WEN 12-Inch Benchtop Drill Press, Variable Speed, Cast Iron with Laser and Work Light (4214T)

The WEN 4214T is a fantastic drill press! The variable speed, laser guide, and bright work light make precision drilling effortless. The cast iron construction ensures durability and stability. Highly recommended for DIYers and professionals alike—great value for the price!

I'm a retired Tool Maker. I purchased this drill press because my lovely Delta DP350's variable speed transmission failed and Delta stopped offering spare parts for it, I had to Scrap it out. ouch!So, I carefully reviewed all the available Drill Press offerings.This Wen 4212 has the best feature set and the best price, my worry was that it's made in China. I called Wen ( who actually answered the Phone which gave me confidence that they support their products ).The Press was shipped to me, it arrived very quickly, assembled quickly and worked beautifully. I'm pleased.I use this Press on every project, I use it every day, it's as smooth as butter in operation. I'm accustomed to a Big Clausing Industrial drill press and Bridgeport Milling machines so I have experience in these things.Con: No spindle lock. I'm adjusting to this missing element and may perform "surgery" to the Press to include this important feature.Pro: It's actually better than I can use. It has 5/8" Chucking ( I need only 1/2" ) I'd thought that I'd replace the Key'd chuck with a keyless except the supplied chuck is better than any key'd chuck I've ever encountered ( I'm loving the supplied chuck ). The Lasers are wonderful ( I've never had that feature on a Machine and thought it would be "training wheels" but it turned out to be invaluable. ( I love it ). The Variable speed is superb. I replaced the supplied Light bulb with a 80 Watt equivalent LED bulb to great result.This is an ideal woodworker's drill press, it's probably not an Industrial Steel workhorse press, it has sufficient power for my largest Forstner Bit ( 2 1/4" ).I own a WEN 4 X 36 Bench Sander which is also superb.I'm considering other WEN products! , they seem to be presenting the best "Value for Money"

First off, I am not a 5 star rate-r. The fifth star, for me, relates to product manufacturer customer service. Since Amazon is the customer service front end it would be silly to rate it 5 star.The drill press, when received, was well packaged and free from exterior damage. The interior packaging was well done with a Styrofoam clam-shell that protected each of the components from drop-age as well as separating each of the assemblies.The press assembled in about 15 minutes and and additional 10 minutes of adjustment. The instructions were clear and in english but really I only referred to the instruction to verify chuck install. Before I assembled I did clean the smoo off of the column, table, and base. The head unit only weighs about 35lbs so setting it atop the column wasn't to difficult.Once I had the head unit installed I then did a good job of cleaning the quill, taper and chuck. It is imperative to do an excellent job of cleaning the this assembly to get a tight(safe) fit that has minimal run-out.The first thing I did to determine if the motor had enough power was to load a 1-5/8" Forsner bit and drill some 5/4" oak... it stalled on the first three but did better the more holes I drilled. I attribute that to "wearing in the belt and pulley". I have had no more issues with stalling.Overall quality of the tool is exceptional considering it was only $250.00, $20.00 less than Hazard Fraught. All accessory lights run through the main switch(no batteries). Lasers are a crutch and should not be relied on for accuracy. The work light is nice. The digital readout out is for general reference at best but it is nice as well as helpful. The adjustable speed is the ticket, I love it. My prior drill press needed belt changes so I ran it at 900rpm and dealt with it. Now, I can slow it down for steel with a flip of the lever.WHAT THIS PRESS IS NOT: This is not a $2000.00 Powermatic press, $300 Micro-Mark Micro press, or a $3500 Dayton Mill Press. This is not an industrial press (they don't claim it is)WHAT THIS PRESS IS: An exceptional value hobby or light production drill press. If this drill press is in your Garage shop it will do very well for you.