Craftsman 10″ Drill Press Review

Craftsman 10 Product Image

Editor Rating: 4.3/5

Great

Craftsman 10 inch Drill Press Review

Reviewed by: Timothy Henderson

Published on: March 27, 2018

Last modified: May 3, 2022 @ 9:59 am

  • Design
  • Functionality
  • Price

Craftsman 10 inch Drill Press Review Summary:

The Craftsman 10″ Drill Press has been designed to make clean and accurate cuts and exponentially improve your drilling performance. The combination of its powerful engine and variable speed settings allow it to provide the user with consistent results, while its affordable price makes it available to a huge number of handymen.

If all of this sounds tempting, keep on reading – we’ll be taking a closer look at the features of this unit and try to find out its value for the money.

Specifications:

  • Weight – 47.3lbs
  • Dimensions – 13″ x 8″ x 27″
  • Chuck Capacity – 1/2″
  • Max Speed – 3,100 RPM
  • Voltage – 120 volts

Craftsman 10 inch Drill Press – The Basics


The 1/2 HP motor of this press drill produces enough torque to allow working with a wide array of materials, from plywood to metal. And the best thing here is that the engine sports variable speed – one can use this drill in speed settings ranging from 620 to 3,100 RPM (rotations per minute). This, of course, allows the user to adjust the speed for the different kinds of materials on the fly.

The construction quality is pretty good for a model in this price category – it’s a mix of plastic and metal that makes the model look decently durable. The table is large and adjustable, and there is also a steel fence, a working LED light, the laser light system, and the insert mounts. Let’s analyze all of these features more closely:

 

The Features


The Design


With the weight of 47.3 pounds and the dimensions of 13″ x 8″ x 27″, the Craftsman 10″ won’t take too much space in your workshop. If you’re, however, still too short with space, you should consider buying a smaller model – Craftsman 8″ is made by the same manufacturer and looks like a pretty good choice.

As we said, the two materials used for the construction of this drill press are metal and plastic, which is quite common for the press drills in this price category. It has a metal column and spindle, a steel fence, as well as a sizeable cast-iron table (adjustable 45° to left and right). The steel fence is particularly noteworthy, as it provides the user with extra precision by allowing him to align and guide his workpiece.

We also liked the unit’s LED light (allows working in darkness), retractable laser light system (for higher accuracy), as well as the insert mounts that enhance the stability.

 

Power


The Craftsman 10″ features a 1/2 HP engine that’s fast and powerful enough to deal with all kinds of soft and hard materials. One can change the speed of this motor on the fly, thanks to the variable speed controls that let user choose the rotation rate between 620 and 3,100 RPM. As you can already guess, this impressive speed range gives a boost to the unit’s overall performance and productivity.

There’s quite a big debate about keyless and keyed chucks going on, and the company’s response is equipping this press drill with a 1/2″ keyed chuck. It’s a dependable, solid chuck that allows working with materials like wood and metal, which is more than we can ask for.

Other Features


The Craftsman 10″ comes with a 1-year full warranty on the tool. This is quite disappointing, especially when we take the longer warranty deals supplied by other manufacturers into account. Along with the drill, you’ll also get a couple of hex key wrenches, a keyed chuck, and the chuck key.

Craftsman 10 Front View

Pros:

N

Quality construction

N

Variable speed

N

Easy-to-adjust tilting table

N

LED illumination and laser tracking

Cons:

N

Laser requires AA batteries

N

No measurement marks on the fence

R

Things we liked about it

For the price that it comes at, the Craftsman 10″ sports a pretty good construction quality. It’s a well-built and easy-to-use benchtop drill press, and one that should serve you for the years to come. We liked that the unit comes with a large tilting table, allowing you to work on sizeable pieces of wood and metal without any issues. Another thing that deserves praise is that the manufacturer decided to equip this model with a number of small but convenient features – like the LED light or the integrated laser.

Performance wise, the Craftsman 10″ is as equally impressive. During our testing period, the machine worked flawlessly and had managed to create smooth holes in all the materials we’ve tested it on. The fact that it has a variable speed is yet another advantage and one that will surely be appreciated by many handymen.

Q

Things we didn’t like

Even though the unit’s retractable laser light system is beneficial during the drilling, it comes with a specific flaw. It is powered by AA batteries – not by AC power like the rest of the machine. The batteries die fairly quickly (after around 30 minutes of use), so you’ll have to replace them quite often if you want to keep using the laser system.

Furthermore, there are no scale marks on the included fence, making aligning and guiding the workpiece a little bit more complicated than it should be.

General Impressions Of The Craftsman 10 inch Drill Press


The user reviews for this press drill are overwhelmingly positive – people are very pleased with the combination of design and power that this affordable model offers. They’re saying that it works just like advertised and that it provides them with countless features that make drilling process a lot easier and faster.

They do have a few complaints, though – such as the short warranty or the fact that the laser is powered by AA batteries.

Conclusion


Those who’d like to drill holes in wood, metal, and plastics, but don’t want to spend too much money will find the Craftsman 10″ to be an excellent choice. With this machine, you’ll have the flexibility to engage in all kinds of DIY projects with high performance and unmatched precision.

As far as we’re concerned, this well-built and accurate drill press is absolutely worth the money.  The Craftsman 10 inch Drill Press is one of the best in its price category.

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