Drill Doctor DD500X Twist Drill Bit Sharpener - 3/32" to 1/2" - Electric Sharpener - High Speed & Portable - For Steel, Masonry, Carbide & Tin-Coated Drill Bits - Adjustable 118° or 135° Angle

I have used several drill bit sharpeners over the years and most were difficult to use or just plain worthless. The industrial grade sharpeners we used in the machine shop I used to work in did the job, but were not only expensive, but had a steep learning curve. At just a tad under 110 dollars, the Drill Doctor is one of the most expensive units out there, but unlike the competition, it not only works well, its also made in the USA. After receiving the unit, I spend a couple of evenings sharpening most of the drill bits I owned. I found the larger, over 1/4 inch bits to be extremely easy to set up in the chuck and sharpen. I did have some trouble with the smaller bits, though. It says that 3/16 is the smallest, but I was able to sharpen a long 1/8 bit easily. Different grades of sharpening stone and a larger chuck is also available if needed. For the moment, this unit is more than adequate for my needs and for most other garage mechanics and handymen out there.

This is my 3rd Drill Doctor, the first one I sold on a garage sale because I needed money, 2nd was pretty much wore out before I bought it from a garage sale. This new one is my favorite the 500x and I opted to buy a secone chuck that would go to 3/4 it was cheaper to do it this way that buy a 750x. I work in plastics and have to sharpen my bits due to drilling sometimes close to 1k holes in a day. With that in mind plasitics are the worst to set up for, they require an anle of about 118 degrees, with a split point and a pretty severe angle from face to heel. We drill as large as 1/2" not pilot hole so bits need to start quick and cut rapidly otherwise they just clog up with plastic. The 118 most closely simulates the best working drill bits we use. It does however take a bit of studying and the use of a black sharpee marker to get it set up and figure out how to get it to produce the correct angles. Coat the tip with sharpee then setup your bit at zero. If you look at the alignment port there are several slots for the chuck to go in, the one in the middle marked 118 is the 0 advance or retard of the bit, the port is marked + on the left and - on the right. As I said coat the cutting end with sharpee ans make about 1 to 2 full revolutions then check to see if they cut looks right. if the cutting edge is getting rolled over or the back angle is too flat, insert the chuch turned more to the left + side this will cut deeper to the heel and stop the roll over. If you have problems read the instructions they are not too bad and experiment with clocking your bit timing in the chuck. If you desire to split point your bit after using a clocked setting you will need to reset you bit in the chuck at the zero 118 degree position before or the split point will mess up your nicely sharpened edges. Takes a bit of playing to figure out how to make it work but all in all when you get it sorted it works well and sharpens well.

I bought this machine a few months ago. I've used it to sharpen quite a few bits, 50+ ranging from HSS to masonry. I will emphasize that you MUST read the instructions thoroughly, and watch the DVD as well. It is important to know how the tool works, and why you will ruin bits if you don't follow the instructions.To sharpen standard 118* bits couldn't be easier. This machine does an excellent job of it, and since I use most of my drill bits to drill in wood, this is the perfect angle for me. Split points can be ground on 118* bits, and I have done this with success. To sharpen masonry bits is also very easy, and the machine does an excellent job in this regard as well.Where it gets tricky, for me anyway, is in sharpening 135* split point bits. These days nearly all bits sold are this type and it's nice to be able to recreate the same angle and split point. While I have sharpened bits of this angle with success, I haven't been able to get perfect results all the time. Proper alignment is critical. Trying to adjust the relief angle seems to make proper sharpening more difficult and I would not recommend it to someone who just got his hands on this machine. The relief angle is adjusted by putting the chuck to either side of the 118* alignment slot (the + and - increase and decrease the angle). This is to allow a more aggressive or less aggressive cut. Fiddling with this adjustment seems to throw off the split point when it is being ground as well, taking off way too much material. If too much material is removed during the split point procedure, subsequent sharpening of the bit will not yield the same angle since the alignment fingers will not hold the bit from is flutes, but from the newly ground area behind the split point. It is hard to visualize this, the mistake must be made to understand it fully.Changing the diamond wheel is straight forward and easily done. The machine has a somewhat loud squeal when running, but it isn't too bad. I have sharpened broken bits with success, so that feature definitely works. Also, unless a bit really damaged during a botched sharpening attempt, it can most probably be sharpened to at least a 118* point again, though it will take a while and several alignment and sharpening procedures. I recommend the 100 grit wheel for when this must be done as it will take less time, and then a follow up can be done with the standard 180 grit wheel. The 750X has more features than just being able to accommodate larger bits, so in my opinion it is definitely worth it. I wish I had gotten that model instead, and I believe sharpening 135* and split points would be easier and faster. This is a quality product though, that I must say.**EDIT 7/26/08**After using my DD extensively during a project to sharpen a masonry bit, I noticed something that I hadn't observed earlier. When sharpening the bits according to the instructions, the machine does not put opposing angles on the tip of the bit. That is, it grinds both sides of the tip to an arrow point, and this is NOT conducive to easy drilling. In fact, I realize that I put unnecessary load on my drill using the "sharpened" bit. Perhaps experimenting with bit alignment might help, but that can just as easily ruin a bit you're trying to breath more life into.**EDIT 8/3/10**I am adding an edit to this review, mostly to address other reviews and comments about people needing to read and follow the instructions. On *MY* machine, only the 118* angle is indicated on the alignment port. There is NO mention of 135* angle, and this is why I had problems with aligning and sharpening 135* split point bits. After much experimentation and frustration, I finally got the 135* angle by inserting the chuck into the "-" slot, then putting the sharpening port at 135*. I don't know if my machine had a quality control issue, or if all the DD500X units are like this. To split the point on 118* or 135* bits, you need to align the bit at 118* regardless of the angle you sharpened the bit to. In splitting the point, it must be done carefully to avoid under-splitting because if that happens, the bit will NOT cut. For 135* bits, if the point isn't split, it really won't cut unless you're drilling into a very soft material like plastic or wood.A long review for certain, and a good machine, but not without faults. After owning my machine for a couple of years and using it extensively I feel my four star review of "very good but not excellent" is fully justified.