I always wanted a proper bench drill in my workshop but to be honest I don’t really need it that often but when I do it is one of those tools that just make life so much easier. When exploring the market for something of a decent quality I always ended up having to pay too much and still not be satisfied with the engineering. I was therefore checking out the second hand market on the classifieds sites when I stumbled upon the Bosch PBD 40 at a local hardware shop…
Promo video
Unique features
The Bosch PBD 40 710W bench drill comes with a ton of unique features as shown in the promo video above. The clamp and fence system is super easy to use, the LCD with RPM and depth of cut is miles better than anything I’ve seen before.
The cross-hair laser also works well. I use it all the time but if something has to be super accurate I always find myself predrilling to make sure that all is perfect.
My experience
I have now had the Bosch PBD 40 for around two years and as an amateur woodworker and DIY hobbyist I have to say that it has worked brilliantly for all I have used it for.
The motor seems very capable and used with a 35mm Festool forstner style drill bit it it was like a knife through butter with no hint of labouring under the load. The adjustable speed control is also one of the main benefits of this machine – no mucking about with belts – just turn the dial and you’re done.
The combination of the clamp and fence combined with the LED light and the cross-hair laser makes everything very swift and efficient. The LCD display with the depth of cut shown also supports this experience and the Bosch is just overall well thought through.
So far so good… Now what about design faults? I have read reviews where some complain about accuracy and as you can read below from the list of cons I could list a few minor things that could have been made my experience of the Bosch PBD 40 bench drill better. But considering the cost and all what it does well it is negligible.
Pros and cons
Pros include:
- Clamping system works great and also works well with pipes an round objects
- Clear, backlit LCD display showing RPM and depth of cut, with measurement shown to the nearest tenth of a millimeter
- Strong motor that will drill steel or wood with large forstner bits
- LED light and cross-hair lasers
- 21st century technology at an attractive price
Cons include:
- Drill waste is cumbersome to remove
- Larger drill benches have fences and stops making them better for repeat work
- I still prefer the classic drill bench pull handle over the dial wheel that the Bosch PBD 40 is equipped with
Conclusion
For the hobbyist with a small workshop I would consider the Bosch PBD 40 drill bench the perfect choice. Sure there are classic bench drills that can be bought second hand that would be great alternatives but the Bosch still has some tricks up its sleeve with the bulk of innovative features it packs.
So there it is I’m giving this a solid 4 stars because I think it’s the near perfect piece of kit for the person it is clearly designed for – the DIY woodworker and I would have no hesitation in recommending the Bosch PBD 40 710W bench drill.
