Magnetic Drill Press

A magnetic drill press is a special, portable, drill press that, like the name would suggest, attaches to a surface using a very strong magnet.

This can be either a permanent or electro magnet. These drill presses are sometimes called mag drills as well.

If you are looking for the best mag drill, we recommend the Hougen HMD904. Hougen also has other models if you need options the HMD904 does not have.

Attachment

As you can imagine, a magnetic drill press usually only attaches to ferrous metals that a magnet is attracted to, but in some cases the drill press can be clamped or bolted to the workpiece if needed.

More Than a Drill

In addition to drilling, magnetic drill presses can also do things like cutting threads (tapping), reaming, and countersinking.

Applications

A magnetic drill press is the perfect solution for drilling items that are large, heavy, or that cannot be moved.

They are great for things like industrial equipment, farm equipment, trailers, vehicles, buildings, construction, or just about anything else you can’t fit in or bring to a normal drill press.

Strong Magnet

As you can imagine the magnet on these drill presses must be very strong to keep it in place while drilling.

There is a lever to engage and disengage the magnet to allow the magnetic drill press to be easily attached and removed from the workpiece.

A magnetic drill press is a pretty specialized tool that you won’t find in every shop, but if you need the benefits it provides then it is a worthwhile investment.

Drill Almost Anywhere

It will allow you to drill in places a drill press can not reach. You can even attach it horizontally, vertically, or at an angle for maximum flexibility.

Need to drill something upside down? A magnetic drill press can even do that.

Some magnetic drill presses even have built-in bit lubrication systems to help cool the bit when drilling to improve the bit life and the quality of the cut.

Drill Bits

For drilling smaller holes, around 1/2″ (12.5mm) or less, standard drill bits (known as twist drill bits) can be used. For larger holes, annular cutters are normally used, these cutters are even commonly referred to as mag drill bits.

Annular Cutters

Annular cutters (mag drill bits) only cut the outside of the hole and leave a solid slug. This reduces the amount of material cut and produces less small metal shavings than standard twist drill bits. This reduction in material cut allows faster cutting and also has the advantage of being able to cut larger holes with a less powerful motor.

Annular cutters also make it easier to clean up, and the larger slugs are less work to recycle. They also cause less contamination to any lubricant used during the cutting process.

More Features

There are even magnetic drill presses with fully or semi-automatic feed to save the time and energy of manual feeding.

Conclusion

If you need the precision of a drill press, but you are working with some large or remote workpiece then a magnetic drill press is likely a good option.