Drill Doctor

[PopinJohn]

Is the drill doctor 350 a good buy? Or should I step up to the 500 or 750? Or is there a better alternative?
Most of the time the bits I want to sharpen are small sizes, 1/4" and under, not daily, but several times a week.
I've always sharpened bits by hand on the grinder, but would like to try a machine.
Thanks.
 

[tomNE]

my drill doctor works great. the bigger and fancier ones tend to be made for bigger bits.
 

[Inno]

Every few months the topic comes up when they go on sale somewhere. If you're good at doing it with a grinder then I would say continue doing it that way, it's probably quicker by the time you get the bit chucked up in the drill doctor and sharpened you could likely have sharpened two on the grinder.
Having said that, if you're not happy with the way they are coming out using the grinder then the Drill Dr. might be right for you.
I bought mine and use it quite a bit and I'm very happy with the edge it puts on my bits. I'm not that good with a bench grinder and my grinder is not all that good to start with.
 

[to_many_irons]

for me it was the best thing since slice bread .
 

[decent truck]

I'm not sure what model I have but it will handle a 1/2 inch bit. Owned it about 10 years now. Two chucks based on bit diameter.
I'm pretty happy with it. I also sharpen by eye on the grinder or belt sander depends on where I'm standing.
The drill doctor is pretty fast and repeatable results.
 

[Ohiohills]

I've had an older 750 for quite a few years and use it in my home shop quite often. I'm lousy with a grinder so I think the Drill Doc does a great job for me. It doesn't work very well for bits smaller than 3/16" but for the larger sizes it works fine. It shouldn't be used to restore damaged or badly chipped bits and it probably wouldn't hold up to day-to-day use in a business application, but for a home shop it's fine.
 

[Bret4207]

I have a 750 too. Very happy with it. Back when I could see I could get a drill done nicely free hand. Now I can't see (or hear or run or lift heavy stuff either!) so the Dr. is pretty handy. Just make sure you actually read the instructions.
 

[36 Coupe]

General Tool makes a grinding fixture that uses your bench grinder for 30 bucks.Import copies go for 20 bucks.Big drills are easy to grind by hand.
 

[Bradracer18]

We have a nice one at work, not sure on what model number, but its a big tool. My advice is to stick with the grinder, and if you can't get results, practice on some junk bits.

My next question is, do you know how to tell if you have a sharp bit for sure, and thus you have correctly sharpened it? I've seen the drill dr produce a non sharp bit many times, which probably most of the time we were too impatient with it taking 10 minutes to set up and do a good job, when it can be done on the grinder in 2 minutes or less.
 

[JDseller]

There is NO BODY in the world that can free hand a drill bit on a grinder and get it to cut evenly with both sides. One side or the other will be slightly longer/taller than the other. With a fixture you can do a pretty good jump keeping them even but they will not have a relief taper unless you grind it separately.

For those saying that a Drill Doctor take a long time to setup. How does it take a long time to setup???? I have one I can take it off the shelf an slide a drill bit into the setup holder and sharpen it in less than two minutes. Nice even sharp drill bit with the correct reliefs. Almost all of my high speed drill bits are all the same angle. If they are not they are after I sharpen them the first time. I will take them on my bench grinder and get the angle close and then finish it on the Drill Doctor.

I have a display case that was in a hardware store for retailing drill bits. It has small drawers for each size of bit from real small up to 5/8. So I have many drill bits of each size sorted in a handy storage place. I then have a box right below that display. If I dull a bit or it is not cutting correctly I pitch it into the box. Every now and then I sharpen every drill bit and sort them back into the display case.

Tip for repairing broken drill bits. Just grind them slowly on your bench grinder until they are close to being even. Then finish them in the Drill doctor.
 

[Bret4207]

[Bradracer18]

haha, I think I've used on a few times. Seriously, only a couple times. At work, we have a "nice" (read expensive) one however my dad just has the generic small one. Neither seem to work great.

I don't understand why you can't get them good on the grinder, no maybe not perfect, but darn close! I guess I didn't know you guys were looking for perfection. We drill holes all the time, and are looking to drill them the size that the bit is (say 1/4" =.250). Well, some might not know, but a dull bit will actually drill a larger hole, I've seen it drill a 0.020 larger hole before. A sharp bit seems to drill within 0.0005 to 0.001 of the size we are looking for. And, that's a hand/grinder sharpened bit.

We actually sharpen them on a disc grinder, seems to work the best. You must also realize, that I've been taught by someone who has done this almost daily for 15 years. He is much faster and better than me (thus my comparison to the drill dr.)

And, on a side note for the original poster, we tell the bit is sharp by when you stick it into the metal, 2 spirals must come off. If only one comes off, its only cutting on one side and isn't sharp!
 

[Bret4207]

So you've only used one a couple times, it doesn't sound like you were trained or read or viewed the instructions and you are dissing the tool. I also imagine the 18 in your handle is your age. I knew everything at 18 too. For instance, I once believed that a 1/4" drill would cut .250. The sharpest 1/4" bit in the world won't cut .250. It might be .238 or more likely .253 or 4, but you go on thinking what you want. Those of use that need exact diameter holes use a reamer.

We CAN get a a drill gauge and grind them, many of us have done it. I've been doing it since 1976. The Drill Dr or any of the Darex pro grade rigs do it easier and a lot faster as don't require me finding my glasses and the drill gauge and spending 5-10x as much time getting a sharp drill.

BTW- a chip only being produced on one side doesn't mean both sides aren't equally sharp. It means one cutting edge is longer than the other or at a different angle which is what many people get doing it freehand.
 

[Puddles]

About 12-years ago I mounted a backhoe on my neighbor's tractor. I didn't charge him a dime. I guess he felt bad so he bought me a Drill Doctor as a gift. It took too long to get set up for me, so I gave it to my brother-n-law.
One way to look at it, if you can walk on your own, you don't need crutches.
 

[Bret4207]

I realize everyone has their own likes and dislikes, but what's the big deal about setting the Drill Dr up? You stick the bit in the holder, insert the holder int he hole, align the twist of the bit between the spring clamp and tighten. That's like 3-5 seconds. What am I missing? I've done thousands of bits.