Really cheap DP can be found at Harbor Freight. In the neighborhood of $50. But, it is really chintzy and useless for any precision drilling(chair legs, mortises, and so on.) It will not run a Forstner bit larger than about 3/4".

A brand name unit with a 1/4hp to maybe 1/3hp would be the better choice. And accessories like a vise or adjustable quill stop.

Drill press for woodworking is a difficult call. Using a power drill equipped with a 360 deg level is good enough up to the point of mortising, circle cutter and large Forstner bits. That make's inexpensive presses a poor investment of money and space in shop. Bench top doesn't necessarily translate to inexpensive,there are many solid bench top models. I think you can find a suitable machine for $200,make sure it has step pulleys so you can reduce speed and increase torque. Don't overlook pawn shops and yard sales.

I think you can get a decent drill press for under $200 that will probably meet 99% of your needs. I have a number of expensive woodworking tools (like a Delta table saw and a 16" Laguna band saw), but I have never gotten around to getting a high end drill press. Mine is an off-brand bench model that I bought at a woodworking show 15 years ago for about $150 and it has performed fine and met most of my needs, both wood and metal drilling.

Looking at the link you posted I noticed the Wen 4210, and I see that it is available on Amazon for $160 and gets a lot of good reviews. It has a 2/3 HP motor, a laser, a work light, a depth adjustment gauge, a 1/2" chuck, and a decent weight. Unless you need to drill a lot of really deep holes, the 2-1/2" spindle travel should be adequate for most jobs. And if you are concerned about reliability, you have the option at Amazon of adding a 4-year protection plan for about $25.

While I wouldn't normally recommend Craftsman tools anymore, I picked up one on Craigslist that has worked really well for me -- with both wood and 1/8" metal. You can get a good quality tool for your needs for less than $200. Of the ones in your review, I'd lean towards the Jet or, like I said, the Craftsman. Good luck.

Jet makes good products, but the ones in the linked review were in the $600-$1000 range. I do have a number of Craftsman tools from long ago, but I am not sure that I would get a new one now since Sears is having financial difficulties, closing stores, and just this month sold off the Craftsman line to Black & Decker; how that will affect quality and service remains to be seen.

"As wood is much softer than metal, I assume that a less powerful, cheaper model will get the job done"

There's "job done" and there is "job done well" ...what level of woodworking are you planning?

I've used the kind that you insert a hand drill into and I've used the floor stand or bench mount kind with the rack and pinion mechanism. The latter is definitely superior and produces straighter or more repeatedly angled holes. The cheap ones can easily chew up several hundred dollars worth of wood you have to discard and redo if they chatter, go too deep, or get off-angle for your holes.

Check local FaceBook buy/sell pages, Craigslist and other local classifieds for woodworking tools being sold. Pawn shops are another possibility.

And the sales on floor models, obsoleted models and factory refurbs of good brands at your local tool vendors can be at astounding prices.

I'd watch craigslist for an older Delta, Powermatic, Atlas, Walker Turner, etc drill press. There are a half dozen under $300 on the Boston CL this morning. A "made in USA" Craftsman model is also fine. Unless it's been beaten to heck any of these older machines will tend to be more accurate and more pleasant to use than a similarly priced new model.

If you know what to look out for id agree Pawn shops can yield some great tool deals at times

Its not only crafstmen that sh*$ the bucket. across the board im seeing subpar product from the once great bosch makita hitachi too.

"sold off the Craftsman line to Black & Decker; how that will affect quality and service remains to be seen."

I think quility is predictable. When was the last time you bought a good tool with a Black and Decker brand on it? If you want to see how easy Americans are to fool,go to "Yesterdays Tractors" forums and read the glowing reviews on Harbor Freight Tools. That's a bunch of old sore head farts that grew up on farms. If Chinese tool manufactures can fool that bunch,they will be selling plastic wrenches to the general population before long.

Don't know if this post is too late, but day before yesterday I bought a Craftsman 8" drill press. It had a 5 star rating. Originally $99 something on sale for $75 something. I had points accrued so it wound up only costing me around $50. It weighs a ton. I don't know what horsepower it is.