Central Machinery Benchtop Drill Press: Which Model in the Lineup Fits Your Bench
You are standing in front of the drill press rack with a project list in your head, and the Central Machinery benchtop drill press options run from a tiny 8 inch press to a 125 pound 13 inch tower, with a Bauer badge now sitting where the small one used to be. Picking wrong means either a press that bogs on your work or a machine that hogs your bench. Central Machinery is Harbor Freight’s older house brand, and I have mapped its benchtop lineup against real specs so you can match the model to the holes you actually drill.
A benchtop drill press is a column-mounted motor and spindle that bolts to a bench and drives a bit straight down into clamped stock. The two numbers that sort the lineup are swing, meaning workpiece width, and spindle stroke, meaning how deep you can plunge in one pass.
Which one fits your bench? For small wood and light metal, the current 8 inch slot, now filled by the Bauer 8 inch (item 58780), is enough. For deep holes and heavier stock, the Central Machinery 13 inch 16-speed (item 38142) is the real workhorse. There is no single right answer, so the sections below compare the models directly and say who each one fits.
What models are in the Central Machinery benchtop lineup?
The lineup runs from a small 8 inch press up to a heavy 13 inch, and Harbor Freight has shifted the small end to Bauer. Here is how the benchtop tier lines up:
| Model | Swing | Speeds | Motor | Chuck | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Machinery 8 in. 5-speed (item 60238) | 8 in. | 5, 760 to 3070 RPM | small formed-steel-base press | 1/2 in. keyed | about 30 lbs |
| Bauer 8 in. 5-speed (item 58780), current 8 in. slot | 8 in. | 5, 750 to 3200 RPM | 1/3 HP, 2.3 amp, cast iron | 1/2 in. keyed | light benchtop |
| Central Machinery 13 in. 16-speed (item 38142) | 13-7/8 in. | 16, from about 240 RPM | 3/4 HP, MT2 spindle | 7/64 to 5/8 in. keyed | about 125 lbs |
My verdict on the lineup: treat it as three different tools, not three sizes of one. The small 8 inch press is a starter for light parts, and Harbor Freight itself moved that slot to the cast-iron Bauer 8 inch, which I would take over the older formed-steel Central Machinery 8 inch every time for the vibration control alone. The 13 inch 16-speed is the one that earns a permanent bench spot for real work.
Honest flaws across the tier: the old Central Machinery 8 inch used a formed-steel base that buzzed more than cast iron, and it topped out at 3070 RPM with only 2 inches of stroke. The 13 inch is heavy at roughly 125 pounds and tall at about 41-3/4 inches, and owner reports on the larger Central Machinery presses call out casting roughness and a table-locking collar that can arrive poorly machined, so you inspect it inside the return window.
Scene: you set the 13 inch on a bench, spin the 16-speed gearbox down near its 240 RPM low end for a big bit in steel, and the mass of the machine is exactly what keeps the hole clean. Then you try to lift it alone and remember why you cleared a permanent spot.
Who should skip which: skip the 8 inch presses if you drill thick stock or metal often, and skip the 125 pound 13 inch if you move your press to store it or only drill small parts. Confirm the current small-press option, the Bauer 8 in. Bench Drill Press (item 58780), before you decide.
Central Machinery 8-inch or the Bauer that replaced it?
Take the Bauer 8 inch if you are buying today, because it is the live 8 inch bench press and the better-built one. The older Central Machinery 8 inch (item 60238, also sold as 38119, 44506, 62390, and 62520) gave you an 8 inch swing, a 2 inch spindle stroke, five speeds from 760 to 3070 RPM, a tilting table, and a work light, on a formed-steel base at about 30 pounds. The Bauer 8 inch (item 58780) covers the same jobs with a cast-iron head and base, five speeds from 750 to 3200 RPM, a 2 inch quill travel, a 1/2 inch keyed chuck, and an LED work light.
My verdict: the Bauer is the pick, and it is not close for a new buyer. The cast-iron construction damps vibration better than the older formed-steel Central Machinery press, the speed range is a touch wider, and the parts and accessories are the ones Harbor Freight actually stocks now.
The flaw carried over: both are small-table, 2 inch travel machines, so neither will bore a 4x4 in one pass, and the 6-1/2 by 6-1/2 inch class table fills up fast under a fence and clamp.
Who should skip both 8 inch presses: if your work leans toward metal or deep boring, jump straight to the 13 inch 16-speed and do not waste a bench purchase on the small tier.
When is the 13-inch 16-speed (item 38142) the right call?
Choose the 13 inch when you need deep plunges, big swing, and slow speeds for metal. The Central Machinery 13 inch 16-speed (item 38142, also 61786) brings a 3/4 HP motor, sixteen speeds starting near 240 RPM for steel, a 13-7/8 inch swing, a 3-1/8 inch spindle stroke, an MT2 spindle, a chuck that spans 7/64 to 5/8 inch, an 11-1/2 inch cast-iron table, and rack-and-pinion table travel, at roughly 125 pounds and about 41-3/4 inches tall.
My verdict: this is the workhorse of the benchtop lineup and the one I would rank first for anyone who drills metal or thick wood. The 3-1/8 inch stroke alone solves the deep-hole problem the 8 inch presses cannot touch, and sixteen speeds let you slow down for larger bits in steel.
The honest flaw: mass and quality control. At about 125 pounds it is a two-person lift and a permanent fixture, and buyers of the larger Central Machinery presses have reported rough castings and a table-lock collar that can be poorly finished out of the box, so you check the table lock and column fit before your return window closes.
Who should skip the 13 inch: if you only drill small parts on a shared bench, this tower is too much machine and too much weight. As a live benchtop alternative in the middle of the range, the WEN 4208T on Amazon gives you a lighter 8 inch cast-iron press without the 125 pound commitment.
The verdict
The Central Machinery benchtop lineup is really three tools, and matching the model to your work is the whole game. The small 8 inch tier is now best served by the cast-iron Bauer 8 inch, a fine starter for light parts. The 13 inch 16-speed is the deep-hole, metal-capable workhorse, if you can house 125 pounds and inspect it on arrival.
Concrete takeaways:
- For light wood and small metal, take the current 8 inch slot, the Bauer item 58780, over the older formed-steel Central Machinery 8 inch.
- For deep holes, big swing, and metal, the Central Machinery 13 inch 16-speed (item 38142) is the workhorse.
- Expect roughly 125 pounds and a mandatory arrival inspection on the 13 inch.
- Consider a live WEN 4208T as a lighter middle option if the 13 inch is too much machine.
FAQ
Is Central Machinery the same as Harbor Freight? Central Machinery is one of Harbor Freight’s house brands. Harbor Freight has moved parts of its drill press range, including the small 8 inch bench slot, to its newer Bauer brand.
What replaced the Central Machinery 8-inch drill press? The Bauer 8 inch bench drill press (item 58780) now holds the small benchtop slot, using a cast-iron head and base and an LED work light in place of the older formed-steel Central Machinery 8 inch.
How many speeds does the Central Machinery 13-inch have? Sixteen. The 13 inch (item 38142) uses a belt-and-pulley gearbox with sixteen speeds starting near 240 RPM, which lets you run large bits slowly in metal.
What is the spindle stroke on the Central Machinery 13-inch? About 3-1/8 inches, well past the 2 inch stroke of the 8 inch presses, which is the main reason to step up for deep holes.
How much does the Central Machinery 13-inch weigh? Roughly 125 pounds, standing about 41-3/4 inches tall. Plan for a two-person lift and a permanent bench location.
Are Central Machinery drill presses good quality? They are usable, with caveats. The cast-iron models control vibration reasonably, but owners of the larger presses report rough castings and table-lock issues, so inspect the machine within the return window.
Which Central Machinery model is best for metal? The 13 inch 16-speed (item 38142), because its low speeds near 240 RPM and 3/4 HP motor suit larger bits in steel, unlike the fast, light 8 inch presses.
Can I still find the Central Machinery 8-inch, or only the Bauer? Harbor Freight has largely shifted the live 8 inch bench slot to the Bauer 8 inch (item 58780). The Central Machinery 8 inch (item 60238) still turns up secondhand, but the Bauer is the current new option.
References
- Harbor Freight, Bauer 8 in. 5-Speed Bench Drill Press with Light, item 58780: https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-5-speed-bench-drill-press-with-light-58780.html
- Harbor Freight, In-Stock Replacement Parts list: https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/parts/In_Stock_Replacement_Parts.pdf
- OSHA Woodworking eTool, Drill Presses: https://www.osha.gov/etools/woodworking/production/machines-tools/drill-press
- CCOHS, Metalworking Machines: Drill Presses: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/metalworking/drillpresses.html
