Central Machinery Floor Drill Press: How the Range Breaks Down

All Posts floor drill presses Noah Carter Last updated on January 28, 2026

The Central Machinery floor drill press is Harbor Freight’s step up from the benchtop machines, and it is where the brand starts to make real sense for a serious home shop. A floor press gives you swing, stroke, and speed range that a benchtop unit cannot, and Central Machinery sells several of them at prices that make the jump easy. The confusion is that there is more than one “floor” model, a 13-inch and a 17-inch, with different power and speed counts, and buyers mix them up. Sort them by size and item number and the choice is clear. Here is how the range breaks down.

The Central Machinery floor drill press is a floor-standing drilling machine sold by Harbor Freight, offered mainly as a 13-inch 16-speed model and a 17-inch 16-speed model, with cast-iron construction, a Morse-taper spindle, a tilting table, and a work light, built for general drilling in wood and metal at a budget price.

Short answer: the Central Machinery floor range breaks down into a 13-inch 16-speed machine and a larger 17-inch 16-speed machine (around 1 HP, 200 to 3,630 RPM, MT2 spindle, 5/8-inch chuck). Both are cast-iron floor presses for general wood and metal drilling on a budget, supported through Harbor Freight by item number. Choose by swing and power; the 17-inch is the fuller machine. Here is the breakdown.

The range by size

Central Machinery’s floor presses sort by swing:

13-inch 16-speed floor (item 38144): The smaller floor machine. Sixteen belt-driven speeds, cast-iron build, a tilting table, and a work light. A step up from the benchtop presses without a huge footprint.
17-inch 16-speed floor (items 43389 and similar): The bigger machine. Around 1 HP on 120V, 16 speeds from roughly 200 to 3,630 RPM, a 1/8-to-5/8-inch chuck, a Morse #2 (MT2) spindle, a ball-bearing motor, and an oiler with a flexible tube plus a lamp. The one to get for larger and heavier drilling.

There is also a 13-inch 16-speed benchtop machine (item 38142, about 3/4 HP) that people sometimes confuse with the floor models; it sits on a bench rather than a column base.

What the 17-inch offers

The 17-inch floor press is the fuller machine and the reason to consider Central Machinery for real work:

~1 HP motor on 120V with a ball-bearing build for general wood and metal.
16 speeds from roughly 200 to 3,630 RPM, a wide range covering slow metal drilling and fast small-bit work.
MT2 spindle and a 1/8-to-5/8-inch chuck for solid, standard tooling and bigger bits.
Cast-iron tilting table for angle drilling, plus an oiler and a work lamp.

That combination, floor-press swing, 16 speeds, MT2, and 5/8-inch capacity, is a lot of machine for the price.

Setting one up

Level and stabilize the floor machine so it cannot rock; bolt it down for heavy work.
Square the table with a rod in the chuck and a square, in two directions.
Set the belt speed using the chart: slow for large bits and metal, fast for small bits in wood.
Use the depth stop for repeatable holes.
Tram and inspect carefully; budget machines vary in fit and finish, so expect to tune a new one.

The honest flaws

Budget fit and finish. Castings, runout, and assembly quality vary. Inspect, tram, and tune out of the box.

Belt-change speeds. Sixteen speeds by moving the belt, generous but not a dial.

Harbor Freight exclusive support. Parts and warranty run through Harbor Freight by item number, not a broad network.

Floor space and weight. These are floor machines that need dedicated space and help to place.

Support and parts

Central Machinery is a Harbor Freight exclusive, so support is through Harbor Freight by item number: manuals, parts, and warranty. Record your item number (for example, 43389 for the 17-inch), keep the manual for the speed chart, and source wear items, belt, chuck, spring, through Harbor Freight or as matched generics. A correctly sized V-belt and a 5/8-inch keyed chuck cover most needs. Our Central Machinery drill press guide covers the brand broadly, and the 5-speed benchtop guide covers the small machines.

How it compares

Against a name-brand floor press like the Delta 17900 or Delta 16-1/2, the Central Machinery 17-inch trades refinement and a broad parts network for a lower price and in-store availability, while matching them on basic capability (16 speeds, MT2, 5/8-inch chuck). Against a benchtop like the variable-speed WEN 4212T, the Central Machinery floor press is a bigger, more capable class at the cost of footprint. Choose Central Machinery for budget floor-press capability and Harbor Freight support; choose Delta for refinement and used-market pedigree, or a WEN for a compact variable-speed benchtop.

The verdict

The Central Machinery floor drill press range breaks down into a 13-inch 16-speed machine and a larger, fuller 17-inch 16-speed machine (around 1 HP, 200 to 3,630 RPM, MT2 spindle, 5/8-inch chuck). Both are cast-iron floor presses that bring real swing, stroke, and speed range to a budget shop, with support through Harbor Freight by item number. Their trade-offs, budget fit and finish, belt-change speeds, single-retailer support, and floor footprint, are what the price predicts, and careful setup and tramming get the most from them. For a home shop stepping up from a benchtop press without spending big, the 17-inch is a lot of capable machine for the money.

Frequently asked questions

What are the specs of the Central Machinery 17-inch floor drill press? Around a 1-HP 120V motor, 16 belt-driven speeds from roughly 200 to 3,630 RPM, a Morse #2 (MT2) spindle, a 1/8-to-5/8-inch chuck, a cast-iron tilting table, a ball-bearing motor, and an oiler with a work lamp. It is Harbor Freight item 43389 and similar.

What is the difference between the Central Machinery 13-inch and 17-inch floor presses? The 17-inch is the larger, more powerful machine (around 1 HP, bigger swing, 5/8-inch chuck), while the 13-inch (item 38144) is the smaller floor model. Both are 16-speed cast-iron floor presses; choose by the swing and power you need.

How many speeds does the Central Machinery floor drill press have? Sixteen belt-driven speeds, set by moving the belt between pulley steps. On the 17-inch the range runs from roughly 200 to 3,630 RPM, covering slow metal drilling and fast small-bit work in wood.

Where do I get parts for a Central Machinery floor drill press? Through Harbor Freight by item number, since Central Machinery is a Harbor Freight exclusive. Wear items like the belt, chuck, and spring are available there or as matched generics. Record your item number first.

Is the Central Machinery floor drill press good for metal? Yes, for general metal drilling. Its low speeds, roughly 1-HP motor, MT2 spindle, and 5/8-inch chuck handle steel within reason. Use a slow speed for large bits, a center punch, and steady feed.

Is the Central Machinery floor drill press worth it? For a budget-minded shop stepping up from a benchtop press, yes. You get floor-press swing, 16 speeds, and MT2 capacity for a low price, in exchange for budget fit and finish and Harbor Freight-only support. Inspect and tram it carefully.

Does the Central Machinery floor drill press use an MT2 spindle? The 17-inch floor model uses a Morse #2 (MT2) spindle, which accepts standard MT2 tooling and chuck arbors. That makes tooling and chuck replacement straightforward with common parts.

References

Harbor Freight Tools, Central Machinery floor drill press listings and manuals: https://www.harborfreight.com
Popular Mechanics, floor drill press buying advice: https://www.popularmechanics.com
Practical Machinist, budget floor drill press discussion: https://www.practicalmachinist.com