Band saw and drill press brand comparison

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I am looking at purchasing a band saw and drill press. I am considering all brands, but what is the deal ultimately between Harbor Freight, Grizzly, Delta, Craftsman and so on. I will be dealing with all metals.1. Is one (drill press and saw) really better than the other concerning accuracy, operator ease (adjustments), warranty?2. How many speeds do I really need for the drill press?3. Are there any blade sizes out there harder to find than others?4. Dry vs Wet cutting?5. Cooling system vs. non-cooled? Is this for the blade?Thanks in advance, jwr2200.
Reply:Originally Posted by jwr22001. Is one (drill press and saw) really better than the other concerning accuracy, operator ease (adjustments), warranty?
Reply:Yes, there is a difference between brands!  Take your time and look at as many brands as you can before buying.  Look at details like column size, finish (not paint, but casting and machining), versatility and ease of adjustments, beefyness, ease of changing and adjusting tracking of blades,  cast iron instead of die cast pot metal parts in, for example, blade guides, ball bearing blade backing vs. wear pads, etc.  If you can't see them in a store, see if any friends have the tools and will let you examine them.My bias is toward Delta drill presses and bandsaws (old USA made, not modern imports with a Delta name on them.  Well used old U.S. made Deltas are better than any brand new Chinese imports, even if you have to do a little restoration.I strongly agree with JMcDonald that you don't generally need many speeds on a drill press, but you definitely want as low a bottom speed as you can get!  If you get a drill press without a motor, choose an 1175 RPM (6-pole) motor rather than the standard 1725 RPM (4-pole).  That will lower all your speeds by 33% which is minor, but beneficial.  My Jet drill press is virtually always on its lowest speed setting and that is too fast for many tasks with larger drills.A somewhat expensive alternative is a 3-phase motor combined with an electronic VFD (Variable Frequency Drive).  If you are buying a separate motor for your drill press a 3-phase motor should be slightly cheaper and is more reliable because it has no centrifugal starting switch and starting capacitor.  But then you need a VFD to provide 3-phase power.  With that combination you can get very low speeds and easy speed adjustability by twisting a potentiometer.  You can get a suitable VFD for about $175.  Ask if you are interested in that approach.  I have a VFD that I bought surplus several decades ago and I love it and run four tools off it.awright
Reply:As to drill presses, I think you only need two speeds. Slow and Slower  . I have found most drill presses of any quality to be good. Their are ones that are better than others but you should be able to see the difference when looking at them. The motor rating in a good thing to look at as well.As to Bandsaws, their are a lot of different ones out there are some are great and some are crap. The only thing I can say for sure is the one I have is great and has served me very well and never once let me down. I have included the link to the Harbor Freight version of the one I have as I got mine at the Princess Auto store in Canada. It is a little more costly than some even from Harbor Freight but I think it well worth it. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93507Here's a pic of my saw.Have fun and good luck on your new purchase.Miller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:I really like the 4" x 6" Cummins saw I bought recently:  http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=11176Gave away my old Harbor Freight saw.