Will the distinguished gentleman from Michigan, please read us the “budget”……….

[Runs With Scissors]

Well as I was pricing out rear leaf springs for my truck, I noticed the shipping was going to be “stupid expensive”. Somewhere north of 365 bucks

Since this joint is on my way to the cottage, I know exactly where it’s at.

So I reason that I could "make a run” up there, and be back by mid morning for about 20 bucks in gas.

Then I could use the “extra money” to get an “El Cheapo” Mag Drill.

[ I swear on all that is Holy, I must have been a Senator or Congressman in a previous life……I can justify spending money like no ones business]

Well a few clicks on the Big A’s site, and a few days later, and it’s on the porch.

and since I am going to lose the left hand glove any way, I “skip the middle man” and just toss it away….LOLOL

I was watching a video posted by “Tubalcain” (aka Mr. Pete) on BoobTube and he was reviewing this brand and for the money, I said “to hell with it” …….They don’t put pockets in coffins for a reason…….

The one he showed, had some sort of “proprietary quick connect” though…….

I am not a yuge fan of “proprietary” stuff in general, due to the price/lack of avaiability in most cases.

I also will probably only use this a few times a year, and since I am not “on the clock” and in general “time is not money” in my case, I decide to get the model that has the “standard flats” style cutters instead of the “quick connect"

Time to fire it up and see what it can do!

I am “duly impressed” with the length, and seemingly nice quality of the cord. (and yes I know the shop needs cleaning……)

So I “plug her up” and turn on the magnet….M——————r, thats one stong ass magnet. I tried with everything I had, to pull it off the table and it started to tip over my “homemade 5/8 x 3foot x3 foot table and was showing no sign of budging…..Wow…. Color me impressed……..

I decide to drill a test hole and grabbed the 1inch cutter……Then I had a thought…..I always wanted some of those ‘welding table clamps” so instead of just drilling a hole for no reason, I’ll drill a 5/8” hole and order one of those clamps…..


So I set it up with the “centering thing” so that I can try and use the “gravity oiler” that it comes with.(even though EVERYONE says they are junk)

Then install the cutter

Drill the pilot hole….

 

[Runs With Scissors]

So after about 20 minutes of trying to get the cutting oil to flow,

I decided to “store” that POS oiler in it’s proper place.

So it’s gonna have to be “peck and oil"

I have never drilled a “big hole” in thick material so easiely.

I’ll bet it only took about 90 seconds of to drill that hole…..maybe 2 minutes with “chip clearing"

Easiest/cleanest hole I have ever drilled…..BY FAR!!!!!

And by the power of the “inter-web"

My clamp showed up a day later…...

Fits perfect!!!!!

 

[Sawdust&Shavings]

So after about 20 minutes of trying to get the cutting oil to flow,

I decided to “store” that POS oiler in it’s proper place.

View attachment 163121



So it’s gonna have to be “peck and oil"


View attachment 163122



I have never drilled a “big hole” in thick material so easiely.

I’ll bet it only took about 90 seconds of to drill that hole…..maybe 2 minutes with “chip clearing"

Easiest/cleanest hole I have ever drilled…..BY FAR!!!!!



View attachment 163123


And by the power of the “inter-web"

My clamp showed up a day later…...

Fits perfect!!!!!

View attachment 163124


View attachment 163125

Be honest, you picked that model mag drill because it’s Kubota orange!

 

[Yooper]

Now try the carbide cutters…

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

The gears grinding against each other when turned on makes the hair on my arms raise. It reminds me of the Tumbler from Batman with straight-cut differential gears, though likely moreso if you threw pebbles in the differential and let it grind away (kind of like yours).

5" of head travel, which if you need an adapter to hold the cutter in the proprietary quick release greatly reduces the travel. "Adapter" includes twist drill bit chuck.

The oiler doesn't seem to be set up for the standard twist drill bit chuck. A twist drill bit doesn't have a central oil channel, so the oiler tube would need to be supported external to the bit.

The drill bit chuck cannot be run in reverse because it's screw-on. It also appears to not hold hard bits well (and who wants to drill with soft bits???).

The motor does not appear to be brushless (in my observation) because the speed decreases with load; a brushless motor controller should detect the RPM and keep the motor at a constant speed vs. a brushed motor controller that would likely monitor current load; this likely means the mag drill cannot be used for tapping holes, especially combined with the potential for the screw-in chuck to back out when in reverse.

For $180 (or so) it will find a home in someone's garage. I'd probably pull it apart and put real grease in it though, my experience is the grease from "over there" appears to be the residue from rendering gutter oil and doesn't last long.

 

[McMXi]

Then I could use the “extra money” to get an “El Cheapo” Mag Drill.

Sounds like the kind of logic I practice on a regular basis!

I bought a Hougen US made mag drill a few years ago and it's the best $1,000 I ever spent. I use it regularly and it takes the misery out of drilling holes in thick steel. I bought two sets of annular cutters (one for sheet metal) and a chuck for standard drill bits. I used it the other day to drill four 1/4" holes in the C-channel part of the neck of my gooseneck trailer. I don't have a problem with applying cutting fluid by hand.

My first experience with a mag drill was around 35 years ago. I worked for a diving and construction company and we got the job to do all the repair work on the pier at Kalaupapa in Molokai. The new diamond deck plates were 3/4" thick and had to be bolted to the concrete pier every couple of feet which meant hundreds of holes. The company bought a huge mag drill that probably weighed 80lb, and it had a good cutting fluid system. It was a joy to use and that part of the job only took a couple of days. That experience stuck in my mind and I knew that I'd own one at some point.

 

[chim]

You'll love the annular cutters. You'll develop a feel for the right pressure to avoid chatter and squealing. It will make you smile when you see the spinning bird nest and poke a hole through 1" thick material in less than 30 seconds.

I bought one of those Amazon mag drills and some weldon-shank (two flats) annular cutters. Mine came with a chuck for twist drills. I use Stik-Kut for annular cutters. It's the same lube that our shops at work used. Just jam the cutter into the open end of the lube tube to get some smeared on it and drill away. At work they would only lube every two or three holes when drilling I-beams. I lube for every cut.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Great drill !

But I think you threw away the right hand glove. The blue dots are the inside I think...

 

[Runs With Scissors]

The oiler doesn't seem to be set up for the standard twist drill bit chuck. A twist drill bit doesn't have a central oil channel, so the oiler tube would need to be supported external to the bit.


The motor does not appear to be brushless (in my observation) because the speed decreases with load; a brushless motor controller should detect the RPM and keep the motor at a constant speed vs. a brushed motor controller that would likely monitor current load; this likely means the mag drill cannot be used for tapping holes, especially combined with the potential for the screw-in chuck to back out when in reverse.

Yea, I have the pics in a confusing order, but trust me that oiler was a non-functional nightmare.

I'm glad you brought that up. I totally forgot to mention that I feel it should geared down a little.

The “lowest” speed setting is a tad high.

However, it would detect when it was bogging down and ‘auto-magically” increase the “juice" to speed it up.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Great drill !

But I think you threw away the right hand glove. The blue dots are the inside I think...

I think you're correct…….

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Sounds like the kind of logic I practice on a regular basis!

I bought a Hougen US made mag drill a few years ago and it's the best $1,000 I ever spent. I use it regularly and it takes the misery out of drilling holes in thick steel. I bought two sets of annular cutters (one for sheet metal) and a chuck for standard drill bits. I used it the other day to drill four 1/4" holes in the C-channel part of the neck of my gooseneck trailer. I don't have a problem with applying cutting fluid by hand.

My first experience with a mag drill was around 35 years ago. I worked for a diving and construction company and we got the job to do all the repair work on the pier at Kalaupapa in Molokai. The new diamond deck plates were 3/4" thick and had to be bolted to the concrete pier every couple of feet which meant hundreds of holes. The company bought a huge mag drill that probably weighed 80lb, and it had a good cutting fluid system. It was a joy to use and that part of the job only took a couple of days. That experience stuck in my mind and I knew that I'd own one at some point.


View attachment 163135

Thats a nice drill you have there.

Depending on my usage, and the “serviceable life” of this one, I could definitely see one of those “good ones” in my future.


Before I actually tested this one, I would have been “leery” of mounting it "up side down”,

But I’m a “believer” now…….. that is one powerful magnet.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

You'll love the annular cutters. You'll develop a feel for the right pressure to avoid chatter and squealing. It will make you smile when you see the spinning bird nest and poke a hole through 1" thick material in less than 30 seconds.

I bought one of those Amazon mag drills and some weldon-shank (two flats) annular cutters. Mine came with a chuck for twist drills. I use Stik-Kut for annular cutters. It's the same lube that our shops at work used. Just jam the cutter into the open end of the lube tube to get some smeared on it and drill away. At work they would only lube every two or three holes when drilling I-beams. I lube for every cut.

Damn it man!

I have this weird fascination with trying to find the “perfect” cutting lube….

I probably have 20-30 bottles/tubes/jugs/sticks of various “magic lubes” lay’n around…….

Now I gotta order a tube of that stuff…just to make sure …...

 

[chim]

Hey Runs, glad to help with your addiction You'll like Stck-Kut. When jamming the annular cutter into it the lube gets smeared inside and out. It starts out kinda like stiff ear wax and gets runny as soon as the bit heats up a little.

I had to learn how much pressure to apply from seeing and feeling how the bird's nest of cuttings formed and the sound. There's a sweet spot where the cutter glides through the steel.

 

[McMXi]

Thats a nice drill you have there.

Depending on my usage, and the “serviceable life” of this one, I could definitely see one of those “good ones” in my future.


Before I actually tested this one, I would have been “leery” of mounting it "up side down”,

But I’m a “believer” now…….. that is one powerful magnet.

The challenge drilling a hole with the drill inverted is getting it into position before turning the electromagnet on. This drill is heavy but it's not hard too hard to position it, and it sure beats the pain and suffering from using a cordless to drill to put four 1/4" holes through 1/4" of steel while laying on your back. It's much better and easier to operate the handle with one's face out of the line of fire of metal chips and swarf.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Meaningless update…………...

Got going with the 3D printer the other day and made a little “organizer” for the Mag Drill.

Which has inspired me to try and tackle some more drawers………..because I have so much “extra time”

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Looks great and brings order in the tooling

Which has inspired me to try and tackle some more drawers………..because I have so much “extra time”

Excellent, excellent !
Will compile a list of my tools for you immediately