A drill is one of the most important tools in any household. To get your job done the way it should, your drill bits need to be sharp and in good shape. However, drill bits tend to wear down, become dull and accumulate rust after being used for several times. Instead of replacing them each time, a more economic and sustainable solution would be to extend your bit’s life by using a good drill bit sharpener.
In attempt to help you with this, here is our review for some of the best drill bit sharpeners out there, together with features to look at when buying one.
Quick Navigation
- Key Considerations
- Top 5 Best Drill Bit Sharpeners of 2018
- Drill Doctor 750X Drill Bit Sharpener for High-speed Steel
- Woodstock D4144 Drill Sharpener
- Drill Doctor 350X Drill Bit Sharpener
- Kruger Home Professional Drill Bit Chisel Sharpener
- Drill Doctor 500X Drill Bit Sharpener, Professional Design
- Final Thoughts
Key Considerations
A few things to consider when buying a drill bit sharpener:
Safety- With this type of mechanical machine, always remember that your safety comes first. Check products for sturdiness and see if they contain special safety features such as non-slip bases or safety shields. Read the instructions carefully and make sure you are comfortable with the machine and know how to use it.
Size- While you might care about having a small and compact size sharpener, what really matters the most is the size of the drill bit slots it offers. You want to make sure it can sharpen all your drill bits, so you need to check what drill bit sizes it supports. Most sharpeners for casual use maximum out at 1/2 inches, with some products going further with size up to 3/4 inches, and others having very limited size range.
Performance- A well performing machine is one that performs the job according to your needs. Therefore, there is no standard set for performance that you should look at. What you need to look for is features required to meet your demand. For example, if you want to make back-cut angles in your drill bit, then you should look for a sharpener that does that for you.
Cost- While the cost of good drill bits can vary significantly based on the features they offer, make sure you are paying just for what you need. There are plenty of high-end sharpeners that offer incredible features at a premium price. You may be attracted by the number of add-ons a specific machine can offer; however, if you have just started out, or are a casual user, you may be able to find a step-down product that offers exactly what you need at a lower price.
Warranty- Warranty is important, as it can make the whole difference between buying a product or not,
especially if you have never used or heard of it before. At least a one-year warranty is what you need to look for.
Top 5 Best Drill Bit Sharpeners of 2018
Drill Doctor 750X Drill Bit Sharpener for High-speed Steel
You will notice that three out of five of the drill bits sharpeners on our product list are by Drill Doctor. This company is an industry leader specialized in manufacturing drill bit sharpeners for over 40 years. It is known for providing high quality products with different options for different
needs.
What We Liked
The Drill Doctor 750x is designed to sharpen most, if not all, of the drill bit types available in your toolbox; it can handle high-speed drills, masonry, cobalt and tin-coated bits.
It is also designed with versatility and flexibility in mind. This product can handle a variety of bit sizes, ranging from 3/32 inch to 3/4 inch. Moreover, it gives you full control to adjust the amount of material taken off while the bit is being sharpened. It also works with English, metric and letter gauge bits. No need to worry about whether it will work with any of your bits.
In terms of angle settings, It allows you to set a custom angle between 115 and 140 degrees for added durability, and comes with the option to create a back-cut split-point. This feature makes your bit’s chisel point extra narrow allowing it to penetrate materials easier and making it safer to use.
Like other drill bit sharpeners, this one comes with an industrial-strength diamond sharpening wheel. However, this one is durable, maintains its shape over time and remains so for lots of sharpening to be done. We also found it super easy to use and replace; unlike other products, this one does not require any special key to lift it up and you can simply replace it with your hands.
Another nice feature is a 3-years warranty you get with purchasing the product. This shows that the company is backing up their product with confidence, no need to worry about service in case of any problem with it. When you purchase the product, you also get a carrying case that makes it easier for you to carry around wherever you go.
What We Did Not Like
Some customers found that the set up can be difficult to use, but that is common with all bit sharpeners, especially for first-timers. Others claim that it did not give them a point sharp enough with certain wood bits, but the majority report that it gave them perfect results and was easy to use.
OUR TAKE
All in all, we found this product one of the best drill bit sharpeners you can get. We like that you can use it with multiple materials and sizes. We also appreciate that you can make back-cut slices with it which will finish your job with high quality. It has several functions that make it great for professionals performing heavy-duty jobs.
Woodstock D4144 Drill Sharpener
Next on our list is the Woodstock D4144, a decent sharpening jig that you can install next to your vertical bench grinder to sharpen your bits. It is very popular for being in the range of affordable sharpeners.
What We Liked
This drill bits sharpener works very well with wood and allows you to sharpen bit sizes ranging from 1/8 inch to 3/4 inch.
Moreover, you can adjust the grinding stone to suite your needs. This way, you do not have to limit yourself to the grinding grit fixed by the manufacturer. Moreover, this product allows you to work on different drill point angles.
If you exclude the bench wheel, the sharpening tool comes in a comfortable size that can be placed on the palm of your hand.
Along with the product, you get a one-year warranty.
What We Did Not Like
Although this sharpener comes with several nice features, its main drawback is that it contains poorly-written instructions. Therefore, it is very much expected that you don’t get it right on the first try; you have to try it out and practice for some time until you figure out how to use it. Moreover, you may find it a little bit wobbly; it is not that sturdy, and the grinding wheel may vibrate.
Our Take
Nevertheless, we still appreciate this sharpener as it offers many nice features for a good price. Once you understand how to use it, you’ll find a quality drill bit sharpener that works with great speed and smoothness.
Drill Doctor 350X Drill Bit Sharpener
The 350X model is the most basic bit sharpener offered by Drill Doctor. This doesn’t make it a low-quality product in any way; in fact, it is an excellent value-priced product to consider for beginners as well as casual users. It is stripped of all complex features that may be unnecessary for new users. However, it still has great features that will let you complete a basic job decently.
What We Liked
Although it comes in a simplified design, the 350X sharpener comes with great value for money as it works with a wide range of materials including high-speed steel, carbide, masonry and tin-coated bits.
This sharpener works with bit sizes between 3/32 and 1/2 inch, which is a good range for the bits you will probably use. It cannot work with bits larger than 1/2 an inch, but that is not a problem for basic usage intended for this bit sharpener.
Because this is a simplified sharpener, this product is light weight and small sized, making it easy to carry and store when not in use. Weighing about three pounds, this is one of the lightest drill bit sharpeners available out there.
Because this model is built for beginners, it makes the process simpler by offering on-chuck alignment; hence, you do not need a separate alignment port, nor do you need to worry about not setting up and aligning your bit correctly. With this secure alignment system, all you must do is set the bit securely and turn the chuck to achieve the cutting angle and start sharpening. As you sharpen, the bit is firmly placed between the V-block jaws, which prevents the jaw from twisting or damaging your bits.
What we did not like
Unlike the other Drill Doctor’s sharpeners on this list (750X and 550X), the 350X offers only one cutting angle at 118 degrees. It also cannot sharpen reverse drill bits, but it remains at a good value for money.
Our Take
Overall, we like the 350X because it has a lot of value to offer for a reasonable price. Although it is built for beginners, it offers several nice features that you can find in more advanced models, and it definitely pays for itself overtime.
Kruger Home Professional Drill Bit Chisel Sharpener
This sharpener is on our list because it offers you great value, with 3 interchangeable sharpening heads for different tools. This means you can use it to get high quality sharpening for your dull drill bits, but you can use it to sharpen other tools as well.
What We Liked
This drill bit sharpener comes with three heads: a drill bit sharpener, a knife head sharpener and a chisel sharpener. The drill bit sharpener features 16 slots for different bit sizes ranging from 3 to 10mm (about 1/8 to 25/64 inch).
The knife head features 2 slits for both sides of the blade, which makes it easy to align your knife in the correct angle to get a perfect sharpening. The Chisel sharpening head is also suitable for other types of tools such as pliers, so this really is a comprehensive sharpener that will cater to most of your tool sharpening needs.
While people may be skeptical about the quality of 3-in-1 products, this one does keep its promise and maintains high quality when using any of its sharpening options. It is equipped with a powerful motor, and is sturdy while in use. It also comes with a non-slip base which makes it safe and ensures that it does not slide while you are sharpening.
If you buy the product from the manufacturing company, Kruger, you can get a one-year warranty, so you can buy the product with confidence.
Our Take
This product can be tricky to master. You must be prepared to practice several times to master it, but this is the case with almost any other sharpening tool out there.
Drill Doctor 500X Drill Bit Sharpener, Professional Design
This is model is a step down from the Drill Doctor 750X we’ve seen at the top of this list. This is a good choice if you don’t often do heavy drill work that requires sharpening your bits frequently. It will not give you all the functionalities available in the step-up 750X model, but it
can still give you great benefits.
What We Liked
This model also works on most types of materials such as high-speed steel, masonry, carbide and tin-coated bits. So, if you are not a heavy user, it should be enough to cover all your drill bits.
The main downgrade from the 750X model to the 500X is that it can sharpen a bit size from 3/32 inch only up to 1/2 inch. Although this range cover bit sizes used for common drill jobs, if you are looking to sharpen bits larger than this, then you need to look for a more advanced option.
With this model, you can still set the sharpening angle, but you are limited with two options: either 118 or 135 degrees. It does not give you the flexibility to set the angle anywhere in between, as is the case with the 750X, which also happens to have a wider-angle range to choose from. However, this should not be a problem considering that most common jobs work at these two angles, unless you have advanced requirements that need different angle set up options.
Like all Drill Doctor’s products, this one uses a diamond sharpening wheel which you can easily replace without the use of any additional tools or accessories, allowing you to switch grit wheels quickly. It also maintains its shape over time and stays good for around 200 sharpenings.
What We Did Not Like
Most of the folks using this product found it excellent, and some even say it made their bits better than when they got it from the factory. However, there were a few cases, where buyers claimed that the product did not cut the back-relief angle correctly as per the set angle, or found that it did not sharpen their bits the way they wanted. However, this could be due to not understanding how to operate the machine correctly, since most drill bit sharpeners require some time for you to figure out how to let them work exactly the way you need.
Our Take
This may not be the most powerful tool out there, but we definitely think it is an excellent choice for users who perform just above-average jobs. We like that it handles multiple materials and provides the option to set the cutting angle at a decent price. It is reliable and robust, and covers most of standard bit sizes, which makes it an excellent choice for professionals.
Final Thoughts
Some people still prefer to sharpen their drill bits by hand, but it can be dangerous, and it might never work for you. A better choice is to get yourself a good drill bit sharpener that will not only save you time and get the job professionally done, but will also save you money as it pays for itself after some time, instead of buying new bits each time they wear out. Our list of the best drill bit sharpeners is a good place to start hunting for a drill bit sharpener, that will help you say goodbye to dull drill bits and gets your job done perfectly.