Smoked my old bench top drill press a couple weeks ago. Was doing some stick welding and moved my ground (with welder ON) out of the way for the time being. I didn't realize I laid the ground on the base of my drill press which was plugged. I'm going about my business looking for some spare metal outside the Garage. When I went back into the Garage my drill press was spewing white smoke. There was so much smoke in the Garage I couldn't tell where it was coming from at first. Needless to say I unplugged the Press and moved the ground off the base. Fried Drill Press. So now I have a 1 ½ Hp single phase Grizzly on the way. My wife thinks I planned it that way since I did the same STUPID mistake to my bench top sander a couple years ago. Think it’s time for me to rearrange my equipment. :D

Smoked my old bench top drill press a couple weeks ago. Was doing some stick welding and moved my ground (with welder ON) out of the way for the time being. I didn't realize I laid the ground on the base of my drill press which was plugged. I'm going about my business looking for some spare metal outside the Garage. When I went back into the Garage my drill press was spewing white smoke. There was so much smoke in the Garage I couldn't tell where it was coming from at first. Needless to say I unplugged the Press and moved the ground off the base. Fried Drill Press. So now I have a 1 ½ Hp single phase Grizzly on the way. My wife thinks I planned it that way since I did the same STUPID mistake to my bench top sander a couple years ago. Think it’s time for me to rearrange my equipment. :D

Hey how muc did that cost ya? I`m in the middle of looking for a drill press, and have been considering the grizzly units... Did you buy online.. where?

Thanks!
-Todd

Setting the ground on the base smoked it? I'm always careful about where I lay down the positive lead, but never really considered that the negative would be a problem.

Setting the ground on the base smoked it? I'm always careful about where I lay down the positive lead, but never really considered that the negative would be a problem.

depends on the polarity :smokin:

Why would it do that unless the stinger was on the drill press too and had part of it exposed to the table??

depends on the polarity :smokin:

:idea:

Ok! When he said "ground" I immediately thought "negative lead" and was lost...

Guess that reverse polarity or AC would make a different scenario...

Hey how muc did that cost ya? I`m in the middle of looking for a drill press, and have been considering the grizzly units... Did you buy online.. where?

Thanks!
-Todd

Got it on line at Amazon cost $450. I did a heck of a lot of searching and that was the best price I could find for the 1 1/2 hp motor. I would have liked a little more quill travel, this one is 4 3/4" but to get one in the 6" travel was smaller motor or go to the $1k+ drills and didn't want to spend that much.

Setting the ground on the base smoked it? I'm always careful about where I lay down the positive lead, but never really considered that the negative would be a problem.

The best explanation I got from a Electrician was I possibly have a reverse hot and common neutral somewhere in my house electrical system. And since the common neutral shares the same buss bar as the bare ground and possibly a small short in the drill press or I created it with the negative clamp contact it probably created some sort of power surging through causing the wiring in the drill press to over heat at 240V and melt the wires. But then he added there are a thousand different variables. Don’t know but it did a number on the wiring that’s for sure.

Got it on line at Amazon cost $450. I did a heck of a lot of searching and that was the best price I could find for the 1 1/2 hp motor. I would have liked a little more quill travel, this one is 4 3/4" but to get one in the 6" travel was smaller motor or go to the $1k+ drills and didn't want to spend that much.

Cool that's where I was looking at it too... how do you like it ?

They've got a great website and catalog!

I have been looking at getting a benchtop model and i'm glad this topic came up.

Should I spend an extra $30 or so to get the benchtop model that oscillates?

I live about 45 minutes south from one of their warehouse showrooms so i'll prolly spend the time and make a visit there.

They've got a great website and catalog!

I have been looking at getting a benchtop model and i'm glad this topic came up.

Should I spend an extra $30 or so to get the benchtop model that oscillates?

I live about 45 minutes south from one of their warehouse showrooms so i'll prolly spend the time and make a visit there.



I've wondered about that also. For sanding projects or machining small engine blocks (Briggs, Tecumseh,etc.), it seems that it might could be useful. :confused:

They've got a great website and catalog!

I have been looking at getting a benchtop model and i'm glad this topic came up.

Should I spend an extra $30 or so to get the benchtop model that oscillates?

I live about 45 minutes south from one of their warehouse showrooms so i'll prolly spend the time and make a visit there.


Didn't do an in depth search but do you mean one of these? Seems to me the oscillating has extreme limitations for large stuff but could work quite well for small items. Like I said I didn't do much searching. I'm curious to the model you was thinking about. Sounds interesting.

Drill chuck: 1/32" x 1/2"
Motor: 1/2 H.P. 110V, 1725 RPM
Number of speeds: 5 (620-3100 RPM)
Spindle travel: 1-5/8"
Swing: 8-1/2"

Cool that's where I was looking at it too... how do you like it ?

I'll let you know in a couple of weeks. It's suppose to ship sometimes this week.

Stay away from the 12" Clarke, that's all I have to say. The chuck is crap, there is visible runout on it too. I need a new chuck but I guess it was worth it for $130 or whatever I spent on it. I've used it a lot.

That's a nice one right there, wish I could have afforded one like that.

Didn't do an in depth search but do you mean one of these? Seems to me the oscillating has extreme limitations for large stuff but could work quite well for small items. Like I said I didn't do much searching. I'm curious to the model you was thinking about. Sounds interesting.

Drill chuck: 1/32" x 1/2"
Motor: 1/2 H.P. 110V, 1725 RPM
Number of speeds: 5 (620-3100 RPM)
Spindle travel: 1-5/8"
Swing: 8-1/2"

If that's the lowest speed, it's WAYYY too fast for metalwork. If you follow your 'recommended' cutting speeds out of the Bible, that doesn't get you a very big drill.

For our kind of stuff you want something that goes down to at least 280. The slower the better.

I was just at Sears and they have a 2HP drillpress that goes down to 150rpm :)
I think I`ll buy it and put it on the sears card :D :D

Ends up being $100 more than the Grizzly (after shipping) for 1/2hp more and a local place incase something gos wrong..

Ok, was reading specs on Sears site and..
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00922920000&cs=e1

It says:
Horsepower 3/4 hp
Horsepower, Maximum Developed 2 hp

Now i`m confused... the grizzly says 1.5 but is that "Horsepower" or Maximum Developed Horsepower?!?!!?

The Sears unit does go down to 150rpm while the Grizzly only 250 (i believe)..

Opinions :confused:

Ok, was reading specs on Sears site and..
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00922920000&cs=e1

It says:
Horsepower 3/4 hp
Horsepower, Maximum Developed 2 hp

Now i`m confused... the grizzly says 1.5 but is that "Horsepower" or Maximum Developed Horsepower?!?!!?

The Sears unit does go down to 150rpm while the Grizzly only 250 (i believe)..

Opinions :confused:

The SEars probably has a UL listed motor. It definitley has a NEMA tag on it with an amperage rating. Simply multiply the amps by the voltage (110 or 220), and that'll give you watts. There's 746 watts per horsepower.

Either way, if it's slower it's better IMO. I'm sure the Sears has enough oomph to turn a drill at 150 rpms, that's all that counts wheter it's 'rated' at 2hp or not doesn't matter, as long as it turns the drill that slow you're set.

The SEars probably has a UL listed motor. It definitley has a NEMA tag on it with an amperage rating. Simply multiply the amps by the voltage (110 or 220), and that'll give you watts. There's 746 watts per horsepower.

Either way, if it's slower it's better IMO. I'm sure the Sears has enough oomph to turn a drill at 150 rpms, that's all that counts wheter it's 'rated' at 2hp or not doesn't matter, as long as it turns the drill that slow you're set.

Thanks, that's what I thought too.
The Sears site says 15 amps but I`m pretty sure a 110v lines are mostly done at 14amp circuits so 15amps is 2.2hp and 14 is 2.0(approx).. Sweet!

Thanks, that's what I thought too.
The Sears site says 15 amps but I`m pretty sure a 110v lines are mostly done at 14amp circuits so 15amps is 2.2hp and 14 is 2.0(approx).. Sweet!
I was seriously thinking of this model as well. I like the 3/4" chuck, but wanted a little more travel. I don't think you will have any trouble with the motor. I wanted more positive direct Hp. rather than developed and I convinced myself on the price. Have a few other goodies I want to get. I'm looking at getting the most items best suited for my needs at the best prices. Let me know how you like the Sears model.

Craftsman 20 in. Drill Press, 3/4 in. Chuck, Stationary 
Sears item #00922920000 Mfr. model #22920 
10-1/4 in. Spindle to column. 3/4 rated hp, 2 max. dev. hp. 12 speeds, 150-4200 rpm range, 3/4 in. chuck size. Table tilt. 4-22/32 in. spindle travel. 3-1/3 in. column size. Learn more