I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China) that I
purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the keyed
steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley has
come out. It appears that they intended this to be a pressed in insert, but
it is now a slip fit. This seems like a rather poor design as the only thing
that appears to be holding the two pieces together is the tightness of the
fit. In aluminum this seems to me to be a very poor design. I called Delta
and they are sending me a new pulley (hopefully an improved version), but
I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same problem.
I've been very happy with my previous Delta purchases and with the quality
of their customer service. That is why I have favored Delta in the past.
I've only had one other need to call their customer service department for a
warranty claim and I experienced the same high quality response that time
too, but I'm now wondering if this "outsourcing to China" thing is the
beginning of a significant reduction in the quality of Delta products. Now,
with their impending sale to a new owner, I'm also wondering if the future
of Delta is in jeopardy.
--
Charley
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"Paul O." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Charley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China) that I
> > purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the keyed
> > steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley has
> > come out.
> > I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same
> problem.
> >
> > > Charley
> >
> > Did some sniping.
>
> I had the same problem with mine. Called Delta and they sent me another. The
> new one is drilled and tapped for a set screw to hold everything together. I
> fixed my original one in this way to use it till the new one got here. Now I
> have an extra.
I had the same problem with mine as well, I returned two units to my
dealer. Perhaps I was wrong in buying them for my school, but they
did get only lite use. I am also saddened by the fact that they are
made in China, but I did buy them because they were cheap. You do get
what you pay for. I learned my lesson. Perhaps as consumers we need
to take some of the blame, we all want to buy at the cheapest price
but expect high quality, it just is not going to happen. Delta tries
to meet our needs and not loss market share to other low end
manufatures and this is getting them in trouble. I am hoping who ever
buys Delta will take the lead and bring back to Delta it's number 1
quality and customer service I have known for years.
Mike from American Sycamore
"Charley" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> UPDATE -
>
> My new pulley arrived from Delta Parts on Friday via UPS. The new one has
> hole drilled through the aluminum hub into the steel insert and a roll pin
> driven into it. I think this is a better fix than a set screw because it
> can't distort the steel insert from over tightening. I've already made an
> identical fix to the old pulley and it's now a spare sitting on my shelf.
> Thank you Delta.
>
> In my opinion this type of problem can happen wherever a machine is
> manufactured. It isn't something that we should condemn China for. We make
> the same types of manufacturing mistakes, or worse, here in this country.
> I'm pleased that Delta is quick to provide good customer service like this
> whenever I need them, no matter where they had the tool manufactured. So
> long as Delta continues to provide tools and customer service to meet my
> needs I'll continue to buy from them without hesitation. I'm just a little
> bit worried about the possibility that the new owner of Delta might decide
> to cut Delta's costs and customer service to try to make a fast buck for a
> few years. I've seen this happen too often with other companies. They get
> bought out and then their quality and service falls off. They ride out their
> good reputation until it's gone and then the parent company sells what's
> left or closes the doors. I'm especially worried about the rumor of Ryobi
> buying Delta because I've bought Ryobi tools and tried their customer
> service. Now I don't buy anything from Ryobi any more.
>
> Other than being a customer I have no connection with either of these
> companies and my opinions are entirely my own, gathered the hard way over
> the past 40 years from experience and lessons learned.
>
> Charley
>
> All outgoing e-mail is scanned for
> viruses by Norton Anti Virus 2004
>
>
> "Mike at American Sycamore" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "Paul O." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > > "Charley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China)
> that I
> > > > purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the
> keyed
> > > > steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley
> has
> > > > come out.
> > > > I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same
> problem.
> > > >
> > > > > Charley
> > > >
> > > > Did some sniping.
> > >
> > > I had the same problem with mine. Called Delta and they sent me another.
> The
> > > new one is drilled and tapped for a set screw to hold everything
> together. I
> > > fixed my original one in this way to use it till the new one got here.
> Now I
> > > have an extra.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I had the same problem with mine as well, I returned two units to my
> > dealer. Perhaps I was wrong in buying them for my school, but they
> > did get only lite use. I am also saddened by the fact that they are
> > made in China, but I did buy them because they were cheap. You do get
> > what you pay for. I learned my lesson. Perhaps as consumers we need
> > to take some of the blame, we all want to buy at the cheapest price
> > but expect high quality, it just is not going to happen. Delta tries
> > to meet our needs and not loss market share to other low end
> > manufatures and this is getting them in trouble. I am hoping who ever
> > buys Delta will take the lead and bring back to Delta it's number 1
> > quality and customer service I have known for years.
> >
> > Mike from American Sycamore
Dear Charley:
Thank-you for your post. I appreciate your opinion and the way that
you look at things. I really like your attitude and words of
encouragement. I pray that whoever buys Delta, they will continue to
improve the company that I respect. I talked with Craig Walls this
morning from Delta and he reports that Delta will grow and become
better. I asked Craig about "broken trunnions" on the Delta Unisaw
and he reports that they have had very few problems. I know as a
dealer I had very few problems as well. I believe that the "broken
trunnion" reports are perhaps blown out of porportion and when you ask
someone: Has this happened to you? NO!! BUT I know of a friend of a
friend of a cousin of mine did have a problem. One has to realize
what a problem this would be to Delta and they would do everything in
their power to advoid this problem. Unisaw boxes now come with a
shock indicator and I know as a dealer of many brands of tools, Delta
packageing is one of the best.
Good luck, Happy woodworking,
Mike from American Sycamore
UPDATE -
My new pulley arrived from Delta Parts on Friday via UPS. The new one has
hole drilled through the aluminum hub into the steel insert and a roll pin
driven into it. I think this is a better fix than a set screw because it
can't distort the steel insert from over tightening. I've already made an
identical fix to the old pulley and it's now a spare sitting on my shelf.
Thank you Delta.
In my opinion this type of problem can happen wherever a machine is
manufactured. It isn't something that we should condemn China for. We make
the same types of manufacturing mistakes, or worse, here in this country.
I'm pleased that Delta is quick to provide good customer service like this
whenever I need them, no matter where they had the tool manufactured. So
long as Delta continues to provide tools and customer service to meet my
needs I'll continue to buy from them without hesitation. I'm just a little
bit worried about the possibility that the new owner of Delta might decide
to cut Delta's costs and customer service to try to make a fast buck for a
few years. I've seen this happen too often with other companies. They get
bought out and then their quality and service falls off. They ride out their
good reputation until it's gone and then the parent company sells what's
left or closes the doors. I'm especially worried about the rumor of Ryobi
buying Delta because I've bought Ryobi tools and tried their customer
service. Now I don't buy anything from Ryobi any more.
Other than being a customer I have no connection with either of these
companies and my opinions are entirely my own, gathered the hard way over
the past 40 years from experience and lessons learned.
Charley
All outgoing e-mail is scanned for
viruses by Norton Anti Virus 2004
"Mike at American Sycamore" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Paul O." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "Charley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China)
that I
> > > purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the
keyed
> > > steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley
has
> > > come out.
> > > I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same
> > problem.
> > >
> > > > Charley
> > >
> > > Did some sniping.
> >
> > I had the same problem with mine. Called Delta and they sent me another.
The
> > new one is drilled and tapped for a set screw to hold everything
together. I
> > fixed my original one in this way to use it till the new one got here.
Now I
> > have an extra.
>
>
>
>
> I had the same problem with mine as well, I returned two units to my
> dealer. Perhaps I was wrong in buying them for my school, but they
> did get only lite use. I am also saddened by the fact that they are
> made in China, but I did buy them because they were cheap. You do get
> what you pay for. I learned my lesson. Perhaps as consumers we need
> to take some of the blame, we all want to buy at the cheapest price
> but expect high quality, it just is not going to happen. Delta tries
> to meet our needs and not loss market share to other low end
> manufatures and this is getting them in trouble. I am hoping who ever
> buys Delta will take the lead and bring back to Delta it's number 1
> quality and customer service I have known for years.
>
> Mike from American Sycamore
"Charley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China) that I
> purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the keyed
> steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley has
> come out.
> I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same
problem.
>
> > Charley
>
> Did some sniping.
I had the same problem with mine. Called Delta and they sent me another. The
new one is drilled and tapped for a set screw to hold everything together. I
fixed my original one in this way to use it till the new one got here. Now I
have an extra.
--
Paul O.
[email protected]
On Thu, 13 May 2004 16:04:32 GMT, "Charley" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China) that I
>purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the keyed
>steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley has
>come out. It appears that they intended this to be a pressed in insert, but
>it is now a slip fit. This seems like a rather poor design as the only thing
>that appears to be holding the two pieces together is the tightness of the
>fit. In aluminum this seems to me to be a very poor design. I called Delta
>and they are sending me a new pulley (hopefully an improved version), but
>I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same problem.
>
>I've been very happy with my previous Delta purchases and with the quality
>of their customer service. That is why I have favored Delta in the past.
>I've only had one other need to call their customer service department for a
>warranty claim and I experienced the same high quality response that time
>too, but I'm now wondering if this "outsourcing to China" thing is the
>beginning of a significant reduction in the quality of Delta products. Now,
>with their impending sale to a new owner, I'm also wondering if the future
>of Delta is in jeopardy.
"delta" will likely be around for a long time. consider that black and
decker, once a quality toolmaker, coasted for decades on their long
trashed reputation....
I knew they had to have done the same thing to somebody else out there.
I used 5 minute epoxy on my pulley to be able to finish my project without
having to move everything to the other drill press (floor model). This type
of thing always seems to happen to me when I've got a complex and perfectly
aligned fixture set up and ready to use, hence my reason for using the epoxy
to finish the job. My new pulley should be here today or Monday. Like you
I'm going to fix the old one with a set screw and keep it for a spare, after
I get the new one installed.
Thanks for the reply.
--
Charley
All outgoing e-mail is scanned for
viruses by Norton Anti Virus 2004
"Paul O." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Charley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have a Delta DP250 variable speed 10" drill press (made in China) that
I
> > purchased in December 2003. After very little use (<100 holes) the keyed
> > steel insert in the sliding (upper) half of the aluminum motor pulley
has
> > come out.
> > I'm now wondering how many other owners have experienced this same
> problem.
> >
> > > Charley
> >
> > Did some sniping.
>
> I had the same problem with mine. Called Delta and they sent me another.
The
> new one is drilled and tapped for a set screw to hold everything together.
I
> fixed my original one in this way to use it till the new one got here. Now
I
> have an extra.
> --
> Paul O.
> [email protected]
>
>