New Bosch Pillar drill

Despite having read the magazine for years I have only just discovered this forum. Never mind – I suppose its better late than never.

I was wondering if anyone had had experience with one of these –

**LINK**

The new Bosch pillar drill (PDB 40). It has some tempting features – 710W motor, DRO on the Z axis, laser guide to aid you aim, digital speed control, possibly a clever feed wheel (?) etc.

I need to replace an aging pillar drill. I tend to any ‘big’ drilling on the mill or tailstock and this machine seems ideal for small/mid range drilling – which are the majority of jobs I do.

For example has anyone extended the quill and tried to wobble it!

Many thanks

Martin

Well I personally dont have any experience of the machine you speak of but having seen the Youtube vid I did a bit of research....

Pricewise, I think its a bit expensive at over £300....and has a 10mm chuck which does limiti the bit size it can handle...

Don't get me wrong, I think Bosch tools are among the best that money can buy, but for a glorified drill press I dont think I'll be buying one in a hurry...Not when I have two X2 mini mills and an Eagle 30 mill drill....

Hi Martin

Do you really need a laser guide, DRO , digital speed control and wheel type feed on your pillar drill?

As John says £300 is plenty of money. My experience of Bosch is only in the D-I-Y hand drills etc and here I class them as OK rather than outstanding.

For a pillar drill I'm happy to change belt positions for speed control, I want a heavy and stable machine and think a MT spindle essential. For less money I would settle for THIS machine. I don't have that particular one but a slightly larger version, from the same supplier, which I've had for some 10 years and it suits me very well.

Regards

Norman

Martin,

Like John and Norman, I would say it's overpriced.

The video is very nicely presented, and there are some clever features; but I suspect that we are seeing the triumph of style over substance.

I have some [Blue] Bosch tools: Jigsaw; Li-Ion drill/driver; Palm Router ... and they're all good for woodworking ... but I would not rate them for engineering work. [remember too, that the Green tools are typically the DIY range, and less robust than the Blue.]

If you do get to handle one, please let us know what you think.

MichaelG.

.

P.S.   Just found this

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 13/01/2013 20:43:03

It looks like a cheap and nasty DIY tool,not much better than an electric drill in a stand.Thats just my opinion.

Mark P.

I cannot agree with Mark P about it being "cheap and nasty" it is not cheap but neither is it nasty. As someone who does quite a lot of cabinet making I would love to have one, but of course not at that price. Another thing that I like is that it is good so see some attempt to get away from the typical designs that have been around for many years. I consider that both the metalworking (cnc excluded) and woodworking machines and equipment show very little effort to consider new things. If therefore the price were right I would love to have one, for woodworking that is.

However, for metalworking I have severe reservations. You ask about the quill Martin, there isn't one, the video shows the head going up and down the rear column. I cannot see just how the head is keyed to the column but as perfection with such a design is difficult to achieve it is likely that the head will move left and right at the spindle, not ideal for metalworking.

You say that the motor has a 700W rating but that is only at top speed at lower speed the power available is most likely to be insufficient for drilling, say 12mm holes in steel.

If anyone at Bosch is reading this I would love to review one but I don't expect that to happen as I feel sure they would say that it is not a precision metalworking machine. Maybe OK for the occasional smallish hole in thin metal for the woodworker.

Harold

I don't see what market Bosch are aiming this machine at. By their own admission it's not a professional machine and at that price there are plenty of drilling machines on the market that will do what the Bosch one does at a lot less money. The "features" on it seem to be rather gimmicky to me - almost put on to justify the price tag.

I should point out that generally I think Bosch tools are pretty good especially when you move to the "professional" (blue body) range. I do a fair amount of carpentry, building sets for the local amateur theatre, and when we need to buy power tools now we tend to go for the Bosch professional ones, as they stand up well to our cack-handed abuse of them - but they're not cheap.

Just my thoughts

Keith

Edited By Keith Long on 13/01/2013 23:18:01

Hi Martin, I have to agree with what has been said already. Like Harold says there is no quill as the whole unit is moved to perform the drilling action, which looks very similar to some of the optional bench drill stand produce by Wolf many years ago, where you could attach your pistol drill to and use it as a bench drill.

To my mine this is aimed at the DIY woodworker with too much money in their wallet. I don't think it would stand up to much metalwork especially steel of any thickness for very long and as been said, you can get a much more suitable bench drill for metalwork for less money.

I too think that Bosch power tools are very well made and the pro ones will work all day without any trouble at all.

Regards Nick.

Many thanks everybody - I think you are all correct. I suppose I like the idea of not messing with step pulleys to get the speed I need - just getting old and lazy!

Martin

Hi Martin,

Ryobi do a pillar drill with variable speed (varaible cones). I had one for a while and was pleased with it, but sold it when I got a milling machine with a quill. It was similar to those found in the usual places, looked a bit more finished off. The chuck was useless, but the quill had no looseness - so I replaced the chuck with a nice Jacobs I had and all was well.

Regards,

Mike.

Nice video of the product. Shame it's a computer rendering and not the actual thing. I question how rigid the design is when working with metal. It's got a plastic body and even if it has a metal frame inside, it'll be a mazak or light alloy casting. You could get a superb pre-owned Meddings or Elliot pillar drill for less, both of which would be built like a tank and rock solid.

I too prefer older machines, my mill is 60 years old. But some people like to buy new and some (including me) may want to move the drill when not in use due to lack of space - which obviously isn't ideal with the older, heavier machines. Like everything else, it boils down to what suits individual circumstances the best.

Mike

Edited By Mike Clarke on 14/01/2013 20:17:56

Have only just had this thread brought to my notice. As a long-time Bosch tool user, I have to agree with the others, a good DIY tool for the well-off, but not for the grunt and sweat (and cutting fluid) of metalworking.

Martin, if you want to avoid belt changing, consider this:

My Meddings pillar drill has 5 pulley settings, plus a 2-speed gearbox. By running its original 3-phase motor through an inverter I can get all the speed changes I need by using the inverter variable speed and/or the gearbox.

Drill cost £100 and inverter £50.

However, you can't pick it up and move it around!!     But you can swivel the table round and use it as a strong worktable  - a nice size to put a bench grinder on (or several cups of tea).

Phil

Edited By Robbo on 06/08/2013 21:44:39

It would appear that the rack gear is fixed to the column with screws and the head uses this like a key way to stop it rotating around the column , bound to wear out fairly quickly .

Had a look at the vidio, flash graphics BUT looks flimsy obviously pointing at the small DIY woodworking market with loads of dosh. Think this would wear out in no time . couple of nice "gadgets" but not worth that amount of money. If you really want a pillar drill (and have to say that I am no great fan of them) found them innacurate for any precision work. I will prob get hate mail on this statement but seriously dislike wood dust and shaveings in the workshop I keep some machinery in the garage for this.
There is loads of kit on the market at the moment look around
Bob

Hi H Centre
Welcome to the forum

Oh.... and Hi to the rest of the MEW tribe!

For me it would be thumbs down on the Bosh Drill. There are plenty of Asian bench drills around that cost less and are stronger. The Bosh drill is simply too light for metalwork, The column is just plain flimsy. I would not like to feed a 12mm drill (which the Bosh drill cannot do with its small chuck) against a piece of steel. The column would be likely spring due to the reaction as will the table. making it difficult to drill perpendicular holes. Typical Asian drills can work with 20mm taper shank drill in Steel. They also have a lot more room under and behind the chuck.

There is however one part of the drill that I rather like...... The work clamping system. By mounting it on the pillar they have avoided the usual G-clamps or hold down bolts we use. It might be a good addition to my existing Taiwanese drill. Time to raid the scrap steel bin. For heavy drilling I would still use clamps but it would be quick and easy for for light work, Quite easy to make.

Regards
John

Looking at that wheel , you could always use it as an electric unicycle,

There's one on www.homeworkshop.org for £190-00.

Regards.

David.

Dear at half the price IMHO.

I do like the clamping gadget though.

Russell.