JET 20-Inch Floor Drill Press, 12 Speed, 1-1/2 HP, 115/230V 1Ph (JDP-20MF)

The 20-inch version of this drill press turned out to be bigger and more substantial than I expected. It is VERY solidly built and will last the rest of my life, for sure. I downgraded to a smaller chuck, since most of what I will use it for is smaller jobs. I had only a few minor complaints, none of which was truly a big deal in the long run. First, this is a VERY heavy unit, and you should expect to need help from at least one (possibly two) more strong people to assemble it. Lifting the head/motor unit onto the column/base is not a job for one person unless you are a Nordic dead-lift champion. I used an engine hoist and some strong straps to accomplish the lift, but I wouldn't do it that way again. Seriously, it is unwieldy and ridiculously heavy if you're by yourself. Don't do it. Second, the assembly instructions (just like most Chinese machines of any kind) are not quite right in some places. Some of the diagrams do not match the actual components. The table of my unit was already assembled, and the instructions did not reflect that. The pilot feed handles and table locking clamp were a totally different style than what was shown in the manual. And so on. Again, not a big deal. At least the manual's spelling and grammar was good. Finally, all the edges of the table, especially the edges of the slots, were razor-sharp. I spent 10 minutes on them with a Dremel tool fitted with a drum sander, and now they are as smooth as butter. I highly recommend you do this before handling the table, or you'll end up looking like that scene in the movie "Carrie." Note: Unlike some drill presses, there is no center hole in the table, so you can't be forgetful in the way you set up your work. The precision seems to be very good, although I don't have any numbers to back that up yet. It has a very stable base, and the table is large and well-lit from a single 60W LED bulb. Changing speeds with the belts is dirt-simple and easy. Overall, I highly recommend this drill press.

It was packaged well and had no damage when received. Amazon uses a third party shipper with a box truck and lift gate. I actually unloaded off the truck with my tractor and a set of forks. I'm 72 with a disabled arm. I used a hydraulic floor crane along with slings etc... and was able to assemble it by myself. It is heavy so go slow if doing it by yourself. After cleaning it with kerosene I hand sanded the table due to a rough face mill surface. I also installed a new keyless chuck and placed it on a mobile base. There was not much of a runout and will suit me well for my metal fab shop. Overall, it runs smooth with plenty of power from the 1-1/2 HP motor. I am happy with it and would buy it again if needed. I have worn out two other drill presses and look forward to this one.

This is my first drill press, so I'm not the most experienced reviewer, but I am very satisfied with it. I give it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. The biggest shortcoming is the lack of precision in the adjustable table. It needs to be unlocked to raise/lower, but when unlocked it is also free to rotate around the shaft. There is thus no firm detent at 0 deg/center, which would be very nice. And it also means you can't lower/raise it at will since it needs to be unlocked first. It also would have been nice to have a fence or drill press vice optional with it to get something that fit great. The belt system is a piece of cake and very nice. I have no trouble tensioning and adjusting it quickly. The chuck is massive and good. The screw depth limiters do rattle out of place a bit, so it would have been nice if they could have been more stable, but it hasn't burned me yet.

I bought this drill press for my husband and he loves it. He researched several brands and models and narrowed it down to this one and one that had a variable speed for much more money. He was looking for a heavy duty floor drill press that would handle pretty thick steel. PROS - large base for stability, work light positioned to iluminate the drill bit, large table with slits to anchor a metal vise, very heavy duty to handle most jobs that anyone would do CONS - table doesn't rotate which forces him to reposition item for next hole, have to reposition belts for different speeds Even though I went with the free standard shipping, we were contacted the next working day to arrange delivery (shipped on a semi and needs 2 strong men or a forklift to remove from truck). Very fast delivery!

Ordered this in and while I was waiting for delivery I contacted Jet's tech support via e-mail about what the table slot pattern was so I could buy a vise to fit. Got an automated reply, but they never answered my question. Once the drill press arrived, I discovered that the table slot patten would not fit the vise I ordered, or any other vise in the shop for that matter. I ended up making an adapter plate to use the vise I bought. All of this because they used a pretty idiotic table slot design, instead of the one that has been in use for decades. Overal quality is typical of China, sharp edges on everything and cheap plastic where there shouldn't be any. Case in point, both knobs that release the motor slide for speed adjustment, cheap plastic heads on the bolts. The quill handles have some cheap feeling rubbery pastic on them that is already loose. I don't know how long this drill press will last, but so far it's off to a rough start.