JET 17-Inch Floor Drill Press, 16 Speed, 3/4 HP, 115V 1Ph (Model JDP-17)

I spent about 6 months periodically analyzing drill press options for woodworking tasks and decided to pull the trigger on the JDP-17. I needed an upgrade from a 20 year old famous brand benchtop model. That old benchtop press wouldn't drill a hole in soft woods with a fostner bit; not for lack of power but because the quill run-out was so great that the bit would bind in the wood and stall the machine.My primary selection criteria were: 1) acceptable quill run-out: my JDP-17 has a quill run-out that is very acceptable at .002" 2) long quill stroke- greater than 4": yep, check that box too, the JDP-17 has 5" of glorious travel. The economy models have less than 4" of travel and that necessitates many more table height adjustments. 3) floor standing: check - no need to give up bench space or buy a stand. 4) low RPM capability for larger fostner bits: 210 RPM is slow enough for my needs, some models that only go down to 500 RPM wouldn't cut it. 5) ease of depth stop setting: the biggest pleasant surprise is the quality feel of the very positive and accurate depth stop. The setting of it is easily and quickly done.My secondary criteria were: 1) large, purpose built woodworking table: The JDP-17 table is awesome, the T-track slots are perfect for auto-lock T-track clamps and quickly adding a fence. The other big benefit of the table is its ability to rotate 90 degrees, which most presses can't do. I really appreciated the easily replaceable MDF table insert, I now don't have to build a sacrificial table top or stack my work piece on top of scrap which is a big time saver. 2) Built in LED work light: The LED work light adequately illuminates the work area and is very nicely located in back out of the way. This is a great contrast to my 14-Twelve bandsaw which has an optional light that protrudes out the front at the perfect height for me to continually bump my noggin against. 3) affordable price: the alternatives I was considering were at least $500 more expensive without a big enough jump in features for my taste. Going down the line didn't make sense either as I'd be giving up on one or more of my primary criteria. 4) ease of speed changes: it's not variable frequency drive easy but I am able to change speeds quickly without the use of tools and could do it one handed if I so chose. I'd welcome the convenience of a digital, infinitely variable machine but I don't think the value proposition is there yet for that feature.So far there are only a couple of negatives. First, the outer sleeve of the chuck has an annoying wobble noticeable when the press is running. The chuck grips the bit without inducing any run-out as the body and jaws run true so this is only a cosmetic issue. It was quite unnerving when I first turned the unit on after assembly but I'm getting used to ignoring it now. Secondly, the final issue I noticed is that the plastic "Spring Housing Cap" which is the cover on the left side of the downfeed handle has two broken retention tabs. So far, even with two of the three retaining tabs broken it has stayed in place but I might need to either get a replacement or find an alternate way to fasten it. I think the piece is mostly cosmetic but it might serve to keep dust and debris out of the return spring mechanism so I probably should keep it in place.Bottom line, I'm able to easily drill large, clean holes in hard maple using a fostner bit with no stalling or burning. To me, that's the ultimate woodworking drill press test and the JDP-17 passes it easily and economically.

Just received my JDP-17. At first glance it is a really cool looking machine. I put it together without any problems. Three things I need to address. First, the motor works just fine, but the front led panel board that controls the power to the led light and laser is bad, part # JDP17-104. I called the customer support number and they informed me of this problem. They will send me a form via email to fill out then they will send me a new board. They said it is something I can replace, we will see about that. I am very disappointed about this. What happened here?When you lower the table there is shudder and you must put some pressure on the table while lowering it to stop the shuddering..The spindle noise is not very quiet. I have a over 30 year old Chicago drill press that is twice as quiet. Maybe over time it will quiet down some.As you can see I have some problems here. I really want this machine to come up to its potential. I expected more from JET. This is my first JET purchase and I am now wondering about this brand. I was originally going with Grizzly, but I thought JET was a better quality. Now I don't know.I just spoke with JET support about when to expect my replacement part. Today is June 21. The replacement part, JDP17-104, is on backorder till AUGUST 8! Make your own conclusion.Received new circuit board on 7 16 2018. No instructions so I will have figure it out or call service for instructions.CONCLUSION: I attemped to install new circuit card and had to call the service tech to get help. He was polite and helpful and guided my install. After about an hour I was able to complete the install. This was a tech service task because it was NOT a simple push pull install. I had quite a few screws to remove, wires to cut, wires to strip, wires to reconnect. The task is completed and everything on the Drill works now.One last thing I would like to note. I spoke to three different techs during this ordeal and not one time did these techs volunteer to inform me that this circuit board replacement could be done by an authorized Jet service center for FREE. I only found out because I asked the last tech what to do if I could not install this circuit board myself. Only then did he ask where I lived and then provided me with a local service repair center. If you have this problem you should get the service repairman to do this fix.