Best deep hole marker for the job
Updated: 23 October 2026
You want a removable drill dot for a shelf, or a line on timber, and you want a clear reason to leave the dearest pencil on the shelf. Best, on this page, means the mark and the reach match the hole, and the amazon.co.uk reviews are numerous enough to show the fault. There is no lab test and no single deepest marker. Prices and stars are the listings in the [deep hole marker comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/deep-hole-marker). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The type menu, if you have not chosen a mark yet, is the [buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/deep-hole-marker/sub/deep-hole-marker-buying-guide).
You want a removable drill dot for a shelf, or a line on timber, and you want a clear reason to leave the dearest pencil on the shelf.
You want a removable drill dot for a shelf, or a line on timber, and you want a clear reason to leave the dearest pencil on the shelf. Best, on this page, means the mark and the reach match the hole, and the amazon.co.uk reviews are numerous enough to show the fault. There is no lab test and no single deepest marker. Prices and stars are the listings in the deep hole marker comparison. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The type menu, if you have not chosen a mark yet, is the buying guide.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Type | Stated reach | Mark | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Nicpro Nicpro (45 mm mechanical set) | Long-nose mechanical | 45 mm tip | Graphite line | 8.5 | about £11.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Charles Bentley Charles Bentley (Marxman twin pack) | Chalk marker | Up to 50 mm | Removable chalk dot | 7.9 | about £9.75 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Tracer Tracer Pencil 2.0 (12-lead kit) | Extendable pencil | 100 mm in 3 mm, or 145 mm in 6 mm | Graphite line | 7.1 | about £16.79 | View offer |
On this page
Best means the job, not one crown
The card scores mix stars, sample size, whether a reach is stated, and price, with deductions for repeated faults. The highest score is the Nicpro set, the top pick for a graphite line and a very large review sample. Best value for a stated 50 mm chalk dot is the Charles Bentley twin pack.
A 20 mm felt nib, a chalk burst sold for about 50 mm, and a lead sold for 145 mm in a 6 mm hole are different tools. Kitchen and joinery want a line and spare leads. Electrical and shelf fitting want one press. The chalk-versus-pencil fork is on chalk marker or deep hole pencil.
Removable dot
For a cavity of about 50 mm, the Bentley twin pack at about £9.75 is the chalk listing to take. It says up to 50 mm and 250 bursts, you get two markers, and the line is 4.6 from 2,013 reviews. Store it with the pin disengaged or it loses charge. The single Marxman at about £6.39 is 4.6 from 1,562 and places the same green dot, but that listing does not print a millimetre reach. Do not treat either ASIN as the separate black Marxman sold for about 50–100 mm, such as B0185Y54PI, which is not in this set.
Trueshot at about £11.45 is the chalk tool when the cavity is deeper than about 50 mm: 100 mm, a replaceable cartridge, and 4.6 from 196 reviews. Leave it when a Marxman-class pen already reaches. The amazon.co.uk bullets omit a shot count. Tracer's page says up to 350 and Screwfix says about 250, so neither figure is a tested life for this listing.
A line you can sharpen
The Nicpro set at about £11.99 is the top pick for a timber line and a large sample: 4.7 from 11,335 reviews, a 45 mm nose, 2.8 mm leads, and 26 refills claimed. It does not claim 100 mm or 145 mm. One comment describes marking through thick material. That is an anecdote, not a measured depth. Reviewers say the lead blunts quickly on mortar and is weak on paint. Leave it when the hole is deeper than the nose.
The Pencil 2.0 at about £16.79 is the extendable line: 100 mm in a 3 mm hole or 145 mm in a 6 mm hole, 12 leads, a holster, and 4.6 from 66 reviews. Sixty-six reviews are a thin sample. The Pro at about £24.95 is the listing to skip: 3.8 from 551 reviews, and the lead will not stay out, will not feed, or the button comes off. Aluminium is not a clamp test. A clamp that fails in the first weeks is a quality point under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9.
A waterproof dot, and the scores that mislead
Felt is a permanent dot where the ink may stay. QESSUVNC at about £8.49 titles a 45 mm tip, at 4.9 from 22 reviews, and one reviewer says the box mixes shorter nibs. YLYDMY states a 20 mm head. SNAGAROG states 30 mm at 4.6 from 227 reviews, with dried pens. tinshow is the same price at 5.0 from four reviews, which must not outrank 4.6 from 2,013. RongPei never states a nib length. Felt does not beat chalk on wallpaper.
Common questions
Which listing is the sensible default for a removable drill dot?
The Charles Bentley twin pack at about £9.75, stated up to 50 mm, at 4.6 from 2,013 reviews. The single Marxman at about £6.39 is the same green press if you accept that its page does not print a depth. Use Trueshot only when the cavity is deeper than about 50 mm.
Which listing is the sensible default for a line on timber?
The Nicpro set at about £11.99, if 45 mm is enough: 4.7 from 11,335 reviews and a box of 2.8 mm leads. If the hole is 3 mm or 6 mm, take the Pencil 2.0 at about £16.79 and treat 66 reviews as a small sample. Do not step up to the Pro for that line.
Why is the dearest pencil the weak one?
The Tracer Pro is about £24.95 and 3.8 from 551 amazon.co.uk reviews. The repeated fault is the lead clamp: it retracts, will not stay out, or will not feed. The aluminium body does not override that pattern.
Is the Nicpro best because it has the most reviews?
It has the highest score in this set partly because 11,335 reviews is the largest sample, at 4.7, and the listing states a 45 mm nose. That makes it the top pick for a short graphite line. It is not the best chalk marker, and it is the wrong pen if you need 100 mm. Review count is not a depth measurement.
Should I trust tinshow's 5.0?
No. That line is 5.0 from four reviews, and the UK text says the pens are ok. The colour lists disagree, and the printed weight is 1 g. SNAGAROG states the same 30 mm class at the same price with 227 reviews.
When is Trueshot the chalk tool, rather than Marxman?
When the cavity is deeper than the roughly 50 mm class of the green Marxman and the Bentley twin pack. Trueshot's listing says 100 mm and a replaceable cartridge, at about £11.45 and 4.6 from 196 reviews. For a shallow bracket, the cheaper chalk already does the dot.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.
- Tracer deep hole pencil (retrieved October 2026)
- Tracer Pro kit (retrieved October 2026)
- Tracer Trueshot (retrieved October 2026)
- Screwfix Trueshot (retrieved October 2026)
- Charles Bentley Marxman (retrieved October 2026)
- Selco Marxman (retrieved October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved October 2026)
- General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved October 2026)
- HSE INDG273 solvents (retrieved October 2026)