Last Updated: April 17, 2019 (Refresh Now)
WEN 4214 12 Inch Variable Speed Drill Press
Last Updated: April 17, 2019 (Refresh Now)
8.0
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
474
Old Reviews
186
Unverified
49
Spam Test
PASS
LED
TYPE
2.17 meters
SIZE
Review Analysis - 239 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Build Quality
55wood, steel, drill, drill press, chuck
+55%
-45%
" ... Can’t believe how sturdy and powerful this bench-top press is! ... "
" ... more moving parts. ... Not sure how much I can crank down on the cast metal handles which tighten the parts, but if you don't make them real snug, you can have an unfortunate shift in your work piece. ... It came in a solid box with lots of padding . ... arrived here without any damage and the box still looked new, and if I remember correctly, the box had nylon straps as well to keep things snug. ... "
" ... However, it was well packaged in thick styrofoam, so despite the horrible condition of the cardboard box, the machine was packaged well and protected from the rough handling it must have received through shipping. ... "
" ... There is a fair amount of assembly required but the instructions are good and the press is packaged and protected very well. ... "
" ... 2) the plastic on all of the handles, might not last but this will be an easy fix. ... "
" ... The depth stop is all metal and works well. ... That makes it nice because it will cover a lot of ground as far as work piece size. ... "
" ... I'm very please with the build quality and performance of this drill press. ... "
" ... I have no intention of using it for metal. ... Also will build a wheeled stand for it. ... "
Overall performance
50variable speed, speeds, lever, belts, readout
+94%
-6%
" ... It's solid, heavy, quiet and performs well. ... I agree it would be nice to have slower speeds available, but I'm glad that wasn't a deterrent for me. ... "
" ... Speed doesn't go below 600 or so (at least I couldn't get it any lower) so it is tough to use on harder metals with large bits. ... "
" ... The plunge action and speed adjustment is a little gritty. ... "
" ... The adjustable speed is the ticket, I love it. ... "
" ... It is one tough mean machine, very stocky and near as i can tell right on the money with no noticeable run out. ... Speed adjustment great. ... "
" ... No vibration, the variable speed control works great. ... "
" ... The digital speed read out is great to set the proper speed for different materials. ... "
" ... Variable speed is nice. ... "
Price
45money, value, worth, beat, worth the money
+98%
-2%
" ... I am very glad I bought this--worth the price and highly recommend! ... "
" ... I have yet to be disappointed when comparing product performance with price. ... "
" ... Realistically, I couldn't be happier for a couple hundred bucks spent. ... "
" ... Definitely can’t beat it for the price. ... "
" ... Can't be beat for the price. ... "
" ... terrific drill press for the price. ... "
" ... Great drill for the price. ... "
" ... Lots of tool for the money and its pretty solid too. ... "
Fit
45drill press, drill, chuck, holes, clamps
+53%
-47%
" ... Locks down tight, and gives me everything I need. ... "
" ... For $225 and free shipping, I had very moderate expectations for out of the box performance, fit and finish. ... Packaging: This unit was well packaged in close fitting foam, and despite broken foam and a box that looks the part of the global journey it has been on, the machine arrived with no damage and nothing missing. ... 11) The chuck is nice and locks securely without a ton of effort. ... "
" ... All parts fit well and are well formed. ... "
" ... The supplied clamps seem to hold it very securely. ... "
" ... Assembly was painless and all parts fit. ... "
" ... the laser was perfectly aligned. ... "
" ... holes sizes are the same diameter as the drills. ... "
" ... No problem fitting it to the drill press. ... "
Ease of Use
34easy to assemble, setup, instructions, put together, easy to put
+97%
-3%
" ... Easy to assemble and works beautifully. ... "
" ... Works great and easy to use. ... "
" ... It was easy to put together. ... "
" ... Easy setup and performs great. ... "
" ... - paint really chips of easy. ... "
" ... The WEN DPA2412 table is easy to install and nice quality straight out of the box. ... "
" ... Assembly was easy and straight-forward with little reference to the manual. ... "
" ... It was very straightforward and hardly required instructions so don't let the need to assemble it intimidate you. ... very clean and easy. ... "
Features
32work light, laser, lock, motor, led light
+84%
-16%
" ... 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. ... "
" ... Features/Fit/Finish, in no particular order: ... Otherwise, it's a neat feature. ... And this is SIGNIFICANTLY better than the Harbor Freight offerings in terms of features and fit/finish. ... "
" ... The laser and the light are nice. ... The digital readout is a great feature. ... "
" ... No advanced skills required. ... "
" ... The led light is a nice addition, not blindingly bright but illuminates the work area. ... "
" ... The laser and work light are nice. ... "
" ... Built in work light is huge. ... "
" ... More than enough features and power for most home workshop needs. ... "
Setup
30instructions, assembly, setup, easy to assemble, using
+97%
-3%
" ... Assembly was remarkably easy. ... "
" ... The WEN DPA2412 table is easy to install and nice quality straight out of the box. ... "
" ... Unit arrived in good condition and setup was easy and straight forward. ... "
" ... assembly and setup was easy. ... "
" ... Setup is easy. ... "
" ... Easy to assemble and works beautifully. ... "
" ... Setup was simple. ... "
" ... The installation is very easy as well. ... "
Comfort
18table, drill press, lasers, drill, arbor
+39%
-61%
" ... The nuts are hard to grip tight enough to torque them enough to get them to stay put. ... One time it actually fell off! ... "
" ... The lasers are cute but imprecise and cannot be adjusted. ... "
" ... On other hand I am glad that I returned it. ... "
" ... I was not impressed with the quality of this mechanism and didn't bother to unpack the drill head. ... "
" ... What a pain! ... "
" ... One of the lasers dont work and the when using it the chuck keeps on falling out. ... "
" ... That said I can not find any bolt head that will fit the track. ... "
" ... The lip on the spring snapped. ... "
Marketplace
11day, received, photo, first, advertised
+73%
-27%
" ... Personally, I plan to use a 3/4" sacrificial board on top of the table as shown in the last photo. ... "
" ... Received shipment the day they said I would get it. ... "
" ... Received this on time with the 2 day shipping. ... "
" ... (See attached photo). ... "
" ... Everything on it functions well as advertised. ... "
" ... First impression on day of receipt: ... "
" ... Kudos to UPS and Amazon. ... "
" ... Picked this up in sale from Amazon. ... "
Storage
11lock, height, drill, workbench, work
+73%
-27%
" ... The motor goes into like an over load protection and stops until the load on the machine is reduced. ... "
" ... I especially like the additional 2 inches over the 10 inch I have due to the fact I can work with wood taller or wider and find the exact mark on the wood I marked for drilling with the laser light. ... "
" ... Be sure to loosen ONLY one upper lower depth scale collar because the bottommost one holds the scale in place! ... "
" ... Much nicer than the units I saw in the big box stores. ... "
" ... Firm, no wooble when lowering chuck, ample size, powerful, large drill bit capacity, well made, this is just fine for my small shop and was badly needed as a replacement to an 8" cheapo. ... "
" ... I mounted on a plywood tool around box shelf and am very happy with the unit. ... "
" ... I didn't have the space to go to a floor standing model so this one fit the bill. ... "
" ... The advantage of this extra height is that you can drill some fairly large pieces. ... "
Design
11looks, design, paint, flaw, table
+73%
-27%
" ... It feels strong ... "
" ... Actually, I like it and it's smoother than it looks. ... "
" ... I appreciate the attention to detail with its fit and finish. ... It’s a pleasure to operate and looks good sitting in place in my shop. ... "
" ... look at the bottom of the depth scale and you will see the collar. ... "
" ... Numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 look goofy. ... "
" ... - looks really good, nice finish ... - paint really chips of easy. ... "
" ... If you're a woodworker this is worth a good look. ... "
Display Clarity
10led, rpm display, wen, switch, speed
+90%
-10%
" ... -the digital rpm display is super helpful ... -Not a deal breaker, but they could've chosen a much better 7-segment display. ... If your shop is well-lit, then you have to kind of get in front of the display to discern what it says. ... "
" ... It's bright enough to do a good job of lighting up the work area without causing unnecessary glare. ... "
" ... There were some reviewers commenting that the display stayed on all the time. ... "
" ... The led light is a nice addition, not blindingly bright but illuminates the work area. ... The down side to the drill press is that as long as the drill press is plugged in, the led RPM display is on. ... "
" ... Regardless, rewiring the unit so the LED display comes on with the power switch is easy if you have a basic understanding of wiring. ... "
" ... 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. ... "
" ... Finally, as has been mentioned, the rpm display is always on. ... "
" ... Lots of features, I especially like the speed adjustment with the digital display. ... "
Product Reliability
8wood, months, update, unit, motor
+63%
-38%
" ... It arrived in 2 days and I unboxed it immediately and set it up. ... I’ll update after those tests. ... "
" ... I started a wood project months ago. ... "
" ... The 1/2 HP motor seems to have all the power I need. ... "
" ... One of my best purchases that I wish I had made years ago. ... "
Delivery
8received, day, arrived, package, condition
+88%
-13%
" ... Received shipment the day they said I would get it. ... "
" ... It was square and true out of the box. ... "
" ... Received this on time with the 2 day shipping. ... "
" ... It arrived in 2 days and I unboxed it immediately and set it up. ... "
" ... It was dialed in correctly right from the box. ... "
" ... First impression on day of receipt: ... it came overtightened out of the box. ... "
" ... The 80+ pound package arrived on time and in good condition. ... "
Power Consumption
7switch, lots, plenty
+57%
-43%
" ... Great power and quality. ... "
" ... Plenty of power . ... "
" ... Don't hesitate to purchase lots of power, trust me. ... "
" ... It just works great and lots of power. ... "
Returns
7replacement, amazon, send, returned, first
+14%
-86%
" ... Not happy and it is too big to return so I will get the spring replaced. ... "
" ... Although the first one was broken in the box, Amazon was quick to send a replacement. ... "
" ... Wish I could return this. ... "
" ... I decided to return it to Amazon for a refund rather than see if a replacement would be any better. ... "
" ... just returned it to amazon. ... (was with me one hour or less, (trying to ensemble it) put it back in the box and asked for a return) ... "
Capacity
6small, room, garage, work, woodworking
+83%
-17%
" ... Assembly was a breeze, we actually assembled it in the living room when he opened it then took it apart and put it back together in the garage. ... "
" ... However, for my garage workshop, it has proven to be an excellent addition. ... "
" ... For using around the house and doing simple repairs and holes in anything that I need, it will be fine. ... "
" ... It is best to assemble on your shop floor. ... "
Accuracy
6laser, accuracy, strong, light, pretty
+100%
" ... The lazer line seems pretty accurate. ... "
" ... The laser is accurate, and the light is helpful. ... "
" ... 1) The laser is accurate, though to me, it's really only useful for quickly punching a hole in something where accuracy isn't important. ... "
Sound Quality
5noise, motor, vibration, quiet, surprisingly
+40%
-60%
" ... I set it up according to the instructions and upon my first use it started making a horrible noise. ... "
" ... There was a lot of vibration and rattling coming from the drive and motor. ... Something in the motor was making a noise like there was a loose wire spinning with the motor. ... "
" ... Two the motor is pretty noisy. ... "
Cleaning
5parts, chuck, drill, cleaned, assembly
+100%
" ... Once I had the head unit installed I then did a good job of cleaning the quill, taper and chuck. ... It is imperative to do an excellent job of cleaning the this assembly to get a tight(safe) fit that has minimal run-out. ... "
" ... very clean and easy. ... "
" ... It took me about 25 minutes to unpack and clean the parts. ... "
" ... I could not get the runout to a usable level, bought a larger, higher quality chuck, cleaned and re-installed the spindle, etc. ... "
" ... Hopefully, I fixed it with Naval Jelly, then rinse, then fine steel wool, then clean, then coat with some good motor oil or similar. ... "
Size
5travel, heavy, drill, weight, spindle
+80%
-20%
" ... It is the perfect size for my Ryobii DP102L. ... "
" ... Good deal for this size ... "
" ... The weight keeps it planted in place without wandering during use. ... "
" ... Heavy and quiet. ... "
Controls
4top drill press, switch, bench top drill, speed, lever
+75%
-25%
" ... Optimally, a switch that controls total power to the unit downstream would have made the press complete. ... "
" ... The only additional thing I did and would recommend is using Loctite on the feed handles and the speed control lever. ... "
" ... This is a great bench top drill press. ... "
Defective Delivery
4condition, arrived, wen, week, shipped
-100%
" ... Item was damaged. ... "
" ... To my surprise I received package from WEN one week later with that replacement part. ... "
As Gift
3one
+100%
" ... My dads Christmas gift, he's always wanted one so I got him one. ... "
" ... Bought this as a gift for my bf, so I don't know any specifics, but he loves it ... "
" ... I received this unit yesterday as a Birthday present. ... "
Device Stand
3table, mounting, drill, column, washers
+33%
-67%
" ... I didn't get past mounting the base to my workbench and attaching the column. ... "
" ... Putting on the mounting bracket is like step one after opening the box and was not even able to start putting this thing together. ... "
Product As Described
3advertised, well, shown, see, pictures
+100%
" ... Personally, I plan to use a 3/4" sacrificial board on top of the table as shown in the last photo. ... "
" ... (See attached photo). ... "
" ... Everything on it functions well as advertised. ... "
Battery Life
3powered, hand
+67%
-33%
" ... My hand held battery powered DeWalt does a better job. ... "
" ... Note: I have seen videos of this model where the laser and lamp were battery operated. ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 2.17 meters
Display
Type: LED