Top tools
Drill presses
Two benchtop drill presses chosen from independent tests: a compact one for your first and a slower, stronger step up for big Forstner bits.
Safety first: read the safety notes before you use one.
Our picks
Compact benchtop drill press
Ryobi 10 in. drill press with EXACTLINE laser
Our pick for a first drill press: a compact 10 in. benchtop machine with a laser crosshair and a work light, for straight, repeatable holes.
Benchtop drill press that doubles as a spindle sander
Shop Fox 13-1/4 in. benchtop oscillating drill press
Our step-up pick: a 3/4 HP benchtop drill press with 12 speeds down to 250 RPM for big Forstner bits, and a spindle that moves up and down so it doubles as a drum sander.
Product images are from each maker’s product page or the product’s store listing, as listed under Photo credits on this page, and are shown only to identify the products. The makers and stores haven’t reviewed, sponsored or endorsed this page. If you own an image here and want it removed, email hello@sawdustsmart.com.
Photo credits
- Ryobi 10 in. drill press with EXACTLINE laser: Image: Ryobi product image
- Shop Fox 13-1/4 in. benchtop oscillating drill press: Image: Shop Fox product image, via the Grizzly listing
Each price is the one we saw at that store on the date beside it. Prices change, so check the store before you buy.
What to look for in a drill press
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Benchtop or floor-standing. A benchtop drill press sits on a bench or stand and costs less. Wood Magazine suggests a floor-standing model only if you need more than about 14 in. of swing, 3-1/2 in. or more of quill travel, or enough power to bore holes larger than about 2 in.
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Swing and spindle travel. Swing is twice the distance from the bit to the column, so a 10 in. drill press reaches the center of a 10 in. wide board. Spindle travel is how deep one plunge can go. Our compact pick has 2 in.; our step-up pick has 3-1/8 in. (from the makers).
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A low slowest speed. Big Forstner bits and hole saws need slow speeds. Wood Magazine suggests going as low as 250 RPM for Forstner bits 1 in. and larger, and Diablo’s speed chart lists 700 to 1,000 RPM for its 1-7/8 in. Forstner bit in hardwood. On all but one of the machines in Wood Magazine’s test, you change speed by moving a belt on the pulleys by hand.
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A depth stop that holds. For holes that must stop at the same depth every time, such as magnet pockets or hinge cups, the stop has to stay put. In Wood Magazine’s 100-hole test, locking nuts held better than locking collars.
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A table you can clamp to. Fine Woodworking and Wood Magazine both found benchtop drill press tables small and awkward for woodworking, and suggest adding a larger wooden auxiliary table with a fence.
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Power for big bits. In Wood Magazine’s test, the two lightest-duty machines (including our compact pick) stalled as the bits got bigger, while three others kept going with bits up to 2 in. Bob Vila’s source, a cabinetmaker, suggests enough horsepower to spin a big hole saw or Forstner bit.
New this fall: JET’s compact benchtop series includes a 10 in. benchtop drill press (JET press release). It isn’t one of our tool picks; see new tool releases for other recent machines.
How we picked
We didn't hands-on test these. We picked them by reading independent tests and reviews (Wood Magazine, Fine Woodworking, Bob Vila, Concord Carpenter and Tools In Action), checking each maker's spec page and manual, and looking at review counts at Home Depot and Grizzly. We also read recent Home Depot customer reviews of the Ryobi, listed under its sources as store reviews; like maker pages, they don't count toward our source rule. Every pick has at least three independent sources from at least two different outlets, including at least one independent test or review. They're all linked with each pick, along with what each one found. Much of the hands-on testing is a few years old (Fine Woodworking's in 2007, Tools In Action's in 2016, Concord Carpenter's in 2020), so each summary gives its year. We looked at other benchtop drill presses too, including WEN's and Skil's, but the sources we found didn't name one exact model often enough to meet our bar, so we've left them out for now. Prices, review counts and links were last checked on ; prices and stock change, so check the store before you buy.
No paid links. Every link on this page is a plain link: no affiliate codes or tracking, and no company paid or asked to be listed (disclosure). Links open in a new tab.
Some outlets we cite get review samples from tool makers; we don't use pieces a maker paid for or sponsored.
We pick tools from independent tests and reviews, not our own testing.