Best Floor Drill Press for Metal & Woodwork Today

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best overall rating★★★★★

Shop Fox W1848

  • 12 drilling speeds
  • 45° left and right bevel
  • Oscillating spindle
best overall rating★★★★★

JET JDP-20MF

  • Excellent drilling capacity
  • Flexible work table
  • Simple height adjustments
best overall rating★★★★★

 Klutch Floor

  • Sturdy build
  • Easy to assemble
  • Lots of speed settings

Our reviews are unbiased, fact-based, and comprehensively researched to help you make the right buying decisions.

 
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Drill presses are magnificent machines that make punching holes into wood, metal, and plastic, a lot easier than you could hope to achieve with a handheld power drill.

However, seeing as how there are so many models and types to choose from, which is the best for your shop? In this guide, we’re focusing specifically on floor drill press models.

After researching 39 different models, we’ve found the best floor drill press that will come in handy in any situation.

best overall rating

Best Floor Drill Press – Shop Fox W1848

The best floor drill press that outshines 38 other models is the Shop Fox W1848.

This floor drill press sports a beefy motor, a heavy-duty chuck, and a wide work surface area that metal and woodworkers would undoubtedly appreciate.

Plus, it has a handy spindle sander attachment to help finish your workpiece.

Below, you’ll find a brief list of the W1848’s key specifications—

  • ¾-HP Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 13.25-inch Swing
  • Spindle Sander

The Shop Fox W1848 is a full-sized, oscillating drill press that both drills and sands.

The ¾-HP motor offers a dozen different drilling and sanding speeds, ranging from 250 to 3050 RPM, which you can easily adjust by opening the latch and repositioning the drive belts.

We can’t forget to mention that the wide worktable can bevel up to 45 degrees to the left and right, so you can comfortably drill and sand at any angle.

The W1848’s 13.25-inch swing lets you drill in the dead-center of larger work pieces.

The spindle can plunge your drill bit as far as 3-1/8 inches deep, but by readjusting the height of the table, you can squeeze an extra inch of drilling depth as some customers have done.

Pros

  • 12 drilling speeds
  • 45° left and right bevel
  • Oscillating spindle for efficiency
  • Great for light to heavy-duty drilling

Cons

  • Instructions could be clearer

The W1848 is a highly recommended floor drill press for beginners and expert metal and woodworkers alike.

The included spindle attachment makes this a much more versatile tool straight out of the box.

Top Floor Drill Press  in the Market Compared

Product ImageProduct NameFeaturesPrice
Best Overall -Shop Fox W1848
  • Motor Size: 3/4 hp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 13 1/4 in
  • 2-inch Table Dust Port
Best Premium -JET JDP-20MF
  • Motor Size: 1.5 hp
  • Chuck 3/4 in keyed
  • Swing 20 in
  • 12 Drill Speeds
Best Budget -Klutch Floor Drill Press
  • Motor Size: 3/4 hp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 13 in
  • LED Gooseneck
Best floor drill press for woodworking -Delta 18-900L
  • Motor Size: 3/4 hp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 18 in
  • Auto-Tensioning Belt System
Best floor drill press for metal -WEN 4225
  • Motor Size: 8.6 amp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 15 in
  • Precision Laser
Best floor drill press for money -WEN 4227
  • Motor Size: 13 amp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 17 in
  • Precision Laser
Powermatic PM2800B
  • Motor Size: 1 hp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 18 in
  • Digital RPM Readout
Jet JDP-17MF
  • Motor Size: 3/4 hp
  • Chuck 5/8 in keyed
  • Swing 16.5 in
  • Work Light

Reviews of Best floor drill press

Best Premium -JET JDP-20MF

best overall rating

Key Specifications

  • 1.5-HP Motor
  • ¾-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 20-inch Swing
  • 12 Drilling Speeds

The JET JDP-20MF is another impressive floor drill press to grace our list. It features a humungous 1.5-HP motor that also offers a dozen drilling speeds, between 150 and 4200 RPM.

A thick, ¾-inch keyed chuck will allow you to punch holes of nearly any sizes into large boards and sheets with the help of its 20-inch swing.

The JDP-20MF also features a three-nut locking mechanism that lets you plunge the spindle at a specific depth time and time again.

Users have found this floor drill press to have one of the more reliable depth stop systems.

This video by JET will show you why the JDP-20MF belongs in your workshop.

Pros

  • Excellent drilling capacity
  • Flexible work table
  • Simple height adjustments
  • Usable on wood, metal, and plastic

Cons

  • Chart instructions could be fixed

Because the chart is messed up, you might have to consult with a veteran drill press user or the internet to find out how to set up the correct drilling speed.

Best Budget - Klutch Floor Drill Press

best overall rating

Key Specifications

  • ¾-HP Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 13-inch Swing
  • LED Gooseneck

The Klutch Floor Drill Press is a 13-inch machine that works amazingly well on metal and wooden workpieces.

Don’t think that its ultra-low cost reflects shoddy craftsmanship; this tool can drill through 3-1/4-inch blocks and bars easily and repeatedly, thanks to the depth lock system.

A key holder keeps the 5/8-inch chuck’s key within arm’s distance for quick and easy drill bit swapping.

Its 11-3/8-inch worktable lets you can support larger stock and tilt up to 45 degrees to the right and left.

Plus, an LED gooseneck work light will keep your worksurface adequately illuminated while working in the dark, though we highly recommend not doing so (for safety reasons).

Pros

  • Sturdy build
  • Easy to assemble
  • Lots of speed settings
  • Excellent depth stop system

Cons

  • Chuck could wobble less

The Klutch floor drill press is one of the most reliable and budget-friendly tools you could have in your shop.

It also doesn’t require a lot of floor space, but try and maintain a 2-foot clearance on either side of the tool, just in case.

Powermatic PM2800B

best overall rating

Key Specifications

  • ¾-HP Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 18-inch Swing
  • Digital RPM Readout

One of the most impressive features of the Powermatic PM2800B is its digital RPM readout, which is rarely found in other benchtop drill presses and helps adjust the drilling speed by reducing guesswork.

The ¾-HP, 18-inch unit drills at speeds of between 250 and 3000 RPM without having to change the positioning of the belt, making this an excellent option for first-time users.

One major benefit of the PM2800B is the auto-tensioning belt system.

When switching between gears, the tool will automatically keep the belt tensioned properly to maintain torque and speed at all times.

This unit has a 5/8-inch keyed chuck that allows powerful drilling. With an adjustable material stop, repetitive drilling can be performed accurately and quickly.

Pros

  • Great speed range
  • Accurate drilling
  • Easily adjustable
  • Beefy power

Cons

  • Chuck could wobble less

The Powermatic PM2800B is a powerful floor drill press that offers all sorts of features that make it easier to use by beginner metal and woodworkers.

Jet JDP-17MF

best overall rating

Key Specifications

  • ¾-HP Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 16.5-inch Swing
  • Work Light

The Jet JDP-17MF is a moderately-sized floor drill press with a 16.5-inch swing.

This machine comes with 16 speed settings that deliver between 200 and 3630 RPM, making it ideal for both metal and woodworking projects.

Plus, with its 5/8-inch keyed chuck, the ¾-HP motor has no problem driving drill bits through thicker workpieces while leaving minimal burring.

Like many floor drill presses, the JDP-17MF’s worktable bevels up to 45 degrees to the left and right, so you can drill at different angles while keeping your stock perfectly in place.

The spindle uses robust ball bearings that add support and convenience when adjusting the drilling depth, and a handy work light will let you see what you’re doing in dark areas of your shop.

Pros

  • Very stable
  • Adjustable speed
  • Powerful yet quiet motor
  • Very minimum runout

Cons

  • Could vibrate less at higher speeds

The JDP-17MF by Jet is a versatile, reliable, and heavy-duty floor drill press that surprisingly takes less floor space than most.

Best floor drill press for woodworking -Delta 18-900L

best overall rating

Even though all of the drill presses on this list work beautifully on wood, the best floor drill press for woodworking that we’d recommend is the Delta 18-900L.

Here’s what the Delta has to offer–

  • ¾-HP Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 18-inch Swing
  • Auto-Tensioning Belt System

The Delta 18-900L is an 18-inch benchtop drill press. It comes with a heavy-duty ¾-HP motor with a wide range of 170 to 3,000 RPM, making it ideal for soft to hard types of wood.

It has a 5/8-inch chuck that holds onto an assortment of drill bits to punch wide or narrow holes into your workpiece.

This drill has an auto-tensioning belt drive system, which allows users to easily adjust the speed and drilling performance of the tool with perfect tensioning every time.

The height can also be set easily with the height to deepen the max penetration for all sorts of jobs.

The Delta also comes with an LED lamp that enhances visibility, as well as a TWINLASER laser guiding system to tell you where the bit will meet your workpiece.

Pros

  • Precise result
  • Great drilling power
  • Large woodworking table
  • Accurate laser marking

Cons

  • Chuck could wobble less

The Delta 18-900L is a wonderful floor drill press made for woodworking, though you can swap out drill bits and punch holes into sheet metal on occasion.

Best floor drill press for metal -WEN 4225

best overall rating

If you work with sheet metal or metal bars more frequently, then you’ll want to pick up the WEN 4225.

Below are the 4225’s key specifications—

  • 8.6-amp Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 15-inch Swing
  • Precision Laser

The 4225 is one of WEN’s most prized floor drill presses.

This beefy floor model comes with a 8.6-amp induction motor which is twice the size as what you’d find in most of WEN’s benchtop models.

It has the power to punch holes into 4-inch stock with minimal effort and less wobbling while the depth stop adjustment works flawlessly at producing identically sized holes with every plunge.

The 4225 features a precision laser system that offers precise estimates of where the drill bit will puncture your workpiece.

It may need to be realigned on occasion, making it more annoying to use than helpful. What isn’t bad is the 280 to 3300-RPM drilling speed that makes it capable of drilling through wood and metal.

If you want to see what the 4225 looks like in action, here you go.

Pros

  • 45° beveling table
  • 4-inch stroke
  • Built-in work light
  • Laser system for precision

Cons

  • Could reach higher RPM

The 4225 is an excellent floor-standing drill press that works great on all materials, including metal.

Best floor drill press for money -WEN 4227

best overall rating

However, if you want the best bang for your buck, then the WEN 4227 is what your workshop needs.

Here’s what the 4227 comes with—

  • 13-amp Motor
  • 5/8-inch Keyed Chuck
  • 17-inch Swing
  • Precision Laser

The WEN 4227 is the biggest of the WEN drill press lineup with a 17-inch swing and ⅝-inch keyed chuck. It might already sound extremely huge, but its 13-amp motor is what makes this a real beast.

This floor drill press can bore holes as deep 4-3/4 inches, allowing you to smoothly drill holes through 4×4-inch blocks of wood with relative ease.

The 4227 offers 12 different speeds, ranging from 180 to 2940 RPM, so you can use this budget-friendly tool for wood and metal.

The cast iron worktable comes with a 1-inch runoff channel to let coolant flow freely away from your work area.

A precision laser also works better than in most WEN models by offering accurate estimates of where the bit will enter your stock.

Pros

  • 4-inch stroke
  • 12 speed options
  • Precise laser guide
  • Super-powerful motor

Cons

  • Table could wobble less

We know that WEN products are on the cheaper side, but if you’re willing to spend a bit more on the 4227, just know that you’re getting more than your money’s worth.

Buying Guide for Best Floor Drill Press

In this guide, we’ll briefly go over the most crucial specs to look for when shopping for the best floor drill press.

Motor

First and foremost, take a look at the motor. Floor drill presses come with motors that are typically twice as beefy as benchtop models. The higher the amp, watt, or HP rating, the more torque it produces to punch through dense materials.

RPM

The speed rating will determine whether the tool can work with wood, metal, plastic, or all three.

Drilling through metal requires higher torque and lower speeds to minimize burrs, whereas drilling wood and plastic can be done at higher speeds.

The ideal range would be between 100 and over 3000 RPM.

Spindle Travel

This refers to how low the spindle can go when pulling the plunge lever. You can maximize penetration by adjusting the height of the worktable.

Most floor dill presses offer around four inches of spindle travel distance.

Physical Size

Make sure that you know the physical size of the drill press before clicking on the checkout button.

Floor models take up a lot of floor space, so if you don’t have any room to spare, you should consider looking at our guide on the best benchtop drill press.

FAQ’s

Below, you’ll find out answers to the most FAQ about floor drill presses.

Should I get a floor or benchtop drill press?

It depends on your exact needs. DIYers and homeowners could get by with a simple benchtop model. These are less expensive while offering plenty of speed and torque to drill through all sorts of materials. Floor models, however, are the tanks of the drill press world and will drill at deeper depths through any material. Pro workshops will most likely need a floor-standing model for its beefiness and deeper drilling depths.

What do I need a floor drill press for?

The main function of a drill press, floor or benchtop, is to bore identically sized holes in terms of width and depth across multiple boards. The real magic behind this tool’s accurate drilling performance is the depth stope gauge, which will ensure that you never plunge the spindle deeper than intended. This is practically unachievable with a normal power drill without making your own drill press jig.

What is the difference between woodworking and metalworking drill presses?

You should consider the motor’s size and RPM range when looking for a drill press. A lower speed and higher torque are ideal for drilling through thicker bars. Also, please note that a drill press made for metalworking can also be used on wood blocks. Make sure that you choose the correct types of drill bits when working with metal. Cobalt and titanium drill bits are the go-to bits for metalworkers.

How much floorspace do I need for a floor drill press?

The exact clearance space depends on the size of the model. However, it’s generally a good idea to provide a 4 x 4-foot space in your workshop. However, if you need to drill through longer wood or metal workpieces, then you also need to find a place in your shop that offers several extra feet of clearance to the sides. If you don’t have that kind of space, then you should look for a powerful benchtop drill press instead.

Summary

In this guide, we’ve shown you what the best floor drill press is out of the 39 models we researched in great detail.

To refresh your memory, the best floor drill press is the Shop Fox W1848, a super-reliable beast of a machine that comes with its own spindle sander attachment.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in this guide, please let us know in the comments section and we’ll be sure to help as soon as possible.

About Ryan Henderson

Ryan has more than ten years of experience of writing on power tools - use, reviews, and more. During his free time, he loves cooking and spending time with his dog.

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