Ive had a PBD40 for about a year and im a big fan. It took 10 mins to set up and about a half hour of playing with scrap stock to get up and running. The variable speed and incredibly accurate depth stop are superb. You said a few times "its going to get noisey" but its worth pointing out this drill is actually pretty quiet even at full speed. Its much quieter than either of my hand drills or circular saw, in fact I reckon the only power tool I have that's quieter is my jigsaw. One big feature which you didnt really stress is how light and compact it is. If like me, you have limited space, you can store this under you bench when not needed without any real effort or risk to your back. The only negative ive found is the laser cross being blocked by large bits but its hard to see how you could design around the laws of physics - to be accurate the laser has to shine from above and if you put something in the way, then you can't use it.
Side note on dowels and screws. I often glue things together using screws (or screws and fender washers), once the glue sets I’ll back out the screws and re-drill holes for exposed dowels. I also use setup pins of various diameters to center the chuck on holes before clamping.
Awesome review. I've been debating for far too long now on whether I should get this Bosch bench drill or not, watching your review gave me the nudge I needed, thanks.
Bosch really needs to offer a lot of the stuff in the USA that you guys get over there. There’s a lot of tools from a lot of companies that I’m completely jealous of
The red band on the chuck is a lock, so you hand tighten, then turn the lock & it grips the drillbit tight. I love the chuck. Really quick & easy to change bits without a key. Enjoy. Had one of these for a couple of years & no grumbles.
Sorry for the slow response. Yes, still absolutely love it. Must admit it's not my most used tool because of the things I make but whenever I need accuracy, it's my go to.
👍👏 I had a traditional type drill press that I bought from Wickes probably more than 20 years ago and never used because the chuck refused to properly align with the drive shaft and the point of the drill bit was waving all over the place. After seeing another review of this Bosch, several months ago, I just had to have one and quite literally have not stopped using it. As you found, it is pinpoint accurate straight out of the box. The aluminium base plate won't rust either as the old Wickes one had done.
I've had one a year or so. Red plastic lever that clamps the head to the pillar has stripped, laser lines are centred but more than 1mm thick so of limited use, the clamp is horrible, the pillar/table mount is insufficiently robust and flexes under pressure applied to wheel. Chuck has both play and runout. However the drill head with variable speed, lights and depth control is great. Bosch Green construction really lets this potentially awesome unit down.
Thank you for the review, I happen to own this for about 6-7 years now. There is one MAJOR problem. On occasion the display does not light up all segments, and thus I am totally unable to use the depth setting, since there is no other way then the digital. Other than that, it has served me great.
For a first drill press, youve hit the jackpot for its price range. Mine first was cheap belt Parkside from Lidl market. Loved the sound of the oldschool belt system, but it had that shelf that moved up and down, the pipe that hold it was a 1mm thin aluminium pipe and the wobble of the chuck. Sold it and then finally got myself the same Bosch one. Only downsize is the motor is noisy on higher rpm.
I have this drill press also. It’s excellent. Try aligning the laser up to your hole position without the forsner bit in the chuck, then mount the drill. 😊
Yeah, that's the way I'm going to go for one-off drills I think. I've just finished a project with a tonne of the same drills so I used a jig which worked brilliantly with the built in t-track. Cheers mate.
Bought one of these some time back and struggled with height and depth control it wasn't until I grasped the fundamental that the head moves insted of the base. At the time I viewed many youtube videos but found them no help. Yours is the first video've seem which explains it all . Well done
It’s 40% off Black Friday deal at the moment, this review plus the huge savings made me order one. I avoided this for so long because I saw some negative reviews, clearly they didn’t know how to use it as you did, good video thanks.
Really happy that you're pleased with your purchase (especially since I voted that way). Looking forward to seeing it in action on your upcoming videos 👍
Ah so you're one of the ones to blame for my depleted bank balance! 🤣🤣 So glad I went for this model though. It's already come into it's own - you'll see in the next video! Cheers mate
@@justbswoodworking Indeed I am... and I make no apologies for it! LOL I think the look of sheer joy on your face when unboxing and trialling the drill press means it was the correct choice 😎
That looks like a great new tool. Can't wait to see the projects you use it on! As for dust collection, that sounds like a PERFECT reason to get a 3D printer for the shop so that you can make your own vacuum port 😁
You just made me cringe that I turned down a 3D printer a month or so ago. I was offered it for a review but I couldn't think of a single use for it! 😢😢
Very infectious glee! Got me tempted... I had always assumed the choice was either cheapo or full thing with belt adjusting head etc... opened me up to new ideas!
Think def want to get this. Have been trying to make plantation blinds which took me ages doing it by hand. The downside was being unable to drill a straight hole. So have decided I need a bench drill to get the holes straight.
Excellent review. I’ve been looking around for months and skimmed over the PBP 40. Three quarters way through your review I opened a browser window and ordered one from Amazon. What sold me was my previous 100% failure rate at trying to use dowling. Hopefully this will fix it. Great vid, thank you.
I've had one of these for a few years now. I think it is great. I made a better table that sits on the base. it has a couple of T tracks and a better fence with stops etc. There are a number of you tube vids that show how to make various modifications to improve the use of the drill.
I'm in love with it so far. I've found the built in t Track really useful this afternoon. I might follow your lead and set up a more permanent home for it with extended t track and fence. Cheers buddy.
Ohoy mate! Congrats to the drillpress :) I could almost feel the joy you felt when drilling the bottle opener :D You could always line up the fence and use a stop block when you are going to drill a bunch. That way you dont have to aim every time. And regarding your thoughts about dustcollection, there is probably a bunch of ideas out there but if you want I could try and design something and 3d print for you? Cheers mate!
Pure joy mate! I tried soooo hard when doing it by hand and it turned out terrible! This is a game changer for shaky hands like mine! Out of all my tools, dust extraction on this is the least of my concerns. I just thought for this price, it might have been thought about! Cheers mate!
Oh come on mate, it didn´t turn out terrible! But I understand your point and yes having a drill press is a game changer for a lot of things in my mind. I only have one of those cheap simple benchtop versions and I actually think it works quite nice, the wobble you were mentioning is not present between the drill and the plate, it is the whole thing that is a bit wonky, but as long as its secure between the drill and the plate I think its fine. @@justbswoodworking
Mate so pleased you’ve got it I know you’ll get plenty of use out of it. A few points to note - lasers are the same with Forstner bits on any pillar drill I have the same issue on my jet one - I got a sewing machine light off eBay for less than a tenner it had a magnetic base with a switch and flexible shaft so you can position it wherever you want. - you can always use a small block of wood fixed to the base with CA glue as a stop block. Once you’re finished just knock it off and it leaves no mark on the metal base I do it all the time on mine and my chop saw. - the base looks like it has T slots in it so maybe you could get some clamps to slide in where you need them. Nice one buddy all you need next is errr loads more tools 😂 👍🏻
The sewing machine light is such a great shout! Little hacks like that make the world of difference. Working on a video now, I use a desk lamp but it was too tall and kind of made the shadows worse. I'll get on Ebay! I'll also try the CA glue trick. I made a jig to do my bottle openers this afternoon that hooks into the t-track and it worked a treat! I don't want to be doing that on every project though. Sadly, I've already promised myself (and the wife) no more tools until this one has paid for itself 🤣🤣
Very good! - I’ve been thinking about buying one of these for a while now, and having looked at conventional pillar drills, I’m convinced that this one will suit my needs best!
I bought one of these a little while ago, to replace my very old and well-used large Clarke drill press. I no longer have to shift the belts around a couple of pulleys to change speed, which is fantastic. My garage workshop is small and damp, so the lack of vulnerable steel on this Bosch drill made it desirable, as does its smaller footprint, with no lumpy motor sticking out of its rear. Another reason was that it has a fixed base /table. I sometimes use a really heavy compound table, which often made the tilting table on the Clarke, er, tilt when I didn't want to. This problem has gone away with the Bosch. For what it's worth I never use the lasers or the electronic depth stop. I haven't had any regrets whatsoever about buying this drill and am sure you'll not either.
That's great to hear! My initial impressions are very good. I primarily bought it to rattle out 'batch projects' which, like you say, eliminates the need for the laser. At the time of the review, I didn't realise how insignificant it was! Cheers for taking the time mate.
I'm so glad I did. Just been in the garage putting it through it's paces. Drilled 40mm and 25mm holes in 16 bottle openers in 8 mins! It's a game changer. Cheers for watching
You were right to buy this one instead of a really cheap one. I had the cheapest Parkside model for 2 years. It helped me out a lot, but the whole time I knew I was going to upgrade at some point. The chuck sucks and has crazy run out, changing the speed is a PITA, the table was not square (and not adjustable, had to make another one with shims), etc. The first one I got died after 6 months. So. Many. Issues. I bought the Bosch a year ago, and it's a game changer. It's not perfect (the wheel sucks IMO), but it's a solid base. The electronic speed change is awesome, so useful when switching back and forth between forstner and regular bits. The small clamp that comes with it works well. I made a bigger fence with stop blocks. I broke one of those red lever/clamps really quick. Probably because I'm an idiot. I remade one with a M8 bolt and a massive beech knob, it works better than the original, so it's not a problem :) I don't like the quick release chuck, I think I will upgrade it with a key chuck at one point. It has some small issues and it's small for a pilar drill, but it works really well. If you want something really better, it's going to cost double or triple. I love mine.
Yeah, so glad I went with the mid-rage rather than a cheap one. Speed change and solid bench is a massive plus. I completely get what you're saying about the fence though. I'd love to have a permanent place on the bench for this with a larger fence and sliding stop blocks just like you said - that would be the dream! Might just have to factor that into future plans! Cheers mate
Excellent, very detailed review. My drill press is one of those old fashioned belt-driven models (my first big power tool) that bogs down when I use hole saw bits. Your review makes me realize that maybe I should move up to something better. Glad it's working well for you. I'd love to see how it does with hole saws.
I have the sheppach version, from Aldi the same wattage, but was no keyless chuck, so i bought one, regards to the handle, mine is just a 2 prong lever, i would have preferred your round type, the base plate is bigger on yours, but apart from that they are very simular. I do have a 12 speed belt driven pillar drill, that as you said, mostly left at one speed ,as a hasell to change speed, so now that is reserved for only large holes in metals. the sheppach is light enough that i have mounted it to a french cleat wall, so if i want move to another spot in workshop, its easy. You may already aware, but in the video, your giude is back to front. Your purchase in my opion is the right choice even though more expencive
Gotta love the middle isle! If your doing 'deep drills', I get people beef with the wheel. For my purposes though, it works great. Great shout on the French cleat mounting - I may have to look into that if I can't find it a permanent home! Cheers mate
Good "unboxing" cause you've shown lots people would miss like the putting together. I was looking at the Titan but the reviews on screw fix isn't great cause of the plastic base. Regarding the wheel, last time I used a drill press was in school in the late 80s. If that wheel is metal i assume someone who knows what they are doing could just drill a hole in the side of the wheel and fit a ball on it instead.
I have had mine for a few years. Not so keen on the wheel (some people offer 3D printed handles for it). Height adjustment could be easier - you can use the wheel to push it down, but to get the stop up is a bit tricky. I love the depth gauge, and also like how you can place it on large work pieces and drill anywhere. It is starting to make some noises, but still works well. I would buy a higher quality blue version...
My first impressions are great. Although this is my first drill press so I don't have anything to compare it to. For me the best feature is that solid base! Cheers buddy
Congratulations! Simply being able to drill a 90 degree hole is a huge step forward. How do I know? I did just what you did, not Bosch, but a drill press nonetheless. As for the fence being square; don't worry. It does not matter. The hole is round. There is not up, down, left, or right. Once you set the fence, the drill will always make a round hole in exactly the place. To test, draw a line down the middle of a piece of wood, better yet, along a line the is not the middle, but parallel to one edge. Push the board into the fence and drill a hole. Slide the wood a random distance, and drill another hole, and then again. Each hole will be along the line. This can be used to remove a bunch of waste if you need a mortise. That digital depth stop has me jealous. Make some holes!
I figured out the whole fence thing when I started using it and cringed that I left it in the video! Oh well, it's not the most stupid thing I've said on camera 🤣🤣🤣 That's a great shout on a mortise. I've been wanting to try out some traditional joinery for a while and that tip will certainly save me the majority of the chisel work! Cheers mate
I'm on my second one of these replaced by Bosch due to the drill run-out. The replacement one is no better. The supplied chuck is designed for Percussion (impact / Hammer) drills, not for precision. I hope yours is better. Good luck!
Yes,I kept the drill and bought a new chuck for £20 made by Jacob’s. Fitted it and it runs very true and now I’m very happy with it. There is another video on YT showing how to remove the chuck from this machine, which is what I followed.
I've got the same drill. Pretty decent and the compact nature is a bonus. There are few videos showing upgrades, the main one being the chuck. I haven't found the default one to be a problem yet. The wheel handle is a pain sometimes. Adding one of those knobs, like you see on a forklift, maybe an idea.
I've seen a few parts you can buy to 'mod' it. I'm fine with the wheel but I can see why people don't like it. Seems fairly cheap and straight forward to replace. Cheers buddy
Surprised no one has mentioned the dreadful runout in the chuck shaft! I bought one new 4 months ago and couldn’t believe the amount of play in the shaft. After a bit of searching RU-vid, I bit the bullet and replaced the ill fitting needle bearing at the top of the secondary shaft with a pair of ball bearings from Amazon. Total cost £5, no more runout!
I own a Bosch pbd 40, the laser is not accurate at all, turn it off, don't use it, the drill head is wobbling a little bit witch you didn't mention and the fence is just rubbish, throw it away, make a new one, but these things can be overcome if you know how. "hooked on wood" also did mention this issues, I also notice it before he did. But for me it's fine.
Thanks for the video, very informative and the drill press looks absolutely marvellous. Could you please tell me if the press slows down under pressure when using large drill bits. Many thanks and keep up the good work. P.S. just subscribed thanks.
You deserve way more subs, mate. Got yourself one more here. Great review. I'm looking to buy my first ever bench drill. Do you still consider this to be a good choice? Greetings from Norway!
That thing looks amazing. While I'm still happy with the wen drill press, the digital depth stop on this thing would have been 100% worth the extra money. Sell enough bottle openers, and it will pay for itself in no time at all.
Thanks for the great vid! Exactly the tool I was looking into. (side note ;-) Domino: well, this is probably the best money I have spent in a tool, period. Yep, expensive, but frankly it is fast, so easy and the precision is just outstanding. I used previously dowels, with a fairly good metal jig, which today I only now use very seldom, the Domino being so good).
with domino tool, how accurate is it to drill 90 degree straight hole ? I am little sceptic here as domino is hand tool right ? I think this drill press is more accurate, right ?
I never had any issues of 90deg alignment when joining two perpendicular pieces, the base plate and the supporting bracket are helping stabilising the domino machine during vertical plunging. The domino makes only mortising, so it’s not replacing a drill press 😊
I must admit, as I start to get older, the noice is becoming an issue. Ear defenders are just another pice of safety equipment for me to lose around the garage 🤣
Slightly off topic, but I'm looking at buying a thickness planer. Which one have you got, and would you recommend it? I've been looking at reviews and I can't make my mind up!
I've got the Trtion. Picked it up on offer from ScrewFix for about £300 (although think it's gone up in price now). Its pretty good. I've never had anything better so I can't compare it. Only downside is the extraction. the 'exhaust' doesn't work very well with a shop vac.
It gets flat! As for measurement, it's a bit of an eyeball thing. the gauge is a triangle that sits about 5mm from he scale so I generally use a combination square as I go if I'm going for accuracy.
None of the options I was looking at had one. I know lots do but I can't help but think it would get in the way. For safety, I've just being using clamps for smaller pieces to keep my hands clear.
We cannot even get them in Canada... What a shame Bosch.....but you can get all the other tools....like drill....router...router table....etc... Why Bosch??
John, i know what you are upto 😮. I've got your number oldlad and I'm gonna be watching YOU!!! I just can't believe that anyone is believing a single word this guy is saying 😳. As i say John i know exactly what you are upto, getting your hands upon yet another machine that has LAZER BEAMS!!! You sir are out for world domination aren't you 🤔 just come clean and tell the world what you plan to do. Nobody is safe going forward from this point on Mr minime has two yes two not one but 2 powerful lazers, don't let this man fool you anymore as we'll all be regretting it by the time he gets his hands upon his third lazer 😢. He just wants to be able to make "bottle openers" in a safe and accurate way 🤔😤 if you're buying into this comment then 🐖🐷 will fly !!! He's out for world domination and nobody will be able to stand in his way once he gets number 3 !!!
🤣🤣🤣 Do you know how hard I have to try not to sound like Dr Evil when I say laser now?! I had to pull myself up on it so many times in that video! By the way, my name's Ben. The beer caddy was for my old man! Not sure I've ever mentioned that on a video! Cheers buddy
I had been looking at this drill press and thought it looked cheap but, now seeing what it can do, I’m thinking different and might go out and get one. Thanks buddy 👍👍👍👍🫶🙏🏻🙏🏻
Ohhhh mr posh has went posh Bosch! Mind u am looking at there new plunge saw😮. That seems like proper nice addition to the garage. Sommit to look at especially for using with the dril press plug cutters. Game changer. A actually picked up a cheap set from German supermarket and oh my are they spot on. Although would be even more amazing in drill press. Ps yes we no you like freekin lasera!😅🫢👍🏴
🤣 I was gonna go Titan for £90 but you guys voted for the Bosch! I'll certainly be keeping my eye open for them in the middle isle! I love the look of contrasting plugs in wood. It's got 2 freaking lasers! 😁
@@justbswoodworking yes we're aware you've 2 freekin lasers! And I've still not had any sent out to me yet! What's that aww about!🤔 Thought we was community here you no help for help?? A actually thought you should of went titan tbh although the Bosch does look nice. Am looking at Bosch plunge/tracksaw?
🤣🤣🤣 Keep your eyes peeled. If all goes to plan, I'll soon be giving away something you might very well be interested in! I can't say too much as it's early doors so far. I've not seen or used the Bosh track saw. My evolution one has served my very well so far though - you just have to fork out for the longer tracks and the short ones it comes with are useless.
