Is the WEN 4214 the best budget Drill Press? - 2 year review

[@BPTVch]

The Jet is actually the exact same machine for double the money. It’s rebranded with different colors and a couple of different aesthetics. That means that the only budget aspect of the Wen is the price. In other words Wen is giving you more bang for the buck.

[@markp6062]

Excellent! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with this drill. This was my first stop for drill press videos and it has set a good standard to compare, what will probably be more expensive units, against.

[@beardedspruce]

I am so glad I was able to help, please reach out is you run into any questions I didn’t go over.

[@claytonscoble4271]

Great review. Trying to find useful feedback like this is increasingly tough as every site seems more like an aggregator of generic nonsense than real-world evaluation. Well done, and thank you! (And yes, I'm now more likely to pick up this press)

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks so much, I totally agree it is so tough to sift through so much noise. Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoy your new press when you buy one

[@sflagg0817]

Thanks for the great review I had this in my cart and am ready to pull the trigger thanks again

[@beardedspruce]

So glad I could help! Hope you enjoy your new toy! Oops, I mean tool…

[@sflagg0817]

@@beardedspruce haha thanks again should be here in a week or so

[@lazyboyrider4607]

Congratulations on the new baby! Thanks for the review. My Wen 4214t is due to arrive today. You’ve reinforced for me that I made a good purchase. It’s my first ever drill press and I’m excited to start using it on my guitar building projects.

[@beardedspruce]

That is so exciting! How long have you been making guitars? I have always been interested in trying to make one some day.

[@lazyboyrider4607]

@@beardedspruce I just started building guitars about seven months ago. A new retirement hobby. Hand drilling with the Milescraft drillmate doesn’t provide the precision I want. Thanks again for your review. I will keep watching.

[@escapetherace1943]

@@lazyboyrider4607 how's your press doing? I grabbed one and used it today and it gave me the fizz

[@jackhydrick8688]

Very good review. Thanks. I am looking for a press to precisely drill holes for wooden flutes, etc. This seems to be a good candidate.

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks for watching! That sounds like a super fun thing to use the drill press for.

[@BrettsNaturalHealth]

A pretty good video. Thumbs up. How flat is the table? How close to 90 is the table to the unit?

[@beardedspruce]

The table is pretty darn flat and mine came super close to 90. It’s over all a great budget tool!

[@Goldwing1500rider]

Looking at several reviews, dealing with metal drilling past year, needed lower rpm for bigger bits… hopefully when mine comes in tomorrow would solve my problem. Been using my dads drill press that’s 45 years old. Finally new toy coming in. Variable speed !!

[@beardedspruce]

That is awesome! New toys are the best. Hope you enjoy it!

[@borismakesart]

Hey above what size of hole did u find issues drilling metal with this model?

[@justincase3230]

How's it been working out for ya?

[@paultyler5989]

Do you happen to know the Max Table to Chuck Distant. Table to spindle Max. Thanks for the review and video.

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks for watching. I just measured the max distance and it is 13.5” from the bottom of the chuck. However when a bit is in there the little things that clamp down on the bit stick out below around 1/2” when you use the typical drill bit. Obviously, the bit itself will stick down in various lengths. Hope this was helpful and reach out if I can help more!

[@paultyler5989]

@@beardedspruce very much so. Helps a bunch. Thanks

[@Nino13084]

Excellent review. I was hesitant to pull the trigger. But now I’m very comfortable with making the purchase.

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks for watching! So glad I could help… hope you enjoy your drill press

[@stoneyswolf]

The belt speed adjustment is pretty cool but changing a belt around really isn't a big deal either also less things to break.

[@beardedspruce]

Totally agree, I do feel like it is pretty awesome to have for this price point

[@jamesp739]

True perhaps, but I think you're more likely to change speeds for the bit you're using and the material you're drilling than just "go with what ya got."

[@niceguy1183]

Good review! Thanks. I think I'll get one. The only thing you did not cover was the bed tilt feature, good or no?

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks for watching, I honestly have not used this feature. Most/all of my holes are typically drilled at 90 degree angle. Everything else is pretty standard, so I would assume this feature is good as well.

[@raymondanderson7359]

Great review...really nice shop!

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks, I enjoy it a lot

[@Ryan-nr8tq]

Is your house wrap on the wrong side?

[@beardedspruce]

Great question, it is actually a special exterior material that acts as both the boarding and the exterior siding, so the house wrap goes on the inside… I know it seems strange, but it is 100% to code!

[@michaelkolozsvari3575]

As soon as you said, "I have a six month..." I knew exactly where your beard had gone! 😂

[@beardedspruce]

When you get it, you get it… 😃

[@bigredracingdog466]

7:21 Wen lists the weight at 85 lbs.

[@Par2Pixel]

I currently need one but need it to go down to around 300rpms do you knwo how slow it goes?

[@beardedspruce]

Sadly I believe it only goes down to mid 500rpms

[@Par2Pixel]

@@beardedspruce Thanks for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate that.

[@danielarauza]

Could you add a mortising attachment to this model?

[@beardedspruce]

Great question, it looks like you just have to make sure the quill diameter of the mortising attachment works with this press. I might have to find a project that needs to try one out.

[@danielarauza]

@@beardedspruce thanks for the reply. It would be cool to do a project on that. Thanks again.

[@phonymontana4254]

Great video. Thank you!

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks! I appreciate the feadback

[@mikeschinkel]

Another thing that a more expensive unit will provide is a lower minimum RPM which is evidently useful when drilling metal. 580 RPM is the minimum on this unit, but more expensive units can go down to around 180 RPM or maybe even slower. #justfyi #fwiw

[@beardedspruce]

Great point. I think it all depends on what you are using it for. My needs don’t currently need that low of RPMs. But, yes it def doesn’t go that low.

[@takealook4me]

Maybe tap at that speed Most modular drills at 1000 and higher smaller the drill bit faster speed

[@AudieChason]

I've had one of these presses for about 3 years. The column and chuck are completely rusted.

[@beardedspruce]

What a bummer, are you in a humid climate?

[@daveburley7115]

They all do that. You need to keep them covered with a light coat of oil and in a low humidity environment.

[@totheknee]

Stubble looks good, man. Not gonna lie!

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks! Appreciate you.

[@furyofbongos]

Why do bench drill presses have to be so noisy?

[@beardedspruce]

I guess it all depends on what you are comparing it to. Tools are pretty noisy:)

[@classydays43]

It depends. We had one in our fab shop that was whispe quiet but it was also $8000.

[@furyofbongos]

@@classydays43 Nice! Yeah that could sure explain it.

[@grbggaming6885]

A lot quieter than my table saw lol

[@Iknowonlywhatimtaught]

I have the same model. I didn't buy mine for the looks. I bought mine to do one thing. Make accurate holes. It does make holes very well. The motor sounds like a drill press. I been working in construction my whole life. Had a shop to work in since i was 9 years old im 67 now. Is it made usa? No! We make stuff durable and pleasing to the eye. Ut if your just needing to get the job done and don't mind ugly, then this drill press will fit the bill. You still want to make it pretty you will need to do the sanding fileing and polishing to make it so.

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks for watching! I agree whole heartedly, it is a tool. Not an art piece. But, it does a great job drilling accurate holes.

[@brendawright5899]

"less tolerance of movement" you mean run-out. It is easy to fix run-out.

[@TurdFerguson149]

The only difference in the 4214T is the packaging

[@beardedspruce]

Oh, that seems so strange. Thanks for the info!

[@wellsd1959]

These are good machines but they are not cast iron, they're cast chinesium.

[@beardedspruce]

Thanks for watching, I guess you have to sacrifice something for the lower cost tool.

[@TheDmurphyar]

I purchased a piece of crap WEN 4214 drill press and was able to square the table left to right but it was badly out of square front to back. I assumed that the vise I mounted on the table must have thrown it out of square so I removed it and tried again. I discovered that it was the table itself that was out of square so I decided I could shim the vise and level things up. Wrong - the table is DEFORMED and has one low corner. Which is basically impossible to shim and fix. I went back and forth with WEN forth three weeks and they finally suggested I PURCHASE a new table from them that might possibly be square front to back. ...isn't the entire purpose of a drill press to drill holes that are square with your work? This POS fails miserably!

[@beardedspruce]

So sorry to hear about your experience. What an absolute bummer

[@wulf67]

You can adjust this table in every direction to get it square. If it’s been hit in transit and badly bent then that’s a different issue which could happen to anything you buy. Blaming the tool is like posting a bad product review on Amazon because UPS was late delivering it.

[@TheDmurphyar]

@@wulf67 The table cannot be adjusted front to back - ONLY side to side. It's worthless as a drill press because you cannot drill holes square to the work with it. Blaming this tool is like placing blame squarely where it belongs - on the tool.

[@TheDmurphyar]

@@wulf67 ...and if you can show me where the front to back adjustment is please do share - I can't find it and WEN says there is NOT ONE.

[@wulf67]

@ Yes you can adjust it. Read the manual. If you can’t understand it, call customer service.

[@808zhu]

Sup.

[@beardedspruce]

Yo

[@alfredovidal6481]

What's the capacity,? very poor video ,it's good for small 2×4

[@beardedspruce]

Not sure what you are asking. Everyone has different needs for a drill press, I mostly use it for precision cuts in sheet goods or other small thickness materials. I am guessing you are asking about spindle travel, which is 3-1/8" You can read more about the technical details here: amzn.to/46s79zq