Intro
Drilling a straight, accurately positioned hole by hand is harder than it looks — the bit wanders, the angle drifts, and what should have been a clean through-hole becomes an oval mess. This is where a benchtop drill press earns its place. It holds the workpiece steady on a flat table and drives the bit down with a lever-controlled spindle, giving you repeatable, perpendicular holes every time. But what if you need more than just drilling? What if you occasionally need to mill a slot, face the edge of a bracket, or cut a shallow pocket in aluminium? A standard drill press cannot handle side loads — its bearings are not designed for it. A benchtop milling machine can, but it costs significantly more. The hybrid approach — a drill press built with enough rigidity and bearing support to handle light milling — bridges this gap, giving hobbyist machinists and serious DIY builders a versatile tool that drills, mills, and faces without needing two separate machines and twice the workshop space.
Generalities
Choosing a benchtop drill press that can also mill means looking beyond the basic specs of drilling capacity and spindle travel. The key question is whether the spindle bearings and quill assembly can tolerate the lateral forces that milling imposes — standard drill press bearings are typically deep-groove ball bearings that are fine for axial loads but can wear quickly under side loads. A proper hybrid machine uses tapered roller bearings or angular contact bearings in the spindle. Motor power matters too; a 710-watt induction motor provides enough torque for drilling holes up to roughly 13 millimetres in steel and for light end-milling in aluminium and brass. LPUHHDA is a Chinese manufacturer producing workshop machinery aimed at the hobbyist and light professional market, offering a feature set that competes with established European brands at a lower price.
This review examines a 710-watt benchtop drill press and milling machine that ships with an integrated vise. We look at the build quality and spindle rigidity, the motor performance and speed range, the drilling and milling capabilities across different materials, and whether the dual-purpose design delivers on its promise or compromises too much on both fronts.
Description
This machine is driven by a 710-watt induction motor with 6 selectable speeds, giving you control over the spindle RPM to match the material and operation — slower speeds for drilling steel and milling with larger cutters, faster speeds for wood and small drill bits. The chuck accepts bits from approximately 1.5 to 13 millimetres in diameter, covering most common twist drill sizes as well as the shank diameters of small end mills. Spindle travel is 60 millimetres, giving enough quill stroke for drilling through moderately thick stock and for milling pockets and slots where you need consistent depth control. The drilling capacity is rated at roughly 13 millimetres in iron and 35 millimetres in wood — practical limits for a machine of this class.
The design follows the classic benchtop drill press layout: a vertical column supporting the motor head and spindle assembly, with an adjustable-height work table mounted below. The table tilts for angled drilling, and the integrated vise holds workpieces securely during both drilling and milling operations — a useful inclusion that saves buying a separate machine vise. The cast iron base and column provide a stable foundation, and the machine weighs approximately 10 to 11 kilograms, which is heavy enough to stay planted during operation but light enough to lift onto a workbench by one person. The depth stop lets you set a precise drilling or milling depth and repeat it across multiple workpieces.
In everyday use, the 6-speed belt-drive system requires manually moving the belt between pulleys to change speed — simple and reliable, though less convenient than electronic variable speed. The feed lever operates smoothly and gives good tactile feedback, letting you feel how the bit or end mill is cutting. For drilling, it performs as expected: straight, clean holes with no wandering. For light milling in aluminium and brass, taking shallow passes of 0.5 to 1 millimetre at a time, the spindle handles the side loads adequately, and the vise keeps the work from shifting — though you should not expect the material removal rate of a dedicated milling machine. The 60 millimetre quill travel is adequate for most hobbyist work but limits the depth of pockets and the height of workpieces you can fit under the chuck.
The included vise is more than a throw-in accessory — it is a proper drill press vise with jaws that can hold flat, round, and irregularly shaped stock. Having it mounted and aligned from the start eliminates the frustration of sourcing a compatible vise separately. The machine runs on standard mains voltage and the induction motor is relatively quiet compared to universal motors found on handheld drills. An acrylic chip guard shields the operator from swarf during milling operations, though it is basic and some users may want to upgrade to a more robust guard. The table surface has T-slots for clamping larger workpieces or mounting a rotary table if you later expand your setup.
The assembled machine measures roughly 55 × 30 × 65 centimetres — compact enough for a corner of a workbench in a home garage or small workshop. At approximately 10 to 11 kilograms, it is manageable for one person to reposition. LPUHHDA provides standard warranty coverage, though the brand does not have the widespread service infrastructure of names like Sealey or Draper in the UK. Customer reviews are not yet available for this listing, so prospective buyers will need to evaluate the specifications and build quality descriptions against the £588 price point. For a machine that combines drilling and light milling in one footprint, it occupies a niche that standard drill presses and dedicated mills leave open.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Genuine dual-purpose capability — drills perpendicular holes with repeatable accuracy and handles light milling in aluminium and brass, saving the cost and space of two separate machines.
- The 710-watt induction motor delivers smooth, quiet power with enough torque for 13 mm holes in steel and steady end-milling passes in softer metals.
- Six selectable speeds via belt drive give a useful range for different materials — slow for steel and milling, fast for wood and small drill bits — with the reliability of a mechanical system.
- Comes with an integrated vise included in the price — properly aligned and sized for the table, so you can start working immediately without hunting for compatible clamping accessories.
- Cast iron base and column provide a stable, vibration-damping foundation that helps maintain accuracy during both drilling and side-loaded milling operations.
- The tilting work table and 60 mm quill stroke give practical flexibility for angled holes and controlled-depth pockets without needing to shim or reposition the workpiece constantly.
- At roughly 10–11 kg, the machine is heavy enough to stay put during use but still light enough for one person to lift onto a bench — a good balance for a home workshop.
Cons
- Changing speeds requires manually moving the belt between pulleys — functional but less convenient than electronic variable speed, especially when switching frequently between drilling and milling.
- The 710-watt motor and spindle bearing design limit milling to light cuts in aluminium and brass — attempting deep passes or harder materials like steel will cause chatter and rapid tool wear.
- No customer reviews available at the time of writing — the specifications look solid on paper, but real-world feedback on bearing longevity and build consistency is absent.
- The LPUHHDA brand lacks the established UK or European dealer and service network of better-known workshop machinery brands, making warranty claims and spare parts potentially less straightforward.
- The 60 mm quill travel, while adequate for most hobbyist work, limits the maximum depth of milled pockets and the height of workpieces — a dedicated mill typically offers more Z-axis range.
Use cases
This benchtop drill press and light milling machine is best suited for hobbyist machinists, model engineers, and DIY enthusiasts who need accurate drilling and occasional light milling in a single compact machine.
Precision Drilling in Metal and Wood
The primary job of any drill press is drilling straight, repeatable holes, and this machine does it well. Whether you are drilling mounting holes in steel brackets, creating dowel joints in hardwood, or boring bolt patterns in aluminium plates, the depth stop and rigid quill give you identical holes every time. The 13 mm capacity in steel covers most common workshop fasteners and fittings.
Light Milling and Slot Cutting
With an end mill in the chuck and the vise securing your workpiece, this machine can cut slots, face edges, and mill shallow pockets in aluminium, brass, and plastic. It is ideal for making custom brackets, milling keyways in shafts, or creating flat mating surfaces on cast parts. Keep passes shallow — around 0.5 to 1 mm — and the results are clean and accurate.
Model Engineering and Small Parts Fabrication
Model engineers building steam engines, miniature locomotives, or scale models need accurate holes and precisely faced surfaces on small components. The combination of drilling and light milling in one machine means you can drill mounting holes in a bracket and then face its edge square — all in one setup. The compact footprint fits easily in a model engineering workshop alongside a lathe.
Angled and Repetitive Drilling
The tilting table lets you drill at consistent angles — useful for creating pocket-hole joinery in woodworking, angled oil passages in small engine blocks, or chamfered countersinks in metal parts. Combined with the depth stop, you can produce batches of identical angled holes without the inconsistency of a handheld drill and a makeshift jig.
Workshop Upgrade from Handheld Tools
For a DIY enthusiast moving beyond a handheld drill and angle grinder, this machine represents a significant step up in capability. It drills straighter holes than any handheld drill, mills surfaces flatter than any file, and introduces the fundamentals of machine tool operation — speeds, feeds, workholding — without the intimidating size or cost of a full industrial mill.