Pillar drill buying guide: format, speed and the plug
Updated: 2026-10-21
You have a hinge to drill, or a row of bracket holes, and the amazon.co.uk results have already mixed a 3 kg craft stand with a 78 kg floor column. A pillar drill buying guide should settle the order before the star row does: format, then the slowest speed, then chuck against stroke, then mass and a fused plug. The [Bernardo pillar drill comparison](/hub/workshop/bernardo-pillar-drill) is the model table and the prices. This page is that sequence. It does not crown a top pick. Listings were checked on 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a hinge to drill, or a row of bracket holes, and the amazon.co.uk results have already mixed a 3 kg craft stand with a 78 kg floor column.
You have a hinge to drill, or a row of bracket holes, and the amazon.co.uk results have already mixed a 3 kg craft stand with a 78 kg floor column. A pillar drill buying guide should settle the order before the star row does: format, then the slowest speed, then chuck against stroke, then mass and a fused plug. The Bernardo pillar drill comparison is the model table and the prices. This page is that sequence. It does not crown a top pick. Listings were checked on 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Speeds | Chuck | Weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  SIP SIP Pro B20 bench drill | 16, from 200 rpm | 20 mm listed | 48.5 kg | 8.0 | about £434.75 | View offer |
 Bosch Bosch PBD 40 bench drill | 2, up to 2,500 rpm | 13 mm keyless | 11.2 kg | 9.2 | about £279.94 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Einhell Einhell TC-BD 450 bench drill | 5, up to 2,650 rpm | 50 mm cell conflicts | 13 kg | 8.6 | about £123.93 | View offer |
On this page
Bench, floor or mini
A bench drill and a pillar drill are the same job at two heights. The bench machine covers most home wood and light metal. A floor drill is taller, and it takes floor space you cannot give back. A mini of about 3 kg is a third thing. The LengSuaa listing is 2.8 kg and 23 cm. The Buyfun is 2.89 kg with a 6 mm chuck. Reviews there talk about cabochons and bits under 1 mm, not a 13 mm hole in timber. ManoMano’s UK guide also names radial and magnetic drills, which are not rows here. For hinges or brackets, stay with a bench column until the workpiece is genuinely too tall.
Speed, chuck and stroke
Metal wants a slow step. A five-speed drill that bottoms near 580 rpm cannot follow a rule of thumb nearer 350 to 500 rpm on a larger bit. The Draper 38255 starts at 580 rpm and two KATSU five-speed models at 600 and 620 rpm. The KATSU 550 W listing states 12 speeds from 250 rpm. The SIP listings state a floor near 200 to 220 rpm. Move a belt only with the plug out. Chuck capacity is the largest parallel shank, not the stroke. KATSU bullets often state 50 or 60 mm of depth. SIP states 80 mm of travel. The Einhell table says 50 mm for the chuck while the bullets call 50 mm the depth. Refuse that chuck figure. The Bosch 650 Nm cell is not credible for 710 W. Do not invent throat from the carton.
Mass, guard and the UK plug
A light head walks. The Bosch is 11.2 kg, the Einhell about 13 kg, the 12-speed KATSU 20.1 kg and the SIP bench listing 48.5 kg. Bolt a light head down and clamp the work. A laser some Bosch owners mention, which the bullets do not name, does not replace a centre punch. HSE says a static machine should be fixed down. New machinery on the Great Britain market needs UKCA or CE marking, a declaration and English instructions. Do not treat an ASIN as marked without that declaration. PUWER 1998 binds employers. A hobbyist is not automatically a dutyholder. SIP bullets name an NVR switch, a chuck guard and a pulley-cover interlock. A KATSU review describes a belt-cover cut-out that would not start the drill. Return it. UK mains are 230 V with a fused BS 1363 plug. The Draper 95092 names one. A Buyfun review describes an unfused lead. Do not use it.
What this comparison cannot tell you
Carton dimensions are not throat. A 59 cm Einhell does not tell you how far the spindle sits from the column. If the listing is silent, measure a machine you can stand next to. Bernardo’s TB 16 T and TB 20 T are belt-drive bench drills on the manufacturer’s euro shop, not these ASINs. A euro price is not a GBP amazon price. Axminster’s AW315PD, from £289.98, is the same shape and is not a row here. There is no lab test behind these notes. A single 5.0 on the SIP bench drill is not a market result.
Common questions
Is a bench drill the same as a pillar drill?
In ordinary UK workshop speech, yes. Both hold the bit on a column so the hole is square to the table. A bench drill bolts to a bench. A floor pillar drill stands on the floor and is usually taller. A mini of about 3 kg is a craft stand, not that column.
What chuck size do I need?
A 13 mm chuck covers most home bits. A 16 mm chuck holds a larger shank. Chuck size is not drilling depth and not the largest hole the machine will drill cleanly. Refuse a cell that uses one number for both, as the Einhell 50 mm line does.
How many speeds are enough for metal?
Enough means a slow step you can actually select. Five speeds that start near 580 rpm are a poor floor for larger mild-steel bits. Twelve or sixteen speeds, with a bottom near 200 to 250 rpm, match a rule of thumb more closely. Move a belt only with the plug out.
Does the machine need a UK plug?
It should arrive with a fused BS 1363 plug for a 230 V socket. Some listings say so, including the heavy Draper floor drill. Others only print a voltage. One mini review describes an unfused lead and an earth pin that is not solid brass. Do not assume the plug from the star rating or from a 220 V cell.
Are Bernardo drills in this amazon set?
No. Bernardo’s TB series is on the manufacturer’s euro shop, not these ASINs. Do not turn a euro price into pounds and call it the amazon price. The rows here are the LengSuaa and Buyfun minis, KATSU, Draper, Einhell, Bosch and SIP. Axminster’s AW315PD is a similar shape and is not a row either.
When is a mini drill the wrong purchase?
When the hole is a hinge, a bracket or anything near 13 mm in timber or steel. The minis in this set weigh under 3 kg and, on the Buyfun row, stop at a 6 mm chuck. They suit craft bits. They do not suit a bolted workshop column.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK and manufacturer sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026.
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE: Work equipment and machinery introduction (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE: UK law on the design and supply of machinery (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 12717:2001+A1:2009, safety of drilling machines (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Bernardo: bench drilling machine TB 16 T, 230 V (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ManoMano UK: pillar drill buying guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- DIY Doctor: using a pillar drill (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Metaldrilling.co.uk: drilling mild steel (retrieved 21 October 2026)