Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Customers are satisfied with the drill's functionality and ease of assembly. They find it works well and gets the job done. However, some customers report issues with chuck movement and build quality.
Customers are satisfied with the drill's functionality. They mention it works well, performs as expected, and has no problems. The depth stop functioned properly for them. Overall, customers are pleased with the product and consider it a good machine.
"Very good, easy to use, and solid drill press...." Read more
"...The depth stop does work well. Some of the casting on the unit feels a bit cheap but it is solid...." Read more
"...I drilled a few holes and the tool worked well. The top part rotates on the shaft so you can move the chuck around in a circle if you want...." Read more
"...No problems encountered with my unit anything like those described in reviews of the Grizzly machine here on Amazon.com...." Read more
5 customers mention "Ease of assembly"5 positive0 negative
Customers find the drill easy to assemble and use. They say it makes 1200 hardwood plugs quickly and easily.
"Very good, easy to use, and solid drill press...." Read more
"Easy to assemble using instructions that are, for the most part clear. Rack and pinion travel a little rough but can be eased with WD40...." Read more
"Overall it went together easy but, after I got it together the head wouldn't slide fully to the foward\backwards positions in the zero position...." Read more
"...It was easy to assemble and use right away...." Read more
Customers have different views on the drill's build quality. Some find it well-built and competent, with no broken or missing parts. Others mention the construction is not good, with a weak table that can be bumped out of level easily.
"Very good, easy to use, and solid drill press...." Read more
"The drill press arrived in a damaged box. The press is very solid and heavy, and in shipping the cardboard box and packing did not hold up...." Read more
"...Some of the casting on the unit feels a bit cheap but it is solid...." Read more
"...I still like that feature, but the quality of construction is not that good...." Read more
Customers find the chuck movement rough and difficult to use. They mention that the radial movement is choppy and the rack and pinion travel is rough, but can be eased with WD40.
"...I found it some what difficult to move the chuck so I decided to attach a 8' dowell to the metal chuch housing to use as an arm...." Read more
"...Rack and pinion travel a little rough but can be eased with WD40...." Read more
"...Moving the drill head radially is choppy...." Read more
"...The quality is below my expectations. The radial movement is choppy. The table is weak and can be bumped out of plum or level without much effort...." Read more
Very good, easy to use, and solid drill press. I mounted it on a roller cart and it has been used for thousands of holes drilled into sheetmetal and wood pieces
Don't waste your time buying this from Amazon! I have purchased several items from Amazon with great experiences in the past but they have a major fail on this one. I am giving this item one star not based on the drill press itself, but Amazon's fail to ship it properly.
The drill press is about 100lbs shipped and similar to other reviewers mine arrived in a tattered box with the drill press falling out of the box. Amazon ships this in the retail box and fails to properly package this for shipment (i.e. double boxing and reinforcing the retail box.
Several parts arrived broken including the cast iron base with two large chips missing. Adjustment handles were broken. The belt enclosure was dented. The motor mount screws were bent which eliminated access to the motor for cleaning. In addition to lots of dents and scraps and other things out of alignment.
I called Rikon to inquire about the warranty and they were nice enough but because it is shipped from Amazon they could not support. They said that if I thought I could fix it they would send the replacement parts. Given the precise nature of the application I did not feel comfortable especially given the other damage that has been done to the drill press.
Amazon asked if I wanted a replacement shipped but that would be pointless because the packaging would be exactly the same. All Amazon could do was refund my money and I have the hassle of trying to repackage this item and dropping it off at a UPS location or wait for a window of 3 days for possible pickup sometime between 0700 and 1900.
I'm going to a local Woodcraft to purchase the drill press which is a Rikon dealer. I will be restricting my future purchases from Amazon to USB drives and the like.
Update 4-2-2013
I wanted to update this review since I feel reviews should review the actual item and not the vendor. I do a lot of business with Amazon and I am a Prime member and a fan of amazon but I still cannot recommend ordering this through Amazon due to the packaging issues.
Onto the Drill Press First be aware of what you are buying, this is a radial drill press and it has a lot of moving parts to accomplish it's task. Do not buy this unit if all you need is a standard drill press. Do consider this drill press if you have a need to drill holes at different angles or at distances far away from the stem. I purchased this unit specifically to build a stair case banister. After setting up all of the clamping and jigs I did get it to work reasonably well. One thing that didn't work was the set screw that held the table in place. It felt as if the threads were not the same or the set screw did not fit. I ended fixing the problem with a $3 c-clamp to maintain enough pressure.
When setting up precise angles do not rely on the angle measurement gauges built on the machine, you may be able to get within a degree or two. I would recommend getting a digital angle gauge, the magnetic kind that you kind atttach to the table, chuck, etc. The depth stop does work well.
Some of the casting on the unit feels a bit cheap but it is solid.
When installing the chuck you have to be careful and make sure it seats correctly or you will have a wobble in the chuck.
I would not recommend this drill press for someone who wants the "dummy proof" solution. The other offerings for radial drill presses at this price point all seem comparable. I picked this unit over the shop fox because the shop fox reviews seem a bit dubious. If you need a serious radial drill press I would recommend one of the industrial types (+$3k).
If you are understanding what you are purchasing and have the patience to setup the drill press and check the angle measurements with a digital angle gauge the unit will work. Do not buy this for any production type environments. Check the setup and then check it again.
The drill press arrived in a damaged box. The press is very solid and heavy, and in shipping the cardboard box and packing did not hold up. Two parts were damaged. The Rikon Company sent out two new parts without hesitation. Great customer service. The drill press works like a charm, no complaints. I would definately do business with Rikon again.
I just received this drill press. The plastic tape on the bottom of the box was split. What moronic manufacturer puts a single piece of packing tape on a 100 plus lb. package? When I got the drill press assembled I realized the pulley assembly cover was badly dented in one corner. I figured it was just cosmetic, so I straightened it out with a pliers and proceeded to use the press. Within minutes I heard a loud rumbling and the press stopped working. I opened the cover to discover the belt had flown off and the nut connecting the pulley to the drill arbor had stripped off. I called Amazon to arrange a refund and they want me to send it back, but I have no box because the box was destroyed. I kept explaining I have no way to box it up since the packing was destroyed. So they said just put the return label on the drill press and UPS will pick it up as is. Also the directions were severely lacking. What a waste! RIKON 30-140 Bench Top Radial Drill Press
I have never used a drill press before and don't know a lot about them. I bought this one because the review said It was an accurate machine. When It came it was well packaged and had good directions to assemble it which took and easy hour. When I turned it on it seemed a little noisy around the chuck shaft . I drilled a few holes and the tool worked well. The top part rotates on the shaft so you can move the chuck around in a circle if you want. I grabbed the on swith housing and pushed on it to move the chuch and cracked the plastic housing this should be made of metal. I found it some what difficult to move the chuck so I decided to attach a 8' dowell to the metal chuch housing to use as an arm. I drilled and taped a hole in the housing but the bolt I used was too long and it broke off against the chuch shaft in the housing, a piece of the bolt was rattling aroung in the chuck housing so I disassembled it and cleaned it out. I regreased the chuck shaft and when I put it back together the machine runs a lot smoother and the noise is gone. I believe this is a good machine and I am satified with it. But I would recommend anyone buying one to disasssemble the chuch housing it yours makes some noise.
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