Product Details
- Binding: Tools & Hardware
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- Brand: Delta
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- EAN: 0028877553641
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- Features: Drill press with fully adjustable Twin Laser pod that projects a crosshair on workpiece, indicating the point of bit contact, Quill has 5/8-inch capacity key chuck and 3-7/8-inch stroke; 12 speed options from 250 rpm to 3000 rpm; 1/2-horsepower induction motor, Solid cast iron table tilts left or right and forward, Large 18- by 14-inch woodworking friendly table includes removable insert, Measures 66 by 12-3/4 by 25-1/4 inches (Height by Width by Depth), weighs 194 pounds; 2-year warranty
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- Is Autographed Specified
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- Is Memorabilia Specified
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- Label: Delta
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- Manufacturer: Delta
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- Model: 17-950L
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- Product Group: Home Improvement
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- Publisher: Delta
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- Studio: Delta
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- Title: DELTA 17-950L 16.5-Inch TwinLaser Crosshair Drill Press
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- UPC: 028877553641
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Avg Customer Rating: 
Product Description: Delta's marketing this drill press as one made finally for woodworkers instead of machinists, and it's welcome change. The changes in the table alone are worth trumpeting: It's 14 by 18 inches, has T-slots for a miter gauge, a removable insert and tilts 0 to 45 degrees forward - yes, forward -- and 0 to 90-degrees both left and right with detents at 0, 45 and 90-degrees. The forward-tilting table is quite a coup for woodworkers, offering so much more control and versatility, and even better, combined with the standard lateral tilt, now tricky compound drilling angles are a cinch. We love the T-slots, too, enabling the use of myriad shop-built jigs and sleds, stop blocks, fences and clamps. You'll just need 5/16-inch T-bolts to hold your jig in the slots. But the best table innovation, and the most eagerly awaited, we think, is the clampable perimeter. No more wrestling to find a spot for a C-clamp. Thank you, Delta! Of course, most of the buzz around this drill press focuses on the crosshair lasers, admittedly very cool. Delta made these easy to calibrate and simple to use, and it's kind of addictive. Just a push of a button, and the crosshairs show exactly where the bit will contact on the workpiece. We think the lasers will be particularly useful when drilling into cylinders like PVC pipe or dowels and pilot holes in intricate scroll-saw patterns. The quill travel is an outstanding 3-7/8 inches, plenty for pen turners to drill through half a blank. And the quill can be locked down to facilitate use of abrasive bits, another feature we really liked. There's a nice speed range, but you have to change speeds the old-fashioned way, by adjusting the belt on the proper set of pulleys. It's an easy task. Other honorable mentions include the integrated work lamp that fully illuminates the table, and there's even a nice depth gauge on the spoked handle. It's great to see a toolmaker respond to customers' needs like this. Hats off to Delta on this one.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste
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Customer Reviews
An 11 out of 10.
I was sad when my old drill press was killed by a combination of a fire and having a load of lumber delivered on top of it. I had been saving up for this one for a while. It puts my old one to shame. No noticeable vibration or run out. There is nearly 4 inches of quill travel. The table has three axes of freedom. It can rotate out of the way around the column. It can tip side to side, indexed at common angles, with a scale, although you will need to use the included hex wrench. It also tips front to back on dual trunions with handles. I have only used it a few times so far, but I love it. The laser feature is nothing great. It is a separate accessory, plastic that you bolt on the column and it uses its own 9v. battery and it is a bit tricky to get it to stay aimed properly. One draw back is that it takes two outlets, one for the motor and one for the lamp. I would recommend bolting a power strip to the machine some how and adding a 9v battery adapter so you don't need to worry about the laser battery and multiple outlets.
Although the box was fairly beaten up when it arrived, there was no damage or missing parts. The screw for the spring on the table index pin had worked loose in transit and took only a moment to put back together. I had little trouble assembling it. Had my wife and daughter help putting the head on just to be safe. I put the table in place upside-down so it could sit on my lap while I was assembling the joint, then I used the rotation feature to put it in the proper orientation and finish tightening the table. I decided it would be easier than trying to align it and start the bolt from the bottom.
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Regular Guy
The assembly instructions were clear and easy to use. The drill press is excellent with plenty of power and table area. The laser is a gimick; and could use a focus adjustment to sharpen the lines. Be prepared to build a stabilizing base out of plywood if you don't anchor it to the floor. Definitely worth the money...:)
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Could be better, but certainly does the job
I must corroborate what other reviewers have said here: the drill is very nice, but not perfect. It could be smoother, more powerful, and better integrated, but it gets the job done.
The table is versatile and more than enough for most uses. The adjustment is as smooth as one would expect it to be, and the press itself is easy to use. The belts are a little noisy but not excessively so-- who wants a silent drill, after all?
One area of disappointment for me is the lack of integration between all the different electrical components:
The lasers run off a 9v battery attached to a conveniently placed switch. The switch is independent of the drill and so it's easy to leave the lasers on. Forget it one night and you've drained the battery completely. I'd invest in rechargeable 9volts-- but why isn't this run off of line current like the rest of the drill?
The lamp has a separate plug. At first I thought this was a shortcoming of the drill, but it's a good thing if you use it correctly. I found this out by not: a workpiece busted loose while I was boring at speed, causing the drill to draw inconsistent current as the piece bounced around the bit freely before I could stop it.
The lamp was plugged into the same outlet as the drill press, and the bulb blew before the circuit breaker did. Lesson learned: plug the lamp into a different circuit. :-)
But overall the unit is very nice, very solid.
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Good addition to the home shop
This is a good addition to my home workshop. I have successfully used this tool for precision drilling in wood and metal as well as milling both hardwoods (Walnut, Rosewood and Mahogany) as well as softer metals such as aircraft-grade aluminum and brass. Setup was easy with some assistance in lifting the head unit to the top of the post. The laser is not particularly useful to me as I always check measurements and levels at least in two dimensions prior to drilling or milling. The laser does provide a good rough approximation of location for the bit or cutting mill. The auxiliary light fixture failed (as all of them do on my Delta tools) within several hours of run time on the machine. This is the only common fault I have found with Delta products. A very minor concern though. Buy at Lowes when on sale. The price was considerably less than the On-line price.
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A solid upgrade
A solid upgrade from my Delta 011-090 Drill Press
The table adjustment crank could be smoother, it tends to jump a little, but is a vast improvement over there not being a crank
The table leveling could be better, I used a digital angle gauge to adjust to zero tighter then the Delta procedure called for.
The manual is clearer then many recent Delta manuals (like the 31-255X)
The laser centering is nice, but certainly not a requirement, it's a little gimmicky.
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