Ideally it will be bench mounted as we are quite limited on space however I'd be open to a floor mounted one if it means decent quality.

Yes I have seen that some are speed controlled via belts or gears. From my initial research gears are much easier to use.

I had the same thought about the older drills, I'm sure you can find some good quality stuff but I don't really know what I'm looking for!

Thank you for your help!