Best Drill Presses in the UK

As for the performance of this model, it is driven by a powerful 710W electromotor that delivers the 2500 RPM rotation speed. With this model, you can use drill bits with the diameter from 1.5 to 13 mm to work with wood, metal, and plastic. Since drilling each of these materials requires different speeds, the PBD 40 allows you to adjust the speed in two ways. First of all, there is a switch with ‘1’ and ‘2’ numbers on the press side that lets you select the current speed mode or range. Then, using the electronic speed regulator on the control panel, you can smoothly change the drill speed within the range you have selected. For example, mode 1 allows for adjusting the speed in the range of 200 – 850 rpm with a step of 10 rpm. Therefore, you can easily adapt this Bosch tool for working with materials of different density and thickness. There is also a zero point button below the display. It is very handy when you need to drill many bores with different depth. When working in this mode you just need to measure the depth, to which you need to drill several holes, set this value and memorize it by pressing the button. After that, you will easily make multiple holes precisely with the depth set by checking with the display zero point.

Talking about the usability of this drill press by Bosch we just can’t omit to emphasize its intuitive controls. The built-in digital display is big enough to clearly see the readings such as the depth of drilling and RPM. By the way, you can switch between these readings with a single button located under the display. There are also illumination and laser-cross buttons which are quite useful. Undoubtedly the illumination is a widespread and useful feature that most of the press models have, but a laser set is a gem for any craftsmen. With its help, you can aim the laser at the point you want to drill in and look to the beams crossing during the process. That feature is quite helpful and can significantly speed up your work. The starting handle is an element allowing you to easily control the machine since you can either switch it sidewards or press it turning for an emergency stop. In case the power goes off during the press operation, this model will automatically get blocked. With that after the power supply is resumed, you will need to turn the PBD 40 on again manually. For that, first, you need to set the switch to the "off" position and then to the "on" position. That is to say, not only is this powerful tool by Bosch quite safe it will help you take your work to the next level.

The CDP152B utilises a powerful 450W electric motor capable of ensuring the rotation speed from 300 to 2250 RPM. Such a wide range of speeds is achieved owing to a well thought out design of the speed changing system. The system is comprised of three pulley sets and two belts hidden under the unit lid. With it, you have 12 speed options available and all you need to do for selecting the required speed is change the position of the belt. If you are not sure which pulleys to connect with the belt to get the speed needed, there is a table inside the lid that will help you figure it out. Low speeds are suitable for drilling stainless or cast steel. The medium speeds, in their turn, are good for drilling bronze, aluminium, or plastic objects. For drilling holes in wood, you can select one of the hight speeds and use the drill bit of up to 6.4 mm diameter. The chuck can clamp drill bits of 3 - 16 mm in diameter. The spindle travel is 60mm, which is enough for a comfortable work with metallic workpieces. And if you need to increase the drilling depth, just raise the table a little bit and continue drilling.

The Clarke CDP152B has an emergency stop button on the plastic lid that covers on/off buttons. With it, you won't have to open the lid, just press the big stop button and your drill press will stop. This model also has a switch-off function that is quite useful if you have power outage once in a while.

Without a doubt, this tool has all the chances to become an irreplaceable assistant in your workshop. It might seem not as powerful as some other models, yet it offers you many speeds to choose from, thus making the operation more flexible and your work faster.

Craftsmen are aware that the required drill bit type and spindle speed vary with the type of material you are going to drill. This drill press uses a 350W electro motor capable of providing the 2650 RPM rotation speed. This model offers five speeds, which you can switch between manually. To do so, just disconnect the drill press from the power supply, open the pulley cover, loosen the driving belt with the dedicated lever, pull the motor towards the front of the drill, slip the belt ends over the needed pulleys, and then increase the tension of the belt again. If you don't know what belt position you need, you can refer to the table, which is placed on the front side of the machine. The lowest speed of the Silverline 262212 is 580 RPM, which is suitable for 11 - 13 mm metal drill bits, 25 mm and longer wood drill bits, and 35 - 50 mm Forstner bit. As for high speeds, you can drill metal and wood with both 3 - 4 mm and 3 - 15 mm drill bits. The maximum depth, as well as maximum spindle travel, is up to 50 mm.

What we really like to mention about this model is its exceptionally safe operation. There is a chuck guard that makes your work safer by limiting an access to the chuck. However, if you want to run this tool and the guard hinders you from a convenient operation, you can always raise and lock the chuck guard using the mainspring, which will keep locked in this position. Continuing on the safety measures implemented we'd like to mention the availability of the safety device located inside the pulley cover. Its purpose is to prevent the tool from running when the lid is open. That's why after changing speeds, make sure you've closed the cover otherwise the drill press won't start. According to the manufacturer, it is recommended to let the motor cool down after every 15 minutes of drilling. This will help prolong the service life of the motor and the whole unit as well.

This Mini Bench Drill Press uses a 180W electro motor to provide the drilling. Despite such moderate power capacity, this motor is capable of delivering an impressively high 7000 RPM spindle speed. In regards to the workpiece size related performance, the model has a spindle travel of about 25.5 mm, which may seem small compared to other models. However, considering the possibility of moving the head assembly down the column effortlessly for increasing the drilling depth, this value can hardly be considered as a major shortcoming. Near the bottom of the chuck feed handle, there is a scale that allows you to make more precise and accurate holes. It's worth mentioning that when making wooden handicrafts, the size and parameters of the holes are not the only things that are important about your part. The overall look of your parts also matters. We recommend you using disc sanders to polish the product before paint it or varnish it over.

Small size and low weight (only 5kg) are not the only advantages of this model. Another advantage is its speed controller, which allows you to adjust the speed smoothly and effortlessly for the type of material you work with. Moreover, you're offered two options on limiting the maximum spindle speed. First, you can change the position of the driving belt concealed under the pulley cover. Secondly, the control knob itself allows limiting its rotation to a fixed position, which you can set by tightening the screw. This double option ensures a more accurate speed regulation, especially when working at low speeds. As for the overall design of this drilling tool by Merry Tools, it is pretty simple and assembling it won't take you much time. All you need to do is insert the column metallic pipe into the base table and then mount the head with the electro motor, spindle, and control elements on the column. As for the model controls, it has a quite convenient spindle feed handle. The handle is equipped with a rotation limiter preventing it to make a complete revolution around its axis, which is possible for other models. Owing to this feature, when making small holes, you can set the exact drilling depth and have no worries about accidentally going deeper.

Summarising all the above, this bench top drilling machine will become a great assistant for those carpenters who manufacture parts from a wide range of materials, polish wax or acrylic workpieces, and gemstones.

Thanks to a powerful 500W electromotor, this drill press offers a pretty good performance. This capacity enables the motor to rotate the spindle at a high speed of up to 2350 RPM. On the other hand, the minimal spindle speed supported is 280 RPM, which is not common for such low priced models. In regards to the speed changing, you just need to change the arrangement of the belts on the pulleys. The maximum drill depth is 50 mm, but if you need to make a deeper hole and have the drill bit that is long enough, you can raise the work table a bit higher and continue to drill to get to the depth needed. The chuck capacity is 16 mm with the minimum drill bit diameter of 3 mm, which is also enough for most drilling operations. In other words, this drill press by Wolf will help you drill wooden, metallic, as well as plastic objects, you just need to select the right drill bit and speed.

The Wolf Pillar is a user-friendly device that is quite simple to set up and start working. All you need to do is select the required speed, clamp a drill bit in the chuck, and guide it down to a workpiece. There is a scale with a depth stop at the bottom of the feed lever, so when you need to make a 20 mm-deep hole, for instance, you can find this value on the scale and set it to limit the drill bit travel. This option is quite useful when you need to drill many bores and want them to be of a precise depth. The last but not the least there are the instructions on how to change the position of the belts to change the rotation speed pictured on the front side of the unit.