Holes & mortises
A drill press is bought for holes that are square to the face, and kept for repeatability. We compare quill travel, spindle runout, table adjustment and speed range — plus dedicated mortisers against the attachment that promises to turn a drill press into one.
450 W · 5 speeds to 2,650 min⁻¹ · 50 mm (1.97 in) depth · €115
A €115 pillar drill that publishes its depth, its speed range and its chuck capacity — and states all three plainly.
Best for: Shelf pins, dowels and hardware holes — accurate shallow drilling on a small bench
630 W · 60 mm (2.36 in) depth · 16 mm (0.63 in) capacity
A pillar drill that states its drilling depth and its maximum bit size — and is nearly twice the price in Britain as in Germany.
Best for: Repeat drilling to a set depth — shelf pins, dowel holes, hardware
8 in · 620–3,100 rpm in 5 steps · 150 mm (5.91 in) quill claimed · 2.5 A
An eight-inch press claiming five point nine inches of spindle travel — more than the floor-standing machine on this shelf.
Best for: The smallest sum that puts a press with a tilting table on a bench — with the travel figure confirmed first
≈ $97
710 W · 90 mm (3.54 in) quill · 40 mm (1.57 in) in wood
The longest stroke of the European bench drills here — 90 mm (3.54 in) — and the only one that states its capacity in wood as well as steel.
Best for: Deep holes and large Forstner bits — the work the cheaper presses cannot reach
1,5–13 mm (0.06 to 0.51 in) chuck · 50 mm (1.97 in) quill · vice included
A bench drill press with a machine vice in the box for €99 — and a 50 mm (1.97 in) quill stroke that tells you what it is for.
Best for: Accurate shallow holes — hardware, dowels, shelf pins — on a small bench
710 W · laser · quick-change chuck
A 710 W bench drill press with a keyless chuck and a laser, cheaper in Britain than in Germany.
Best for: General workshop drilling where speed of setup matters
≈ $400
550 W · 80 mm (3.15 in) depth · 1–16 mm (0.04 to 0.63 in) keyless · cast iron
A cast-iron pillar drill with 80 mm (3.15 in) of depth and a 16 mm (0.63 in) keyless chuck — on a listing that gives two different top speeds.
Best for: Deeper holes and larger bits than a small bench press will take
≈ $990
10 in · 5 speeds, 610–2,800 rpm · class II laser at 0.83 mW
The only press on this shelf with a class II laser — the weaker class — and it publishes the figure twice.
Best for: A small bench where the laser matters and the depth of hole does not
≈ $185
12 in swing · 530–3,140 rpm variable · 6.2 A and 1 HP both claimed
Six point two amps at 115 volts going in, and one horsepower claimed coming out — which is more than it takes.
Best for: Twelve inches of swing and a tilting table, by somebody who will ask the seller for the travel
≈ $320
8 in · 750/1140/1740/2340/3200 rpm · 51 mm (2.01 in) quill · 2.5 A
The only press on this shelf to publish every one of its speeds as a number — and the only one to mention runout at all.
Best for: Small parts on a small bench, where the speed has to be set to a known number
≈ $100
10 in swing · 51 mm (2.01 in) quill · 530–3,100 rpm · 57 lb
The smaller WEN: the same motor and the same readout, with two inches less swing and an inch less travel.
Best for: Shelf pins, dowels and hardware holes on a bench, lifted into place by one person
≈ $240
12 in swing · 79 mm (3.11 in) quill · 580–3,100 rpm · 85 lb
Six figures published where most of this shelf gives two: swing, travel, speed range, weight, dimensions and chuck capacity.
Best for: A bench that can take 38 kg (83.8 lb), and work that needs the speed to be read rather than counted
≈ $265
600 W · 1,630 mm (64.2 in) tall · 400 V three-phase
A floor-standing pillar drill 1.63 m (5 ft) tall — and one that needs a three-phase supply most workshops do not have.
Best for: A workshop that already has a three-phase supply and needs floor-standing capacity
17 in swing · 127 mm (5 in) quill · 16 speeds · 3/4 HP TEFC · poly-V drive
A hundred and twenty-seven millimeters of quill travel, sixteen speeds and a T-slotted cast iron table — the only machine here built as a floor press.
Best for: A workshop with floor space, drilling deep and clamping work down rather than holding it
≈ $1650
A large-diameter bit in metal demands torque at low speed. It is the motor's reserve that prevents stalling as the bit breaks through.
Chuck capacity sets the admissible shank diameter, and therefore which tools the machine will accept.
Even the most affordable pillar drill bores straighter than any hand drill. That is the machine's main point.
Slow for steel and large diameters, fast for wood and small bits. Too fast in metal burns the bit within seconds.
Always in metal, often in wood. A bit that grabs spins the piece like a propeller, and that is the most common accident on this machine.
Table out of adjustment, play in the quill, or a badly supported piece. Check the table-to-spindle perpendicularity with a square first.
With a dedicated attachment, on some machines only. A pillar drill's spindle is not designed for lateral loads, and the bearings suffer.
Keyed on a pillar drill: it grips harder and does not loosen under reversed torque. Keyless belongs on hand drills.
Repeating exactly the same depth across a series, and not breaking through a piece. It is the most used function after drilling itself.
Essential in wood to avoid breakout on exit, and handy in metal so as not to drill the table.
On most drill presses, yes, up to forty-five degrees either way. Check that it returns to zero against a stop, or every tilt costs a full reset.
A pillar drill is bought for perpendicularity, not for power. Check quill travel, the presence of a reliable depth stop, and the low end of the speed range if you touch metal.
A column holds only if four machines in five publish the figure. Below that, it would compare what the manuals left out.
| Model | Price | Motor |
|---|---|---|
| EcoSummer 8 in benchtop, 5 speed | $97 | 2.5 A induction, published · No wattage and no horsepower are claimed |
| VEVOR 8 in benchtop, 5 speed | $100 | 2.5 A induction, published · No wattage and no horsepower are claimed |
| Skil DP9505-00, 10 in benchtop | $185 | 6.2 A induction, published · No wattage and no horsepower are claimed |
| WEN DP1062V, 10 in benchtop | $240 | 6.2 A induction, published — the same figure as the maker's 12 in press · No wattage and no horsepower are claimed |
| WEN DP1263V, 12 in benchtop | $265 | 6.2 A induction, published · No wattage and no horsepower are claimed |
| VEVOR 1216BVS, 12 in benchtop | $320 | 6.2 A and 1.0 HP, both published · 6.2 A at 115 V is about 713 W of input; 1 HP is 746 W of output |
| Scheppach DP60 | $400 | 710 W |
| Scheppach DP18Vario | $990 | 550 W |
| Jet JDP-17, 17 in floor standing | $1650 | 3/4 HP, single phase, 115 V, TEFC — totally enclosed fan cooled, the only enclosed motor on this shelf |
| Bosch PBD 40 | — | 710 W |
| Einhell TC-BD 450 | — | 450 W |
| Einhell TC-BD 630/1 | — | 630 W |
| Holzmann SB4116HN | — | 600 W |
| Scheppach DP16VLS | — | — |
$97 – $185
3 models
EcoSummer 8 in benchtop, 5 speed, VEVOR 8 in benchtop, 5 speed, Skil DP9505-00, 10 in benchtop
$240 – $320
3 models
WEN DP1062V, 10 in benchtop, WEN DP1263V, 12 in benchtop, VEVOR 1216BVS, 12 in benchtop
$400 – $1650
3 models
Scheppach DP60, Scheppach DP18Vario, Jet JDP-17, 17 in floor standing
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for woodworking machines and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure in this table names its source.
Most recent revision in this category: October 7, 2026.
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
