Do you get upset when you’re drilling holes in your beautifully cut piece of DIY and your hand wobbles, making a hole go all askew? A pillar drill (aka a drill press) takes all the irritation and guesswork out of drilling holes in wood, metal and plastic. Replace your hand drill with a bench-mounted drill sitting atop a column on a steady base. There’s nothing to wobble and you control the depth of the hole, its angle, and how fast the drill bit goes through the material. It’s almost too easy to drill perfect holes with a pillar drill. The weight is just about manageable for me (over 50 female) to move around the workshop and I dont think it will prove too heavy and bow the work stand as it is a similar weight to the mitre saw. The first thing you notice about the Bosch PBD 40 pillar drill is how well built it is – you can tell this machine is made to last. This drill comes with a two-speed gearbox that enables you to control how much power is dispensed. The convenience of having this gearbox is that you can closely control the depth of the boring depending on the type of material. The 730 watt motor boasts 200-850rpm and 600-2500rpm speeds depending on whether you have it in first or second gear. You adjust the speed by turning a simple dial. The motor is also protected from electrical damage that can be caused by overloading.

Between variable speed and the depth stop, your drilled holes should have the accuracy worthy of your project. What you really need

Features

A bad workman blames his tools, and pillar drills tend to get blamed for holes that aren’t perfectly perpendicular. Common causes include; workpieces not being clamped in place tightly enough, drill bits inserted at a slight angle, and even the quality of the drill bit itself.We recommend buying premium drill bits as they tend to fit better and last longer. The tiltable table moves 45°C left or right and has a depth stop to help you drill the holes as you want to. The finish is inferior to the Bosch, with exposed springs and a basic three-spoke handle for raising and lowering the motor. Yet, considering that the Clarke costs around one-third as much as the Bosch, its aesthetic shortcomings are more forgivable. The new PBD 40 Bench Drill from Bosch is the perfect solution for the DIY enthusiast looking for maximum precision coupled with complete ease of use. Finally, thisunit comes with a two-year warranty for full peace of mind and is a bonus because most cheaper models only include a one-year guarantee. Pros

in the box, the product is nicely presented and i was able to set it up and start using it immediately without reading the instructions. So far i have not bothered to make use of the electronic depth guage, still preferring to mark a depth stop on the bit with some coloured tape. This product carries a full 3 year manufacturers warranty covering both faulty materials and faulty workmanship, it does not cover general wear and tear or damage, batteries, blades, bulbs and other consumables. In the unlikely event of a fault the item returned is subject to fair wear & tear and must not have been used beyond the scope of it's design. Please note that cordless products will normally have a shorter warranty of just 1 Year for the battery and or charger supplied.Our Best Pillar Drill review looks at a range of pillar drills, from models for starting DIYers through to drills for serious hobbyists and professionals. We list the pros and cons of each model and discuss their features. Our Buyer’s Guide highlights the issues to consider before making the leap and purchasing your pillar drill. The Einhell feels reassuringly solid, but it’s hard to justify its scale-shattering weight in use. The base is sturdy, and the handles don’t feel flimsy, but its performance statistics aren’t that far above the Bosch. This pillar drill has an optimum drill stroke of 90mm which is actually 40mm more than some of the cheaper models on the market. Its maximum drilling diameter is 40mm in wood and 13mm in steel. The drilling depth is highly accurate thanks to the digital display, which means no more old-fashioned depth stop. You easily set and confirm how deep you want to go before activating the drilling process. Features wise the variable speed is excellent though you should note that you do not set the speed to a value rather it tells you what speed you have set, by turning the knob on the front, when you actually start it up. It is also very easy to work the depth feature.