How Much Can Carbide Bit Sharpening Save Per Year? A Contractor’s Formula
The Bit Brief · Costs & ROI
Most drillers know what a replacement bit costs. Fewer can quickly answer how much they spend because usable bits are being retired too early. A simple annual review can turn sharpening from an occasional repair into a measurable purchasing decision.
The annual savings formula
Start with bits that would otherwise be replaced but can safely return to service after inspection. The basic cash-spend comparison is:
Potential avoided purchases − sharpening/refurbishment fees − extra freight or handling = illustrative near-term cash difference.
That is only one part of the analysis. To establish true operating savings, also count the useful footage delivered by serviced bits, any additional bit changes, drill-rig and crew time, and the eventual cost of replacement. Avoid treating every refurbished bit as equivalent to a brand-new bit.
An example for a small fleet
Assume a contractor identifies 20 otherwise-replaced bits in a year that a qualified provider finds serviceable. If a comparable replacement costs $1,800 each, potential avoided purchases total $36,000. At an assumed $500 service charge per eligible bit, that's $10,000, and an assumed $2,000 total in additional shipping and handling gives a $24,000 illustrative near-term cash difference.
This is a planning example, not a DG Carbide price or customer result. Some bits may fail inspection, or drilling results may justify retiring a previously serviced bit sooner. Use your own quotes, equipment data and expected workload.
Which numbers should you collect?
- New-bit landed cost: manufacturer, diameter, shank, freight and any purchasing surcharges.
- Serviceability rate: number submitted versus approved for work.
- Refurbishment cost: sharpening, button replacement, inspection and handling fees.
- Actual drilling output: drilled feet or meters achieved before and after service.
- Operational impact: added changeovers, rig idle time and urgent freight.
- Consumable life: total useful drilling footage from one bit across successive cycles.
If you operate several bit families, calculate separately for each diameter and application. A 15-inch DTH bit may represent a different spend profile from an 18- or 20-inch bit. Do not average unlike tools and infer performance from diameter alone.
Use independent evidence carefully
Planned maintenance can change the cost of usable drilling, but the result depends on geology, bit selection, serviceability, freight and operating performance. Use your own records rather than a manufacturer demonstration or another contractor's percentage as a DG Carbide savings estimate.
Turn one quote into a 90-day test
Choose a manageable batch of serviceable bits and track it alongside comparable new bits on similar work. Record starting condition, refurbishment expenditure, drilled footage, penetration trend and final retirement reason. Review the result with the foreman and purchasing lead. Then decide whether to expand the program and establish a reorder-and-resharpen schedule.
For the next step, review DG Carbide's refurbishment-versus-replacement decision page and ask for a quote on a representative batch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a realistic percentage savings?
There is no reliable single percentage for all contractors. Calculate from the bit types, operating conditions, serviceability results and actual cost per drilled foot.
Should freight be included?
Yes. Nationwide mail-in quotes should account for packaging, transportation, transit time and any expedited return requirements.
Continue researching
- Drill Bit Refurbishment vs. Replacement: How to Make the Right Call
- Drill Bit Cost Per Foot: The Metric Purchasing Teams Should Track
- 7 Ways to Make Carbide Button Drill Bits Last Longer
See DG Carbide's related service or send your bit details for an assessment.
Before you buy another bit, ask DG Carbide.
Sharpening, refurbishment and eligible carbide button replacement from Saugerties, New York. Serving local contractors and accepting nationwide mail-in inquiries for compatible bits.
Technical decisions depend on the bit maker's limits, equipment conditions and inspection. Savings examples are illustrative and are not DG Carbide pricing or customer results.