Harbor Freight Drill Press Hack

15 second Harbor Freight Drill Press quick fix for bogging down when drilling metal or large holes through wood!! Quick and easy and best of all FREE!!

[hawkenman.]

If you’re looking at the drill press from the front, on the right side is a black knob. If you loosen that knob the motor will pivot back to take up the slack in that belt. That’s how you adjust the drive belt. How that helps a little. Be safe my brother.

[ndshiftaudio]

Use the green link belts from HF. And a little slip is good. Keeps you from breaking bits.

[Justinsatiable]

This machine has a belt tensioner that is tooless. The motor is mounted on slide posts

[candystripersniper]

You do know that this is how you change the speeds and they explain this in the manual right? Your hack is SOP

[Reedic]

Dude it’s I have this same press it’s So easy to adjust the motor this isn’t a hack this is not smart and a way to destroy your belts.

[felixf]

The transfer of power from the motor to the quill hinges on the belt's wrap. Meaning, its contact area with a pulley. By moving the belt up on the center pulley, wrap is increased. It's not something I'd suggest doing as normal operation, but once in a while when it's needed, it's not really harming anything. Tightening the belt can increase wrap, but it's not a night and day difference. Not hardly. I work on drill presses. Replaced the belts on a '90s Delta 16.5 the other day. The belts cost around $6 each, as an example; belt wear isn't a financial heartbreaker.

[BengtRosini]

Jesus Christ, adjusting the motor back a bit to tighten the belt takes almost less time than your adjustment. But hey, it's YOUR drill press. Whatever works for you, man.

[Veliunit]

or just tighten the nut on the final pulley (reverse threaded)

[randyaivaz]

Didn't see knob for Cover, helps hold it down. Looked Like Motor was Spinning Reverse Direction. Don't see a Reverse on mine,

[pallnet]

You shouldn't own tools. Adjusting the motor is how you adjust tension on the belts.

[ecay]

That drill press has a tensioner. It's not really easy to do but you loosen up and you push the motor back and it and then you tighten it up. There's one on either side. Your belts are two loose. That's the whole problem with it. It's easy to see your belts are too loose. You're not using the tensioner on the motor so anybody else who has that be aware there is attention or on the motor and if you have this issue look at the tint the tension your motor has and maybe it's gotten loose tighten it up

[mef]

Seriously, I don't like to complain but this is ridiculous. You should donate the drill press and maybe look into being a hairdresser. At the very least dont post videos claiming you have tricked the system until they are worthy

[MrJoepicard]

You could get some fresh belts that fit better and won't slip. Check an auto parts store. While you're there, pick up a can of belt conditioner too...

[dajur]

You pointed the camera directly at the belt tensioner while you told us that you weren't going to move the motor. It's literally that one knob right there and it can be done in about 10 seconds. It is harder to mess with your belts, not to mention that they will wear out faster, then it is to do it the right way.

[mviker]

Hack? The drill press comes with a manual. You should read it sometime. What you've "discovered" is no hack. That's how you set the speed and belt tensioning for the drill press. .

[kaptkrunchfpv]

What?? Tool adjustments are a waste of time??

[vmoutsop]

This is not a hack, this is just being lazy to reposition the motor to its proper place.

[ntoxicedx]

Lmao. Flop the washers to other side of motor plate

[trackie]

What is wrong with using the tensioner? That’s what it’s for and it’s not any harder to do than what you did (which works but is not good for the belt).

I would only do this if the tensioner didn’t go far enough to get the belt tight, but even then I probably would stick a shim in the tensioner. Anyway, after using the drill, I’d get a new belt.

[yt]

The problem is you bought a piece of Chineseum CRAP! Do yourself a favor and get a real drill press.