Nova Voyager Drill Press BUYER BEWARE

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NOVA Viking Drill Press
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NOVA keyless chuck
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Llambrich Keyless Chuck
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NOVA Fence
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[@richdbolduc]

Sorry for the issues with customer service. I'm the engineer that was working on the table. The reason for needing the measurements was needing to know if it was an issue with the table or the knuckle. We didn't want to send you an incorrect part, take apart the machine and then need to resend new parts. I'll get with the team about the communication though. Enjoy the drill press. If you want to swap it to 2HP / 220V, I'd recommend a conversion cable instead of cutting the cable as I've seen some do.

[@butterflywoodworks2374]

As someone who helped design this machine I sure hope you guys are reading these comments from the end users.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Thanks

[@ptman3]

What is a "conversion cable?" 220v will draw less amps than 110v. Assuming the correct plug is added, what's the problem? I have the drill press, btw.

[@richdbolduc]

@ptman3 just a female 110v and a male 220v cable. I make my own with about 6" of 12 awg wire. It'll draw less amps and bring the 1.75hp motor up to 2hp.

[@rolfbeuttenmuller7895]

I purchased my Nova DVR drill press July 2020. I had no issues. I initially installed the original chuck, put a piece of precision ground drill rod in it and measured the runout. It was out of tolerance, I removed it and put in a High quality Jacobs chuck, I wasn't much better. Removed it and did a thorough cleaning of the inner spindle taper. Reinstalled the Chuck that came with the machine, retested and had a .0015" runout. I have not tested it since. I absolutely love the machine. I also have a Nova DVR 16 Lathe, never had any issues with tech support when I upgraded the speed controller.

[@makewhatyoulike119]

You mentioned SawStop. I wish they would release a drill press. They make an awesome tool. I've always wondered why it's so hard to find a solid, well-made and powerful drill press. They're such simple tools. Thanks for the review.

[@coolinken]

Thanks for sharing. This one is very high on my list. I don't know what you paid for yours, but where I live, the asking price is 2k. For that amount of money, it'd better be perfect. I should not have to worry about excessive run out or a table lock that doesn't lock. You experience makes me nervous.

[@SnowOwlCNY]

Nice review. It’s nice to hear the areas where you struggled. It is difficult to find good customer service these days.

[@4dthinker582]

I've got the same Voyager drill press, and we have one where I worked. Neither had any problem keeping the table from spinning. My original chuck had no vibration or wobble, although I did replace mine with a keyless chuck for convenience. The one at work also has been serving fine under the abuse of college students. No experience with customer service as I have no complaints about mine.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Great to hear, thanks for sharing

[@flatlander523]

Hey thanks for the heads up. It's a pitty you have those issues on a new machinne. I was considering this model but I might do some more shopping around. Good luck and thanks again

[@cloudspinwoodworks4813]

Thanks for the review, very helpful. I’m considering the 83700 Viking DVR model with the Nova 9049 keyless chuck. They are offering an upgraded warranty, have not read it yet.

[@leroy5007]

Thanks for the review. I will pass on this drill press. I try not to pay for headaches. Thank you very much

[@Marcus_Caius]

I am sorry for your bad experience on the Voyager. I have mine for 3 years now. Have no experience with customer service since the DP was a breeze to put together and a charm to use. It took me a little over an hour to assemble it including anchoring the base on the floor. Instructions were very simple, you have a base, a pole, a head and a table... how this can be complicate. The chuck is crap like any DP you can buy today. I change mine for a cheap keyless chuck (under $100) and I cannot visually see any runout. Very happy with the DP. The features of the DP are awesome. Takes a few second to set stock zero(top) and depth of cut. A few buttons to set suggested speed for basically any type and size of bit. I bore 2" 1/2 holes with a forstner bit and it feels very safe and easy. another thing I notice right away was how silent it run 👍

[@petermarsh4993]

Dear Sir, I have to encourage you to push through your teething issues with this drill press. I have had mine for about seven years now and I LOVE IT. As soon as I installed it I replaced the standard chuck with a keyless chuck. That makes changing tooling much easier. I have zero runout (subjectively). l have never fiddled with the table rotate lock because I made a table extension with t-slots and fence hold-downs. With that simple jig, I can hold down most work with ease but strong grip. If you have to rotate the table and slippage continues, try separating the table from its shaft, wrap a piece of brass shim and re-seat the table. This should fix the slippage. Two things that are great about the drill. 1) Set up your default speed buttons for drilling in metal where you need to change drill bits as you go up in size to your final hole. A set I would use would be: 3mm start @ 800, 6mm intermediate @ 500 and final 10mm @ 350 rpm. To flick through three speed ranges with preset speeds is a doddle. 2) Set up automatic start and stop depth. If you were preparing to drill many holes, all of the same depth, your Nova can do this. It makes this job a doddle. Follow the on-screen menus to set up. Apart from my table and hold-down jigs there is one thing that I did that makes the drill press a real joy to use. That was to fix an LED strip to the underside of the head on either side of the base to give brilliant illumination across my work table. It wasn’t that hard with an LED strip which comes in a roll, 12v transformer and a bit of soldering. Done, bright and safe workspace. As for “Service”, forget about expecting it, you’ll be disappointed. BUT if you ever do get good service, make a point of calling back that business that did help you and praise them. Modern “Service” is delivered by staff who don’t speak your language primarily, don’t know the product in detail and are struggling to understand your issues. Put yourself in their shoes and the whole process may go much better. Cheers.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Appreciate the feedback. Now that the teething is over this machine is eating through material with precision, efficiency, and ease.

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

Thank you!

[@joad47]

I had the same problem with the chuck run out.....I put a new Jacobs chuck in and got about .002 run out. Other than that, I've had no major problems. I might add that I purchase under the special pre-production pricing for the NOVA Voyager back in 2016.

[@boodog1972]

I’m having problems with mine, the table won’t lock down to the column and now the touch pad has gone bad and the customer service sucks. Mine is out of warranty and with the cost and time to repair I’ve finally come to the conclusion that even though it’s only three years old I’m going to scrap it and buy a higher quality variable speed drill. It’s kinda sad cause I really like it and spent good money on it but with the problems and cost to repair I don’t feel like spending anymore time or money on something I know I’ll never be truly satisfied with.

[@Kevinrichardsonministries]

Thanks for the Warning. I'm shopping for a Drill Press now... but I'll take this one of my list. Thumbs Up...

[@robertmaclellan7120]

i have had this drill press for 5 years now and have never had an issue with it. i replaced my chuck immediately with a keyless chuck for convenience. i come from an industrial manufacturing background, and the convenience of its electronics are second to none. I understand that customer service was lacking for you, but to expect everything to always run perfect is a fallacy, I have set up mills costing 100's of thousands of dollars and it still takes time to get things working properly. And yes it is an expensive piece of equipment for a drill press, but you are also paying a premium for the innovation of the DVR and its control ability. This machine has features that you will probably never use but, on the off chance that you are doing something that needs precise controls, there are none better right now.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

I agree. It's also possible the drill manufacture quality changed since you purchased yours. I imagine I just ended up with bad luck, or quality issues that have since been addressed. Now that I have the issues worked out, the press is a major convenience in the shop.

[@chrisswartzwelder8494]

I’ve never had any problems with their customer service. I’ve always asked questions online and they’ve gotten back to me within 24 hours. My table has a set screw Where even if I release the pressure with the lever under the table it still does not move. I have to thread the setscrew in an order to get the table to turn. As of the run out mine also has run out but it’s not that bad I do see the wobble in the drill Chuck but when measured it about 3000 inch out.

[@davidt8438]

99% of customer service should be better. That’s what separates one machine from another. Having owned this machine for the better part of four years I have also had an opportunity to contact customer service and the initial contact was quick and straightforward but it seemed like they didn’t understand what I was asking for as the correspondence went back and forth. Just when I was ready to throw the towel in they suddenly realized what I was asking about and resolved my issue. It was painful to say the least. Since then I’ve tried to find out what the latest version of software was and wouldn’t you know it, they can’t seem to understand what I’m asking about. Yikes! I wish things weren’t this way but they are. Mechanical problems are easy for me but electronics and especially software have me at a disadvantage and always will. Good luck. Use some brass or better yet stainless steel shims and tighten the post yourself.

[@nico2914]

How is the tolerance of the drilling depth ? + - ? inch/mm

[@LostBoyLA]

may i ask where you got a good deal on it? ty

[@capangus]

This is happening more and more often with may brands around the world. They release machines into the market before making sure they are faultless. So the end users are the guinea pigs at the end of the day. Customer service is nearly gone these days. I have seen few of these in New Zealand with many problems and end users left in limbo by the agents for this brand.

[@SnowOwlCNY]

It’s the 80 - 20 rule. Get it 80% done and start selling it to the customers. Then hope the 20% that’s unfinished no-one figures out.

[@smokeserpent9375]

My Jet 15in benchtop model had .003 run out with the stock chuck. .007 stock would be a deal breaker. I got a Llambrich integral keyless chuck and have almost .001 now. Considered the voyager but after having their keyless chuck for my old wen, i was turned off on their products.

[@jarexxsuvexx8212]

For that price and to avoid severe run out issues it's probably better just to get a Milling machine and dedicate it to drill press work.

[@paulmanhart4481]

Thanks for sharing this info. I’ve been interested in this drill press for quite a while but now I’ll do more homework on it. How does it do with metal, like aluminum and steel? Paul

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

I've mostly been using with wood, but my guess it will handle metals fine.

[@msmith3537]

Just expect you are going to pay for a quality machine and immediately have to invest in upgrades. Boy, that’s a value proposition right there. Thanks for the review. I’ll be looking at different brands.

[@msmith3537]

So… Follow-up. I bought the Nova Viking and love it.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Great to hear!

[@36r37]

@richdbolduc since you helped developed this machine. Could you shine a light on why the EU models do not come with a laser? Any 200 EUR drill press basically has one, yet you choose to remove it? If you go through all the effort to remove it (different display, etc.) there must be a a very good reason. It baffles me that something very simpel like this is removed. Would love to hear the reasons... Much obliged.

[@MrPESensation]

Thank you for the video. Very sad to hear about this drill press. In the year 2020 they were about a little over $1,000 retail and NOW the cost is a whopping $1,999.00 in 2023. I cannot see the logic of purchasing this drill press with so many flaws. Been looking at a drill press for my shop and I guess the search continues.

[@steveh8724]

Dude, this is ONE guy with experiences with ONE tool that he bought used. Like others who have commented here, I too have a NOVA Voyager. My unit has not had any problems in the 3+ years I've had it (bought new from Woodcraft). Anyway, if it's too expensive now, then move on. But "with so many flaws?" One guy had a table clamp that didn't tighten all the way. I would have just sawed or filed a slightly larger opening to allow the clamping bolt to squeeze a little tighter. And run out from the chuck? Just get a new chuck, you'll want keyless anyway. The other comparable DPs I've seen lately are about the same money if you want the same capacity, horsepower, and at least some of the same higher-end features. And I love how quiet and stable it is. With the chuck turning it sounds like a well-oiled machine. Contrast that to my old Delta floor standing model that even when BRAND NEW (20+ years ago) sounded like it needed new bearings or something. It still runs OK, but I cringe every time I choose to use it b/c I hate the sound of the darn thing. And changing speeds with belts gets old pretty fast.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

I agree with Steve here. If you can afford a Nova Voyager, pull the trigger, or consider one of their other models. When I made this video all reviews on KZbin were positive only and I wanted people to be aware of my experience to help balance expectations.

[@lindadibernardo7791]

have you had issues with it crashing and displaying the error "USB disconnected?" I haven't found a reliable pattern yet on what makes it happen. We tried updating the firmware but we still have to turn it off and on again at least 1-2x a week.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Sorry, I haven't experienced that issue

[@NeilSoulo]

It looks like they designed a nice machine and then mounted it on a so, so base and column.

[@michaelogden5958]

Well. That's disappointing. I am looking for an upgrade to my drill press. The bells and whistles would be nice, but I expect the actual DRILL PRESS to be solid and precise. Thyanks for making this video!

[@ummyhorse7791]

Thank you! You just help us kill any chance of buying it.

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

I'd still keep it on your radar. After getting it tuned up I really enjoy it.

[@mglockey2597]

Its a huge deal at the price you pay!

[@mikoostler-fp4fc]

I recently purchased a Viking … problem I’m having is the table is not machined flat, so a vise with a machined base rocks on the table. Table is higher in the centre that the edges. If I put a good Starrett rule down firm with the left side of the table the rule is about 20 thou off the table on the right side. 0:08

[@LopezMetalWorks]

Used mine about 3 times total, and getting to use it a 4th time now Displays control board issues and won’t work Did a total of 10 holes with it😅

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

That's too bad, hopefully you have a better experience getting it fixed

[@jeffrichardson6976]

I just received my Voyager as well. I agree with your comments about the manuals shortcomings. Sorry to hear about you table tightening issues but I'll ask something that I noticed in the manual but don't realize it's importance. Did you back off the set screw by the handle that locks the table? It's called the "release screw".

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Hey Jeff, yeah the release screw was not the issue, but you bring up a good point. I probably should have mentioned that in the video in case someone else has a similar issue that is not due to machining tolerances. At the end of the day I probably could have gotten the original table to work with a file and elbow grease, I just felt like the company should be aware of their product issues. Hopefully it's just a one off case for others investing in the drill because it really is a nice addition to the shop.

[@steveh8724]

@@MaverickMakersUSA Well this comment is completely warranted. Unfortunately your title implies that there are major issues "buyer beware." And it overstates the problems. Oh well, I guess it also gets more clicks...

[@nicholasdriscoll6537]

@@steveh8724 MaverickMakers appreciates your semantic input. Caveat emptor my friend

[@robkohler6423]

That table should lock down solidly with zero movement. I would not consider their fix to be acceptable.

[@vmoutsop]

For a machine that costs $2000, you'd think they'd give a crap and make something that works as its supposed to. Otherwise, why spend the money if you can get a harbor freight that is 80-90% of that.

[@C3Cooper]

I'm disappointed that the table only tilts 45 and not 90.

[@monk1100]

180 would be better, then you wouldn't need to turn the job over. 😂

[@kalos53]

Typical of Kiwi industry. Some very good ideas, but appalling execution in manufacturing and quality control.

[@rusty728]

Sounds like one should avoid this brand….thanks , I was thinking of buying one. Won’t be now.

[@steveh8724]

I think you should do a little more homework. Did you read the comment in which the host of the video says: "At the end of the day I probably could have gotten the original table to work with a file and elbow grease, I just felt like the company should be aware of their product issues. Hopefully it's just a one off case for others investing in the drill because *it really is a nice addition to the shop*." Does that sound like he thinks the brand should be avoided??

[@MaverickMakersUSA]

Agree with Steve here. The Nova drills are a major convenience, worse case scenario you have to put a bit of additional tune up work in.

[@MarkDziubczynski]

I'm on the fence myself in getting a new drill. but replacing the chuck seems to be one of the most important parts of a drill. @@steveh8724

[@BeaulieuTodd]

Um.