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Best pillar drill UK

Updated: 2026-10-23

You want one bench drill from the machines in front of you, not a roundup that crowns a 44 kg machine this page does not sell. Other roundups put a Bosch PBD 40 near the top, then mix in an Einhell that is not the TC-BD 450. This page crowns only the eight amazon.co.uk listings in our October 2026 capture, and it names who should skip the winner. The [pillar drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/pillar-drill) is the table. Prices are GBP. We did not measure run-out in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want one bench drill from the machines in front of you, not a roundup that crowns a 44 kg machine this page does not sell.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch PBD 40

Best overall

Bosch Bosch PBD 40
9.2/10about £279.94
View offer
Einhell Einhell TC-BD 450

Best value

Einhell Einhell TC-BD 450
8.8/10about £123.93
View offer
KATSU Tools KATSU 400 W bench drill

Alternative

KATSU Tools KATSU 400 W bench drill
8.4/10about £104.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Best inside this capture, not best in Britain
  2. 2.The Bosch PBD 40, and the reason to send it back
  3. 3.Buy the Einhell when the Bosch is the wrong spend
  4. 4.The listings that are not the pick

Best inside this capture, not best in Britain

A listing reaches the top of this file when the maker states a steel diameter, the speed is electronic, the UK review count is large enough to show the faults, and you can send a bad chuck back. It is not a claim that this is the best pillar drill in the UK, and a star line is not a lab test. On that criterion the top pick is the Bosch PBD 40 at £279.94, with 4.5 from 869 reviews. Bosch’s UK page states 13 mm in steel, 40 mm in wood and 90 mm of stroke. The torque cell that says 650 Nm is not a specification we treat as real.

The Bosch PBD 40, and the reason to send it back

If the sample is a good one, you are paying for a dial instead of a belt, plus a parallel guide and a quick-release clamp. Bosch’s own page has listed £347.59. This capture is £279.94. Owners report chucks that seize, run-out that spoils metal, and play of the head on the column. If the hole wanders, send it back. Walk away if you need a bearing fit. What 13 mm in steel does not excuse is on the pillar drill for metal page.
Bosch Bosch PBD 40

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch PBD 40
9.2/10about £279.94
View offer

Buy the Einhell when the Bosch is the wrong spend

The best value listing here is the Einhell TC-BD 450, model 4520592, at £123.93, with 4.3 from 389 reviews. It is a 450 W belt-drive bench drill at 13 kg. The UK manual states a chuck of 1.5 to 13 mm, five speeds from 600 to 2,650 rpm, and S6 20% for private use. Unplug before you move the belt. The chuck cell and the metal cell say 50 mm, and the amperage cell says 450 A. Fifty millimetres is the depth, not a steel capacity and not a chuck.

The listings that are not the pick

The KATSU 400 W, model 161212, at £104.99 is the cheapest column drill here: 15 kg, five speeds from 620 rpm, and 50 mm of depth. One text reports a bent column. The 16 mm metal cell is the chuck size, not a steel capacity. The KATSU 550 W at £149.99 has no star line in this file. The Buyfun digital press at £129.99 weighs 5.4 kg, with six reviews and a wobble report. It is not a Bosch alternative. The miniature presses, from £54.99 to £66.49, are a different tool. If that is the basket, read mini bench drill or pillar drill.

Common questions

Which pillar drill is the top pick in this comparison?
The Bosch PBD 40 at £279.94. It is the only listing here whose UK maker states 13 mm in steel and 40 mm in wood, with electronic speed and 869 reviews. The condition is that you can return a chuck that seizes or runs out. It is the top pick inside this capture, not a claim about every pillar drill on sale in Britain.
Who should skip the Bosch and buy the Einhell?
Skip the Bosch when the work is ordinary wood and light DIY and the budget stops near £124. The Einhell TC-BD 450 at £123.93 is the best value belt-drive in this file, with 389 reviews and a manual chuck of 1.5 to 13 mm. Skip the Einhell in turn if you need a stated steel diameter or you refuse to change a belt.
Is the KATSU 400 W the best cheap pillar drill?
It is the cheapest column drill in this capture, at £104.99 and 15 kg, with speeds from 620 rpm. Cheap needs the bent-column review in the same sentence. Check the pillar is square. The 16 mm metal cell copies the chuck. Seventeen reviews are a thin sample next to the Einhell’s 389.
Why not the KATSU 550 W, if it is heavier?
The stated spec is 550 W, 20.1 kg, 60 mm of depth, and a lowest speed of 250 rpm. The saved listing has no reviews and no star line. Spending £149.99, more than the Einhell, without owner evidence is why it is not the pick. The 16 mm metal cell is again the chuck size, not a steel test.
Is the Buyfun 710 W listing a Bosch alternative?
No. The power claim matches the Bosch on paper, and the weight does not. This Buyfun is 5.4 kg with six reviews and a report of wobble. The Bosch is 11.2 kg with a maker steel line and 869 reviews. Treat the Buyfun metal cell of 10 mm as a claim, not as the same fact as Bosch’s 13 mm.
What if I only drill jewellery-scale holes?
Then none of the column drills is the point of the spend. A 100 W press with a 6 mm chuck is the craft tool, and it brings its own plug warnings. Start on the mini page. Do not buy the Bosch or the Einhell to drill silver findings unless you already wanted a bench drill for larger work.

Related pages

Pillar drill buying guide

How to use a pillar drill

Pillar drill

Pillar drill for metal: what these UK listings state

Mini bench drill or pillar drill: two different tools

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in that digest.

  1. HSE INDG291: providing and using work equipment safely (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Bosch DIY UK: PBD 40 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Einhell TC-BD 450 user manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Axminster Workshop AW315PD bench pillar drill (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Design and Technology Association: BS 4163:2021 in school workshops (retrieved 22 October 2026)