15" Benchtop Drill Press, Model JDP-15B

Nice Drill Press, But Be Prepared for Lights Out

Picked up a brand new Jet JDP-15B drill press at our nearby Woodcraft store on July 8, 2022. It was time to replace an Enco drill press I bought in 1981. Unboxed and assembled the JDP-15B with no problems; all parts were present, the instructions were clear, and its construction is sturdy. Once it was all set up, I plugged it in to 110v; and the panel lights came on as expected. Nice. But then, within a few seconds, all of the lights went out. No panel lights, no table lights, no laser lights. Hmmm. What? Shucks. I didn't even have time to chuck up a bit before everything blinked off. The motor does run, however, which is of course the big thing a drill press needs to do. It is smooth, quiet and virtually free of runout (there is a lot of runout on the old Enco). Checking online, I found a number of other recent Jet JDP series drill press purchasers experiencing the same problem. It took several calls over two days to connect with Jet JPW customer service, but I am persistent. Once I got through, they were friendly and helpful. They know all about the issue; the Jet customer service rep told me I was her third caller in as many days with the same problem. The reported fix is Jet part JDP17-104, a transformer/controller circuit board, but of course it is out of stock, and I will need to wait a month or more to get mine. Accessing and replacing the part requires removing the plastic front panel, and a metal panel behind that, and then some re-wiring. You will need basic tools, some technical skills, and more than a little patience. It is interesting to note that on the dead transformer/controller found in my new JDP-15B, a date stamp reads June of 2015. Yes, apparently you can get a 7-year-old defective part inside a Jet drill press sold as brand new in July, 2022. Until the replacement part arrives, I will be drilling in the dark.