Rank #7 in Best Pillar Drill 2026: 9 Ranked, and the Numbers That Don't Add Up
Clarke CDP102B Bench Drill Press, 350W, 13mm
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Clarke CDP102B is a bench drill press priced at £119.85 and ranked seventh in this guide. Its listing credits a 350W motor running on 230V, a maximum speed of 2,620 RPM across 5 speeds, and a 13mm chuck. It also gives 13mm as the drilling capacity in wood, and 13mm as the drilling capacity in metal — the same number in three separate fields.
That consistency is the notable thing here. The headline figure is not borrowed from a different row of the spec table: chuck size, wood capacity and metal capacity all read 13mm, so there is no gap between what the sheet advertises and what the machine will take. The strange entry is the bullet list, which consists of the single word "Portable" — an odd claim for a 350W machine that sits on a bench. The 4.1 average comes from 75 ratings: 59 five-star, but 12 at one or two stars. Everything below is taken from the Amazon product listing, not from any test we carried out.
How those 75 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.1 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £119.85 |
|---|---|
| Amazon rating | 4.1 out of 5, from 75 ratings |
| Maximum chuck size | 13 mm |
| Drilling capacity, wood | 13 mm |
| Drilling capacity, metal | 13 mm |
| Maximum power | 350 W |
| Speed | 2,620 RPM, 5 speeds |
| Special features | Portable (as listed) |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Does the job, wanted one for a while; not to big and perfect for small shed / garage, had some stainless steel bar to drill so was ideal time to buy one, this one looked very good for the price and am very pleased with it so far, had belt come of drive pulley once but that's because Allen key grub screw was loose, so check all round before you use, I should have but was to eager to use it 🤔👍”
Verified purchase“Purchased this after trying a similar drill by another manufacturer, and after sending the previous one back due to poor manufacturing quality and inaccuracies I was very dubious as to whether or not this would be any better, but I'm glad to say it is and it's just what I wanted, I cheap drill press to drill 90 degree holes in wood 👍”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best Pillar Drill 2026: 9 Ranked, and the Numbers That Don't Add Up.
Questions people ask
What size chuck does the Clarke CDP102B take?
13 mm, the same figure the listing gives for both its wood and its metal drilling capacity.
How powerful is the Clarke CDP102B?
The listing gives a 350 W motor on a 230V supply, with a maximum rotational speed of 2,620 RPM across 5 speeds.
Is this a floor-standing pillar drill?
The listing describes it as a Drill Press, and the name is a bench drill press — the only bullet point is "Portable", so it is a bench machine rather than a floor-standing pillar drill.
What comes in the box?
A drilling depth gauge, according to the listing's included components.
How do buyers rate the Clarke CDP102B?
4.1 out of 5 from 75 ratings, made up of 59 five-star and 12 one- or two-star ratings.
Can the Clarke CDP102B drill metal?
The listing claims 13 mm in metal, the same number it gives for wood and for the chuck itself.
Comments
Reader comments are not checked against the manufacturer's claims above.
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