Rank #4 in Best Pillar Drill 2026: 9 Ranked, and the Numbers That Don't Add Up
Silverline 262212 Bench Drill Press, 350W, 13mm
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Silverline 262212 is the fourth drill in this guide: a 350W corded pillar drill on 230V with a fixed head, an adjustable table on a cast base and a 13mm keyed chuck, listed at £115.99 with 4.2 stars from 756 ratings. The number worth stopping on is 13. It is the maximum chuck size, it is the drilling capacity in wood, and it is the drilling capacity in metal — three different rows of the same spec table, all reading 13mm. The 250mm in the product's name, meanwhile, never reappears in the specification, and the listing's own Compatible Devices row describes the same machine as a "Floor Drill".
If 13mm is the ceiling in both materials, then the bit is the limit rather than the material: the drill cannot turn a cutter wider than the chuck it holds. The other figures — 350W, 2,650rpm, five belt speeds — say how fast and how hard it spins, not how wide it bores. Everything on this page is taken from the Amazon listing; we have not tested this drill.
How those 756 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.2 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £115.99 |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2 out of 5, from 756 ratings |
| Power | 350W, 230V, corded electric |
| Chuck | 13mm keyed (maximum chuck size, as listed) |
| Drilling capacity | 13mm wood, 13mm metal (as listed) |
| Speeds | 5-speed belt drive, up to 2,650rpm |
| Special features (as listed) | Variable Speed, though the bullets give a 5-speed belt drive |
| Name figure (as listed) | 250mm, not repeated in any spec field |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“I've drilled 6mm holes in 8mm annealed W2 carbon steel. Thoroughly immobilised the piece of steel, used a M42 cobalt HSS bit, reducing the drill speed to 580rpm and used plenty of oil. This might seem like a low cost and low power drill press but used properly it works very well. Reviews that say it is only good for thin metal are incorrect.”
Verified purchase“Great little drill press for an amateur ( which let's be honest most of us are ! ) , how accurate is it to drill a few holes, who cares, what do you want for £95 !!!! Buy it as a first drill press and upgrade in a few years when you have some hairs on your chest.”
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
How large a hole can the Silverline 262212 bore?
The spec sheet lists 13mm for drilling capacity in wood and 13mm in metal, so the listed maximum is the same in both materials.
What does the 250mm in the product name mean?
The listing never says. 250mm appears in the title and in the Compatible Devices row — "Silverline 262212 Floor Drill, 250 mm, 350 W" — and in no spec field.
Is the Silverline bench drill variable speed?
The Special Features field says Variable Speed, while the bullets say the speeds come from a 5-speed belt drive. Changing a belt gives you one of five speeds, not a continuous range.
Is it a bench drill or a floor drill?
The title says bench drill press and the bullets describe a fixed head and an adjustable table on a cast base; the Compatible Devices field for the same 262212 calls it a Floor Drill (as listed).
Can it drill steel?
The spec sheet gives 13mm in metal. One reviewer reports 6mm holes in 8mm annealed W2 carbon steel at 580rpm with a cobalt bit, and says reviews calling it good only for thin metal are incorrect.
What is included, and what does it run on?
Included Components reads "1x Drill Press 350W", and the power fields give 350W on a 230V supply.
Comments
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