling.... mill is for milling,drilling,boring, precision hole placement, a mill is way more versatile.  If you decide to buy a mill, dont forget to figure in powering the machine, either vfd, static phase converter or rotary phase converter, unless the motor on the mill is already 220v single phase.. I paid $1500 for my 1972  j-head Bridgeport, its already well paid for itself. I still use my drillpress, whether it be using a unibit and popping some holes in some sheetmetal or plate or simply chamfering holes sometimes its quicker and simpler to use the benchtop drill press depends on what your doing..Last edited by brucer; 12-13-2012 at 06:44 PM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:I just paid $250 for an old manual J-head Bridgeport.  I'm already in love.  Came with a 15" rotary table and a shaper head too.  Selling the shaper head for $600 this weekend.I already have a 3 phase lathe.  Power is the least of your worries.  If you have a 220V line you can easily power most 'smaller' 3 phase equipment.  1-2Hp is simple.  I have a VFD and an RPC.  If you need help with either, let me know.  Knowing what I know now, I would just use an RPC as it leaves much more flexibility for running anything you could drag home.Sturdy, check.XYZ table, check.I have a sweet Powermatic drill press that I love, but honestly, with the Bridgeport, I'm thinking about getting rid of it.  I might just keep it though since it doesn't take up much room and I like it so much, but the mill is so much more versatile.  You can go from drilling holes, to drilling really big holes, to surfacing, squaring, milling slots, counterbores and anything else you can think of.  I would like a CNC one of these days for doing compound curves, but this should keep me busy for a while and I should easily be able to get my money back.  Just like everything else, the deals are out there if you look for 'em.Last edited by kazlx; 12-13-2012 at 07:54 PM.
Reply:If one is drilling holes in something like a very large sheet metal box, it may be difficult to get it under the head of a mill, but still easy to fit under the head of a floor drill press. The table of the drill press can fit inside a box and thus provide support for the section being drilled, whereas the box can't fit into a mill's table or knee.   Otherwise, a mill usually is more controlled. Then again, careful use of a hand drill will usually take care of the first situation.
Reply:With a Bridgeport you can swivel the turret if you really need to.  Obviously having both would be ideal, but one or the other....mill.
Reply:Originally Posted by Oldiron2If one is drilling holes in something like a very large sheet metal box, it may be difficult to get it under the head of a mill, but still easy to fit under the head of a floor drill press. The table of the drill press can fit inside a box and thus provide support for the section being drilled, whereas the box can't fit into a mill's table or knee.   Otherwise, a mill usually is more controlled. Then again, careful use of a hand drill will usually take care of the first situation.
Reply:What a great thread.  I was thinking of getting a mill also and learning how to use it.
Reply:Ge, I have both (mills and drill presses).  It all comes down to the bearings.  Most drill presses don't have bearings capable of absorbing radial (side) thrust that occurs when milling and most (good not chinese cheapie) mills do.Drill presses have (usually) an upper and lower bearing, sometimes a sleeve bearing on the top.of the spindle.  Mills have multiple bearing packs upper and lower and radial thrust bearings,  drill presss don't.Drill presss 'press' drills vertically.  Thats the difference.
Reply:Originally Posted by sjamesmills are great for drilling precise smallish holes,  but precision isn't always a requirement.  also know that the autofeed on a bridgeport type head isn't recommended for drilling larger than 3/8".  its really only intended for boring.personally,  I think a drill press is faster for your average job,  but you would gain a significant amount a versatility with a mill.
Reply:The best drill press is a mill.  I do most of my drilling with either a cordless drill or the mill.  My 20" floor model drill press spends lot's of time unused now.  I've considered selling it off many times, but being paid for, I just can't do it.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Just to be the contrary soul on this, a couple of thoughts come to my mind. Drill presses are not all created equal and niether are mills. The biggest difference between them is design of the spindle and runnout. Most mills are much heavier duty in the spindle. The other big difference is the tables. You don't see them often, and they seem to be getting less and less in the last few years but here is just a couple of random pictures of some high end presses:http://metal.baileighindustrial.com/...ess-dp-1250vs/http://www.southern-tool.com/store/Jet_J-2380.phphttp://www.clausing-industrial.com/d...&l=CDP&m=CDP20No they aren't mills, but with caution and putting a X-Y table on them they can do some milling operations, two cautions they don't take excessive side spindle pressure repeatably, and very close tolerance work is not their fortay. Advantages are if set up right with feeders, stops and fixtures they can repeat a lot of holes quickly and usually are much deeper so a tall piece can be fixtured. Another type of drill press is a radial arm:http://www.willismachinery.com/willi...al_drills.htmlThese can do some things that is hard for most mills or normal drill presses to accomplish.I have two drill presses, one a table top JET which I use only for wood and I am not really happy with it, nor do I use it much anymore. The other is a shop smith I converted and rebuilt to just a drill press: http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=74991I use the shop smith a lot now, It has been upgraded to 1.5  HP that I lowered the spindle speed on and for the purpose I use it for it works very good, easy to set up and run many holes repeatably.When and if I replace the jet I am looking for an old Clausing like this with a Morse tapper spindle: http://blog.sterlingmachinery.com/?p=852.On mills and I know I am going to catch guff for saying it Bridgeport is not my favorite brand by any means, the ways are soft and they aren't the most accurate of mills by any means and age quickly. Before I get a bunch of replies defending my reply here, let me say I have owned 5 mills, a Gorton (still have it), an Acer ( 5VK), a Bridgeport, a Tree, and Cincinnati, so I have experience with many different brands. Bang for the buck the Acer and Gorton have been my personal best, when I bought my Acer its was just at 10K new, with DRO and power feed, I regret ever getting rid of it ( I had bridgeport in my brain then and it was a mistake ). And I don't have any experience with the Bridgeport brand since Hardinge took them over so they might be different know. I like Laguns a lot : http://www.lagun.com/ftv-2f.php;  On high end stuff, Okuma's; Kitamura's http://kitamura-machinery.com/products/show/218/128/; And I like old Hardinge mills, my next mill will be a old Hardinge horizontal, or a Cincinnati that is both a horizontal and vertical. My Gorton does smaller parts very well but it is not a hog, and big cutters and face cutters it wasn't designed to do. Hence my yearn for a horizonal.Truth be known I will upgrade my lathe first though, been wanting a gear head drop bed for a while. Not any time soon though.So I guess my final answer is both, each have its purpose.