Which Bench/Pillar Drill

[NewbieRaf]

Morning/Afternoon All

I am after a good bench/pillar drill and I am considering the Bosch pbd40 however as per usual me I would like to have something that is a bit more “trade/professional”. Apart from foboco etc on eBay does anyone have any suggestions of models to buy new?

I know this is a big subject

Thanks

 

[Jameshow]

I brought this recently and although I'm no expert I feel it's good quality.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124389135965
The nearest I can find new are Sealey drills.

Obviously the big old drills set the standard but if space or access is tight then there are other options.

Cheers James

 

[Jameshow]

Something like this ....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22422417529316mm models do have a bit of extra beef.

Cheers James

 

[NewbieRaf]

Thanks James that’s actually looks nice although something a bit smaller in side would be better - - I’m limited on space

 

[Peri]

The Bosch is fantastic simply because it has electronic speed control - if you're like 95% of us you'll soon get bored of swapping belts and it'll stay on the 'one speed fits all' mode (which it doesn't).

If you're limited on space, you're not doing a ton of heavy duty drilling and you're fairly new to woodwork I think you'll be hard pushed to beat the Bosch (Sounds like an episode of 'Dads Army' haha)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

OP - it does help us if you give some idea of your location - there's no point in telling you about a good one available at the other end of the Country.

 

[Droogs]

If you can afford it then have the thing the Bosch is an imitation of
https://www.stilesandbates.co.uk/nova-voyager-dvr-variable-speed-drill-press-1354.php

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Thanks James that’s actually looks nice although something a bit smaller in side would be better - - I’m limited on space

The footprint is much the same regardless, and you still need a certain amout of space around it to use it fully.

 

[Deadeye]

Morning/Afternoon All

I am after a good bench/pillar drill and I am considering the Bosch pbd40 however as per usual me I would like to have something that is a bit more “trade/professional”. Apart from foboco etc on eBay does anyone have any suggestions of models to buy new?

I know this is a big subject

Thanks

Ok. I Know you said "Apart from Fobco etc on ebay" but....
Seriously. Be patient. Get one of the Meddings/Fobco second hand. You won't regret it.
If you search you'll find a thread under my name that asked folk to rank them in order of quality.

 

[TFrench]

Kerry is top of the list of old school bench drills for me. The super 8 has a back gear that gives a lower speed by twisting a gear. So simple you actually use it! Harder to find than a fobco but a much nicer machine.

 

[Ollie78]

I agree with Deadye, you wil find a superior level of quality at a far lower price buying second hand, my Multico is great, my Dad has a bench mounted Meddings that is also nice and not really big either. They were made for industrial use and will last for ever if looked after.
You could buy both for the price of that Bosch.

Ollie

 

[NewbieRaf]

Thank you all I will have a look on eBay again but I also like the idea of the electronic motor and speeds. The Nova Voyager DVR looks nice but it’s too pricey.

 

[Sandyn]

I did look seriously at the Bosch drill, but there were so many reviews saying there were problems with the drill, but it seemed to be an ideal drill for what I was wanting. You always get negative reviews. I looked at other traditional style new drills from all the usual suppliers, but in every case there were many negative reviews. Basically it seemed to be pot luck whether you get a good or bad one. There was one consistent thing I found as I did my research and that was the number of people who had purchased an old drill and were delighted with what they had got, so it wasn't the negative reviews of new drills which put me off, but the positive experiences people had with old, quality made British equipment. I think I looked for over 6 months. There were lots of old drills down south, but virtually none here in Scotland at an OK price, checking several times a day. I finally spotted a 3 phase Meddings MF 4/3 locally at £120 and snapped it up. I have three phase in the house, but not in my workshop. It was too difficult/expensive to put it in the workshop, so I opted for a VFD. I got a Siemens, which was UL listed, not a no-name Chinese one. It cost a good bit more, but I always look for CE marking or better, UL listing on electrical devices such as these. The end result is: for slightly more than the Bosch, I have the most amazing piece of equipment. It is accurate, it has 5 inches of quill travel, it is variable speed, but I still change the belt, which only take a few seconds on this design. It has a gearbox, for ultra low speed. I absolutely love it.... well as much as you can love a big lump of cast iron. It is big, I had to make space for it, but in some respects it doesn't take much more space than the Bosch. It does take more above and below, but that is often dead space anyway. I am totally convinced of the merits of old quality machinery. It's just in another class all together. So much so that I am waiting for my 'new' planer to be delivered in an hour. It is a Bursgreen 9" planer, 160Kg of cast iron. It took months to find it. I know old machinery is not everyone's cup of tea. I can see the attraction of new, compact, no faffing around getting it working, but I agree with everyone about old machinery if you can go that route.

 

[pe2dave]

Take a look at Record I have the 58B and found it rock solid over 10 years use. My only niggle is the depth stop, but I haven't found an aftermarket one.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I think you'll find an entry level Meddings is now something like £1800 new - this is why you can't compare old Meddings etc. to £150 - £250 Chinese stuff. The old stuff is more often than not repairable, as well - new stuff is throwaway.
Advert - All Ads is worth keeping an eye on.

 

[Jester129]

There's a Bosch for sale right here on this forum if you want to take a look. It's got to be okay if someone on here is selling it......

 

[Bristol_Rob]

There's a Bosch pbd40 for sale right here on this forum if you want to take a look. It's got to be okay if someone on here is selling it......

I picked up that Bosch pbd 40 from Pete last week.
Was testing it over the weekend and have nothing but good things to say about that little variable drive bench drill. Perfect for the small garage/shop.

 

[PerryGunn]

I posted the info below on another thread last month but thought it worth repeating (in condensed form) for anyone who wants a 3-spoke wheel for the Bosch PBD40

---
I've had a PBD40 for about a year and I've been very happy with the performance. The only downer for me, was that the round wheel handle was awkward compared to a 3-spoker.

I kept looking to try to find a 3-spoke wheel for the drill and always had an issue with spindle diameter. Then someone posted a link to a video of someone fitting a 3-spoke wheel, the video description had a link to the German eBay Local site where you can still buy it from the guy who makes them. I ordered one and it fits perfectly, and it definitely improves the ergonomics - Total cost was ~£30 inc. shipping

The 3-spoker is at https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s...osch-pbd-40-tischbohrmasch/1118184276-84-1309
The guy making them speaks (?writes?) excellent English and also has versions available for the Parkside and Scheppach versions

I've no affiliation with the seller other than as a customer.

 

[mr rusty]

I am after a good bench/pillar drill and I am considering the Bosch pbd40 however as per usual me I would like to have something that is a bit more “trade/professional”. Apart from foboco etc on eBay does anyone have any suggestions of models to buy new?

I just (2 weeks ago) went through this same buying decision and went for the PBD40. So here's my review after having it a couple of weeks and testing it.

What it is:- small, lightweight (I have mounted it on a separate sheet of 18mm ply which secures to my MFT top equipped bench by bolting down with a single bolt through one of the holes - I can unbolt and lift it somewhere else in 2 minutes), dead easy to use - instant speed adjustment and laser cross hairs (which you may find are not micro-millimetre perfectly aligned out the box. You have to undo 10 screws, take the top and side covers off + the wheel and turn the lasers slightly after loosening the allen grub screw, if you want perfection - I know you shouldn't have to do this, but mine was about 0.5mm out). The depth readout is also accurate and really handy and easy to use.

What it is not:- a high precision engineers drill designed to drill thou-perfect large holes in metal - there is a little (and it is a little) looseness at the drill tip if you grab it and waggle it but certainly not enough to cause any issues in woodworking. (I personally don't think there are "good" and "bad" versions - I think they are all the same - it just depends how much wobble you think is appropriate for a tool like this) Similarly the column is perfectly robust enough for general woodworking but will certainly flex a little if you really wind the pressure on when drilling metal - especially if the bit is blunt.

The hold down works well, the laser is an aid, the worklight is handy, it's quite powerful, the depth readout is great, and again I say the instant speed control is a huge benefit.

I bought a little engineers vice to use with it when drilling small metal parts - carp chinese thing, but good enough.

If you want a little pillar drill to e.g. drill hinge pocket holes, drill out for mortices, and all the other little drilling jobs which are awkward with a hand drill, I can recommend it. If you want a super rigid, heavy piece of engineering, it isn't the right tool for you.