Scheppach DP60 Bench Pillar Drill Review. The Scheppach DP60 is a 710W benchtop drill press with a two-speed gearbox (170–2600 rpm), a digital depth and speed display, a built-in laser guide, LED work light, and a keyless 13mm chuck. It’s aimed at hobbyists and home workshops rather than industrial use, drills up to 40mm in wood and 13mm in steel, and typically sells in the UK for well under £200 — making it one of the more affordable digital-display bench drills on the market. It’s a strong pick if you want more accuracy than a handheld drill without paying for a professional-grade machine.
What Is the Scheppach DP60?
The DP60 is a benchtop pillar (drill press) machine from Scheppach, a German-founded brand that’s been producing woodworking machinery since 1927. Unlike a handheld drill, the DP60 mounts the drill vertically over a fixed table, so the workpiece stays still and the drill moves down onto it — giving far more consistent, square, repeatable holes than freehand drilling ever can.
It sits in the budget-to-mid tier of benchtop drills: not a toy, but not a heavy-duty industrial machine either. If you’ve outgrown a hand drill for jobs like dowel holes, shelf-pin rows, or repeat drilling in batches of parts, this is the natural next tool — and pairs well with the joinery covered in our basic woodworking joints for beginners guide.
Key Features
- 710W motor, two-speed gearbox: 170–880 rpm in first gear for high torque on harder materials, 490–2600 rpm in second gear for fast, clean cuts in wood and plastic
- Digital display: Shows spindle speed and drilling depth, so repeat holes come out consistent without measuring each one by hand
- Laser guide and LED light: The laser marks your drilling centre point before you switch the motor on; the LED lights the work area, useful in a dim shed or garage
- Keyless 13mm chuck: Swap bits without hunting for a chuck key — a small thing that saves real time over a session
- 100mm drilling stroke, 280mm chuck-to-base clearance: Enough range for most benchtop jobs, including taller workpieces
- 350 x 300mm base plate: Wide enough to bolt down securely, which matters more than people expect once you’re leaning on the handle
- Quick-action clamp: Secures flat or round workpieces so they can’t spin or shift mid-drill
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Motor | 710W, 230V |
| Speed range | 170–2600 rpm (2-speed gearbox) |
| Chuck capacity | 1.5–13mm, keyless |
| Max drilling depth | Wood: 40mm · Steel: 13mm |
| Drilling stroke | 100mm |
| Base plate | 350 x 300mm |
| Extras | Digital display, laser guide, LED light, quick-action clamp |
What Users Say
Owner feedback online is consistent: the DP60 is well liked as an affordable, straightforward machine for hobby and home-shop use, with the digital display and two-speed gearbox called out as genuinely useful rather than gimmicky. The most common criticism is the laser guide — several users note it’s factory-set and can’t be recalibrated, so it’s good for a rough centre-mark but not for fine precision drilling. Worth knowing before you rely on it for tight-tolerance work.
It’s also worth knowing the DP60 shares its core design with rebadged versions sold under other budget brands (Parkside/Lidl being the most commonly mentioned), which is normal in this end of the tool market and not a red flag on its own — it just means the DP60’s reputation is shared with those siblings.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Digital speed and depth display for repeatable results Two-speed gearbox covers wood, plastic, and light steel Keyless chuck speeds up bit changes Genuinely affordable for a digital-display bench drill LED light helps in poorly-lit workshops | Laser guide can’t be recalibrated once it drifts Not built for heavy industrial or all-day commercial use Some reports of budget-tier fit and finish on moving parts 13mm max in steel limits it for serious metalwork |
Who It’s For
The DP60 makes sense for home woodworkers and DIYers who need more accuracy than a handheld drill for jobs like shelf-pin holes, dowel joints, and repeat drilling — the kind of precision that matters if you’re following our guide to basic woodworking joints and want clean, square holes for dowels or hardware. It’s not the machine for a busy trade workshop drilling steel all day — for that, step up to a heavier industrial press. For a garage, shed, or spare-room workshop, it’s a sensible, well-specced choice at the price.
Check Current Price on Amazon UK →Final Thoughts
The Scheppach DP60 does what a home-workshop bench drill needs to do: it turns hand-drilled guesswork into repeatable, square, consistent holes, with a digital display and two-speed gearbox that punch above the price point. The laser’s lack of recalibration is a fair criticism, but it’s a minor one if you treat it as a rough guide rather than a precision instrument. For hobbyist woodworkers and DIYers upgrading from a handheld drill, it’s a solid, sensibly priced choice.
As always, check current pricing and stock on the Amazon listing above before buying, since prices on tools like this can shift with promotions.
