Hafco PD-22

[Col]

Hi all, Col from Hoppers here.

I just thought that I would post my thoughts on the Hafco PD-22.



I have been looking at getting a pedestal drill to replace my old Ryobi bench job that is over 20 years old. Sussed out a few at the various tool establishments and decided to go for the Hare and Forbes model. All I had looked at are either Chinese or Taiwanese these days and I had $550 to spend. Saw the PD-22 in the catalogue and decided it looked ok. Catalogue $519 Paid $499.

Thursday, drove 1.5 hours each way to get it. It came in a cardboard box about 90 kg. I stupidly did not open the box at the delivery point. Got it home and assembled it in about one hour. Covered in the usual oily gunk.

First impressions was that the castings were very rough. The table T slots are poorly cast. No matter how tight I tightened the table it still moved up and down 3 - 5 mm. I even resorted to tightening with a ring spanner on the tightening lever and waited for the casting to break but it still wobbled. Any ideas of accurate drilling are impossible. I also wanted to use it for mortising but it would be useless for that. Unless I had gallons of putty. The floor casting is thin and once bolted to the floor it still wobbled when pushed. Not solid or heavy duty as claimed. The safety switch under the lid for the pulley adjustment did not even come close to making contact so the machine would not go until I bent the contact with the multigrips. The picture in the catalogue has three chrome rods for the handle but mine came with a heavy black cast iron handle. Ugly as sin.

Positive points. The motor did run quietly without vibration and had no quill movement when pulled all of the way down. Light fitted that worked.

If you think that I am not too happy then you would be right. I took the punt on a Chinese machine and it serves me right. I got what I paid for though I thought $499 would get me a reasonable tool. I will be on the phone in the morning to discuss the return of the machine for a refund or to have the bodgey bits replaced with suitable parts. I don't like my chances but we will see.

Friday....
I got up early this morning, went out to the shed, pulled the drill apart and bagged it all up and stuck it back in its box. I phoned Hare and Forbes but there was no one able to speak to me so I shoved the drill in the trailer and took it back. I explained the story and the sales manager refunded all of my money. The shop display and the catalogue picture are different to what I got in my box. He said they just check the first one in an order and assume they are all the same and all ok. (not a good way to do it) I tried to get a deal on the next model up but he wouldn't be in it. I was out of pocket nearly six hours of driving and two days running around.

Went to Carba-tec and looked at their drills. Much better quality and castings are finished better. Would not budge on price and told me that show specials were coming up. Didn't have any in stock anyway so no use hanging around.

Went to a couple of second hand machinery places looking for a used Waldown or similar Aussie machines. They were mostly all 3 phase and clapped out. Need painting and bearings and a single phase motor. Around $800 plus. Too dear for me.

Went to Woodwork machinery Warehouse in Citrus Ave Braeside.



Saw a pedestal JET JDP-17 FM for $630 approx can't remember the exact figure. Told the the Hare and Forbes story and came home with the JET for $575. Top quality straight out of the box. Not oily and gungy and dirty. Castings all good and solid as a rock and machined well with no sharp edges. Put it all together and it comes with a good size square table, a 1 - 16mm keyless chuck and a drill vice with T-bolt fixings. The winding handle to raise the table swivels. Did the bent wire test to see how even the table is and it is spot on. The only thing I will be changing is to remove the screw that holds the belt cover closed and I will fit a knob for ease of entry. No quill movement when lowered fully.

Bad points. No light and has a screw holding belt cover.

I recently bought a 19 inch bandsaw from Carba-tec. Hare and Forbes have bandsaws that look exactly the same until you carefully look at the castings. Chalk and cheese. Taiwan makes better stuff than China it seems.

You get what you pay for and it does pay to shop around and don't be scared to ask for a better price.......

Col

[DJ’s Timber]

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