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How to use a drill stand

Updated: 2026-10-23

The hole wanders when you lean on a hand drill, and a stand only helps if the drill is mounted square, the work cannot spin, and you can switch the drill off in one movement. This is how to use a drill stand once you already have one. If the drill will not enter the collar, stop and use the [43 mm drill collar](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/drill-stand/sub/drill-stand-43mm-collar) page before you force it. The rows are in the [drill stand comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/drill-stand). Products Compared used those listings, Tooled-Up, UK Workshop and HSE guidance, not a lab, on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The hole wanders when you lean on a hand drill, and a stand only helps if the drill is mounted square, the work cannot spin, and you can switch the drill off in one movement.

Our top picks

Wolfcraft Wolfcraft 5028000 drill stand

Best overall

Wolfcraft Wolfcraft 5028000 drill stand
9.6/10about £49.95
View offer
Milescraft Milescraft 1318 DrillMate

Alternative

Milescraft Milescraft 1318 DrillMate
8.4/10about £48.46
View offer
TOPWAY TOPWAY multi-angle drill guide

Best value

TOPWAY TOPWAY multi-angle drill guide
7.4/10about £16.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Mount the drill and check it is square
  2. 2.Fix the stand and the work
  3. 3.Set the depth, then drill
  4. 4.Stop the drill and leave concrete alone

Mount the drill and check it is square

On a column stand for a corded drill, take the side handle off and seat the 43 mm neck in the clamp. Tooled-Up describes that as the usual mount: the collar, not the chuck body, is what the stand grips. Tighten until the drill does not twist when you pull the feed. If the neck will not enter, do not file the collar or pad it with tape. One UK buyer measured 42.4 mm against a Bosch drill sold as 43 mm, and the drill would not go in. A portable guide is a different mount. The TOPWAY and the Milescraft DrillMate bring their own chuck, so the bit goes in the guide's chuck: 1/2 inch on the TOPWAY, 3/8 inch on the Milescraft. The divinge listing says its chuck must not run anticlockwise. The Dremel 220 is only for a rotary tool with a chuck around 3.2 mm. UK reviews of the SavingBird mention wobble and about 5 mm of slack. If the scrap hole is oval, fix the mount or stop.

Fix the stand and the work

Bolt the base to the bench if the stand has holes for it. A column that can walk will spoil the square you just set. A 1.4 kg stand has less mass than the Wolfcraft at 3.1 kg or the 7E TRADING at 3.49 kg, and mass is not a substitute for bolts. If you cannot bolt the bench, clamp the base as well as the work. A vice slot is not a vice in the box. The mvrople, SavingBird, Greensen and 7E TRADING mention a slot, and the included lines do not name a vice. Clamp the workpiece before the bit touches it. On a door or a sheet, take the guide to the work and support the exit side. A stated reach of 112 mm, which is what the Wolfcraft bullets say, will not reach the middle of a wide panel.
Wolfcraft Wolfcraft 5028000 drill stand

Testsieger

Wolfcraft Wolfcraft 5028000 drill stand
9.6/10about £49.95
View offer

Set the depth, then drill

Set the depth stop on scrap, not on the finished work. Budget column listings repeat 60 mm as the stated depth. That figure is travel, not a hole in steel. The mvrople also prints 2.4 inches in the wood and metal cells, so use the stop you can feel. The Wolfcraft bullets state a 55 mm stroke and a millimetre scale. The TOPWAY states a stroke up to 150 mm. Lock the stop and drill one more scrap hole. Start the drill before the bit meets the work, then feed slowly. For a batch, leave the stop alone and check the first hole in each new piece. If the motor bogs down, back out and reduce the feed. Switch the drill off before you move your hands to the clamp.

Stop the drill and leave concrete alone

A corded drill with a lock button is the usual way to keep the motor running while both hands are on the feed. You still need to release that lock in one movement. UK Workshop users criticise a cable tie on the trigger because you cannot stop the drill quickly. Do not cable-tie a trigger. If you cannot reach the switch, do not use that drill in the stand. HSE PPE guidance calls for spectacles or goggles where chips are the hazard. Home DIY is not an employer's PUWER duty. HSE sheet CN3 treats drilling concrete as a source of respirable crystalline silica and calls for extraction on a main activity, and respiratory protection of at least APF 20 when extraction is not used. Do not fit a diamond core. Wood dust has its own HSE note, WD0.

Common questions

How do I mount a corded drill?
Remove the side handle and clamp the 43 mm neck, if the collar matches. If it will not enter, measure instead of forcing it. On a guide, the bit goes in the guide's chuck. The Dremel workstation is only for a rotary tool.
How do I hold the trigger?
Use the lock button on a corded drill, and make sure you can release it. Most cordless drills have no lock. A cable tie is a poor stop because you cannot switch off quickly. If you cannot control the trigger, do not run that drill in the stand.
Why must the work be clamped?
A spinning bit will grab an unclamped piece. A vice slot on those column stands is not a vice in the box. Clamp the work before the first hole. On a door, fix the guide and support the exit side.
How do I set a repeated depth?
Set the stop on scrap, confirm one hole, then leave it locked. On budget stands, 60 mm is stated travel, not a steel capacity. The Wolfcraft bullets state 55 mm and a millimetre scale. Check the first hole in each new piece.
Do I bolt the stand down?
Yes, if the base has bolt holes and the bench is yours to drill. A stand that slides will ruin the square. Clamps are the fallback. Weight does not replace a fixing.
What eye protection is enough at home?
Spectacles or goggles for chips, which is the HSE line for that hazard. The stand does not stop swarf. Add extraction for a long run of wood dust. Concrete dust is where these stands are the wrong tool.

Related pages

Drill stand buying guide

Drill stand vs pillar drill

Drill stand

43 mm drill collar: measure the neck before you buy

Best drill stand: Wolfcraft column or TOPWAY guide

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE: PUWER (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG291: using work equipment safely (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE CN3: construction silica (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE WD0: wood dust (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE: using the right type of PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. UK Workshop: drill stand advice (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Tooled-Up: drill stands (retrieved 19 October 2026)