Shop Fox Oscillating Drill Press W1668: What Owners Should Check Before Buying or Repairing
Most drill presses do one thing. The Shop Fox W1668 does two, and the second one is the reason people fall for it. Beyond drilling, its spindle can be set to oscillate, moving up and down about 3/4 inch while it spins, which turns the machine into a benchtop oscillating spindle sander. If you build furniture, cut a lot of curves, or hate the burn marks a fixed sanding drum leaves behind, that combination in one footprint is genuinely useful, and it is rare at this size.
Before you buy one, or if you are trying to sort out a repair, a handful of specifics tell you whether the W1668 is the right machine and whether the one in front of you is healthy.
What the W1668 is
The Shop Fox W1668 is a 13-1/4-inch benchtop oscillating drill press. It runs a 3/4 HP, 110-volt motor drawing about 9 amps, offers 12 speeds from 250 to 3050 RPM, and uses a JT33 spindle taper with a 5/8-inch chuck. Spindle travel is 3-1/4 inches, and the round cast-iron table is 12-3/8 inches across and tilts a full 90 degrees left and right. There is a 2-inch dust port for the sanding mode, and the machine weighs around 127 pounds, so it is a substantial benchtop unit. It ships with a sanding kit of drums and sleeves, which is the whole point.
Speed changes are the traditional belt-on-pulley kind. Converting to oscillating mode means engaging a third pulley and belt, which reviewers describe as a straightforward, no-drama changeover once you have done it once.
The features that matter, and one real flaw
Rockler’s reviewer, who tested it as both a drill press and a sander, liked the fit, finish, and the double-hex-nut depth stop, and had no real complaints about how it drilled. The honest gripe: it lacks a task light and uses a knob rather than a lever to change speeds, so belt changes are a touch more fiddly than on a lever-tensioned press. Those are conveniences, not deal-breakers, but if you expected a work light in the box, you will be adding your own.
The other thing to set expectations on: at 3/4 HP and 13-1/4-inch swing, this is a light-to-medium woodworking machine. It is superb for wood, plastic, and light metal and for sanding, and it is not a steel-hogging metalworking press.
Before you buy: the checks
- Oscillating mechanism. Engage sander mode and run it. The stroke should be smooth and consistent. A rough or intermittent oscillation points at the third-pulley setup or a worn linkage, which is the machine’s one specialized system.
- Runout and quill play. As with any press, check the chuck for wobble and the quill for side play.
- Dust port and table. Confirm the 2-inch port is intact and the table tilts and locks. The round table is distinctive and less common to find replacements for.
- Completeness of the sanding kit. The drums and sleeves are what make the W1668 special. A used one missing them loses much of its value, though sleeves are simple to replace.
Repairs, parts, and tooling
Shop Fox is a Woodstock International brand distributed alongside Grizzly, and that is good news for parts: full manuals, spec sheets, and exploded parts lists are published online, and parts are orderable by number. The consumables you will actually reorder are the oscillating spindle sander sleeves in various grits, and a spare drill press V-belt. For drilling duty, a good drill press vise makes metal work safe. The machine itself, when you are ready, is the Shop Fox W1668 oscillating benchtop drill press.
The verdict
The Shop Fox W1668 is the machine to buy when you want a solid 13-1/4-inch benchtop drill press and a benchtop spindle sander without giving up two spots on the bench. It drills cleanly, converts to oscillating sanding without fuss, and rides on Woodstock’s real parts support. Go in knowing its honest limits: no work light, a knob-style speed change, and a light-to-medium duty rating that favors wood over heavy steel. Check the oscillating mechanism and the completeness of the sanding kit before buying used, keep sanding sleeves on hand, and the W1668 quietly does the work of two tools.
Takeaways:
- The W1668 is a 13-1/4-inch benchtop press that doubles as an oscillating spindle sander (3/4-inch stroke).
- It is 3/4 HP, 12 speeds (250 to 3050 RPM), JT33 taper, with a round tilting cast-iron table.
- Honest flaws: no work light and a knob-style speed change; it favors wood over heavy steel.
- Check the oscillating mechanism and sanding-kit completeness before buying used.
FAQ
What makes the Shop Fox W1668 different from a regular drill press? Its spindle can oscillate up and down about 3/4 inch while spinning, turning it into a benchtop oscillating spindle sander in addition to a 13-1/4-inch drill press.
What are the W1668’s specs? 3/4 HP, 110V, 12 speeds from 250 to 3050 RPM, JT33 taper, 5/8-inch chuck, 3-1/4 inches of spindle travel, and a 12-3/8-inch round table that tilts 90 degrees each way.
Is the W1668 good for metal? It handles light metal well at the right speed, but at 3/4 HP it is a light-to-medium woodworking machine, not a heavy steel-drilling press.
How hard is it to switch to sanding mode? You engage a third pulley and belt. Reviewers describe it as a simple, one-time-to-learn changeover.
Does it come with a work light? No. The lack of a task light is the most-noted shortcoming, along with a knob rather than a lever for speed changes.
Where do I get W1668 parts and sleeves? Shop Fox (Woodstock International) publishes manuals and parts lists online, and sanding sleeves are standard, easily found consumables.
How much does the W1668 weigh? Around 127 pounds, making it a heavy, stable benchtop machine.
References
- Rockler, “Review: Shop Fox W1668 Drill Press” (hands-on test, specs, and flaws): https://www.rockler.com/learn/shop-fox-w1668-drill-press-review
- Shop Fox / Grizzly, W1668 13-1/4-inch Oscillating Benchtop Drill Press specification sheet: https://cdn0.grizzly.com/specsheets/w1668_ds.pdf
- Grizzly Industrial, Shop Fox W1668 product page (manual and parts list links): https://www.grizzly.com/products/shop-fox-13-1-4-benchtop-oscillating-drill-press/w1668
