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Forstner bit drill press or a hand drill

Updated: 23 October 2026

The cordless drill is on the bench, the Forstner bit is 35 mm, and you would rather not drag a pillar drill out for one hole. A Forstner bit drill press is the better machine when the diameter is over 35 mm or the hole has to match a hinge. A hand drill is reasonable only when you can keep the rim square on a less critical hole. The bits are compared on the [Forstner bit comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/forstner-bit). The Products Compared editorial team wrote this on 20 October 2026 from those listings, UK workshop accounts and maker pages, without a lab trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The cordless drill is on the bench, the Forstner bit is 35 mm, and you would rather not drag a pillar drill out for one hole.

Our top picks

hsawbit hsawbit 30 mm Forstner bit

Best overall

hsawbit hsawbit 30 mm Forstner bit
6.9/10about £9.99
View offer
DTGN DTGN 90 mm Forstner bit

Alternative

DTGN DTGN 90 mm Forstner bit
5.4/10about £17.89
View offer
flintronic flintronic 6-piece Forstner set

Alternative

flintronic flintronic 6-piece Forstner set
8.2/10about £12.39
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When a hand drill is reasonable
  2. 2.Why the bit wanders or grabs
  3. 3.When the listing or the hinge job wants a pillar drill
  4. 4.Impact drivers are not the fix

When a hand drill is reasonable

A hand drill is enough for a small, one-off hole when you can hold the bit square for the whole cut. hsawbit's listings say you may use a hand-held drill or a bench press. flintronic, Aohoo and Yueqing Zhongji also name a hand drill. That is permission, not a promise for every diameter. A 15 mm or 20 mm pocket, bored in a clamped scrap first, is the hole that permission covers. If your wrist tilts as the bit bites, the hole becomes an oval and the bottom burns on one side. Clamp the work. Do not stretch the permission to a row of doors. Feed and smoke, once the machine is chosen, are on how to use a Forstner bit.

Why the bit wanders or grabs

The rim, not the shank, guides the hole after the centre point has pricked the surface. While the rim is only partly engaged, a tilt lets one side cut and the other skate, and the bit walks. A hex shank stops the cutter slipping in the chuck. It does not stop the rim walking. UK Workshop contributors describe traditional bits running hot in a hand drill, and toothed carbide rims that grab if the angle is off. A pillar drill takes that tilt out of your hands.
hsawbit hsawbit 30 mm Forstner bit

Testsieger

hsawbit hsawbit 30 mm Forstner bit
6.9/10about £9.99
View offer

When the listing or the hinge job wants a pillar drill

Use a pillar drill for repeated 35 mm cups, and for the 42 mm, 50 mm, 54 mm and 90 mm sizes in this set. DTGN prints the clearest maker line: over 35 mm, use a drill press. The 90 mm bit sits inside that line, and the only saved review is from the United States. Treat a hinge cup as a drill-press job even at exactly 35 mm, because the door is thin. A one-off 30 mm hole can stay on the cordless drill. FAMAG's freehand claim belongs to that bit, from £77.45, and not to a toothed cheap cutter. Hinge layout stays on the 35 mm Forstner bit page.

Impact drivers are not the fix

An impact driver is the wrong answer for the hsawbit bits. Those listings allow a hand-held drill or a bench press, and they tell you not to use an impact driver. Bosch Professional GB labels an EXPERT Forstner page for impact drill/drivers as well. That label is about Bosch's bit, not a rewrite of hsawbit's ban. Cjueiom's bullets name an impact drill, which does not cancel another brand's prohibition. If you do not own a pillar drill and the hole is over 35 mm on a DTGN sheet, wait or ask someone who has a press.

Common questions

Can I use a Forstner bit in a cordless drill?
Yes, when the listing allows a hand drill and you can keep the bit square on a clamped board. hsawbit, flintronic, Aohoo and Yueqing Zhongji all name a hand-held drill. The hole should be one you can afford to have slightly off, not a row of hinge cups. Reviewers still say a drill press is easier, including on a 30 mm bit.
When is a pillar drill the better tool?
When you must repeat a 35 mm cup, or when the diameter is over 35 mm and the maker says so. DTGN prints that line. Faithfull points its carbide hinge bit at a stand-mounted drill. Axminster prefers a pillar drill for its own large-shank set. A single small pocket can stay on the hand drill if the rim stays square.
Is 35 mm too wide for a hand drill?
It is wide enough to grab, and it is the size of a hinge cup you usually repeat. One flintronic review describes the 35 mm bit as hard to control in 18 mm plywood by hand. You can bore a single cup if you stay square and use a depth mark. For a set of doors, use a pillar drill. DTGN's over-35 mm line puts the next sizes on the press, not every 16 mm bit.
What about 42 mm, 50 mm, or 90 mm?
Put them on a drill press. DTGN's 90 mm bit is the plain case, because the listing says diameters over 35 mm belong on a press. The 42 mm, 50 mm and 54 mm cutters here are the same class of hole. A cordless drill may turn them. It will not keep a 90 mm rim tracking if your wrist moves.
Is an impact driver a substitute for torque?
Not for the hsawbit bits, which forbid an impact driver and allow a hand drill or a bench press. Extra blows do not keep the rim square. Bosch's EXPERT page is labelled for impact drill/drivers as well, so you follow the sheet you bought. If a hand drill stalls because the bit is too wide, the next tool is a pillar drill.

Related pages

Forstner bit set buying guide

Forstner bit

35mm Forstner bit for a concealed cabinet hinge cup

Best Forstner bit for a UK hinge cup or metric set

How to use a Forstner bit without burning the wood

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures on the listings.

  1. HSE: wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GB: Forstner bits (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Faithfull: TC 35 mm hinge boring bit (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. DIY Doctor: fit a concealed hinge (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Axminster: 16-piece Forstner bit set (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. UK Workshop: Forstner bits in hand drills (retrieved 20 October 2026)