Square holes in steel
Drilling steel is a different job from drilling wood: it needs low speed, high torque and constant pressure. We compare bench and pillar drills on spindle runout, the slowest speed available, quill travel and table rigidity — and cover magnetic drills, which take the machine to the work.
500 W · 5 speeds · 50 mm (1.97 in) quill travel · vice included · €99
Ninety-nine euros with a vice in the box — and the quill travel, 50 mm (1.97 in), is the number that limits it.
Best for: Accurate holes in plate and section up to about 40 mm (1.57 in) thick
450 W · 600–2,650 rpm in 5 steps · 50 mm (1.97 in) depth · €115
A published speed range starting at 600 rpm — low enough for large bits in steel, which many small presses are not.
Best for: Drilling steel with bits over 8 mm (0.31 in), where speed matters more than power
710 W · 13 mm (0.51 in) in steel · 90 mm (3.54 in) quill travel · €250
Ninety millimeters of quill travel — nearly twice the entry machines, and the figure that decides deep holes.
Best for: Deep holes in solid stock, and anyone tired of repositioning halfway down
550 W · 440–2,580 rpm stepless · €228
Stepless speed from 440 rpm — no belt to move, and a bottom end low enough for a 20 mm (0.79 in) bit.
Best for: Mixed-material work where the speed changes several times an hour
800 W · cross-line laser · digital speed control · €240
A cross-line laser to position the hole and a digital speed readout — the setting stops being a guess.
Best for: Repetitive hole positions where alignment by eye costs time
1/4 HP induction · 5 speeds 620–3,100 rpm · 10 in swing · laser alignment
A ten-inch bench press with a 620 rpm bottom gear and a laser alignment system — the slowest speed of the two stepped machines on this shelf.
Best for: A bench where the hole has to land where the line says, in steel up to about 10 mm (0.39 in)
≈ $200
1,400 W · 800 rpm fixed · 40 mm (1.57 in) boring · 2,810 lbf magnet · 11 cutters
A magnetic drill with a 40 mm (1.57 in) cutter capacity and one fixed speed of 800 rpm — which is the opposite of what this hub’s buying tip asks for.
Best for: Holes in structural steel plate of 10 mm (0.39 in) or more, where the machine has to go to the work
≈ $175
795 DC motor · 7,000 rpm max · 40 mm (1.57 in) stroke · B10 chuck 0.6–6 mm (0.02 to 0.24 in)
A mini drill press for 0.6 to 6 mm (0.02 to 0.24 in) bits, with a 24 V variable supply and a 40 mm (1.57 in) stroke — the only machine in this hub built for work smaller than a drill chuck normally reaches.
Best for: Circuit boards, model work and small holes in soft material, where a full-size press cannot grip the bit
≈ $80
6.2 A · 580–3,100 rpm stepless · 5/8 in chuck · MT2 taper · 85 lb
The slowest and heaviest bench press in the American half of this hub — 580 rpm, 85 pounds and a stepless speed dial with a digital readout.
Best for: Drilling up to 5/8 in in steel on a bench, where the speed has to be set rather than selected
≈ $265
2.3 A induction · 5 speeds 750–3,200 rpm · 8 in swing · 2 in travel
A cast iron eight-inch bench press whose slowest speed is 750 rpm — right at the limit this hub’s buying tip warns about.
Best for: Small holes in steel and general bench work, where the machine has to be short enough to live under a shelf
≈ $88
750 W induction motor · tilting, swivelling table · €370
An induction motor and a table that tilts and swivels — the pillar drill you buy to stop thinking about it.
Best for: A workshop where the drill press runs daily and angled work is routine
≈ $975
10 A · 2 speeds · 2 in capacity · 4 in travel · Weldon 3/4 in + 1/2 in chuck
A two-speed magnetic drill with a 2 in cutter capacity and 4 in of travel, with a tool-free change between a Weldon cutter and a keyed chuck.
Best for: Structural steel on site, where the cutter size changes and the speed has to change with it
≈ $1000
A large-diameter bit demands a great deal of torque at low speed. An undersized machine stalls or burns the bit.
On small diameters, spindle accuracy and table stability count far more than available power.
Spindle play and table flatness decide squareness, and both degrade under knocks. A heavy column and a machined table are what keep the hole straight at the hundredth part.
The slower the larger the bit. A large bit at high speed burns its edge within seconds.
In steel and stainless, yes: it carries the heat away and hugely extends the bit’s life. In cast iron and brass you drill dry.
Always, especially sheet. A bit breaking through grabs and spins the piece like a propeller: it is the most frequent injury on this machine.
A badly ground bit, a bit that wandered at the start, or a badly clamped piece. A center punch mark before drilling solves most cases.
No. The bearings do not take lateral loads and the spindle develops permanent play.
By drilling a pilot hole first, then opening it out. Attacking a large diameter directly stalls the machine.
The depth you can drill without raising the table. It limits the thickness you can go through in one stroke.
Never near a rotating spindle: a snagged glove drags the hand in. Goggles compulsory, gloves forbidden.
The larger the bit, the slower it must turn and the more it must be lubricated. Always clamp, especially sheet — a bit breaking through spins the piece like a propeller — and never wear gloves near the spindle.
There is no table here, and the reason is in the listings. The figure published most often across these 12 products is power, given by 6 of them — short of the four in five a column needs to compare rather than to display gaps. Each product page says what its own maker published.
$175 – $200
2 models
VEVOR Magnetic drill, 1400 W, 40 mm, RYOBI DP103L-A, 10 in five-speed bench press
$265 – $1000
3 models
WEN DP1263V, 12 in variable-speed bench press, Einhell TE-BD 750 E, DEWALT DWE1622K, 2 in two-speed magnetic drill
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for welding and metalworking machines and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa.
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.
