Decent pillar drill for cheap

LePhuronn

LePhuronn

LePhuronn

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Yo.

Turns out I'm lacking some precision with my existing drills when working with aluminium, so I'm wanting a pillar drill. I don't have a lot of money, so we're looking at £100 really.

I've been looking at some Clarke pillar drills on eBay which have been getting some good reviews for DIY/hobbyist level jobs (I don't think 3mm holes in MDF and 1.5mm thick aluminium could be considered anything more than hobbyist), but don't have much of a frame of reference.

Hit me up, glorious modders, what pillar drills are you guys using? Recommendations?

Cheers.
 
all the cheap ones appear basically the same design
depending upon size of the ally you're drilling you'll also need a drill vice and t bolts(or something similar)

are you using a punch first before drilling (will stop the drill bit skidding before it bites)

£90 includes vice, decent power
 
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Cheers

I am punching before drilling, but my main issue is a dodgy wrist since breaking it a few months back and I can't drill perfectly vertically, which will cause issues when I start bunching holes together and (possibly) remaking one of my case pieces.
 
Cheers Uncle Petey.

It's mainly being used for 2.5mm, 3.2mm and 4mm holes in 1.5mm thick aluminium and 18mm thick MDF.

Essentially a free drill vice too which is nice, but it looks pretty flimsy.
 
Nah, the vice is pretty solid - again, for the price that is.

As for the drill, you don't get those super tight bearings that you get when you pay a lot more and it may sound a little rattly, but it'll happily do the things you listed.

I've used it drill those kind of holes in up to 4mm alu amongst other things and it's all good.
 
I have the Guild 350W pillar drill - at the time they were like £55 (cost me £5 as I was given some vouchers for hitting a target at work heh) its kind of basic and sounds a bit rattly but does ok for moderate jobs - but given the price there isn't much elegance or sophistication in it with a lot of things you have to adjust by hand rather than having convenient buttons, etc. and took a bit of assembling as well.
 
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