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  1. #1
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    Default Any opinions on JBS pedestal drill quality?

    I have found online a second hand 16mm JBS pedestal drill, which seems affordable and about what would suit me.
    A bit of checking shows these were (and are) made by Rexon in Taiwan, so that is somewhat encouraging, but I would appreciate comments from any JBS drill users as to issues you have discovered.

    Thanks in advance,
    Bill

  2. #2
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    Default

    JBS pedestal drill.jpg
    This is a similar item.
    Bill

  3. #3
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    Default

    We have one of those in our workshop at work.
    It’s not the worlds most awesome drill and it’s by no means the worlds worst. It drills holes.
    The gear track for the table moment tries to move sometimes causing it to bind until you straighten it again, other than that, it drills holes.

  4. #4
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    I have the earlier version of the JBS (John Briant Saws) from memory that my late grandfather told me. I bought it new back around 1986, but doesn't have the plastic around the front.
    Also have the table saw which I bought from them after it was traded in from a school, both good reliable units.
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  5. #5
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    Default

    That particular drill (and anything else bearing that logo) is Blackwoods house brand, not Briant Saws

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by racingtadpole View Post
    That particular drill (and anything else bearing that logo) is Blackwoods house brand, not Briant Saws
    Did they buy the brand name do you know?
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  7. #7
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    JBS tools are sold exclusively by Blackwoods, I believe that the company, like Blackwoods are owned by Wesfarmers. The about us on their website says formed in 1993, so I don’t believe that they are the same company.

  8. #8
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    A house brand, as you say. Blackwoods website shows JBS brand tacked onto drill presses regardless of origin.

    I will go and look at the JBS I saw advertised, manufactured by Rexon - it may be in reasonable condition and adequate for my needs.
    Unfortunately I just missed out on a Parken pedestal drill on gumtree, albeit a few features short of what I am looking for. Saw the advert 4 hours after posting, then checked Parken details (still made in Melbourne -impressive quality) and phoned the factory to see what extra features could be purchased, but by that time (5 hours after posting) the Parken on offer had already been bagsed.

    Bill

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by WCD View Post
    A house brand, as you say. Blackwoods website shows JBS brand tacked onto drill presses regardless of origin.

    I will go and look at the JBS I saw advertised, manufactured by Rexon - it may be in reasonable condition and adequate for my needs.
    Unfortunately I just missed out on a Parken pedestal drill on gumtree, albeit a few features short of what I am looking for. Saw the advert 4 hours after posting, then checked Parken details (still made in Melbourne -impressive quality) and phoned the factory to see what extra features could be purchased, but by that time (5 hours after posting) the Parken on offer had already been bagsed.

    Bill
    You have to be quick, and sometimes seller's get overwhelmed with messages the say sold and sell it for more.

    I've personally seen it with a $200 transtig I was wanting to buy and got the run around for 2 days even though I was first in and was ready to pick up imidiatly, but he would never give a address out, then seen it listed elsewhere several days latter for more.
    Also a $500 12x36 lathe I got someone onto same type of thing happened.

    If I sell something I'm true to my word, I've had guys waiting at my place to see if the first guy turned up I'd promised it to, have also had the same done for me when I was 40 minutes away.

    Good luck in your drill hunting, there are plenty of older Tiawonese and Chinese machines that are perfectly good. The earlier Chinese machines are better than what is sold today with plastic handles etc.
    If one of these machines has lasted 20 or more years and still tests good, they will see you out.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave J View Post
    ..Good luck in your drill hunting.. .
    Thanks Dave.
    Saw the Taiwan-made JBS today. I took along a DTI and magnetic stand to check the spindle runout, but no need for that because the bearing clearance was at least 2mm!
    "Oh yeah" says he "I thought I mentioned a bit of play there".

    I am coming to the conclusion that buying new might be better. Had a look at the usual suspects but the problem is knowing who to trust for quality.
    Some brands are obviously aimed at the low cost market, while others with very similar specs are more expensive but without any indication of better quality when the brand name is unknown to me - e.g. anyone heard of Borum (https://transquip.com.au/products/bo...ll-3-4-hp.html )?

    However I see that Hikoki (new name for the tools division of the former Hitachi, after being bought by the owners of Metabo) has recently released a pedestal drill in Aus - https://hikokipowertools.com.au/elec...l-drill-press/ It's most probably made in China - but hopefully to reasonable standards and with effective QC.
    I'll check it out.

    Bill

  11. #11
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    Default Pedestal drill quest continued..

    Well I never did follow up the Hikoki pedestal drill - or any other of my 'new purchase' options because in this covid age no-one seemed to have floor stock for inspection.

    However gumtree came up with a Jet 17MF drill press with the following attributes: moderate use by a woodworker, no obvious indications of wear or damage, apart from the "surface rust", due largely I think to lots of wood dust on rust-prone surfaces in a humid shed. I was interested in this machine because it has 110mm quill travel (most have only only 80-85mm); 16 speeds with a reasonable speed range for me; larger table, more work capacity than I have now; and a means of adjusting the table height that's easy on one's back.

    I did run the Jet drill and check the quill clearance in the housing but it seemed pretty good, so I bought it.

    Got the new toy home and (unable to cure this habit) pulled it it bits to assess, check, clean etc.

    First thoughts:
    - I am surprised at the lack of substance in the column, and the extent to which metal has been saved in the castings, but maybe that's just because I'm not used o the idea of it.
    - The build quality is inconsistent: most parts appear well made (eg all pulleys fully machined and balanced), but some simple stuff has been botched or done poorly. Fortunately most of the botches require only reassembly as it should have been done, or are fixable without difficulty, for example making up a new spindle nut to replace this:
    Drill spindle nut.jpg
    rough as guts and tapped crooked.

    Other items to be replaced are the lumpy V belts and the spindle bearings which have been given a hard time by the aforementioned nut being overtightened (the spindle when removed was hard to turn by hand).

    One issue in disassembly was removal of the nut (part 69) securing the spindle pulley.
    Nut 69.jpg
    I was unable to move it using a strap wrench on the pulley and socket wrench on the nut. I wondered if it was a right or left hand thread, but could see no markings on the nut, or detect the thread hand by eye. Tried to loosen both ways - gently at first then increasing until the strap wrench slipped (should have put a piece of old V belt in the groove under the strap but only thought of that later). Resorted to the parts list, but no indication there. Off to buy a cordless rattle gun: tried it left and right, working up carefully from the lowest impact setting. Answer - consistent with the nut tightening in the event of the pulley slipping on the taper, it's a left hand thread, BUT why not mark the nut or show it in the parts list?

    When taken apart and cleaned I found noticeable quill slop in the drill head, but how did I miss that on inspection?
    From drill press repair videos, and exploded assembly diagrams from Grizzly etc, it seems the modern generation of (cheap) drill presses are built without the adjustable (slotted) quill housing as seen in my Tough bench drill and Arboga mill-drill, and others such as Waldown, Richardson etc etc. I do wonder why this simple effective approach to quill housing design has been dropped.

    Anyway, like others of its genre the Jet quill keyway is engaged by a screw through the side of the drill head. This screw passes for a key, but is also used to move the quill sideways and limit the play between quill and housing. That, combined with a particularly thick waxy grease used on the quill, effectively eliminated the perception of slop between quill and housing when I checked it out.

    Measure quill out.jpg

    Approx measured slop with quill retracted: 0.08mm , 0.6mm with quill extended by 110mm: 0.6 mm.
    This lines up with other measurements suggesting something less than 0.1mm clearance between the quill and the housing.

    An obvious way of improving this is to replicate old practice by cutting a slot up the front of the drill head and fitting some clamp screws.
    Quill housing slot.jpg
    This shows the obvious place for the slot, but also the limited wall thickness where the clamping screws would go.
    However there is enough wall thickness for M8 screws, which seemed smallish until I checked my Arboga - it has 2 x M6 screws.
    M8 view.jpg
    A tight fit, but possible.

    Has anyone else tried this? Is there a better way? Any 'gotcha' issues?
    Selling the Jet and buying another is not on my agenda.

    Bill

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