The 'Drill Press' System

A Universe of Things

A drill press has a number of advantages over a hand-held drill:

less effort is required to apply the drill to the workpiece. The movement of the chuck and spindle is by a lever working on a rack and pinion, which gives the operator considerable mechanical advantage.
the table allows a vise or clamp to position and lock the work in place making the operation much more secure.
the angle of the spindle is fixed in relation to the table, allowing holes to be drilled accurately and repetitively.

[via wikipedia]