6 Best Pillar Drills of 2024

The Bosch PBD 40 is probably the best pillar drill because it’s accurate, has an innovative electronic speed controller, and doesn’t take up much room in the workshop. This clever piece of kit comes from Bosch’s “green” line of DIY level tools, but don’t be fooled. This is a rather special drill that wouldn’t look out of place in a professional woodworking shop.

The first thing to say about it is that it’s very compact and portable. At just over 11 kg it’s not heavy so you don’t have to dedicate an entire corner of your workshop to it. You can keep it out of the way until you need it, or even take it with you.

What makes this the best drill press that I’ve had a play around with in recent times is the electronic speed control. Anyone familiar with a traditional pillar drill will know how fiddly they can be. Changing belts and cams to get different speeds or torque is a pain, so doing away with this is a real gamechanger.

You can select between two main torque settings with a switch. The drilling speed is separately controlled with the dial on the front of the drill housing. What makes this drill a joy to work with is the digital display. You can toggle between the live rpm and drilling depth for great accuracy even during operation.

It’s a fantastic addition to any woodworker’s shop and feels like a step up from other pillar drills I’ve used in the past.

In house brand of industrial tool favourites Machine Mart, Clarke have a reputation for making solid equipment and accessories. I took a closer look at the CDP5RB bench mounted pillar drill, and it doesn’t let the brand down.

Squarely aimed at DIYers and model makers, this is a handy bench top drill press. It won’t replace an industrial free standing monster, but it’s not designed for that anyway. The overall build quality is good, with a chunky cast base and solid-feeling table that can be tilted as well as raised and lowered.

The keyed chuck accepts bits up to 13 mm and even tapered bits up to B16. It comes with a useful spring-loaded plastic safety shield too. There’s a solid-feeling depth stop for when you need it, and the handy diagram on the front tells you what depth you’re at.

The 350 Watt motor is quiet enough and getting to the belts to change speed only requires one screw to be removed. If you want an honest and reliable drill press, I think this is a solid choice.

Innovative tool brand Katsu make some surprisingly good power tools for a brand you’ve probably not heard of before. And they’ve made one of the best small pillar drills that I’ve had a chance to try out.

Weighing in at a mere 5.25 kg, this is the ultimate in portable accuracy when it comes to drilling. Normally, you must take the workpiece to the drill press. The Katsu turns this idea on its head by making a pillar drill that’s so light and easy to move around. You can take the drill to the workpiece.

To say this is a basic pillar drill isn’t an understatement. You can adjust the speed and height, but that’s about it for functionality. It’s useful for small drilling jobs and feels well made, but don’t expect to be able to drill through 10 mm steel plate. The little 100 Watt motor on this drill is more suited to hobby and light duty DIY tasks.

Everything about this pillar drill is small. The motor size and maximum drilling depth are small compared with the rest of the drills on my list. However, f you need a bench top drill press for little jobs, it drills straight and accurately enough.

Selling everything from chainsaws to treadmills, Dirty Pro Tools have a knack for producing honest goods from their base in Derby.

Their five speed bench mounted drill press is just about as good as it can get for the price. In fact, there’s not much difference between the Dirty Pro Tools and the Clarke CDP5RB. It has a similar motor and nearly the same stats all round.

The keyed chuck takes drill bits up to 13 mm. The motor does a good job at being quiet at just over 80 dB when in use. Changing speed means opening the motor case and changing round pulleys, but it’s a straightforward operation to complete.

Everything feels solid on this pillar drill. It might not have an enormous industrial grade motor but for DIYers and hobbyists who want to drill straight holes, you can’t go wrong.

Familiar to almost anyone who swings a hammer in the UK, Silverline make a dizzying array of tools, accessories and fixings that are reliable and don’t break the bank.

Their take on the five speed pillar drill offers a sturdy cast base and 350 Watts of drilling power. It comes with a keyed chuck that accepts drill bits up to 13 mm. You can adjust the height of the drill table easily using a cam lever.

The included clear plastic guard is spring loaded for flipping out of the way when you don’t need it. It does a good job at keeping flying chips to a minimum. This is an honest pillar drill that feels well made. There’s minimal play in the chuck and if you use the right drill bits, it will perform well.

This Zerone Pillar Drill is ready for working on a variety of materials. It comes with an added machining vice that makes it one of the best bench drill press accessories available on my list.

It’s a belt driven drill press that puts out nine variable speeds between 480 – 3,000 rpm. Changing the speed and torque settings isn’t too taxing thanks to the large gear wheels in the top case. The base is heavy and made from cast iron, so it should help to keep vibrations down to a minimum.

The table tilts and is held in place using a clever cam locking system. It means you can drill accurately at angles up to 45° from vertical. I like the rack and pinion height adjust and the crank handle used to raise and lower the bed. It’s easy to use and is accurate too.

The integrated work light and accurate laser ensure an extra level of precision that is essential for drilling precise holes.