Drill Doctor

[Corley5]

Anybody have one and do you like it   We've got LOTS of dull and therefore useless bits.  Grandpa could sharpen them free hand on the bench grinder and make em cut better than new.  I can really screw them up    If one of these works as good as Paul Harvey says they do   It would be a good investment as we've got a lot of $ of bits that only need sharpening.  I bought a couple 1/2" bits a while ago and they don't give em away    They need to be sharpened now too 

[SwampDonkey]

I bought one five years ago, and I ain't cut the plastic bindings off it to open it up yet. I hope to use it some day, but I never use too many bits. I got mine at Lee Valley.

[beenthere]

I have one and like it a lot. Seems for me it took some initial learning time, but with the help by finally reading the directions, I was able to put a very good edge on my drill bits. Great to have plenty of sharp ones when drilling steel. I used to touch them up pretty good on the grinder, but having both cutting edges the same, and at the same angle, is much better than hand grinding. The added feature to put the split point on the bits is worth a lot too. They are self-centering and fast cutting.

I don't try to sharpen the ones 1/8" and under. But for the other sizes, I keep them sharp with the Drill Doctor.

[neslrite]

Greg,
We use the Drill Doctor daily in the shop, works great

I will bring it to the pig roast you can try it out

Kevin

[Don_Papenburg]

My opinion is the opposite . I have had mine for 15 years and used it just a few times .  The bit holder does not turn freely enough to sharpen a bit . I do not think that there is very much grit left on my wheel any more and I have not sharpened more than 25 bits with it.   By the time I got drill bits set up in the holder I could have had two bits sharpened on the grinder.  With practice you can do a better job on the grinder.   I will probably be in the minority but I would save my money and practice on the grinder.

[Don K]

I have one and I wish I had it twenty years ago. They pay for themselves very quickly.  

[DR_Buck]

I've had mine about 6 years and wish I had 6 years before that.   It's one of the best tools I've ever purchased.  I purchased the model with both large and small bit holders.   First day I had it, I sat in front of the TV with a box of over 60 dull bits.  In no time at all, they were as good as new.  Even the broken ones!     

I don't understand  Don's comments at all. 

My opinion is the opposite . I have had mine for 15 years and used it just a few times .  The bit holder does not turn freely enough to sharpen a bit . I do not think that there is very much grit left on my wheel any more and I have not sharpened more than 25 bits with it.   By the time I got drill bits set up in the holder I could have had two bits sharpened on the grinder.  With practice you can do a better job on the grinder.   I will probably be in the minority but I would save my money and practice on the grinder.

To date I've sharpened 100's of bits and am still using the original grinding wheel.   One of the greatest products ever made!

[wiam]

Luv mine, had it for years sharpened hundreds of bits, still on original stone but nned to change.

Will

[PawNature]

I purchased the model with both large and small bit holders. ]

Buck, Which model has the large and small bit attachments

[scsmith42]

I've had one for close to 15 years, and definitely recommend it.

Don, I had some problems similar to yours but polished up the sleeves and everything worked fine after that.

Scott

[Chet]

Got it and luv it.    More than payed for itself da day I bought it. 

[isawlogs]

 Where can one get one , how much do they sell for ... Always on the lookout for something good and useful , I sharpen on the grinder , but would be nice to have something that would do a better job .

[Corley5]

  Thanks guys  Sounds like a good tool to have around.  Looks to me like E-bay has the best deals on them 

[SwampDonkey]

With the white collets, shown in white, I can sharpen bits from 3/32" to 1/2" 

This unit is made in England by Martek.

[mike_van]

I don't have this model, but I use a Black & Decker sharpener for 3/8" and smaller. For up to 3/4" I have one of those stand things that mounts to the bench next to the grinder,  and for that I made a different head that does up to 1".   Only thing worse than drilling steel with a dull drill is  dry hickory with a dull chain!

[Ironwood]

I have one as well, works great. Now I just need to sit down and sharpen the BOX of dull bits like I did when I first bought it. I even take it to my Mother-in-laws to sharpen my Brother-in-laws bit when we all visit (keeps us boys occupied,out of trouble and away fom you know who!). You won't regret buying one.

                     Reid

[jimbo]

  i have one and it works realey good  for the biger bits  i do have problems with the collet on smaller than 1/4 in but then thay are cheaper  and you can afford to toss them better ,i think teats the model 300 that has the collets up to 3/4 with two collets  but i vote for them as being good tool to have around               
                                 
                                                                                              jimbo

[Don_Papenburg]

Dr buck ,My  comments were the facts as I know it .  The thing did a good job on the first few bits but has been sliding backwards off the slippery slope to junkland since.  It is like the hole that the collets fit into shrunk and then undo force has to be applied to turn the thing to sharpen the whole bit .  Then it seems to me that the grinding wheel is dull as the danG thing does not do a good job there either.  My vote is still to keep your money.

SwampDonkey ,  Is that thing of yours metal? would you buy another?
I just plan on fixing my old drill sharpener that sets to the side of the grinder wheel.  Anyone  want a drill doc ? I think mine got it degee from a mailorder collage.

[highpockets]

I've had a drill doctor for maybe fifteen years.  A year or so back I noticed that it did not grind correctly. Some way the piece that is mounted in the housing (where you put the mandrel) had gotten out of sync at it's pivot point.  I had looked at it several times but it took my cousin to identify the problem. Snapped it back in place and everything is ok now. 

What I find is that for bits of 1/4 to maybe 7/16, I like it fine.  On the smaller bits, the indexing fingers seem to not engauge the bit properly without some really close looking.  On bits larger than this I mostly hand grind if I am not drilling to tap.

I think patients is mostly the key to using this machine.  If you try to shapen a hand ground bit, you probably notice that you hand ground bit was slightly off.  It can take some doing to get it back right.     

[beenthere]

I cleaned the bit holder and it works ok. No problem with binding. It's sharpened a bunch of bits and still on the first diamond wheel. I have a new wheel but still using the first one with good results. I would look for a problem, but would certainly not shy away from recommending someone buy one. I like mine a lot.