A while back I mentioned that I had a problem with a Delta DP350 continuously variable speed drill press. Well after the Porter-Cable/Delta merger they finally got their wherehouse shipping again...then after a back order of parts to them they shipped me out my free fixit kit. The parts were shipped to me free by second day UPS. Mind you I called them and gave then the model and serial and nothing else. We had not registered the unit for its warranty.
I got a new variable pulley for the motor shaft, a new power transmission belt, new keeper, new spring, new spring cap...all for free. Actually they sent me two springs but only one can be used. I did have to recycle a couple set screws.
I called their 800 number for assistance since the manual doesn't tell you how to change the V belt and it was trapped behind some complicated speed control cam stuff. They told me to mark a nut, remove it, swap belts, and put the nut back were it had been. As I had already removed the nut that info was a tad time late. The help guy looked up the engineering speck and told me 1.25 inches from end of shaft to where the nut touches the pulley and that was easy to do with my dial calipers.
Unit functions really well and I was using it today.
I give a big THUMBS UP to porter-Cable/Delta for their customer care service. This is my wife's drill press (I simply must show her how to use it someday...) Here drill press is much easier to use than mine (HF) when it comes to shanging speeds. Hers requires just a twist of a knob to vary the effective "gear ratio" between the motpor shaft and quill. The traditional Harbor Freight unit is 16 fixed speeds adjusted with two belt changes on three pulleys. The Delta has a nice goose neck lamp that can be positioned as needed according to what you are doing. The HF unit has a fixed lamp position (not a realy good one either.) The Delta is a bench top unit but I have mounted it to its own stand and it is slightly higher up than the HF unit (good for my height, 6'2")
The drilling depth adjustable stop is much easier to use and adjust than on the HF unit. The stop on the HF works fine but isn't so convenient or easy to use as the Delta unit.
The Delta chuck key is a bit "funny" as it has a little spring loaded pin that sticks out of the pin that plugs into the three holes of the chuck. You have to push in against that spring and then turn the chuck key. I have absolutely no earthly idea what that "feature" is supposed to do better than the simple keys we are all used to using.
You are supposed to take out the 6 screws that hold the top cover to access the two shafts so you can oil them a few drops in each. This is the weekly maintenance. I think I will drill a couple holes in the top cover and install small tubes directlly over the hollow shafts. small covers on the tubes will exclude debris and the weekly oiling will not neccessitate removing and replacing 6 screws (two of which are inexplicably sheet metal screws rather than machine screws like the other four.)
Given what I have seen in the market place and the associated prices/quality, I have no problem advocating this unit as a good medium duty drill press.
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