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Pillar drill buying guide

Updated: 2026-10-23

You are fitting out a shed bench, and the search has mixed three machines under one name. A pillar drill buying guide that starts with the brand will send you to the wrong box. The limit you hit first is the chuck, the stroke, the throat, the lowest speed, or the plug, and those decide the machine before the logo does. This page is that order for a UK shopper on amazon.co.uk in October 2026. The [pillar drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/pillar-drill) holds the eight listings, in GBP. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are fitting out a shed bench, and the search has mixed three machines under one name. A pillar drill buying guide that starts with the brand will send you to the wrong box.

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
Buyfun Buyfun mini bench drill

Alternative

Buyfun Buyfun mini bench drill
8.0/10about £55.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Three machines share this search
  2. 2.The five limits, in order
  3. 3.Spec cells that copy the wrong number
  4. 4.Where to go next

Three machines share this search

Here the name covers a column drill, an electronic bench drill, and a miniature craft press of about 2.5 to 2.9 kg. The KATSU 400 W at £104.99 and 15 kg is a belt-drive column. The Einhell TC-BD 450 at £123.93 is the same kind of machine. The Bosch PBD 40 at £279.94 has two gears and a dial, and no belt cover to open. The presses at £54.99 to £66.49 are craft tools, with a 6 mm chuck where a chuck is stated.

The five limits, in order

The chuck is the jaw opening, not the hole in steel. Bosch states 13 mm, and the Einhell UK manual states 1.5 to 13 mm. Both KATSU listings print 16 mm, which holds a larger shank and does not mean a 16 mm hole in mild steel. A 6 mm chuck on the Buyfun and Builrand presses is for jewellery and PCB bits. Stroke is one pull of the handle: 50 mm on the KATSU 400 W, 60 mm on the KATSU 550 W, 90 mm on Bosch’s UK page, and 50 mm in the Einhell bullets. Throat is chuck-centre to column. Einhell states 104 mm of projection, so you do not centre a worktop. Belt floors are 620 rpm, 600 rpm and 250 rpm on those three belt drills. Bosch’s low gear is 200 to 850 rpm. Steel is on the pillar drill for metal page. Two Builrand reviews say the plug has no fuse. That limit is on the mini bench drill or pillar drill page.
Bosch Bosch PBD 40

Testsieger

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

Spec cells that copy the wrong number

Amazon’s cells on this set copy numbers into the wrong row. Both KATSU listings put 16 mm in the wood cell and the metal cell, the same figure as the chuck. The Einhell listing puts 50 mm in the chuck cell and the metal cell. The bullets use 50 mm as drilling depth, and the UK manual states a 1.5 to 13 mm chuck. The same listing has an amperage cell of 450 A and a grass-cutter bullet. Trust a figure the maker states, or a figure the bullets and the manual agree on. The Bosch torque cell says 650 Nm. Do not repeat it. The Einhell manual marks the motor S6 20% for private use.

Where to go next

Stop once you know which limit fails first. One name, and a reason to skip it, belongs on the best pillar drill page, and that crown is only inside this capture. If the basket is the £55 press because the photos look like a column, read the mini page before you pay. If you have been reading the metal cell as a capacity, read the metal page.

Common questions

What chuck size do I need?
A 6 mm chuck, where these presses state one, is for small craft bits. A 13 mm chuck covers ordinary DIY twist bits, which is what Bosch states and what the Einhell manual states. A 16 mm chuck, printed on both KATSU drills, takes a larger shank. Match the chuck to the bit you own. Do not read the chuck diameter as the largest hole the machine will cut in steel.
What does throat or swing mean?
Throat is the distance from the centre of the chuck to the column. Swing is twice the throat. Einhell states 104 mm of projection, so you can drill near the edge of a wide board and you cannot put the middle of a worktop under the chuck. The gap under the bit is table height, a separate adjustment. A long throat on a floor drill is a different machine from anything in this capture.
Is 50 mm of stroke enough?
It is enough when the hole is shallow or you can turn the work over. The KATSU 400 W and the Einhell bullets both sit at 50 mm. The KATSU 550 W states 60 mm. Bosch’s UK page states 90 mm of stroke. A reviewer of the 400 W machine already calls 50 mm short. If the timber is thicker than the stroke, the second pass has to be planned.
Why do the Einhell cells say a 50 mm chuck?
The cells copy the depth figure. The bullets use 50 mm as maximum drilling depth, and the UK manual states a chuck of 1.5 to 13 mm. The metal cell that also says 50 mm is the same error. The 450 A amperage cell is the same class of mistake. Ignore those cells and use the manual.
What if I use this at work or in a school?
These pages are about a household or hobby bench, not about equipment for employees or students. Work equipment falls under PUWER 1998, and a school workshop needs its own assessment, training and guarding. Do not treat a star line as evidence that a listing is suitable for a classroom. If you are buying for that setting, use the institution’s own route.

Related pages

Best pillar drill

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)