"for wood drilling, use a template" - how would that look like?
Proxxon... they seem to be available nowhere currently.
I think you need to take a holiday outside the US to learn what the world looks like.
Wal-Mart tried to establish itself in the EU and failed miserably. And Harbor Freight would be the total joke here.
Why would HF be a total joke? - there is definitely a niche for tools that won't be used many times, so don't have to be superbly made (and therefore modestly priced!)
HF is on the very lowest level of cheap Chinese tools. They would be mauled in the EU trade press.
I used to subscribe to some US magazines, but quickly stopped. All product reviews were so gushingly positive so as to be completely useless, regardless of whether the product was a total POS.
The EU trade press take their readers seriousely instead of just kowtowing to the advertisers.
Negative:
- The column is a thin-walled tube. When you tighten the clamp, the column bends measurably backwards and the drilling angle changes slightly.
- The handwheel is more awkward than the more common 3-lever version.
- If you press laterally on the wheel, the machine has some play even when clamped.
- If you adjust the height of the machine on the column, the drilling point can move 2-3 mm laterally when you tighten the clamp again. So you always have to realign when you readjust.
- The drill chuck has slight play in all directions, but the concentricity is still acceptable for wood.
- The laser cross disappears when the distance between the machine and the workpiece is low, so you typically don't see it when the drill is close to the workpiece.
- I have been able to examine various examples of the machine, and clearance and laser alignment have some series variation or possibly change with the age of the machine. I would always use the center point of the drill instead of the laser.
There are many reports on the net about lack of precision and mechanical play in various places. I think you can work with the machine to +/- 1 mm accuracy in wood if you take your time. But fast repeatable, precise series drilling is not in my opinion.
A bench drill should be quite accurate, because otherwise a cordless drill is enough.
And unfortunately, this is the crux of the matter ... The tolerance limit is obviously seen very loosely by Bosch. It may still be sufficient for wood (school grade D), but it's not acceptable for metal.
It starts with the drill chuck, which is a joke, because expensive drill bits fall on the drill table if you are not careful. The lock (the red ring) is "unpredictable!!!) The play of the quill has already been sufficiently criticized.
I'm happy with my (German made) Proxxon TBM220 with the optional chuck. It's intended for model making and definitely on the smaller side. I intended to use it for PCB drilling, etc. but I've been surprised how capable it is with bigger stuff. I've drilled 6mm holes into mild steel without a problem.
Bosch PBD 40:
Ok, here comes a DeepL translation of German amazon reviews:QuoteNegative:
- The column is a thin-walled tube. When you tighten the clamp, the column bends measurably backwards and the drilling angle changes slightly.
- The handwheel is more awkward than the more common 3-lever version.
- If you press laterally on the wheel, the machine has some play even when clamped.
- If you adjust the height of the machine on the column, the drilling point can move 2-3 mm laterally when you tighten the clamp again. So you always have to realign when you readjust.
- The drill chuck has slight play in all directions, but the concentricity is still acceptable for wood.
- The laser cross disappears when the distance between the machine and the workpiece is low, so you typically don't see it when the drill is close to the workpiece.
- I have been able to examine various examples of the machine, and clearance and laser alignment have some series variation or possibly change with the age of the machine. I would always use the center point of the drill instead of the laser.
There are many reports on the net about lack of precision and mechanical play in various places. I think you can work with the machine to +/- 1 mm accuracy in wood if you take your time. But fast repeatable, precise series drilling is not in my opinion.The last pragraph does not sound encouraging!QuoteA bench drill should be quite accurate, because otherwise a cordless drill is enough.
And unfortunately, this is the crux of the matter ... The tolerance limit is obviously seen very loosely by Bosch. It may still be sufficient for wood (school grade D), but it's not acceptable for metal.
It starts with the drill chuck, which is a joke, because expensive drill bits fall on the drill table if you are not careful. The lock (the red ring) is "unpredictable!!!) The play of the quill has already been sufficiently criticized.
They mention the weird wheel on that thing.
I do rmember actually trying that in a local shop, and I much prefer any 1 to 3 lever thingies on machines I tried to the indeed awkward handling that wheel provides
Bosch PBD 40:
Ok, here comes a DeepL translation of German amazon reviews:QuoteNegative:
- The column is a thin-walled tube. When you tighten the clamp, the column bends measurably backwards and the drilling angle changes slightly.
- The handwheel is more awkward than the more common 3-lever version.
- If you press laterally on the wheel, the machine has some play even when clamped.
- If you adjust the height of the machine on the column, the drilling point can move 2-3 mm laterally when you tighten the clamp again. So you always have to realign when you readjust.
- The drill chuck has slight play in all directions, but the concentricity is still acceptable for wood.
- The laser cross disappears when the distance between the machine and the workpiece is low, so you typically don't see it when the drill is close to the workpiece.
- I have been able to examine various examples of the machine, and clearance and laser alignment have some series variation or possibly change with the age of the machine. I would always use the center point of the drill instead of the laser.
There are many reports on the net about lack of precision and mechanical play in various places. I think you can work with the machine to +/- 1 mm accuracy in wood if you take your time. But fast repeatable, precise series drilling is not in my opinion.The last pragraph does not sound encouraging!QuoteA bench drill should be quite accurate, because otherwise a cordless drill is enough.
And unfortunately, this is the crux of the matter ... The tolerance limit is obviously seen very loosely by Bosch. It may still be sufficient for wood (school grade D), but it's not acceptable for metal.
It starts with the drill chuck, which is a joke, because expensive drill bits fall on the drill table if you are not careful. The lock (the red ring) is "unpredictable!!!) The play of the quill has already been sufficiently criticized.
They mention the weird wheel on that thing.
I do rmember actually trying that in a local shop, and I much prefer any 1 to 3 lever thingies on machines I tried to the indeed awkward handling that wheel provides
That guy is either talking through his hat or paid by competition.
First, he/she apparently expects a Ferrari 458, when the budget is for a +15 years old VW Golf/Rabbit. I'm already slapping my thighs (remember, I own a PBD 40).
Let's take the complaints one by one:
1: The column is a round, ground, polished steel tube. I see absolutely no deflection when tightening the head clamp.
2: the handwheel needs getting used to. I agree there, but after working with the machine a few times it's no longer an issue.
3: Not true. There is a bit of play if the head is not clamped, but this is true for every round-column drill.
4: This is true, and also true for every round-column machine on the market. But the play is not as large as he/she claims. And the laser helps here. Additionally, needing to move the head during a drilling operations is bad setup, and even worse: bad workmanship.
5: Drill chucks are never precise. If someone believes that, I have an Eiffel Tower for sale.
6: So what? The Laser is for rough alignment, nothing else. Ignore that and imagine you don't have a Laser. Most drills don't.
7: No comment. That's too subjective and emotional to me.
The last paragraph is the final joke. "Expensive drill bits fall on the table...". This person does not know how to mount a drill in a chuck? And should the drill fall, it will not land on the table (there's a hole there), further, the table is aluminium and can not damage a drill.
Laughable.
And apparently written in really ill will.
But I have seen a lot of hate for the "Bosch Green" type stuff in general, esp. in woodworker forums. Perhaps that's from heavy duty use people.
@BrokenYugo:
I'm with you and will plead for heavy iron every time.
But that wasn't the use case for the OP.
If that changes, I have other suggestions. The problem is only that one might succumb to "heavy iron machine fever".
For brass you need a separate set, where the cutting edges are ground to zero degrees.
Such radial drills have been around a long time. I can't remember ever needing one; although, they do have a use.
When I have needed a vertical hole (better than by eye) in a piece larger than my drill press can accommodate, I just make a guide/jig out of hardwood. Hold that against the surface and drill. Did that for a wood garage door segment I needed to rebuild with doweled joints.
That table looks a lot like many others, and might present a problem for clamping. The apparent T-slots in your original choices are similar to a milling table. They make setups easy.
For brass you need a separate set, where the cutting edges are ground to zero degrees.
What are they called?