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

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"

What a GREAT addition to my room full of junk and power tools... This drill press is a BEAST... It's twice the size of my little old SKIL, which you can see in the pictures... The SKIL did a good job for me, but I outgrew it... Once I found out that drill presses with variable speed existed, IT WAS ON!!! I had to have one... No more messing with loosening the motor and sticking my fingers into the belt & pulleys... That had gotten old a long time ago... I've only had it for a few days now... I love it... It'll probably be the last drill press I'll ever need to buy... ACCURACY: Seems to be accurate, as the tip of the drill bit hits right where the lasers cross... I don't have a dial indicator to check the runout, but I'm sure it will serve me just fine... I'm not running a machine shop, and I don't need accuracies down to the thousandths of an inch... EASY TO ASSEMBLE: No, not entirely... But I was doing a couple other things during the process, like drinkin' beer, and helping my buddy with his trailer hitch... The column-to-base bolts call for a 16mm wrench... I bought a whole set of ratchet wrenches a couple years ago, but there was NO 16mm in there... I found a socket to fit, 5/8" I think... The hardest part of the assembly was lifting the head up onto the column... It's quite heavy and unbalanced... A second pair of hands would've been a plus... My trailer hitch buddy had already left... VALUE FOR MONEY: I shopped around 4-5 online sites for 3 weeks, and I kinda felt like I was being "spyed upon"... It seemed to me that they were bidding amongst each other for my money... The prices quoted for this machine on different sites kept fluctuating every couple days... It was truly weird... I think I'm gonna buy a VPN next... But anyway, for all the features this machine has, I think it's worth every bit of what I paid for it... It TOWERS over my old drill press, so I don't have to squat down or sit to use it... It's REAL good looking, like the STAR of my workshop... The table with the extension that swivels and bevels adds ALOT to the package... The swivel feature is kinda messed up, as it relates to that rack gear on the side of the column... The rack gear ends just ride in the top (orange) and bottom collars, and can get bound up if not guided along during swivel... (??Did that come out right??) And, of course, like a kid in a toy store, I had to open the lid on top to watch how the variable speed worked... It's pretty neat... But, the MOST BRILLIANT part of the entire design of the machine is... ...wait for it... ...you'll never believe it over everything else I mentioned... THE CHUCK KEY itself gets 6 out of 5 stars for it's design... Sticking out from the center of the key is a small pin with a spring behind it... It is IMPOSSIBLE to forget the chuck key and turn the power switch ON... That sprung pin pushes the key out of the chuck... I don't know if this design has been around for a while, as this is the 1st drill press I've bought in a LONG time... This chuck key design should've been implemented on ALL styles of chucks for the last 50 years... ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!! YES to "would buy again"... And Again, And Again, if needed... Nice machine for an novice to half-pro environment... It might last in a PRO environment (machine shop) if taken care of... It's really quite the nice machine... Thanx WEN, and Thanx Amazon... GOOD DAY...

This press arrived safe. all the parts for there. It took me about an hour to put together. I took my time. My run out was 001 to 002 back-and-forth. Everything works perfect the laser, the light everything. Build quality is great on this WEN 4212.T i've got 2Led lights that are yellow mounted on the front. They angle down toward the drill bit

If you're thinking about saving money and buying the 8" WEN press, hold on a minute and take a few things into account that I didn't because I was so blinded by the $118 price tag. I wanted a good small drill press, as I do some guitar work, and also work with electronics, 3D printed models, and various wood projects. I sold my Porter Cable drill press a few years back, but I've found myself needing a drill press again, and my Dremel drill press just wasn't cutting it. The WEN 8" model, with its incredible looks and price, immediately caught my eye and I found myself ordering before I even had a chance to think. The second I opened the box and realized the table was the same size and length to the column as a Dremel press, it became clear I had made a mistake. I couldn't even reach tremolo holes in guitar bodies, so it was essentially useless. After a few more minutes, it became clear it was much more than just size that it was lacking. I did a bit more research, and when I found the 12" model was about $180 more, it wasn't just the added size that hooked me. It also has features that I overlooked on the 8" model because I was so enamored with price tag. I skipped right over the 10" WEN offered and took what I think is an incredible deal at around $300. After assembling, the footprint was only about 4 inches bigger than the 8" model, and fit right into the same spot the 8" would have sat on my table. While taller, I welcome the extra size and heft. Now, here is why you want to spend the extra money and upgrade to this model over the 8", aside from the increased size- 1. Its built FAR better. This isn't just an upsized version of the 8" model. Everything is beefier, and better. The chuck on the 8" model is a basic, small, one piece design that barely sits in the spindle. The 12" features a beefy 2 piece chuck that seats way up into the spindle, ensuring good, straight contact. At 5/8ths you can use larger bits than the 8"'s 1/2 inch chuck. While you might still get some drift, it will be nowhere near what the 8" would have given you, and the "play" is adjustable with a bolt. In fact, several features offer adjustments that the 8" just didn't. Other parts just look and feel sturdier. The depth stop is far more accurate. These things alone are worth the extra money. 2. Speed range and adjustment lever with digital readout. I don't know about you, but I hate having to move belts to change speeds on a drill press, and find myself using an incorrect speed out of laziness when doing quick holes. Here, you just turn the lever and the digital readout tells you what speed you're running at. No popping the top and adjusting a belt. I'm sure the accuracy isn't perfect, but the fact I can get from 580 RPM to 3200 RPM means I can use this press with far more materials and bit sizes than the 8" would have allowed. You also get 3 1/8 inches of spindle travel, so you can drill deeper holes without raising the table, where the 8" model only has 2 inches of travel. 3. Column and table are track adjustable with a lever and handle. Raising and lowering the 8" meant loosening the bolt and catching the table before it dropped, and then having to support it while you try to tighten it to stay at the height you want. Having a track means you can use one hand to raise or lower the table without it dropping straight to the ground. 4. Accessories. Most drill press tables, fences and jigs, whether pre-made or from plans, are made for a 12" drill press. An 8" table is small enough, and then if you add in a fence, you're cutting off another 1-2 inches. Then there's also the little things already included. Having a laser on a tool can be hit or miss. It sounds great on paper, but seldom are they accurate enough to trust. So far, this laser has been pretty accurate, plus, it offers fine adjustment to calibrate. Even if I just use it to ballpark quick holes, I'd much rather have it than not. The work light is an awesome little bonus that makes a big difference. Spend the extra money once, and you won't regret it. If you're on the fence, look at it this way- You're already spending over $100. The second you have a project that needs that extra 4" of reach, or requires a bit more accuracy, you'll wish you had just given in and spent a little more the first time. It won't be fun having to drill a hole by hand when you have an 8" paper weight sitting right next to you on your bench. Thank me later.

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.

First impression on day of receipt: Drill comes packed in a very good cardboard box. When I opened the box the instructions are right on top. Great! No components were damaged or missing. I unpackaged everything and took inventory before assembly and then had it assembled all by myself in about 20 minutes including lifting the drill press head, and taking my time to remove all oil from the chuck and arbor. If I can lift and install the drill press head by myself, you can too! It was very straightforward and hardly required instructions so don't let the need to assemble it intimidate you. I do question the lack of washers on the column-to-base mount. Runout: when I first installed the chuck there was noticeable runout so I removed the chuck and reinstalled it. Now runout is minimal. Since I do not have a runout gauge I shot a 240fps video of it running at slow speed with a drill bit installed and watched for wobble on replay. While the chuck collar has obvious visible wobble the drill bits do not. Don't let wobble in the chuck collar worry you; there is necessarily some play in that part. If you do get wobble in your drill bit or sander drum, remove the chuck using the provided tool and reinstall it before exchanging the drill. Then I drilled a couple of test holes; very clean and easy. The guide laser was accurate out of the box but with larger bits and hole saws it isnt of much use so this feature is of limited value for most. I will find it useful for electronics components where i use small bits, but not much else. Machinists might find it more useful. The supplied LED worklight lamp is weak, and needs to be upgraded; other reviewers are absolutely right about that. I'll upgrade it when I start putting the press to use. There were no "bad" noises of bad bearings or overtightened components or any misalignments; the drill press is actually quite quiet. Other reviewers here and elsewhere claimed there is no stop to limit the drill's quill return height (upward movement). This is obviously untrue; look at the bottom of the depth scale and you will see the collar. Also look at the "TO ADJUST THE QUILL (RETURN) HEIGHT" section of the manual. ;) There is no facility for locking the quill at any arbitrary height; you will need to use the depth scale stop collars for this. An unfortunate missing feature perhaps, but at this price level either quality or features had to go, so I can live with that limitation and use the depth gauge stops for sanding and milling. Annoying yes, but after comparing this to many other drills at $350 or less, I am happy with the feature set and build quality of this unit. I'd have happily paid more; this unit isless expensive than even HF's comparably-sized units but the build quality is orders of magnitude better. I did have to resort to using pliers to loosen the return height stop; it came overtightened out of the box. Be sure to loosen ONLY one upper lower depth scale collar because the bottommost one holds the scale in place! The sprung chuck key /is/ very annoying but thank lawyers for that; it is now required by the feds because of people who left keys in chucks and turned the drills on, and presumably sued drill manufacturers for their own dang negligence. I can't blame WEN for that annoyance. Speed adjustment: somewhat slow to adjust and settle down at the desired speed, but it beats constantly changing belts and is not unexpected. Drawbacks: Digital speed readout: this does remain activated when the drill is turned off, so I will unfortunately have to unplug the unit when it is not in use. A minor annoyance but this should be addressed. Shame on you, WEN for not cutting power to the digital speed readout when unit is off. This wouldn't be much of an issue if you had used LCD but this is the sort of LED module which tends to not last if powered 24/7. I also do not like the table wobble while raising or lowering it but that annoyance seems to be the case across all modern smaller drill presses. I'd also like to see a metal (even cheap pot metal) crank handle rather than plastic. As mentioned no arbitrary quill height lock, but the depth scale lock collars can be used as a workaround. I did not have to adjust spindle play nor the return spring. I will be picking up a runout gauge to measure and if necessary fine-tune runout later on. Unfortunately it will be a few weeks before I am actually able to use it for serious jobs. I will provide an update once I run it through its paces. Once our workbench is completed and the press mounted I will upload photos and a video. Planned uses: - custom electronics assemblies (incl. milling parts for high-lumen flashlights) - woodworking - mixing largish batches of epoxy resin - as a stand mixer for soapmaking Bonus: I really like that they included a /full/ exploded diagram and parts list for the drill press, which should allow for easy long-term maintenance (providing parts are available).

I bought this during the September '23 sale. I've had for a couple months now in my wood shop. Here are my thoughts. Assembly was straightforward. If you've ever assembled a drill press, you could do this one with your eyes closed (until they bulged open when you lift the power head assembly). Taller than I thought it would be. About 37" from base to top. Not a big deal. Runout. Yeah. I have runout. 0.002". I work wood. Yawn... Table elevation. Ok...I get it. Can be kinda wonky. I mean the table wobbles and moves chunky like. It is the nature of the beast. If you want or need a crank handle for elevation, this is how it is. Get over it. What is important is that once moved to your desired location the table locks rock solid. It does. 'nuff said. The variable speed handle is stiff. Yeah. So? How often do you change speeds anyway? The only time I vary from 1000rpm is to drop down for the big fat forstner bits. So, not an issue here. On the speed range, I find it fits well for wood, but could foresee difficulty if this were meant to be in a metal working shop. In fact, if I were looking for a metal working drill press, I'd likely go with messing around with the belted type of speed control, as opposed to this system. The work light is perfect. I use it most of the time. The laser locator is red, and displays a red X. I don't use it. I've seen some complaints about power. Hmmm. Having graduated from a HFT 8" press, all I can say is this Wen has handled everything I threw at it, including 1 1/2" forstner bits in hard maple. I am quite pleased with power and performance. I've been making sawdust for some 35+ years now. For a bench top drill press in a woodworking shop, this is the cat's meow. Sure...it needs a table and fence. Needed a new cart, as the cart for the 8" press was far too tall...so I made both from 1/2" MDF. I take care of my stuff... don't bang it around...so MDF sealed well with poly will certainly last MY lifetime 😂 All in all...I am tickled to have a fully functional 12" drill press in my shop, and am not embarrassed or ashamed to say my drill press is Wen.

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.