Skip The Bench Grinder: This Home Depot Find Sharpens Drill Bits In Seconds

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Sharpening drill bits is a practical task that most of us frankly have no idea how to do. Drill bits get dull with use. If you want better results during your projects, keeping them in tip-top shape is a non-negotiable must. And thankfully, the right tools can make the job substantially simpler, no matter your skill or experience level. Through my decades as a professional woodworker, I've sharpened more drill bits than I want to count, but in recent years, that task became so much easier after I purchased the Drill Doctor electric drill sharpening system.

In the past, I would sharpen drill bits by taking them to my bench grinder and jigging up a way to hold the bit at the correct angle to the grinding wheel. I would carefully engage the bit's cutting edge with the grinder and do my best to not remove more metal from one cutting edge than the other. I often got good results (not every time), but it was a fussy bit of work.

Drill Doctor products, like this DD750X Electric Drill Sharpener ($159.95 at Home Depot), makes sharpening twist bits easy, repeatable, and reasonably fast. That's because it has all of the setup pieces, a cutting guide, a grinder, and a way to make sure both cutting edges of the bit get equally sharpened, pre-built into this one small machine. And it is even more beneficial for folks who are not pros in the workshop. All you need to know is how to follow the directions, and you'll have sharp bits in just a few seconds — no need to consider grinder wheel speed or grit, how to set up a 118-degree grind, or how to hold the bit to the grinder wheel safely.

The Drill Doctor 750X model won't work for every type of drill bit (such as spade bits), but it will handle most standard twist bits from ³⁄₃₂-inch diameter up to ¾-inch diameter. (Large diameter drill bits are pricey — resharpen the ones you own!) It adjusts between 115 and 140 degrees and is easily set to the two most common drill bit cutter angles, 118 degrees (for wood and most other stuff) and 138 degrees (primarily for drilling through metal). There is a sequential process where you put your bit into a special holder, set the amount of material to grind away and the proper grind angle for the bit. All of these actions are done using features specifically built into the machine, so there's no guessing. When you have the settings right, you simply push the holder and bit into the main opening and turn the holder. The machine grinds the metal away accurately without burning the metal.

There is an additional sharpening feature for split end grinding, though I question how important that is. If you've got the main cutting edges sharp, the split should take care of itself. One small drawback is that there is only one grinding "wheel" with one grit of abrasive, meaning you can't hone any of the cutting edges finer with the machine. You can do it after the fact by hand on a fine stone if you feel it is needed. But I mostly don't, meaning this little machine is a practical and easy way to keep drill bits in good cutting order.