Ryobi DP121L Drill Press Review
The
Ryobi DP121L Drill Press is a 12 inch bench top full featured model. It
has dual laser guides, an L.E.D. speed readout, 500-3000 RPM capability, and a work light. However,
my favorite feature is that you can adjust the speed by simply moving a lever on
the left of the pulley housing. No need to manually move the belt to
different pulleys to change speeds! Even though it is not a large floor
standing drill press, the 1/3 HP induction motor does a fine job powering larger
bits through hardwood.
I felt the need to upgrade my old drill press after struggling too many times with changing speeds and not having enough quill travel for my needs. Turning pens requires perfectly straight holes drilled through 2 to 3 inch wood blanks. My old Delta did not have the quill travel to drive a bit through 3 inches of wood. Also, different types of wood require different drill bit speeds. I found myself not bothering to change pulleys and just drilling at the same speed all the time. What's the use of having variable speeds if you never use them? I asked myself that question and decided to upgrade to drill press with an easily adjusted variable speed system. I also wanted the benefit of longer quill travel and laser guides. So I set off on a quest to find the perfect drill press at a reasonable price.
To my surprise, I could not find many models that had all the features I wanted. Powermatic makes a floor standing model that does it all (a really nice machine) but way beyond my budget. Bench top drill presses seemed to be the only way to go and stay within budget. However, out of the many choices only Ryobi offered all the features I required (and more). So I did some research and picked one up at Home Depot, on sale too!
Setup
I
was lucky to get one of the last ones in stock. The box was a little beat
up but the contents were unharmed. Packing was sufficient and all the
parts were in good condition. All the metal was coated with a sticky film
of protective grease. The first order of business was to use mineral
spirits to clean this off. It took some work but finally everything was
unpacked and cleaned up. There's not much assembly to do but some of the
parts are heavy. The entire box weighed in at close to 100 lbs.
Don't be afraid to seek help moving this around and getting it set up.
At
left you can see the base and column assembled already. The other parts
are all ready to go. Notice the drill press vice that is included (back
left corner of table). I wasn't expecting this so it was a nice surprise.
Everything went together without a hitch. Like I mentioned, the top part
(motor, housing, etc) is very heavy and difficult for one person to put in place
alone. Get help if you can. I mounted the base to a rolling cart.
Since shop space is at a premium, the cart does double duty with the scroll saw
as well. I highly recommend mounting bench top tools like these with bolts
that go through the base and table top and secure with lock washers and nuts.
The stability this offers is very important and the safety factor is critical
too.
The Good
After a few months of use, I am very happy with this drill press. It has the power I need and the features are much appreciated. The L.E.D. readout is pretty helpful. I didn't realize how much I would come to rely on it. Also, having laser guides is a joy! The work light is a welcomed addition too, although it could be better (see below for more on this). I measured run out of the arbor and it was well within acceptable tolerances. Speed changes are smooth and effortless and make this drill press much more usable than the previous one I had. I find myself changing the speeds to suit the job at hand all the time. This makes my work easier and much more accurate to say the least. Quill (or spindle) travel of about 3 inches is more than enough for all my pen drilling needs! Fit and finish could be better but I suppose you can't beat it in this price range (well under $200).
Left
is a shot of the underside of the drill press table. You can see that
there is a generous flat area around the circumference which allows the use of
clamps without interference. This is a refreshing change from before and I
use clamps all the time now, which makes most drilling jobs more accurate as
well as safer. On the right is a picture of the unique chuck key.
The protruding bar at the tip is spring loaded so that you cannot accidentally
leave the key in the chuck when drilling. It will pop it out as soon as
you let go. I found this to be very thoughtful since forgetting to remove
the chuck key is an easy mistake to make and very dangerous.
The Bad
The
very first time I used the drill press I turned on the laser guides and found
they were a bit off. This is expected after shipping and storage, etc.
The directions outline how to calibrate the laser guides so they pinpoint the
exact spot where the drill bit will start in the work piece.
Unfortunately, my first attempt at calibration resulted in destroying one of the
laser units. As you can see in the picture at left, the laser units are
held in place with a set screw. To adjust the laser, the set screw is
loosened, the knurled brass knob can then be twisted to set the laser line
exactly where you want it. Then the set screw is retightened to hold the
setting in place. I had two problems with this design. First, when
retightening the set screw, it tends to move the laser unit out of alignment
again. Second, if the set screw is over-tightened (which isn't hard to
do), it can crush the laser unit and render it useless. Luckily for me,
Home Depot was very accommodating and let me swap out the head unit (you cannot
replace just the laser). Sorry to say that I had to return this very heavy
piece and exchange it for another and struggle with mounting it on the column
all over again.
As
I mentioned earlier, fit and finish leaves something to be desired. While
the price point of this tool is very reasonable, I would have happily paid a
little extra to have some nicer parts in place. On the left, you can see
that the locking knob for the depth stop is plastic. It also doesn't feel
quite right when turned. It seems stiff and not well fit. On the
right is a close up of the depth stop dial. It does not seem very accurate
although in use it actually works fairly well. I've read some other
reviews and they've mentioned that this type of depth stop is prone to slipping
when repetitive drilling to the same depth is done. I haven't tested this
yet but I will post an update when I do. The only other complaint I have
is that the work light is a bit inadequate. It does cast some light on the
work space but not really enough. There is a noticeable difference when
you turn the light on but having a stronger light on a flexible arm would have
been much better.
Conclusions
You will not find a better bench top drill press with the same features at this price point. I can easily recommend this model to anyone that has moderate drill press needs. For the home workshop or hobbyist, this is more than enough tool. I have yet to find any major problems and don't expect to either. While the fit and finish of some parts leaves something to be desired, they serve the purpose well enough. The rest of the package is above my expectations and I would buy this tool again without second thoughts.
Tips
I just have a few small tips to make things go smoother if you should acquire this model drill press. First, make sure you secure it to your bench top or whatever surface you will be putting it on. Use 3/8 inch bolts with lock washers and nuts (make sure they are long enough to go through the surface you are mounting to). Also, pick up a 15 watt candelabra-base bulb for the work light (a bulb is not included). Finally, if you have to calibrate the laser guides, don't over tighten the set screws!!!
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments about this review. Thanks for visiting!