Abstract: An automatic drill loader is used with a drill grinding machine to automatically present drills to the drill grinding machine workhead for being ground thereat and to carry ground drills to a storage receptacle. The automatic drill loader comprises a magazine, a timing station, and two sets of grippers. The magazine stores a quantity of drills, which may have stepped shanks. The magazine is adjustable to suit drills of different lengths and diameters. The magazine presents one drill at a time to a staging station. A load gripper grips the drill at the staging station and conveys it to the timing station, whereat the drill is linearly and angularly oriented. The load gripper then transports the drill to the drill grinding machine workhead. Simultaneously, an unload gripper carries a ground drill from the drill grinding machine workhead to the storage receptacle.