Excellent video. I work on drill presses and wasn't prepared for what I saw. Usually, the DP videos are kinda entertaining due to a lack of user competence, but not this. A terrific job. Everyone with a consumer level press should watch this. I bookmarked the video and will recommend it to folks.
I just bought one today for some hobby gunsmithing. Thank you for showing how to do these adjustments and get the most out of this tiny little drill press. You've helped a load of people!
I have watched a few videos on this drill model. This one is definitely the best of the bunch. You could tell the guy is an expert in his stuff. Very deep knowledge. I will use his tips to set up my drill when it arrives in the mail.
Finally found your video. Great. Harbor Freight should buy it from you to include with the sale of these presses. You solved all the problems I’ve been scratching my head about. Thank you.
Good tip. I've been getting some belt slippage from mine, and I thought the belt was stretched. I'm glad to see there's an adjustment on this, and getting that belt off of the power cord is a must as well. I'll be checking that too. Thanks.
As far I can tell, ths is THE best review of Harbor Freight 8 Inch 5 Speed DrillPress. Excellent!!!👍👍👍👍🌹🌹 Thank you so much! By the way, harbor freight right now has onsale @ $54.99 till 12/31/2020. It is good deal, just bought one.
@@TheFishingHobby , 1) also I replaced the light bulb with this: www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-E12-Candelabra-C7-64-2835-LED-Light-Ceiling-Fans-Bulb-Ceramics-Lamp-Lights/193612652334?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=493817320138&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Man, it is so bright!!!!😁 2) bought the chuck holder from home depot @ $1.76, www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Chuck-Key-Holder-A10KH11/205626184
I just bought one today. Back pulley was totally loose. Made the adjustments and this unit is much better. I recommend putting a block of wood under the table, and one between the chuck and table when pressing on the chuck. Great tips here!
This video sure helps!!! Great tune up this drill press so much more user friendly and usable! Without this video tune up It becomes a oversized nosey paperweight!! Thank you very much!!!
Came across your video on Harbor Freight. Good information to know. Was looking for a small drill press to use on wood and aluminum. Followed your advice on the noise issue and it worked perfect. Great video!! Thanks.
May sound a little crazy but I had to trim my belt with a razor it had a lot of bumpy edges that was not letting it ride smoothly in the pulleys the belt was made horribly it also helps a great deal to smooth things out.
Thank you do much for this video. I just bought one of these drill presses and felt like I'd made a big mistake. I'm going to make these improvements you're shared and hope for the best.
Great video. I've had mine for 5-6 years and the "tune up" was helpful. I also set the speed to lowest, as I mostly drill metal on mine. I ran a zip tie through a hole (that I drilled) in my key and hang it from the belt cover knob.
Great video! The sound was bothering me on mine as well. I dont expect it to be silent but like you said it sounded like there was something vibrating inside. Thanks!
I appreciate you took the extra time and effort to show the common issues and fixes. The price of this has gone up quite a bit over the years, debating if its worth stepping up to the next model the 10" version
Yours is probably better made than this one. The older Harbor Freight 8" drill press had a cast iron table and base. These have a thin stamped steel table and base.
Great video, thanks. I bought my “cheap” bench top drill press about 20 years ago, and it’s been a great addition to my workshop, entirely trouble free (except I broke the cheap plastic depth stop, replacing with one made of birch plywood). Which explains why I needed to take chuck off - and given the cost of these tools I didn’t want to break anything if there was a trick to it (but just a stuck taper which the pipe wrench idea was great as I didn’t learn that in shop class 50 years ago). Oddly, mine has a cast iron frame, so I was surprised to see yours was zinc or something.
The older ones had a cast iron table and base too. These new ones have a stamped steel base and table. Not heavy duty by any stretch. You have one that is considerably heavier built than these newer ones. This one suits my needs and I have a couple of other drill presses that are more substantial for work that requires it.
I don't have a drill press, but since I'm not really someone who does precision machine work, that one would probably work fine for me. Those are great tips on how to quiet it down a bit!
I think it would be fine for most people really. If you were drilling a lot of holes with large forstner bits in hardwoods all the time or drilling a lot of steel I'd recommend getting something a little more substantial. For most other things, this should fit the Bill...see what I did there 😆
What a great video. I just bought this drill and used it for one, specific project. Although, I’m sure I’ll continue to use it. Your video was thorough, easy to follow and valuable. Thanks for the hints about wrench size and installing the chuck. Very helpful. Oh, and thank you for the magnet/chuck key hint. I like to think I would have thought of that myself but...probably not. 👍🏻
Awesome review, thank you! I've had one for a few years and only used it for 1 project but I'm ready to break it out again and get some projects done. Well be doing what you suggested.
Owned one for 3 years and made the same adjustment suggested in this video. Check to see if the table is perpendicular to the drill bit. I added shims to the table attachment point to get it adjusted. I also added a xy vise to hold the work. The height of the drill press was increased 7 inches by adding a piece of RV generator exhaust pipe (available from Reilly's Autoparts) for taller material and longer drill / wood bits. It is what you pay for and will work if you need a drill press a few times a month and never used a really good one.
I didn't mention the table adjustment, but mine needed it. Another thing I noticed is that the table isn't completely flat either. I have two other drill presses that do my heavy lifting but I wanted a third set to a specific depth for countersinking holes for fishing rod building jigs that I make and sell. The little drill press is perfect for something like that.
Larry can you provide more info on the RV generator exhaust pipe you mentioned from O'reilly's? I searched for RV generator exhaust pipe and did not find anything. TIA
As a precision Machinist and a precision machine rebuilder I can state you did a great job of explaining simple precise and to the point. Very calming and clear voice.
Thank you! I do some hobby machining at home. I have a "toy" lathe. It is an older Emco Compact 8. It is actually a pretty good machine for a small lathe.
runout is .001 on spindle and the lock screw is for the ram that lowers chucks to drill not the actual spindle that rotates. I grab the spindle as it rotates and it quiets down. I believe the pulleys make noise with this. I ordered a replacement chuck to replace the original. It runs .020 runout
If you are getting .001 on your spindle then you are lucky! That is better than I can get with work held in a high quality 3 jaw chuck made by Rohm on my metal turning lathe (.002). I can see the runout in this drill press spindle with my eyes, I can't see any runout with my eyes on the work held in my 3 jaw chuck on my metal lathe but it is there none the less. So my drill press spindle itself has quite a bit of runout and the cheap quality chuck will have even more if you measure a precision ground rod held in it. If you are getting those numbers on yours, I may disassemble my spindle and see if a bearing isn't fully seated or if there is trash in the housing throwing it off. You are correct, the lock screw is for the ram as shown in the video. Too tight and it will not allow it to retract, too loose and it will rattle around in the housing. I may have said spindle, don't really remember, but it is definitely for the ram as shown in the video.
Buenas como estás !? Me gusta su video y quisiera información sobre mi taladro de pedestal que tengo un componente que no logro conseguir y me gustaría saber si usted me ayuda a coseguirlo
This is a great video tips for adjusting, I just bought this model 2 days ago spent about 3 hrs checking it out and playing around with it after putting it together. Although I agree that its probably not an ideal drill press for precise drilling I think with some fine tuning and noise reduction as per this video (which the manual DOES NOT SHOW), I believe it'll be a good starter press for my hobby! Thanks for this tips video!
Mine has more than paid for itself in speeding up my work for a rod building jig I sell on eBay. If used within its limits, it works just fine. Good luck with yours!
@@TheFishingHobby I'm preparing to vet started in making wooden toy trucks for my grandsons and possibly sell em too! I think its gonna be a good little starter press for what I intend to do!
I wayched the video and tried adjusting the wobble in the spindle and all that does is lock the up and down yes it takes out the wobble but cant raise or lower the spindle????????
@@TheFishingHobby yes Ive tried it several different ways still got a wobble. I have backed off the adjustment and retried it but no luck. Probly gonna take it back for a refund!
That cheesy plastic depth stop busted the first time I looked at it funny. After it broke into three pieces, I told it a few things about its momma. After a lot of poking around the internet looking at dozens of replacements, NONE of which would fit, I finally found some dude in Texas who makes and sells a machined (or maybe 3D printed) aluminum part for $35. Installed one on mine and it works just fine.
Appears that drill press had lousy quality control inspection. I have the same drill press I purchased years ago, it didnt have high enough work area , so I raised it 4" ( I have a video of raising it on my channel) Its been a good tool for me, a DIY. Thumbs up & I Subscribed, Merry Christmas 2020
Merry Christmas to you too. This definitely isn't a high quality machine, but it has worked well for what I wanted it for for sure. I'm still using it just for countersinking holes in HDPE plastic on the rod building equipment I sell. Not a tough task at all, but I have countersunk a lot of holes with it.
Good video, Just brought home one of these, $50. I suspected there were things one could do to improve this unit so it performs like a $100 Wen, ha. I wish I knew what 'run out' meant cause I probably have it in other tools as well.........
Run out is checked with a dial indicator and to simplify it somewhat, it is just basically an amount out of round the shaft/chuck is. In other words, if you put a piece of drill rod in the chuck and ran the drill press it will have a little wobble to it because the center of the chuck and shaft isn't exactly dead center. I this case the amount of runout is fairly small so drilling holes isn't a problem, but it isn't accurate enough for work someone like a machinist would do. It doesn't have the accuracy of a milling machine and it shouldn't be expected to either. For woodworking and most homeowner uses you don't need extreme accuracy and most homeowner/hobby tools aren't extremely accurate. Hope that helps!
I have one just like this and the spindle seems to wobble inside the pully sleeve. I took it all apart and the top of the spindle is square but just fits very loosely in the sleeve at the top. Is that normal?
Works fine for my purposes. I've used it to countersink hundreds of holes in plastic for jigs that I sell. It has paid for itself plus by now. Just keep in mind that it needs a little work out of the box and it is light duty.
Frankly, I got tired of how much play the spindle has. Spindle has now been polished, aluminum foil tape added to the spindle interior rings, and new grease. I think the upper bearing in the spindle is inferior, but the other bearings are good. 🐸👍
This unit sounds like it is practically made out of papier-mâché. Years ago I worked in a shop where one of the drill presses was a cheap Taiwanese table unit like what is shown here but of a much sturdier construction. Pretty sure I would have one of these if and when it shows up at the recycle dump.
I suspect the main body is zinc alloy because it is heavier than aluminum, lighter than cast iron and magnets do not stick to it. The base, table, column and top cover are all steel.
It can, but I'd have to take mine apart to see how it needs to be done. You can check the owners manual and look at the exploded parts diagram and get a good idea of how it is put together.
Excellent video. I work on drill presses and wasn't prepared for what I saw. Usually, the DP videos are kinda entertaining due to a lack of user competence, but not this. A terrific job. Everyone with a consumer level press should watch this. I bookmarked the video and will recommend it to folks.
Wow, thank you! I really appreciate the kind words.
This is the most informative video I've seen for this. Awesome. If only everyone was so thorough with their instructional videos.....man
Thank you for making this video. I was really regretting my purchase until I watched this.
I hope it helped you out!
That was extremely helpful, and I suspect that most of the dissatisfied on HF reviews simply do not possess your expertise -kudos to you my man!
I just bought one today for some hobby gunsmithing. Thank you for showing how to do these adjustments and get the most out of this tiny little drill press. You've helped a load of people!
If you want to line up the pulleys you need to raise the motor 1/2 inch with spacers and longer bolts.
I have watched a few videos on this drill model. This one is definitely the best of the bunch. You could tell the guy is an expert in his stuff. Very deep knowledge. I will use his tips to set up my drill when it arrives in the mail.
Thank you and I'm glad you liked the video!
8:55 finally someone shows how to fix this. I had a lot of wobble. Thank you.
No problem, glad you found the video useful!
Finally found your video. Great. Harbor Freight should buy it from you to include with the sale of these presses. You solved all the problems I’ve been scratching my head about. Thank you.
Thanks, glad you were able to get yours lined out!
Good tip. I've been getting some belt slippage from mine, and I thought the belt was stretched. I'm glad to see there's an adjustment on this, and getting that belt off of the power cord is a must as well. I'll be checking that too. Thanks.
As far I can tell, ths is THE best review of Harbor Freight 8 Inch 5 Speed DrillPress. Excellent!!!👍👍👍👍🌹🌹 Thank you so much!
By the way, harbor freight right now has onsale @ $54.99 till 12/31/2020. It is good deal, just bought one.
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I just happened to notice that it was on sale right now too!
@@TheFishingHobby , 1) also I replaced the light bulb with this: www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-E12-Candelabra-C7-64-2835-LED-Light-Ceiling-Fans-Bulb-Ceramics-Lamp-Lights/193612652334?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=493817320138&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Man, it is so bright!!!!😁
2) bought the chuck holder from home depot @ $1.76, www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Chuck-Key-Holder-A10KH11/205626184
I just bought one today. Back pulley was totally loose. Made the adjustments and this unit is much better. I recommend putting a block of wood under the table, and one between the chuck and table when pressing on the chuck. Great tips here!
Thanks!
I just posted my own review on my channel.
@@paulsworkshop4179 I'll check it out!
Outstanding "How To" video. Before I even turn mine on, I will make these adjustments. Thank you for showing us.
Thank you!
This video sure helps!!!
Great tune up this drill press so much more user friendly and usable!
Without this video tune up It becomes a oversized nosey paperweight!!
Thank you very much!!!
Excellent tips. I just bought one of these, I’m glad I watched your video before I assembled it.
Thanks
Thanks! I hope it helped 👍
Came across your video on Harbor Freight. Good information to know. Was looking for a small drill press to use on wood and aluminum. Followed your advice on the noise issue and it worked perfect. Great video!! Thanks.
Best video I have seen on this drill press
May sound a little crazy but I had to trim my belt with a razor it had a lot of bumpy edges that was not letting it ride smoothly in the pulleys the belt was made horribly it also helps a great deal to smooth things out.
You never know what you are going to find on HF tools... nothing surprises me 😆
Thank you do much for this video. I just bought one of these drill presses and felt like I'd made a big mistake. I'm going to make these improvements you're shared and hope for the best.
Great video. I've had mine for 5-6 years and the "tune up" was helpful. I also set the speed to lowest, as I mostly drill metal on mine. I ran a zip tie through a hole (that I drilled) in my key and hang it from the belt cover knob.
Awesome stuff. Changed the press after doing this. Got rid of most of the wobble and noise.
Great video! The sound was bothering me on mine as well. I dont expect it to be silent but like you said it sounded like there was something vibrating inside. Thanks!
I appreciate you took the extra time and effort to show the common issues and fixes. The price of this has gone up quite a bit over the years, debating if its worth stepping up to the next model the 10" version
There is a drastic difference between the two. The 10" is a much more capable drill press.
bought mine almost 30 years ago and use it 2 or 3 times a week and it runs like new .....love it
Yours is probably better made than this one. The older Harbor Freight 8" drill press had a cast iron table and base. These have a thin stamped steel table and base.
Thank you, really good video and I used your idea of the clamp to adjust the belt speed
Great video, thanks.
I bought my “cheap” bench top drill press about 20 years ago, and it’s been a great addition to my workshop, entirely trouble free (except I broke the cheap plastic depth stop, replacing with one made of birch plywood). Which explains why I needed to take chuck off - and given the cost of these tools I didn’t want to break anything if there was a trick to it (but just a stuck taper which the pipe wrench idea was great as I didn’t learn that in shop class 50 years ago). Oddly, mine has a cast iron frame, so I was surprised to see yours was zinc or something.
The older ones had a cast iron table and base too. These new ones have a stamped steel base and table. Not heavy duty by any stretch. You have one that is considerably heavier built than these newer ones. This one suits my needs and I have a couple of other drill presses that are more substantial for work that requires it.
Mine has the cast base and table so it is pretty skookum, so I’ll continue to look after it.
You are the man! Thank you. Best video on these machines, helped me out big time
Glad it helped you out!
Thank you for doing - great vid, very informative, to the point and clear.
I don't have a drill press, but since I'm not really someone who does precision machine work, that one would probably work fine for me. Those are great tips on how to quiet it down a bit!
I think it would be fine for most people really. If you were drilling a lot of holes with large forstner bits in hardwoods all the time or drilling a lot of steel I'd recommend getting something a little more substantial. For most other things, this should fit the Bill...see what I did there 😆
@@TheFishingHobby 🤣
Nice simple and to the point video. I like your simple improvements. Very well done and without the fluff. Going to do this improvements on mine.
I’ll be tuning my Chicago Electric up soon. Thanks for sharing!
What a great video. I just bought this drill and used it for one, specific project. Although, I’m sure I’ll continue to use it. Your video was thorough, easy to follow and valuable. Thanks for the hints about wrench size and installing the chuck. Very helpful. Oh, and thank you for the magnet/chuck key hint. I like to think I would have thought of that myself but...probably not. 👍🏻
No problem, I'm glad you found it useful 👍
Got mine today and looking for a video just like this. Informative and to the point. Thank you.
Thanks, I'm glad you like it!
Awesome review, thank you! I've had one for a few years and only used it for 1 project but I'm ready to break it out again and get some projects done. Well be doing what you suggested.
Thanks so much. my pulleys were about 1/2" off from each other. and, I could get the belt off without the clamp. You saved me - a noobie.
Glad it helped!
Thanks for the tutorial! My main issue with this drill press is the spindle wobble. These adjustments should help with that for sure!
It helped mine quite a bit. Good luck with it 👍
Man you made me like this drill press again! Thanks.
Dude, thank you for this.
Owned one for 3 years and made the same adjustment suggested in this video. Check to see if the table is perpendicular to the drill bit. I added shims to the table attachment point to get it adjusted. I also added a xy vise to hold the work. The height of the drill press was increased 7 inches by adding a piece of RV generator exhaust pipe (available from Reilly's Autoparts) for taller material and longer drill / wood bits. It is what you pay for and will work if you need a drill press a few times a month and never used a really good one.
I didn't mention the table adjustment, but mine needed it. Another thing I noticed is that the table isn't completely flat either. I have two other drill presses that do my heavy lifting but I wanted a third set to a specific depth for countersinking holes for fishing rod building jigs that I make and sell. The little drill press is perfect for something like that.
@@TheFishingHobby The table on mine is flat enough I did not worry about it and the vise took care of the problem. Not perfect but usable.
Larry can you provide more info on the RV generator exhaust pipe you mentioned from O'reilly's? I searched for RV generator exhaust pipe and did not find anything. TIA
What is the extension pipe you have used to increase capacity
@@reggieblond2405 Walker Extension pipe #52007
Very good tips thanks
Excellent job
As a precision Machinist and a precision machine rebuilder I can state you did a great job of explaining simple precise and to the point. Very calming and clear voice.
Thank you! I do some hobby machining at home. I have a "toy" lathe. It is an older Emco Compact 8. It is actually a pretty good machine for a small lathe.
Thank you. Excellent video.
runout is .001 on spindle and the lock screw is for the ram that lowers chucks to drill not the actual spindle that rotates. I grab the spindle as it rotates and it quiets down. I believe the pulleys make noise with this. I ordered a replacement chuck to replace the original. It runs .020 runout
If you are getting .001 on your spindle then you are lucky!
That is better than I can get with work held in a high quality 3 jaw chuck made by Rohm on my metal turning lathe (.002). I can see the runout in this drill press spindle with my eyes, I can't see any runout with my eyes on the work held in my 3 jaw chuck on my metal lathe but it is there none the less. So my drill press spindle itself has quite a bit of runout and the cheap quality chuck will have even more if you measure a precision ground rod held in it.
If you are getting those numbers on yours, I may disassemble my spindle and see if a bearing isn't fully seated or if there is trash in the housing throwing it off.
You are correct, the lock screw is for the ram as shown in the video. Too tight and it will not allow it to retract, too loose and it will rattle around in the housing. I may have said spindle, don't really remember, but it is definitely for the ram as shown in the video.
Very helpful video! Thanks!
Very helpful info. Thank you.
Buenas como estás !?
Me gusta su video y quisiera información sobre mi taladro de pedestal que tengo un componente que no logro conseguir y me gustaría saber si usted me ayuda a coseguirlo
You just saved me the time of trying to figure it out on my own. Thank you so much, problem solved!
I'm glad the video helped!
Excellent! Thank you!
Awesome tips. TKS much.
Nice video thanks for the info ..
This is a great video tips for adjusting, I just bought this model 2 days ago spent about 3 hrs checking it out and playing around with it after putting it together. Although I agree that its probably not an ideal drill press for precise drilling I think with some fine tuning and noise reduction as per this video (which the manual DOES NOT SHOW), I believe it'll be a good starter press for my hobby! Thanks for this tips video!
Mine has more than paid for itself in speeding up my work for a rod building jig I sell on eBay. If used within its limits, it works just fine. Good luck with yours!
@@TheFishingHobby I'm preparing to vet started in making wooden toy trucks for my grandsons and possibly sell em too! I think its gonna be a good little starter press for what I intend to do!
I wayched the video and tried adjusting the wobble in the spindle and all that does is lock the up and down yes it takes out the wobble but cant raise or lower the spindle????????
@@kevinbrister8801 it is too tight then. It should just touch the spindle to keep it from wiggling. Any tighter and it will lock it up.
@@TheFishingHobby yes Ive tried it several different ways still got a wobble. I have backed off the adjustment and retried it but no luck. Probly gonna take it back for a refund!
That cheesy plastic depth stop busted the first time I looked at it funny. After it broke into three pieces, I told it a few things about its momma.
After a lot of poking around the internet looking at dozens of replacements, NONE of which would fit, I finally found some dude in Texas who makes and sells a machined (or maybe 3D printed) aluminum part for $35. Installed one on mine and it works just fine.
That part is definitely flimsy!
thank you ! good tips
Excellent video, very helpful!
Thank you!
Very good vídeo, and very good tips. Thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Appears that drill press had lousy quality control inspection. I have the same drill press I purchased years ago, it didnt have high enough work area , so I raised it 4" ( I have a video of raising it on my channel) Its been a good tool for me, a DIY. Thumbs up & I Subscribed, Merry Christmas 2020
Merry Christmas to you too. This definitely isn't a high quality machine, but it has worked well for what I wanted it for for sure. I'm still using it just for countersinking holes in HDPE plastic on the rod building equipment I sell. Not a tough task at all, but I have countersunk a lot of holes with it.
Well done....
Good video, Just brought home one of these, $50. I suspected there were things one could do to improve this unit so it performs like a $100 Wen, ha. I wish I knew what 'run out' meant cause I probably have it in other tools as well.........
Run out is checked with a dial indicator and to simplify it somewhat, it is just basically an amount out of round the shaft/chuck is. In other words, if you put a piece of drill rod in the chuck and ran the drill press it will have a little wobble to it because the center of the chuck and shaft isn't exactly dead center. I this case the amount of runout is fairly small so drilling holes isn't a problem, but it isn't accurate enough for work someone like a machinist would do. It doesn't have the accuracy of a milling machine and it shouldn't be expected to either. For woodworking and most homeowner uses you don't need extreme accuracy and most homeowner/hobby tools aren't extremely accurate. Hope that helps!
Very helpful, Thanks a lot
Great video thanks!
Great video
Thanks sir
Great review thanks for showing mate 😀
Thanks for watching!
Best video.
Awesome, thanks ! 👍
I have one just like this and the spindle seems to wobble inside the pully sleeve. I took it all apart and the top of the spindle is square but just fits very loosely in the sleeve at the top. Is that normal?
I'm really not sure. Mine was a fairly loose fit (the pulley doesn't need to be pressed on) but I wouldn't say it was sloppy either.
I had a set screw fall put of this. Still can't find were it came from. It does run
I'd check the pulleys and the head to column areas.
Curious if you had to pry the table clamp open for it to slide on the post and it's so tight it won't slide up or down for adjustments
I did not have to do that on mine.
@@TheFishingHobby thanks
Thanks man!
No problem 👍
Hi! How's the drill working? I am thinking about getting one...
Works fine for my purposes. I've used it to countersink hundreds of holes in plastic for jigs that I sell. It has paid for itself plus by now. Just keep in mind that it needs a little work out of the box and it is light duty.
Frankly, I got tired of how much play the spindle has. Spindle has now been polished, aluminum foil tape added to the spindle interior rings, and new grease. I think the upper bearing in the spindle is inferior, but the other bearings are good.
🐸👍
You are a boss
This unit sounds like it is practically made out of papier-mâché. Years ago I worked in a shop where one of the drill presses was a cheap Taiwanese table unit like what is shown here but of a much sturdier construction. Pretty sure I would have one of these if and when it shows up at the recycle dump.
It is definitely very light duty and wouldn't hold up to serious abuse. That said, it does light duty work well enough.
Can you do a metal test.
I suspect the main body is zinc alloy because it is heavier than aluminum, lighter than cast iron and magnets do not stick to it. The base, table, column and top cover are all steel.
👏👏👏
Can the spindle be removed if so how ?
It can, but I'd have to take mine apart to see how it needs to be done. You can check the owners manual and look at the exploded parts diagram and get a good idea of how it is put together.
If you're working in a Chinese sweat shop, you don't have much incentive to do a good job.
I agree
Great Video! Thank you for the tips.