I recently found an incomplete set of dull, rusty spade bits that belonged to my father. They are likely 40-45 years old. Are they worth trying to clean up and sharpen or should I just throw them out? I don't have a grinder so I imagine it would cost more to have them sharpened than to replace them.
Are old spade bits worth sharpening
bitsdrilltools
Related Solutions
For ordinary casual woodworking and household maintenance, almost any drill bit is sufficient. Fancy coatings make little difference for light-duty use. "Split points" can make drilling in exactly the right place easier on difficult materials; I haven't noticed much difference when drilling wood.
The kind of bit, in larger sizes, will make more difference -- above half an inch you start having to choose between spade bits (inexpensive), hole saws (mid priced, cleaner cuts), and Forstner-and-similar (more expensive, clean holes, can do some things neither of the others can, but drill sliwer than hole saws; they're more often used on drill presses), or a few other less-common variations in the theme. (I own bits in all three of those categories, for different tasks).
I haven't used impact drivers enough to have opinions on those yet.
One solution is to buy an adapter and a large set of normal drills.
Another solution is to look for hex-shank drill sets
Bosch Uneo
Adapter
Bosch 2608572075 1/4" 1-10mm Keyless Chuck Adaptor (Suitable for UNEO)
Suitable for use in a cordless screwdriver and drills with forward / reverse function. Can also be used with the Bosch UNEO drill to allow the use of standard shank drill bits.
Mount : 1/4"
Capacity : 1mm - 10mm
This seems to be available from a variety of retailers.
Hex-drive
Bosch's list of compatible accessories for the Uneo includes their 43-piece X-Line drill set which all have standard hex-drive shanks. This suggests you could use any hex-drive drill set from any manufacturer.
Ikea FIXA
I think Ikea's FIXA version of the Uneo comes with such an adapter.
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Best Answer
I have had mine for quite some time and have sharpened them many times with a hand file.
Just be careful how much you remove on each side and keep the angles consistent for proper cutting. The thin metal of the bits would heat up too much under machine grinding or the angles would not be easy to reproduce, IMO.