I am a proud owner of a drill press, but I survived for several years without one.
Why I bought a drill press
I never pulled the trigger on a drill press because I always felt like I could “make do” with a straight hole jig. It was good enough at least half the time! I mean, sure, sometimes the holes weren’t perfectly aligned because the jig moved as I started the drill. Sometimes there just wasn’t a good way to clamp the jig and I had to hold it in place with my left hand. But really, the straight hole jig was good enough.
Later, I worked with hole saws that nearly broke my wrist. Maybe you’ve had the same thing happen — hole saws jerk to a stop if they’re even slightly misaligned. In some fine furniture projects, “good enough” stopped being good enough. I also used Forstner bits that made my arthritis flare up. Still, I was a cheap bastard and refused to invest in a drill press.
Then we got a new president who started increasing tariffs on seemingly everything, particularly the things manufactured in China, and I got worried. The drill press I had saved to an Amazon Wish List was a Wen, manufactured in China. The same cheap bastard that prevented me from buying a drill press was now telling me to buy a drill press before the price went up!
I’ve had this drill press for about a year now, so it’s time to write a Moto Woodworks review.
The Good Stuff
- Quality. The knock on tools manufactured in China is that they are a step or two down in quality due to cheaper materials or poor quality control (or both). With the caveat that this is my first drill press, I would say the quality is actually pretty good. The table and base are heavy duty cast iron. The post is a heavy duty steel tube. Wen could have skimped on the materials for the belt enclosure, the crank to raise and lower the table, or the motor, but everything seems well made. Heavier doesn’t necessarily mean better, but I think in this case it’s an indicator of the durability of the materials. The unit weighs 57 pounds, which is heavier than comparable units from Skil, Vevor, and Bucktool.
- Features. None of these features make the Wen stand out from the crowd, but they are worth mentioning so that you know you didn’t have to give any of them up to get such a low price. Variable speed with digital readout, 2-inch spindle travel, table that bevels 45 degrees left and right, laser, adjustable depth stop, and two-year warranty.
- Power. I bought the version with a 5.0 amp motor because I’m a cheap bastard and didn’t want to spend the extra $50 for the 6.2 amp motor. So far, I have not regretted this choice. Even with hole saws and Forstner bits, the 5.0 amp motor has performed well.
- Value. Low price plus high quality equals high value. Usually, you get what you pay for. I am pleasantly surprised that I got a little more.
The Bad Stuff
- Table. The table is completely flat and super strong, but it is just 7-1/2 by 8 inches. That’s roughly the same as any other 10-inch benchtop drill press. When I bought it I thought it would be adequate. But now that I’ve used it for a while I can see why people use aftermarket drill press tables.
Conclusion
The Wen 10-inch Benchtop Drill Press is an incredible value. My fears about the cost rising dramatically due to tariffs have not materialized, not yet anyway, but I’m glad to have a drill press in my workshop. It has increased the accuracy of my woodworking, reduced the possibility of injury while using hole saws, and removed at least one of the causes of my arthritis flare-ups.
By the way, the link takes you to the product page on Amazon.com and if you subsequently buy it I will earn a small commission. Please know this does not change the price. If you go to the product page without using my link, you will see the same price. Here’s the official disclosure statement. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Moto Woodworks!
Finally, I only recommend products that I use on a regular basis and have proved their worthiness over time. Check out the Product Reviews page to see more.
