Holes & mortises · review
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.
The end of it The more capable of the seven European drill presses here, on a page that cannot keep its own numbers straight.
Every figure is a manufacturer specification, read off the listing itself, and the judgments are ours — drawn from how the specification behaves in this class of machine and from what long-term owners consistently report. Where a figure is missing, we say so rather than fill it in.
550 W, cast-iron construction, 80 mm (3.15 in) drilling depth, a keyless chuck taking 1 to 16 mm (0.63 in), continuously variable speed, a table extension with a support roller, a position laser and an LED work light. Part number 5906807901.
The listing title gives the speed range as 440 to 2,850 min⁻¹. The manufacturer feature list on the same page gives 440 to 2,580 min⁻¹. Those are different machines’ worth of difference at the top end, and one of the two fields is simply wrong.
We are publishing it rather than quietly picking one, because a page that disagrees with itself is a fact about the page. Here the practical consequence is small — neither figure changes what the drill will do for most work — but the same kind of error on a capacity figure is how a wrong machine gets delivered.
A drill press exists to make a hole perpendicular, and to make the same hole again. The specification that decides what it can do is how far the spindle travels in one plunge: that is the thickness you can drill through without moving the work, and every time you raise the table and re-enter a hole you risk the alignment the machine was bought for.
The second number is the chuck range. It caps the shank you can hold rather than the hole you can bore — large Forstner bits are commonly made with reduced shanks for exactly this reason.
80 mm (3.15 in) and a 16 mm (0.63 in) chuck put this machine a class above the Einhell above on both counts, and the 16 mm (0.63 in) capacity in particular means fewer reduced-shank compromises with large Forstner bits.
A chuck key is the part of a drill press that goes missing, and leaving one in a chuck that then starts under power turns a piece of steel into a projectile. Keyless removes both problems at some cost in ultimate grip on a large bit.
| Motor | 550 W |
|---|---|
| Drilling depth | 80 mm (3.15 in) |
| Chuck capacity | 1 to 16 mm (0.04 to 0.63 in), keyless |
| Speed range | 440 to 2,850 min⁻¹ in the title; 440 to 2,580 min⁻¹ in the feature list |
| Construction | Cast iron |
| Also fitted | Table extension with support roller, position laser, LED light |
| Part number | 5906807901 |
| Amazon reference | B0746J5FP5 (identical on 6 markets) |
| EAN | 4046664045328 |
We cannot tell you. The title says 440 to 2,850 min⁻¹ and the manufacturer feature list on the same page says 440 to 2,580 min⁻¹. One of the two fields is wrong and from outside there is no way to know which. It is unlikely to change your buying decision — both figures are high enough for small bits in steel — but a listing that disagrees with itself is worth flagging.
Drill through a 75 mm (2.95 in) post in one plunge, or bore a deep hole without resetting the workpiece. It is the difference between a machine for hardware holes and one that can be used for joinery.
Less than on a mitre saw. The bit is already visible above the mark and the table can be nudged; the laser helps with rough positioning before the final adjustment. It is neither a reason to choose this machine nor a reason to avoid it.
A listing is not an offer: the reference exists on these stores, availability changes daily.
7.8/ 10
The more capable of the seven European drill presses here, on a page that cannot keep its own numbers straight.
Between woodworking machines of the same category and nearby price. Shown: what they all state. A half-filled column says nothing.
| Model | Price | Motor | Chuck capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheppach DP18Vario | $990 | 550 W | 1 to 16 mm (0.04 to 0.63 in), keyless |
| Scheppach DP60 | $400 | 710 W | 1.5–13 mm (0.06 to 0.51 in) |
| 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 | Not published by the maker. |
| 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 | Not published by the maker. |
Deeper holes and larger bits than a small bench press will take
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for woodworking machines and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
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
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
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
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
