Customer Reviews

Drill Doctor DD750X Drill Bit Sharpener

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Wow, a drill bit sharpener that actually does as the manufacturer claims. To me, few things are more aggravating than trying to work with a dull drill bit, especially when working with steel. When considering the amount of time wasted and productivity lost whenever good sharp bits are needed on a job, but unavailable, it doesn't take long to realize that it only makes good economic sense to be able to sharpen your own bits, especially for contractors and service/maintenance shops. Personally, I don't mind spending a few minutes of my time, sharpening my drill bits, which I use on my jobs.
Like others, I had tried some of the useless, piece of junk sharpeners that came along in previous years and was a little apprehensive about trying yet another one. I'm glad I decided to try the 750SP. It really does have the ability to get your twist drill bits razor sharp, usually in less than one minute. You can also use it to convert standard point bits to split point bits. I thought it was going to be a pain to use, but the sharpening technique is simple and very easy to master. Alignment of bits over 1/8" is done with the chuck by inserting it with the bit into the alignment slot. With bits smaller than 1/8", you have to insert the bits into the alignment slot without the chuck initially and then slide the chuck over the bit after. This may sound a little cumbersome, but once you have the unit and do it one time, you'll see that is actually not an issue at all, even with bits as small as 3/32".
Watch the included video a couple of times, which is only about sixteen minutes in length, then read through the instruction manual and it will all come together.
The first bits I sharpened were 3/16" x 4", ¼" x 4" and ½" x 6" Relton percussion masonry bits. Now they are sharper than when new.
After sharpening, the tips of carbide masonry bits seem to have a more angular look than the original tip, but they work excellent. Refurbishing these first few bits saved about eleven dollars in replacement costs minus about six minutes of my time from start to finish.
I then continued on, sharpening my Hanson 29 pc. HSS set, a couple of Vermont American 13 pc. HSS sets and a box of various sized loose HSS bits. Most bits took well under one minute to complete, and I wasn't even hurrying. Almost all came out right on the first try. Any mishaps where easily fixed by simply repeating the procedure over again.
As for savings, the 29 pc. set cost eighty dollars new, the 13 pc. sets were fifteen dollars each and there where at least thirty dollars worth of loose bits in the box. That's about one hundred forty dollars of bits refurbished, minus around thirty minutes of my time. Keep in mind that this is only the first sharpening. It's safe to say that most bits in reasonably good shape can probably be sharpened at least eight to ten times.
One of the biggest and probably the most overlooked advantages of the 750SP is that it can also sharpen up to ¾" SDS type masonry bits. I used it to sharpen a small Bosch 5/32" x 4" [2"usable length], ¼" x 6" and ½" x 6" SDS bits. They are now good as new. I could never get them this sharp with just a file. This is about seventeen dollars worth of refurbished SDS bits and the sharpening process consumed all of about four minutes of my time. When you start getting into quality SDS bits sized ½" x 10" to ¾" x 10", then your beginning to look at real savings, with replacement costs at around sixteen to twenty two dollars per bit.
My 5/16" x 18" and 3/8" x 18" bell hanger bits required two hands to steady and guide them while sharpening, but they all came out great and haven't been this sharp since the day I bought them. As you can see, it just goes on and on.
The 750SP's comes with a carry case and the motor only draws 1.75Amps at 120V, so if you have an inverter in your truck, you can take it with you to the job and never have to worry about having anything less than the sharpest bit available. Supposedly you can get about two hundred sharpenings from one grinding wheel. Replacements grinding wheels cost twenty dollars and come in 100 grit or the standard 180 grit.
I have absolutely no problem at all recommending the 750SP. It works extremely well and requires a minimal learning curve. If you are concerned about return on investment, I think you will easily see the 750SP and any replacement grinding wheels pay for themselves in short order by refurbishing your more expensive SDS masonry bits and quality HSS or cobalt twist drill bits. Additionally, having sharp drill bits readily available can go a long way toward helping reduce job productivity losses.

Upon receiving the Drill Dr., I immediately opened the box to find both an instruction manual and a DVD. The instruction manual is clear enough that, given you're already a "handy-person", a couple of reads is sufficient to get started. I have not opened the DVD. It takes ~20 minutes or so, after opening the box, to sharpen your first bit.

The process, as described, begins with an overview of the machine, chucking the drill, setting the depth of material removal, setting the angle of the grind, and determining if the grind was properly achieved. Afterwards, you can perform a 'split-point' operation if desired.

A few caveats. First, this is NOT a precision machine to be used for sharpening precision machine tools. Setting up the EXACT angle for grinding is difficult, and took me a few attempts. The two most common angles are 118-degrees and 135-degrees, for which the Drill Dr. has pre-set positions. Some of my drill bits are 130-degrees, made from HSS-Co. I suggest you start with a lesser drill bit that you can 'sacrifice' for the learning process. Second, during the sharpening process, you rotate the chuck (containing the drill bit) in the bushing that sets the angle. There is quite a bit of 'play' during this process, so it takes some care to ensure you are consistent during this operation. With more practice, it should not be a problem. Third, think twice before you do the 'split-point' operation. The radius of the split-point grind is OK for large drill bits, but will consume most of the drill-bit surface for anything under ~1/4-inch. Finally, it would be useful to have a rubber pad underneath the Drill Dr.. The grinding wheel is spinning ~20,000 RPM, and the Drill Dr. 'walks' across a hard surface.

I do have some very expensive, precision HSS-Co bits that I won't sharpen in this machine. Those bits I will take to a professional for sharpening. However, I do have some bits for general use, wood and steel, that will greatly benefit from this. My $150 set of general purpose HSS-Co bits can be rejuvenated, which will pay for the Drill Dr. immediately.

Overall, highly recommended. I gave it 4/5 stars because of the difficulty in setting up the 'non-standard' grinding angle. After learning on a sacrificial bit, the process worked well. You can sharpen a bit in a few minutes, and they DO come out sharp. It works well for my all-around bits. I should have purchased a Drill Dr. years ago.

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--- Note: Please see the end, because there IS an update to this story ---
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(unedited original)
Wrecked a considerable pile of drill bits with this one. Mine went "ziiiiing-tick" instead of the "ziiiiiing" the video tells you it should sound like. Just a tiny tick, but since I've never even seen a drill doctor before, and not knowing the "tick" was evil, I continued on. First bits were OK, but got worse very quickly. The angle was getting worse and worse on every bit I sharpened. Which led me to believe I was doing it wrong... so I kept practicing and watching the video, and practicing for hours until most of my drill bits were short and wrecked. By that time, the "ziiiiing tick" was a "ziiing-TWACK", by the way.

Being the curious guy I am, I removed the guard and side plug and put a strong light in front so I could see exactly why it was wrecking my drill bits, what was I doing wrong? Well, I found the grinding wheel was not firmly held down by the spring loaded twist-on retainer. I don't know if the retainer wasn't put on properly by the factory, or if the spring wasn't seated correctly... all I can say is I could spin it with my finger at first, then it was tight after I removed it and reinstalled it)

Any way, the momentum of the wheel allowed it to start grinding each bit, then the wheel would stop in the mid turn of the drill bit, while the motor continued to turn full speed. It's quite loud, so there was no way to know this was going on without seeing it. The "tick" noise was cause by the shaft quickly spinning up the wheel when you finished the sharpening cycle of the bit and it pulled away. Of course every time the wheel was stopped, the shaft spinning it the middle of it ground some more metal away, making the wheel looser and looser, so the "tick" became a "twack". The wheel stopped sooner as it got looser, which is why the bits were becoming worse for me, not better, with practice, LOL. The bits were all sharpened with a backwards angle, because the wheel spinning would grind down the leading edge of the bit and then skid to a stop, leaving the heel of the bit intact.)

So , I call the 800 number, nobody there. call again, left message with name and number, nobody returned the call. Left message with receptionist, nothing.
I called pretty much every day, actually for well over a week. Left lots of messages. Receptionist left messages for them too. The receptionist was even saying "wow, nobody has phoned you back yet?? " after a week.
Eventually, about 10 days later, I finally get a hold of somebody (note that they still hadn't returned a voicemail yet), and I explain it to them. They can't do anything about it, and all I get was another number to phone for the repair tech. sigh)

So that guy only takes two days to get a hold of, and I explain it to him.
All I wanted/expected was to send in my receipt (receipt dated about 15 days old now) and the wheel/retainer, which is now all stripped out, and get a new wheel and retainer on warranty (PS this machine is brand new). Nope. I have to mail the entire unit to them, they will "fix" it or send me a refurb. The guy says probably a refurb, since he isn't allowed to disassemble them in any way. (! The guy seems nice enough, and explains his hands are tied since Drill doctor won't mail him any parts either.

Shipping the ENTIRE unit across the country costs almost twice than just going and buying the grinding wheel at a local store to begin with! Ugh. Phoned the original 800 number a bunch more times, nobody there, nobody phones back. Over a week later somebody actually calls me back (from the first voicemail I assume, 22 days prior), and the result is the same.
No, I can't mail the screwed up wheel and retainer to them for warranty replacement. Mail the entire (brand new) unit in to Drill doctor (at my expense), and they'll ship you a refurb. They don't do "parts" at all, apparently.

So, end result is, I bought a new wheel, fixed up the retainer a bit to properly hold it down, it works fine. Not "superb" or "like new" , but considerably better than hand sharpening for sure.

My view of Drill Doctor as a company, and their customer support? I really *hope* I never need warranty again. That was a terrible experience. You really get the feeling that nobody really cares there, but the receptionist who unfortunately can't do a thing for you.

Things break, that's a expected. And sometimes things are DOA, that's life. That's what warranty is for.

But when your only warranty support is an 800 number with voicemail, and they can't be bothered to ever phone you back, that's really horrible.

The fact that they won't send you a replacement part is not great either, but it was the total lack of customer service was the real disappointment here. Around 3 weeks waiting for them to return a voicemail was a bit extreme, while I have a brand new top of the line DOA Drill doctor sitting on my bench.

I am giving two stars, since the machine works fine now, just like it's supposed to... but I can't give it more since it cost me several weeks of phoning, and 30 dollars out of my pocket to finally make it work, from brand new out of the box, and there is little to nothing for warranty support, parts, and customer service.

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< PS: Thanks commenters :- I AM just your typical DIY guy, not a shop, or a business... and your support is really appreciated, thank you :- >

"Drill Doctor Marketing Guy" Matthew was true to his word in the comments section, and hooked me up with a very friendly Customer Service/Technical Support gal, Harmony, the following week after I emailed him.

She very happily, rather than send parts to fix mine up, offered to simply replace my DD750x drill doctor with a current model. No kidding...

There are a number of substantial things from my review that Drill Doctor has specifically addressed, which deserves an update.

1 There are now real people manning the phones, and replying to emails. And friendly ones too. Their webpage ALSO has a direct link to Matthew's email right on the main page - Plus a web form to make a comment to the president of the company if you need to. I think there have been some tremendous efforts made here, to really grab hold of the concept of "customer service".

2 On receipt of the replacement, the first thing I looked at - that loose springy clip-in retainer that caused the problem with the sharpening wheel in the first place... is gone! It is replaced by a screwed down retainer. And it is nice and solid - with two screws clamping the drum instead of the previous twisty/springy thing. Redesigned. Problem solved.

3 Their web page Drill Doctor FAQ, first item, says "certain repair parts are available" now. I called specifically about that, *anonymously*, and it's true. Parts you can get at, IE *without opening the unit in any way*, are replaceable... and reasonably inexpensive. Thank you Drill Doctor !

(Just for fun, I asked specifically to purchase a twist on springy wheel retainer too - as per the original problem. Nope. Sigh. Oh well, they still score 8/10 on that one, for at least offering latest revision parts.)

Since the company has actually redesigned the problem part AND successfully worked very hard to improve every aspect of service I experienced,
I'm pretty impressed right now with "new and Improved Drill Doctor"...
both the company and the machine... and I'd not hesitate to recommend them to a friend.

.................... 2 Star ---> 5 Star ....................

-- Randy
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I never thought that sharpening my drill bits could be so easy! Not only does this machine sharpen my conventional bits with complete accuracy, but it will also turn them into split point bits if I so desire. And I don't even have to worry about getting the correct angle on the point! It is definitely a tool worth buying.

One of the best products I've found in a long time.. Very easy to set up and it does such a quick job that after you get all your bits sharpened you want to out and dull some so you can do it again!! The drill doctor is very easy to set up and use.. a little technique sensitive on small (less than 1/8 inch), short (contractor length) bits but very forgiving of mistakes. Just rechuck and resharpen. Small bits are a bit tough to set up, but as cheap as they are, I don't think I will bother. The big value is in the larger sizes that are more expensive. My biggest dissapointment was expected wheel life, 200 sharpenings - more or less. At $20 a wheel that figures out to ten cents a sharpening without amortizing the cost of the unit. The book says you can invert the wheel wheel when it gets dull but that still is 5 cents per sharpening plus time. On the other hand, I have converted relative inexpensive 118 degree standard bits into 135 degree split bits in a matter of minutes.
Botom line though, is, this is a product that fills a need very well and is very easy to use.

There are many good things about this product. When I called tech support with a problem (chuck sticking), I got a human being with a knowledgable answer (loosen a few overtorqued screws) in a matter of minutes. On standard drill bits, it works very well.

However, I got it mostly to sharpen hex-base drill bits, as I use these drill bits with a quick-change chuck all the time. And I basically destroyed several bits (well, they were dull anyway) finding out that the chuck supplied with this unit simply can't get a proper grip on hex-base drill bits. They will be out of alignment, which means it won't work, at all. You just grind off random bits of your drill bit at random angles, resulting in a useless bit. Well, I _was_ able to sharpen a few of the bigger hex bits, but the 1/16", 1/8", and 3/16" bits were trashed.

So for my main use--sharpening hex-base bits--this fails pretty badly. If I'd known this, I wouldn't have gotten it. (Of course none of the marketing information or tech support information mentions this--if they did, they might lose some sales.) So I'll keep it, but quite disappointed. And no, tech support didn't have any suggestions for how to fix the problem.

So, if you want to sharpen small hex bits, give this a pass. If you don't use hex bits, it is a good deal. And the video they supply is excellent for teaching you how to use it.

Your mileage may vary.

In short, you can sharpen all kinds of bits with this. It takes a little practice, and you have to watch the video, but once you master it, it wil be your friend forever. The local Sears has it for a little more, but they cary the replacement diamond dusted wheeel in case you ruin yours by not watching the video and thinking you know it all. This is one find product that you won't regret buying if you use a lot of drill bits. It will pay for itself by the cost of every bit that you do not throw away for the rest of your life. Don't loan it out, it takes know-how to use it properly, and the wheel can be ruined by someone who doesn't know what they are doing. Watch the video before you try to use it, not after you ruin the wheel. It is a $25 lesson; take the free lesson on the included VCR tape first.

I am satisfied with my grinder, and it certainly puts the junk competition to shame. But I think other reviewers make a little too light of how frustrating it can be to get a bit set right in the chuck, or how easy it is to make a mistake. The bit alignment jig is simply shabby. Also, getting a good split point is more art than science. But ... if you are patient and willing to twist and turn the machine through the paces, you do get a lovely sharp bit (hopefully not having ground up too much of it in the process).

A sharp tool is a wonderful thing, and being able to touch up your bits yourself will make dull bits completely intolerable, kind of like when you discovered you could sharpen those chisels, remember? :)

Just be advised this tool is not a no-brainer in operation, and that it could be better.

[I own the 750SPK model] If you're like me, you have dozens (or maybe hundreds) of dull or broken drill bits hiding in the bottom of every shop drawer, tool box, and drywall bucket. Plus, they're under the workbench, behind the workbench, on the window sill... well, you get the idea. I got me one of these here Drill Doctors (sharpens up to 3/4" drills), and all my "sick" drill bits are now SHARP and healthy!!

I don't know how Darex did it, but they have come up with a WINNER. I first sharpened all my small dull bits, then I sharpend all my Silver & Deming bits, -- through 3/4" -- then I sharpened all my BROKEN bits, and then I went back and made ALL of my twist bits into high-performance split-point metal eaters!!

I am VERY happy with my machine. I have to admit though, that it took me quite a long time to figure out how to use it correctly. I recommend spending lots of time with their excellent video. I watched it MANY times, with the machine in my lap so that I could follow along, and then I sharpened a few bits, then studied the video again...

Now I can sharpen even a really messed-up bit with my eyes closed. SERIOUSLY! The diamond wheel in this machine lasts and lasts, but like any good machine, if you push it too hard, it's not going to last, and your bits will not be sharpened as well as they could be if you let the machine do its work.

I offer the following tips as well: I recommend that you clean your machine THROUGHLY after each one-half hour of sharpening. If you don't you will surely reduce the life of your machine, and worse yet, lose the accuracy you paid for. The grindings are very abrasive. I blast mine with dry air from my air compressor. Works slick. If you don't have a compressor, use the canned air sold to clean computers at any office supply store.

And, if your lungs are important to you, wear a mask suitable for sanding wood. I used my Drill Doctor at the dining room table one evening, and the next morning, my wife showed me how much dust was all over the table. Later that day, I started coughing, and I got a nasty lung infection. Did the sharpener dust cause it? I think it may have! So, do yourself a favor and wear a mask. One last tip: If you plan to grind a "split point" in you bits, do it right after you sharpen the bit while it is still in the holder. I didn't at first, and wasted time on each one re-setting the bit to grind the split point.

Darex makes drill sharpening machine used by machine shops and factories all over the world, so they really know what they are doing!

When I realized how easily I can sharpen bits, I went to our local St. Vincent DePaul thrift store, and for $4.00, I bought 20 pounds of old drill bits. Guess what? They are no longer dull (or broken) (or sharpened WRONG)... now I have a couple hundred dollars worth of Silver & Demming bits nice and sharp. (S&D bits drill holes larger than 1/2", and their shank is turned-down to fit in a 1/2" drill chuck). I can now drill a hole (in the 1/2" capacity chuck of my drill press) from 3/32" up to a full 3/4" by 64ths.!

I hope you are as happy with your Drill Doctor as I am mine. Happy Sharpening!

I bought this as an Xmas gift for my father. He is an octogenarian and his eyes aren't what they used to be so he asked me to help him get the hang of it.. The thing is a little bit technique sensitive but drill bit sharpening always has been. It took 15 or 20 bits before I got it down but now it only takes a few seconds, or, at most a minute or so to put a factory point on the most worn bit. Some of the bits he had were little more than fluted cylinders with sort of a point, having been subjected to hand grinding on a bench grinder. Saner people would have thrown out most of Dads' bits long ago, but he is the product of the depression and nothing with any appearance of useful life is thrown away. The Drill Doctor managed to return about 200+ bits to factory fresh condition over the course of a weekend. The broken ones I roughed out on the bench grinder and finished on the Drill doctor. In my opinion, we could throw the thing away now and be money ahead, but I won't (hehehehe).
The trickiest part about it is trying to get a split point. It is VERY easy to oversplit, especially on smaller bits. No problem, just regrind and try again, you only lose a few thousands of bit length. Once you get the hang of it, no problem at all.
The other tricky part is orienting small bits, smaller than 1/4 inch, but after a bit of practice even this becomes simple.
Now that Dad understands it, not even his poor eyesight prevents him from turning out perfect bits.