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Everyone with a passion for woodworking knows that a good benchtop drill press can be one of the most important investments you will make in your career. Drill presses are an absolute ‘must have’ for every woodworker.
Finding the best benchtop drill press for woodworking can be difficult since there are so many drills to choose from. On top of that, finding one specifically for woodworking costs a lot of time and research.
With the help of 100+ of our forum members, I made this list of the best benchtop drill presses that are ideal for people that often work with wood. Are you looking for a floor-standing drill press instead? Read: Best floor standing drill press
What makes the best benchtop drill press
One of the most important factors you have to take into consideration while looking for a benchtop drill press is its swing size. Most drill press swing ranges between 8 and 15 inches. The ideal table size for woodworking would be 15 inches. However, smaller swings will also work.
Things to look for while buying a benchtop drill press:
- Swindle travel distance
- Table size and tilt
- Power of the motor
- Quality of the drill press
With these things in mind, here is the list of our favorite benchtop drill presses for woodworking.
Best benchtop drill presses for woodworking
Shop Fox W1667 8-1/2-Inch
- 8-1/2 inch swindle travel
- Max 3100 RPM
- 2 year-warranty
- 1/2 HP motor
If you are active in the woodworking industry for a while now, chances are you’ve probably heard of the brand Shop Fox. Ask any woodworking expert and they will probably tell you shop fox is their go-to brand for woodworking tools.
Since shop fox drill presses are so good we also decided to give them the number one spot on this list of best benchtop drill presses!
- Best proven drill press brand
- Very High RPM and solid motor
- Great value for money
- Dust collection system
- Can’t find any
WEN 4208T 8-Inch 5-Speed
- 2-inch swindle travel
- Max 3140 RPM
- 1/2 HP motor
- Variable speed
When you are in the market for a great benchtop drill press, but you don’t want to break the bank buying one? Then the WEN 4208T is probably the best option for you. This small drill press is powerful yet affordable.
The only thing we don’t like about this benchtop drill press is its swindle movement. With only 2 inches this drill is not ideal for thicker pieces of wood.
On the bright side, this drill press has an 8-inch swing. Therefore it is still a great option if you are looking for a cheap benchtop drill press that is great for light woodworking projects.
- Cheap benchtop drill press
- Great RPM
- Decent motor
- Only 2-inch swindle travel
- No dust collection system
WEN 4214 12-Inch Variable speed
- 8-inch swindle travel
- Max 3200 RPM
- 5.0 AMP motor
- Variable speed
The WEN 4214 is basically the bigger brother of the WEN 4208. Since this is a bigger benchtop drill press it is useable for bigger woodworking projects. With 8 inches of total swindle size, this benchtop drill press is ideal for big pieces of wood.
Value for money is exactly what you will get from this drill press. It may not offer the best build quality and strongest motor but it is definitely good enough. If you are looking for a simple yet powerful drill press the WEN 4214 might be the best for you!
- Best value for money
- High RPM and powerful motor
- Good swindle size
- Not the best build quality
Final thoughts
Benchtop drill presses are probably our favorite tool for woodworking. The best one we’ve found is the Shop Fox W1667 8-1/2-Inch Bench-Top Drill Press. This drill is versatile and definitely packs a punch. It might not be the cheapest benchtop drill press but it is certainly worth the money!
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