PROXXON Precision Bench Drill Press - Micro Hole Capability, Adjustable Depth & Table, 3-Speed Selection - TBM 115

Purchased this mini-drill press for wood ship modeling, which I have found to be essential to the craft. My only regret is that I did not purchase it sooner. The operation is very smooth and incredibly accurate -- down to drill bits less than 1 mm in diameter (purchased separately). The set of "mini" chucks allows for precise turning of each drill bit. This is a high quality dril press. Although pricier than other units, it has been worth every dollar I paid for it.

Really disappointed. The drill head is not perpendicular to the base. Not even close. It is so far off you can see it by eye without measuring it. Laying a square against the vertical shaft, it is almost 1/4 inch off of being square at the base. It mesures at 92 degrees, not 90, whihc doesn’t sound like much until you lay a square against it. The shaft itselt is perfectly straight, not bent. The hole in the base which the shaft is inserted is not drilled perpendicular to the base,, whihc is ironic for a drill press. But a drillpress that doesn’t drill a hole perpemdicular to thr base is worthless. The base is not flat either and wobbles no matterwhat surface I put it on including a 1/4 inch thick aluminum plate. The vertical shaft also has many wear marks, as does the bushing in the head, so this is obviously used, not new. I am hoping that this is a defect from the factory or it is somehow damaged as I intend to order another, but from a different seller. Direct from Proxxon this time. It is very quiet and I’m hoping the next one will be right. Returns process was difficult also. The return gave me 2 options - chat with a live agent or talk to the seller. I chatted with theagentand he said I had to talktothe seller. I filled out the forms to initiate contact with the seller (Onkata), who promptly replied that it wasnt their problemand I had to talk to Amazon. I called Amazon this time and that agent told me that the first agent was wrong and I could return it through the normal process (Kohls dropoff, UPS, etc). We’ll see what happens…UPDATED- recieved another one direct from Proxxon this time as the seller and much better. Had really none of the issues that the first one had. Base has a very slight wobble and vertical shaft is very slightly off of 90 degrees to the base, but very close. Happy with the purchase. Looking forward ti using it.

The PROXXON Precision Bench Drill Press is a small machine with limited size and power, but that is what it is made for.Even with those limitations I have been able to complete a decent amount of drilling and countersinking various types of soft steels. It does a great job and the portability is very convenient.I purchased and use the optional chuck.

Smaller in size than I expected but still perfectly usable for my purpose (drilling PCB through-holes). Spindle and collet system run true enough to easily drill 0.3mm holes. I can't do 0.2mm or 0.25mm reliably but then I haven't bolted down the machine for extra stability like they recommend. Also I'm holding the workpiece freehand rather than clamping it down securely. In any case, this drill machine beats a dremel rotary tool mounted in their $50 drill stand by a large margin.Initially there was problem with the machine when I opened it to change the belt to the higher-speed setting. The "set screws" for the motor-side "gear thingy" were coming out and would clearly eat into the belt as it operated. These set screws are basically intended to stay "sunked in" on the high-speed track of the motor-side gear thingy. So I tightened them as best I could but when I turned on the machine, the centrifugal force caused them to roll back out and damage the belt. I explained my situation to proxxon support and thankfully they sent a new belt by express mail at no charge. I've taken out the set screws entirely and it seems to work OK so I'm not sure what they're really good for. If you get one with loose set screws I personally recommend removing them rather than trying to secure them properly. AFAICT, it's not easy to secure them because there is no "head" to these screws.

Excellent tool for my homebrewed printed circuit boards. A 5.5inch (140mm) drill to column distance enables drilling in large size materials.

I'm on the fence between 3 and 4 stars but I gave Proxxon the benefit of the doubt on this one. It's a quality drill press designed to do one thing very well and it does make precise holes using small drill bits.Plusses:High quality - very well built and very precise for drilling replicable holescan accommodate both specific drill bits for the mini chuck (1/32 - 1/8 inch size chucks are provided) and a universal chuck (not provided)quiet and smooth operationMinuses:definitely pricey for what you get; others have suggested including a vise and universal chuck would be nice for this costLimited up and down movement (and hole depth possible), although this is expected for a small drill press, I would say.I find it difficult to precisely line up with the spot where I need the hold drilled.Overall, it's a keeper, but don't underestimate the amount of time it will take for precise positioning of your substrate to get a small hole where you need it. In the end I usually poke a small pinhole in my substrate and then take the drill bit down to the substrate to confirm it's in the right place before turning it on and drilling the hole. It's great when the vise can hold things in place, but that's not often the case with my substrates for r/c model plane components.