The Best Drill Guides for 2024

Best Drill Guides - Top Picks, Reviews & Complete Buying Guide

Drill guides are designed to make the drilling fast and accurate.

The frequent users understand the importance of this tool, as the most frustrating thing is when you get a misaligned hole.

This can happen even if you used the guide correctly sue to the fact that there are cheap models that do not work right, causing you to ruin your projects.

So as to be able to choose the right drill guides and not get frustrated, we have decided to offer you descriptions of five models which are considered the best on the market as a well-informed consumer makes good decisions.

Spoiler Alert - Check out my top choice here >>

Top Rated Drill Guides

Model Rating Buy Now
BIG GATOR TOOLS (Standard) Portable Drill GuidesBIG GATOR TOOLS (Standard) Portable Drill Guides
4.5
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Milescraft 1318 DrillMate Drill Guide AttachmentMilescraft 1318 DrillMate Drill Guide Attachment
3.8
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Milescraft DrillBlock Handheld Drill-GuideMilescraft DrillBlock Handheld Drill-Guide
4.5
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Wolfcraft Multi-Angle Drilling GuideWolfcraft Multi-Angle Drilling Guide
3.2
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General Tools 36/37 Precision Drill GuideGeneral Tools 36/37 Precision Drill Guide
2.6
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* Ratings are based on Editor's own opinion.

5 Best Drill Guides Reviewed

#1. BIG GATOR TOOLS (Standard) Portable Drill Guides

Top Pick
BIG GATOR TOOLS (Standard) Portable Drill Guides
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The first place is rightfully given to the BIG GATOR TOOLS (Standard) Portable Drill Guides.

This is a tool designed for people who need a wide variety of drilling sizes on one hand, but on the other who wants a portable guide easy to use.

What you get with this model is 17 drill sizes, each size is just 1/64” away from the last one, so creating a precise hole would be a piece of a cake for you.

The tool features alignment marks along the base which are there to make it easy to line this device up with any centering marks you make.

The material it is made of is a nickel alloyed steel causing the tool to be extremely durable, even though it is not rust-resistant.

This tool is shipped with an oil coating to prevent rust, but we still suggest you to keep it away from dry.

It boasts a slick base, enabling you to get the most accurate holes, proving once again that it is one of the best drill guides on the market.

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Pros

  • 17 sizes
  • 1/64” increments
  • Alignment marks
  • Made of nickel alloyed steel

Cons

  • Slick bottom
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#2. Milescraft 1318 DrillMate Drill Guide Attachment

Milescraft 1318 DrillMate Drill Guide Attachment
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The Milescraft 1318 DrillMate is our second choice.

The manufactures guarantee that the users will get the cuts at the angles they need, as it can guide your cuts at any angle between 45 and 90 degrees.

It is also claimed to be great for working with round stock, as its base features centering channels make it possible to get the right alignment.

What you get with this tool is an adjustable depth stop, which prevents you from drilling too deep in situations where that can damage your workpiece.

This model works with all 3/8” and 1/2″ drills, proving once again that it is among the best as it is likely to be compatible with the drill you already own.

Being that it is inexpensive people would think that it is the ideal model to purchase, but there comes a problem.

The price is in line with its build quality, which unfortunately, is not great.

The users got the impression that it will not last long.

This is an affordable drill and can be a good investment, even if it is not too durable.

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Pros

  • Designed for angled or round cuts
  • Used with 3/8” and 1/2” drills
  • Adjustable depth stop
  • Price

Cons

  • Durability
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#3. Milescraft DrillBlock Handheld Drill-Guide

Milescraft DrillBlock Handheld Drill-Guide
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If you are looking for the best value for money, then the Milescraft 1312 DrillBlock- Handheld should be your choice.

Not only that it is inexpensive, but good sides are that it comes with easy to use centerlines allowing you to get the hole exactly where you want it to be.

There is a non-slip feet, designed to keep it aligned while you drill.

The disadvantage is that there are only six guides.

The positive thing about it is the portability, as it is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket.

The additional features are v-grooves on the bottom, allowing you to use it on corners or round objects.

Even though this model is far cheaper it is a very versatile tool.

What users found as a weakness is that you need to have long drill bits to reach through this guide.

This requires additional search for compatible bits which is not what users want to do.

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Pros

  • Price
  • Easy to use centerlines
  • Non-slip feet
  • V-grooves useful on corners

Cons

  • Requires long drill bits
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#4. Wolfcraft Multi-Angle Drilling Guide

Wolfcraft Multi-Angle Drilling Guide
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The last two models on our lists are less quality ones, but still deserve our attention.

The wolfcraft 4525404 Multi-Angle drill guide is a similar style to the Milescraft 1318 but the performance is not as well as with our second choice.

This model works with all 1/4″ and 3/8” drills, which is good as it is compatible with the majority of drills and it features two springs, giving you more stability, and faster returns to the starting position.

There is a possibility of drilling angles up to 45 degrees with this model.

It is quite versatile and good for a variety of different tasks, but on the other hand, this model has certain quality control issues which make it less worth.

It consists of a plastic and cheap metal so that it can easily break, and users have struggles to get things to tighten affecting the quality cuts.

If you have money to get another model, you should avoid this one.

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Pros

  • Designed for 1/4″ and 3/8” drills
  • Dual springs
  • Drill angles up to 45 degrees
  • Centering channels

Cons

  • Problems with quality control
  • Loose parts
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#5. General Tools 36/37 Precision Drill Guide

General Tools 36/37 Precision Drill Guide
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The last on is the General Tools 36/37 Precision Drill Guide.

This model works with all 3/8” or 1/2” power drills and comes with an adjustable depth stop.

This is a great feature which should be included with all models, but that is not always the case.

The manufacturers claim that users will be able to drill angels up to 45 degrees, but once you try, you will realize that this is not what you can do with this drill guide.

Even when it looks like you have it set up correctly, it can cause mistakes and damage your workpieces.

The centering channels on this model are cheap and not quality ones, the model lacks springs, and what is even worse, its price is quite high, almost similar to much  better quality tools available on the market.

Our suggestion is not to waste your time and money on this model.

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Pros

  • Drill angles up to 45 degrees
  • Depth stop is adjustable

Cons

  • No springs
  • Low-quality centering channels
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Drill Guides: The Ultimate Buying Guide

When it comes to drill guides, we know that it is not easy to make a decision which one to buy, so you can go through our buyer’s guide and see some features to have in mind when purchasing it.

Drill guides

What are important factors to consider prior to purchasing it?

We have to state that there are three most important factors to consider and those are portability, accuracy, and durability.

Portability is what the majority manufactures have in mind when making these models and those that have holes for multiple drill bit sizes and do not rely on attaching your drill are the smallest and easiest to move around.

The fact is that they can be a bit less accurate as they are hard to secure in place, but you can take them wherever you need to.

Accuracy varies among drill guides, and as we already said portable models are not as accurate as large models.

It is very significant to get a model which offer good accuracy and you should know that those full-featured models vary when it comes to accuracy.

The cheaper models are usually made of cheap material so you may not be able to tighten them sufficiently which would lead to inaccuracy.

The last of the three factors is durability and everyone wants to get the tool which will last for a longer period of time.

Portable models have fewer moving parts that could break, so they are more durable.  But be aware of the possibility of melting plastic as drilling holes can be a hot job.

You may encounter that the plastic in the portable drill guide melts and that is not what you want from it.

Non-handheld models, there are more moving parts that could break, making this model less durable.

The product description would not offer you the information related to durability, but going through reviews of other users, you can get some knowledge about the model as a whole.

Drill Guides

Conclusion

All in all, there are three models which are worth consideration and two that should be avoided.

The BIG GATOR TOOLS (Standard) Portable Drill Guides is the best and our favorite model.

The first place is deserved due to its portability, 17 hole sizes, and durable nickel alloyed steel frame.

Another very good option is the Milescraft 1318 DrillMate.

This is a great tool due to its compatibility with 3/8” and 1/2″ drill bits and its low price.

The Milescraft 1312 DrillBlock- Handheld is definitely the best for the money, but there are certain issues that caused it to be the third on the list.

The last two models are the wolfcraft 4525404 Multi-Angle drill guide and the General Tools 36/37 Precision Drill Guide which have some positive but many negative characteristics.

We claim that if you choose one of the first three models, you will not regret your purchase.


I hope you liked my article about Drill Guides, if so, please share or comment.

2 Comments
  1. Avatar for Joe Blow Joe Blow

    Cheap Chinesium crap.

    Look at Woodpecker drill guides and UJK drill guides.

  2. Avatar for Paul Stewart Paul Stewart

    This was really helpful to me in making a decision as to which still guide to purchase.I choose the : Milescraft 1318 Drillmate Drill Guide with chuck.
    Thank you very much.

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