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Mini bench drill or pillar drill

Updated: 2026-10-23

The photos look like a column drill, the price is about £55, and the title says bench drill. A mini bench drill vs pillar drill search is usually someone about to buy a craft press and treat it as the same tool as a 15 kg machine. It is not. In this amazon.co.uk capture the miniature presses sit at £54.99 to £66.49 and under 3 kg, and the first real column drill is the KATSU 400 W at £104.99 and 15 kg. The [pillar drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/pillar-drill) lists all eight. Prices are GBP. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The photos look like a column drill, the price is about £55, and the title says bench drill.

Our top picks

Einhell Einhell TC-BD 450

Best overall

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
Buyfun Buyfun mini bench drill

Alternative

Buyfun Buyfun mini bench drill
8.0/10about £55.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two tools, one search
  2. 2.What 6 mm and 100 W are for
  3. 3.The plug reviews come first
  4. 4.When you need the column drill

Two tools, one search

The split on this page is a craft press against a column drill you can clamp timber to. LengSuaa is £54.99 and 2.8 kg. Watts are not stated. Buyfun is £55.90, a stated 100 W, a 6 mm chuck and 2.89 kg, at one stated speed of 2,800 rpm. Builrand is £66.49, a stated 100 W and 6 mm. No guard is described on any of them. The column side starts at the KATSU 400 W, £104.99 and 15 kg. The Einhell TC-BD 450 is about 13 kg. The Bosch PBD 40 is 11.2 kg.

What 6 mm and 100 W are for

A 6 mm chuck and about 100 W are for jewellery, a PCB, or a small brass piece. LengSuaa’s wood cell says 25.4 mm against a body of 16 by 10 by 23 cm, and a review uses it for cabochons. A 6 mm mini is not a furniture drill. Those limits are on the pillar drill buying guide.
Einhell Einhell TC-BD 450

Testsieger

Einhell Einhell TC-BD 450
8.8/10about £123.93
View offer

The plug reviews come first

Both Builrand reviews say the plug is too small and has no fuse. That sits under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35. Do not rewire the lead. The Buyfun file has a dangerous mains-lead title, and another review says 5 V through a 240 V adaptor against a spec cell that says corded. LengSuaa’s title claims a UK plug, and a fuse is not stated. If the lead is the problem, stop.

When you need the column drill

Step up when the hole is larger than a craft bit, when the work must be clamped, or when you need a speed near 600 rpm. That starts at the KATSU 400 W, £104.99 and 15 kg, and one review reports a bent column. The Einhell at £123.93 is the reviewed belt-drive beside it, if you read the manual chuck of 1.5 to 13 mm rather than the 50 mm amazon cell. The Buyfun at £129.99 claims 710 W and weighs 5.4 kg. It is not the bridge between a jewellery press and a 13 kg column.

Common questions

Is a mini bench drill the same as a pillar drill?
No. In this capture a mini is a craft press of about 2.5 to 2.9 kg, often 100 W, with a 6 mm chuck where a chuck is stated. A pillar drill, in the way UK retail uses the words, is the bench column that starts here at 13 to 15 kg. Some catalogues use pillar only for a floor machine. That is a third tool, and it is not what the £55 listings are.
What can a 100 W, 6 mm press actually drill?
Small holes in jewellery, PCBs and light craft, if the plug is sound and the chuck runs true enough for that work. Buyfun and Builrand state 100 W and 6 mm. LengSuaa does not state watts. These rows do not state a steel capacity. They are the wrong tool for furniture, brackets, and anything that needs a vice and a 10 mm bit.
Is the Builrand plug safe to use?
Both reviews say the plug is too small and has no fuse. We would not plan to use it. A drill for household sale should arrive with a three-pin plug and a fuse. Do not open the plug or rewire the lead. Leave the listing until a fused UK plug is what the reviews describe, or buy a different machine.
The Buyfun listing says the lead is dangerous. What should I do?
Stop, and do not use that unit. One review titles the mains lead dangerous. Another describes 5 V through a 240 V adaptor, against a spec cell that says corded. A third says the motor died after about two minutes. Those are reasons to return the press, not a wiring project. Reviews that like it for tiny holes do not cancel a lead warning.
Will the LengSuaa drill a 25 mm hole?
Do not plan on it. The wood cell says 25.4 mm, and the stated body is 16 by 10 by 23 cm. A reviewer uses it for cabochons. The title claims seven speeds, and a review denies that. There is no chuck size in its spec table. Treat 25.4 mm as a broken cell, not as a furniture capacity.
When do I step up to the £105 column drill?
When the bit is bigger than 6 mm, when the work needs a proper clamp, or when you need a speed near 600 rpm rather than a single fast spindle. The KATSU 400 W at £104.99 is the first column drill in this file, at 15 kg and 50 mm of stroke. Check the pillar is straight. If you want the reviewed belt-drive instead, the Einhell is £123.93.

Related pages

Best pillar drill

How to use a pillar drill

Pillar drill

Pillar drill buying guide for chuck, stroke and plug

Pillar drill for metal: what these UK listings state

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)