Pillar Drill.

[Pringles]

Any recommendations for a decent pillar drill to take up to 13mm drills?

Ideally we would like a bench mount but open to suggestions ,

 

[Speedstar]

Meddings are hard the beat, but no cheap , Draper do some that look good and are good value for money

 

[Robert K]

Warco are also very good https://www.warco.co.uk/68-bench-mounting-drills

 

[smcapstick]

Don’t bother with a domestic SIP or the like. They’re gutless as hell - I have one and have suffered for too long.
Low power means it stops if there’s too much pressure, so you can only tickle away when drilling steel… but tickling away is slow and heats up drill bits, wearing them out. Lots of torque and a low speed drills steel best.

I now have a big English electric with a new thumping great big motor on it. It can drill through souls! It weighs about nine tonnes but luckily I don’t need to carry it around with me.

 

[Phil P]

Any recommendations for a decent pillar drill to take up to 13mm drills?

Ideally we would like a bench mount but open to suggestions ,

Just to throw another alternative idea in the mix, but have you considered a MAG drill? Just make a pillar with some flat plate on top for static jobs.
I’ve found it’s one of the most useful bits of kit in the workshop!

 

[Andrew]

Just to throw another alternative idea in the mix, but have you considered a MAG drill? Just make a pillar with some flat plate on top for static jobs.
I’ve found it’s one of the most useful bits of kit in the workshop!
View attachment 978279

Agree.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

For 13mm you can probably go with a good quality belt drive (Meddings, Warco etc) but any bigger and you can't beat a geared drive drill.

If you end up runnning taking too long to drill into semi-hard steel the heat from the drill bit can blunt the drill AND partly heat harden the work. In that situation you need to drill with a low speed and plenty of pressure to get the drill to bite quickly. Only a geared drill will stand that.

 

[MasseyMan]

+ 1 for a mag drill or another option

Wolf / Kango / old Black & Descker. More than capable for 13mm but need respect. We have a Wolf (at least 30 years old) in the workshop mounted on bench and it makes our SIP pillar drill look pathetic

 

[2wheels]

+ 1 for a mag drill or another option View attachment 978313 Wolf / Kango / old Black & Descker. More than capable for 13mm but need respect. We have a Wolf (at least 30 years old) in the workshop mounted on bench and it makes our SIP pillar drill look pathetic

we had a wolf as well. it had an overload ratchet clutch. worked very well.

 

[Will 1594]

we had a wolf as well. it had an overload ratchet clutch. worked very well.

Got two old wolf drills ,have ratchet clutches but not for the faint hearted , a big one and a less big one

 

[towbar]

Anyone find the evolution mag runs too fast for bigger cuts I end up stopping and restarting it sometimes to get the bite?

 

[Phil P]

Anyone find the evolution mag runs too fast for bigger cuts I end up stopping and restarting it sometimes to get the bite?

I’ve gone up 50mm dia with mine an not found any issues.

 

[Vizslaman]

Another vote for Warco not sure what model mine is but heavy build and 5/8" 2 M.T

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Anyone find the evolution mag runs too fast for bigger cuts I end up stopping and restarting it sometimes to get the bite?

Mine was fine at 46mm....

 

[Swarfmonkey]

A looked-after Meddings/Startrite/Fobco/Herbert/Kerry/Q&S will see you right. Geared-head one if you can, for the reasons hollwellcourtfarm mentioned earlier.

Avoid Arboga drills, no matter how good the deal seems. If the motor goes t!ts up it'll cost you a fortune to sort it out. Wouldn't touch any of the Chinese made stuff either.

 

[aidan]

+ 1 for a mag drill or another option View attachment 978313 Wolf / Kango / old Black & Descker. More than capable for 13mm but need respect. We have a Wolf (at least 30 years old) in the workshop mounted on bench and it makes our SIP pillar drill look pathetic

how did you slow down the drill and what type of a stand fo you have, interesting looking

 

[2wheels]

how did you slow down the drill and what type of a stand fo you have, interesting looking

our one was 2 speed, the stand was a wolf product i think. a few years ago now so can't swear to that.

 

[MasseyMan]

our one was 2 speed, the stand was a wolf product i think. a few years ago now so can't swear to that.

Drill has two switchable speeds, that’s it unfortunately. Drill can be used handheld or clamped into a Wolf frame that’s turns it into a pillar drill. Frame is bolted directly to the bench. Advisable to always use a vice bolted to the table because if a drill bit bites it will rip anything straight out of you hand, especially as ours doesn’t have a clutch. Lots about on eBay etc and a powerful drill for little money.

 

[2wheels]

Drill has two switchable speeds, that’s it unfortunately. Drill can be used handheld or clamped into a Wolf frame that’s turns it into a pillar drill. Frame is bolted directly to the bench. Advisable to always use a vice bolted to the table because if a drill bit bites it will rip anything straight out of you hand, especially as ours doesn’t have a clutch. Lots about on eBay etc and a powerful drill for little money.

thanks for refreshing my memory. all as you say, a good tool.