Radial Drills

What Should I Look for in a High Quality Radial Drill?

• First, an infinitely variable speed spindle gearbox. One machine on the market offers a range of 38 rpm to 2000 rpm (2000 rpm would provide the proper rotational speed to run a drill bit as small as 1/8"). Another machine offers a 22 step, direct gear drive drill head with 8-1000 rpm. Having a variable range of speed is important, but being able to adjust it ever so minutely makes an operator’s life so much easier.
• Secondly, an infinitely adjustable multidisc reversing overload clutch on the main spindle will reduce the danger of high torque forces when the spindle is reversed, thereby increasing the life of the gears on the spindle drive.
• Additionally, adjustable drilling depth stop will improve accuracy when moving from one hole to the next.
• Having multiple electric motors is useful in maintaining power to all moving parts, such as having a separate main spindle motor, horizontal arm lift motor, and coolant motor.
• Don't forget lubrication. The best radial drills submerge all gear sets in lubricant while having a separate central lubrication system for the rest of the machine.
• As this list continues to grow, you might want to consider having an automatic positive electromagnetic lock on the horizontal arm, which cans keep your operator safe in the event the arm is not locked prior to drilling.
• Good radial drills will also offer infinitely variable automatic quill feeds. (One such model offers a range from .0024/rev. to .0394/rev.)
• Also in the interest of safety, some drills will include an excessive counter weight base, which can increase the overall machine weight to as much as twice that of others in the market.
• A good radial drill maker won't charge extra for a cube table, a very useful component which is offered only as an optional by most manufacturers.
• The drill head and column can be clamped/released together or separately (via a control switch) on the best radial drills on the market.
• Your radial drill of choice should feature fully-aged castings that are verified by an inspector prior to machining to be properly aged. That may seem almost trivial, but know this: castings that are aged properly are more accurate at all critical points, greatly contributing to the long life of the radial drill.

Everybody basically knows how a cast iron casting comes into being, right? You pour molten cast iron into some kind of mold and then take the piece out of the mold after it has cooled. It’s what you do with the casting afterwards — that’s the most important part. Here’s the big surprise, what you should do with the casting after that is… absolutely nothing! That’s correct, nothing.

Fine grain cast-iron castings, like machine bases and major machine components, need to rest for at least 30 days (with 45 days being preferable). A casting is full of stresses from the forming process and will change dimensionally as it ages. Another way of describing what happens to a young cast-iron casting is if you machine the casting before it ages enough, the casting will continue to move as more stress is relieved from the casting, distorting the finished product.

Where Can You Go to See the Best in Radial Drills?

Well, if you actually wanted to lay eyes on a good radial drill, you might want to visit Salt Lake City and look us up. Please always call in advance if you plan to come and see us so we will be sure to have a representative show you around and help you with your need for a machine tool. We welcome visitors whenever we are able to accommodate their schedules. If you can’t come to visit us, you can always drop us an email and we’ll reply promptly.

Bud's Machine Tools is in the business of exceeding customer expectations, and we don't plan to change. Talk to us about radial drills — or any other metalworking machine — and we can help you get exactly what you need.

Brands within Radial Drills

• ACRA
• SUMMIT

Previously sold within Radial Drills

• Sold Radial Drills Listings