Hi,
I'm Jim Bradley---you know, Glenn's dad. I absolutely love my Delta 959 L. The table is wonderful. I have a Rockler fancy table that I put on. I took it off because I kept removing it because the original Delta table was easier and handier to use.
Glenn and I checked the machine for accuracy (Glenn is H___ on accuracy) and we checked for run-out problems. Everything was perfect.
As Glenn said---this machine is much heavier (larger column, etc.) than his. I almost purchased the same one Glenn has. I am extremely glad that I spent the extra money for the 959 L. Sorry, but I have to say it again, "I love that machine."
The belts are very easy to move to change speeds. It has more power than I can handle. I put a 3 1/2" Grizzly forstner bit in it and put a couple Rockler hold down clamps on the piece of wood. I touched the wood with the tip of the forstner bit and it jerked the wood up out of those clamps in an instant. The clamps could not take it.
I finally got that job done by drilling a hole in a piece of wood so the forstner bit could not bite in and went ahead and drilled. Of course by now I had 4 clamps on the wood instead of the original two. Anyway, back to the drill press...the torque that destroyed two hold-downs did not slow the DP one iota.
Lessons learned: 1) I really fasten wood down when using the Grizzly forstner bits. 2) I really like the DP.
Gad! I sound like I own Delta stock. I don't. The extra sacrafice of spending hard earned dollars over Glenn's machine was well worth it.
This is the end of the unsolicited commercial.
Enjoy,
Jim