WEN 12-Inch Benchtop Drill Press, 6.2-Amp Variable Speed Motor with Cast Iron Construction, Laser and LED Work Light (DP1263V)

This drill press is excellent. In spite of the low price, no corners were cut. It is solidly built and easy to use. My only regret is that I waited to long to buy one. Using a drill press is far more precise and comfortable than a portable drill.

This "WEN 12-Inch Benchtop Drill Press, 6.2-Amp Variable Speed Motor with Cast Iron Construction, Laser and LED Work Light (DP1263V)" (ASIN B0DQ9F3DX8 ; model DP1263V ; UPC 044459012634) has great features, is very well designed, and clearly has quality fabrication. The shipping box was sufficiently strong to completely protect the 88lb contents, which arrived in perfect condition. (Not all such weighty products are adequate packed.) The included English instructions are fine. Included are the needed special tools. The only tool needed for assembly that was not included was a 5/8" wrench. Assembly took less than 5 minutes. The laser projected bright "X" is easily seen in a well-lit shop, even with the bright LED work light on. The the laser and the LED work light are NOT after-thoughts, but rather both nicely integrated into a protected recessed location in the underside of the drill press head, with separate toggle switches located in protected, but easily reached locations adjacent to the main power switch. The taper-mounted chuck appears to be precisely machined. The LED 4-digit variable speed display is quite bright, easily seen in a well-lit shop. Operation is smooth. I would definitely purchase this Wen drill press again and would definitely do business with Wen again. I strongly recommend both.

First, when compared to the Jet model at $700 this is 5-star all around. Almost all same features and specs. So this is a 5-star choice for budget hobbyists. The only reason 4-star is a few improvement items: a) the left/right 45-degree tilt is finicky and adjusted by a 19mm bolt hard to access. It works, but fine tuning difficult. The biggest thing is the the front to back alignment is out and does not have adjustment capability. It ran 0.5 degree to 1.5 degree out of alignment. I did buy the woodworking top so was able to shim using metal feeler gages until level, permanently installed so level. I buy cheap feeler gages and use for some shop tool shimming. The metal table front to back was out of tolerance by 1.5mm+, and now level. Without the woodworking top not possible. Lastly, the knuckle clamps were fairly useless, so I used all 5 to cinch the top after shimming/leveling. I’ll buy some more premium ones for use. After adjustment the laser is spot on and the machine seams very capable for light use (for bench top drill presses). I’d give it a 5+ overall, especially value, but 4-star so people see and understand the above. Hope this helps.

I'm very pleased with my purchase. Assembly was simple. It's a sturdy machine with a feel of precision. I'm not a machinist and didn't get into measuring runout. It hit the mark and drills precisely enough for my woodworking needs. The laser crosshairs will be a useful feature. My one issue was quickly addressed by Wen. The first time I used the machine it malfunctioned because the double nut on the shaft of the feed handle hadn't been tightened at the factory. The loose nuts allowed the tension spring to unspool with a "bang". I hadn't noticed this loose fit because the nuts are under a rubber cover. I was able to re-tension the spool by following the instruction manual. I thought this may have damaged the spool cover and I was sent a new one but I could see no difference between the parts so haven't swapped it out. The table cranks smoothly and locks in place well. I've never had a table extension before so don't know how useful that might be. I stuck the chuck changing tools to the side of the drillpress head with neodymium magnets. I don't expect to change chucks often, if ever, but figured I'd likely misplace those tools if they were just tossed into a tool drawer. I bolted the machine to a Cammoo mobile welding table found on Amazon and am very pleased with the assembly.

Strong and well built. Love the speed control. If you want to fit out to make it even more capable, add a stand, an XY table and a precision vise and it makes a solid dill mill option. Less than half the cost of a turn key drill mill. I bought Vevor precision 5" vise - $74, Vevor milling Table $112, Powertec stand $66. So all in $566 for my drill mill replacement. A lot of weight on the table. If doing again I would go with a lighter vise, but still very happy with the setup.