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Pillar drills—also known as drill presses—are essential stationary drilling machines used across woodworking, metalworking, and light manufacturing. By securing the drill head to a rigid vertical column, pillar drills deliver far greater accuracy, repeatability, and safety than handheld drills, making them a staple in professional workshops and production environments.
At Gable Business Finance, we specialise in pillar drill finance for UK workshops and manufacturers, arranging Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, Operating Lease, Refinance, and Debtor Finance for new and used pillar drills. We regularly secure more competitive and flexible terms than dealer finance, particularly when pillar drills form part of a wider workshop investment.
This guide explains how pillar drills are used, why they are ideal candidates for asset finance, and includes a machine-specific FAQ to help you choose the right funding option.
A pillar drill is a fixed, vertical drilling machine designed to produce perfectly aligned, repeatable holes. The drill head moves up and down a rigid column, ensuring the bit remains square to the workpiece—something that is difficult to achieve consistently with handheld tools.
Pillar drills are used for:
Precision vertical drilling
Repetitive production work
Accurate hole placement in wood, metal, plastics, and composites
They are widely used in joinery shops, furniture manufacturing, metal fabrication, and maintenance workshops.
The solid vertical column provides:
Exceptional stability
Accurate 90-degree drilling
Reduced vibration and deviation
This rigidity is what gives pillar drills their superior accuracy.
Most pillar drills feature a table that:
Moves up and down via rack and pinion
Tilts for angled drilling
Supports jigs, fences, and fixtures
This flexibility allows accurate drilling across a wide range of workpiece sizes.
Depth stops allow operators to set a precise drilling depth, ensuring:
Identical holes across batches
Faster production
Reduced errors and waste
Speed adjustment—via belts and pulleys or electronic control—allows the drill to be matched to the material:
Slower speeds for metal
Faster speeds for wood and plastics
This improves finish quality and extends tool life.
A powerful motor drives a precision-machined quill and chuck, delivering:
Smooth, controlled drilling
Reduced runout
Consistent accuracy over time
Compact machines designed to be bench-mounted, ideal for:
Smaller workshops
Bespoke joinery
Light to medium-duty drilling
They offer professional accuracy in a smaller footprint.
Larger, heavier-duty machines used for:
Industrial and production environments
Thicker or larger materials
Continuous or repetitive drilling
These models offer greater throat depth, power, and capacity.
Used extensively for:
Dowels and joinery holes
Cabinet and furniture production
Hinges and hardware installation
Ideal for drilling clean, accurate holes in:
Mild steel
Aluminium
Cast iron and non-ferrous metals
Depth stops and jigs make pillar drills perfect for:
Batch production
Assembly components
Consistent hole placement
With the right tooling, pillar drills can also be used for:
Tapping
Counterboring and countersinking
Mortising
Light sanding operations
Pillar drills provide:
Superior accuracy and alignment
Increased safety and stability
Reduced operator fatigue
Less material waste
Consistent, professional results
For any workshop requiring repeatable, high-quality drilling, a pillar drill is a foundational machine.
Pricing depends on size, power, and specification:
Bench pillar drills: £500 – £2,500
Floor-standing pillar drills: £2,500 – £10,000+
Heavy-duty industrial models: £10,000 – £25,000+
Used pillar drills: Excellent value available
Although lower cost than CNC machinery, pillar drills are often financed as part of complete workshop upgrades.
Hire Purchase is a flexible and cost-effective alternative to overdrafts or bank loans for buying pillar drills.
How HP works:
Fixed or variable monthly repayments
Repayments matched to workshop cashflow
Immediate use of the pillar drill
Ownership transfers at the end of the agreement
Key benefits:
Capital allowances usually claimable
Interest payments are tax deductible
VAT typically recoverable upfront (subject to VAT status)
Simple, clear documentation
HP is ideal where pillar drills are long-term workshop assets.
Finance Lease offers tax-efficient funding while keeping cash free for other business needs.
Key features:
Rentals matched to cashflow
Fixed or variable rate options
Payments broadly match asset depreciation
VAT payable on rentals, not upfront
End-of-term options:
Retain the pillar drill for a nominal annual rental, or
Sell it and retain most of the proceeds
Operating Leases are designed for lower monthly costs and off-balance-sheet funding.
Advantages:
Residual value reduces monthly payments
Fixed costs for the agreement term
Off-balance-sheet treatment improves return on assets
VAT payable only on rentals
If you already own a pillar drill outright, refinance allows you to unlock its current market value without selling the machine.
Common uses of refinance:
Release working capital
Fund additional equipment
Support cashflow during growth
Repayments are fixed and matched to cashflow, with no impact on existing bank facilities.
Debtor Finance releases cash tied up in unpaid invoices, supporting:
Material purchasing
Payroll
Additional machinery investment
It works well alongside pillar drill and workshop equipment finance.
Yes. Used pillar drills are commonly financed, and Gable often secures better terms than dealer finance, especially when funding multiple machines.
Hire Purchase suits workshops that want ownership of a long-term asset.
Finance Lease suits businesses prioritising flexibility and cash preservation.
Yes. Repayments can be structured around production levels, seasonal work, or contract-based income.
Absolutely. Pillar drills are often financed alongside saws, sanders, CNC machines, or extraction systems under a single structured facility.
No. Asset finance is typically separate from bank facilities, helping preserve overdrafts for day-to-day operations.
While pillar drills are common machines, funding them effectively—especially as part of a wider equipment strategy—requires experience.
Gable Business Finance offers:
Specialist knowledge of woodworking and workshop machinery
Funding for new and used pillar drills
Access to a wide panel of UK lenders
Flexible options: HP, Finance Lease, Operating Lease, Refinance, and Debtor Finance
Simple, transparent documentation
The ability to beat dealer finance in many cases
Pillar drills are a core workshop machine, delivering accuracy, safety, and repeatability across woodworking and metalworking operations. With the right finance structure, UK businesses can invest in professional-grade equipment without restricting cashflow.
By working with Gable Business Finance, you gain access to tailored, competitive funding solutions designed specifically for pillar drills and workshop machinery.