SKIL 3320-01 3.2 AMP Drill Press

SKIL is well-known when it comes to power tools, and there is no exception when it comes to drill presses. The 3320-01 is one of SKIL’s finest drill presses that closes the gap between a budget being a budget friendly device and delivering the highest performance. Make no mistake that this is not a premium drill press; however, it is moderately powerful, and is compact, and would not take a lot of space on your workbench.

With all the excellent drill presses from WEN, Dremel, and DeWalt out there in the market, it is important to know if the SKIL 3320-01 is a wise pick when choosing your drill press. Here is an in-depth review of the SKIL 3320-01 AMP drill press.

Features of SKIL 3320-01

Power

Considering the price of the 3320-01, one cannot expect to find a strong motor on the tool; however, it is not quite weak either, you can just say that is it somewhere in between. The tool houses a 3.2 Amp motor that approximately equals to a 1/3 HP in power. Since this is one of the cheapest drill press you can find that can deliver quality performance, you really cannot complain about the motor, mostly because it does good job when drilling. The real question is how you use the drill.

This motor is more than capable of dealing with woods of any type, the 3.2 Amp motor is no joke when it comes to drilling wood and having a quality finish. However, you cannot entirely write off drilling metals; if you want to work with thin sheets of metal, and have an appropriate metal twist, then the 3320-01 will do you a fine job. Now that is definitely not bad, considering the price point of the tool.

Last thing that you do have to keep in mind is that the drill press will not perform up to the standard of that of a premium drill press when you work with thick and high density metal. You just have to keep in mind not to work with a metal sheet that is thicker than 3.4 inches.

Speed

Unlike the WEN drill press of this price range, the Skill drill press will not give you unreal versatility, meaning that is does not have variable speed range. However, you cannot write it off as an inflexible tool. Like your average WEN drill press, this one has a 5 preset speed settings that vary from 570 – 3050 RPMs. You might notice that these speeds are not optimal for working with metals, and this is why you can say that the 3320-01 is suited to work mostly with wood, and not metal.

While the lowest speed can easily drill through softwoods and hardwoods alike, the highest speed will quickly drill through the toughest wood, leaving you a polished drill hole.

The biggest drawback in this category is that the drill press does not have an automatic speed change button. You need to open the cover belt and manually change the tension system to change the speed; why they made the system like this? One can only guess. However, the speed setting is marked on the cover, so there is that.

Size

The odd thing about the key chuck is that it supports 1/2 inch drill bits; however, given the moderate motor in this drill press, it would have made more sense to have a ¼ inch drill press instead.

In case of the total size of the drill press, it is very compact and will not take up much space on your workbench. It measures at 21.8 x 15.2 x 9.8 inches, and weighs 52.2 lbs.

The swing size of 10 inches shows that this drill press is more of a DIY kind of tool rather than a professional one, since it is smaller. Also, the 7-5/8 inch table is not suitable to work with large materials.

Miscellaneous

The amazing thing about the 3320-01 is that it has a Laser X2 guiding system, a guidance system that is exclusive to premium drill presses. This not only makes your life a lot easier when drilling, it also increases efficiency and accuracy to a great deal.

The depth adjustment system is also easy like everything else on the tool; you can lock it into a suitable position to give you drilling consistency.

What We Like

• The price offers a lot of value to this drill press.
• It has a 5 variable speed preset.
• The build quality is great, and the drill press is made to last.
• It is very easy to use, including making adjustments.
• It has a small metal base but offers great stability.
• The table can be tilted 45 degrees to the left and the right.
• Even though the motor is quite weak, you can drill thin metal sheets.

What We Don’t Like

• Since this is a weaker drill press when compared to premium drill presses, a chuck size of ¼ inches would have made more sense.
• You cannot drill high density and thick metals that are more than ¾ inches wide.
• It has a small swing size of 10 inches, however, this is considered to a DIY drill press, and not a professional one.
• The worst thing about the drill press is that is has manual speed change. You actually need to open the back cover to adjust the belt tensioning system.

Related Reviews:

1. Dremel 220-01 Rotary Tool
2. WEN 4210T 10 In.
3. WEN 4214 12-Inch
4. WEN 4208 8 in. 5-Speed

Conclusion

From the get go, you need to realize that this is a DIY drill press, and not a professional one. This is a very user-friendly, and budget-friendly drill press, and if all you are looking to get is a DIY drill press that can easily drill through wood, and can also give you clean finishes, then there is no question that this is the drill press you are looking for.