Chris Davies Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I'm looking to buy a small bench mounted pillar drill, I have a budget of around £100 - £150. I was going to buy new (Clarke,SIP, draper, Sealy or whatever) but having done a search on here the general feeling is that a 'good old one' would be a better bet. So what names should I be looking for? I've heard of Meddings but there must be lots of others. Needs to be single phase. Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Elliot is another name to watch out for, as is Startrite and Pollard. Converting a 3ph pillar drill to a 1ph motor is fairly simple, well compared to a lathe or milling machine it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Yep, a good second hand one is best. I bought a Craftsman for a lot less that £100 and its got about 12 speeds which is excellent and it's a free standing variety, with adjustable table and light! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 The biggest problem I've found with the small ones is the speed. They don't go slow enough for a lot of metal work. Have a think about what you want to drill then check the speeds before you buy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Look for one with back gears, as well as mutiple belt selected speeds. They normally go to ultra low speeds and have loooads of torque which makes them suitable for bits well over 25mm dia, or even hole saws! We have a Meddings with back gears, I think the lowest speed is around 40 RPM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landy-Novice Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 i got one of these. you can have it for £15/20 if you want?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I have a few union floor standing ones, what a price of kit, the Clarke one they replace looks like an netto battery drill in comparison. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 The first Pillar Drill I bought was Clarke. It was the best they did at the time. Multi speed, back geared & 16mm chuck. It took two months to completely knacker itself by twisting the telescopic drive shaft to the chuck. It made the chuck impossible to remove which made the shaft impossible to remove! It went in the skip! I replaced it with an old Meddings which was 1/4 the price and 15 years on its every bit as lovely as it was on the first day! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Davies Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 Thanks for the reply's so far. What are 'back gears' Watching a few on ebay at the moment, trying to get a feel for what is available and at what prices. Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 .... What are 'back gears' .... Cheaper/smaller pillar drills have the drive from motor to chuck transmitted via V-belts. In slow speed high torque situations (i.e a big drill bit) the belts can slip. To help prevent this some drills will have a reduction gear box connected to the chuck spindle (will normally have a couple of speeds selectable from the gearbox). The majority of the speed change is still done by the belts that drive the input to the reduction gearbox however the gearbox helps to prevent the belt slip. Pillar drills are also available with no belts at all and completely gear driven although the ones I have seen are massive and very capable of destroying drill bits when they snatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearos Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 As Cynic-al says above ask yourself what are you going to be doing with the machine, what do you expect the machine to do? This should help you decide what would be suitable for you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Davies Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Nu Tool . . . seen a few of these on the Bay. Good old fashioned or cheap Chinese. Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Nu Tool . . . seen a few of these on the Bay. Good old fashioned or cheap Chinese. Cheers Chris Cheap Chinese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Davies Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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