I would like to purchase an electric pencil sharpener for this coming school year. What have you had success with? I really want something that sharpens my pencil and does not rip it apart or break the lead continuously. I have only used the small handheld types. They start out fine, and then decline with use. We are just so ready for a sharpened pencil without aggravation.
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We got a WONDERUL pencil sharpener last school year. We absolutely love it. It has a big bin so I am not constantly emptying it. It also has several size holes for different size pencils. We have had no problems with ours.
X-ACTO Teacher Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener with SmartStop
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Thanks so much. I will check it out.
I can’t tell you what is worth getting, but I can tell you what to stay away from. This is a no-brainer… last year we got one of the battery operated sharpeners from Target in the back to school section (takes 2 AA batteries). It broke within one day of opening it - thus the only way to make it work was to wrap duct tape around it to hold the electronics together tight enough to work. It also constantly breaks the lead, strips the wood without sharpening, etc. I always thought it was silly to spend a lot on a pencil sharpener, but now that I’ve tested the bargain priced version I know why people put a little extra money into them. 
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Bless your heart! Thanks for the input. I am willing to spend a little more than I want to for a good one, it will be my “splurge” for the next academic year.
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We had the same problems with the electric pencil sharpeners…even the expensive ones. So, I switched to Bic mechanical pencils and all is right with the world. For the first week my little boys were wanting to push all the lead out, but that got old (especially when there were natural consequences like breaking all the lead in their own pencil and the only other pencil available to use was pink…haha…the horror!). Ever since then 2-3 packs of 24 pencils bought at the beginning of the year is plenty to get us through one year (that’s with 3 kids). Just a thought in case anyone else has all the luck I had with the alternative.
PS- I did buy one of the pricier electric sharpeners from Staples for colored pencils but it hardly ever gets used. It’s not the best so I wouldn’t recommend getting one from there.
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I know this thread was originally for electronic pencil sharpeners, but just in case someone is looking for one that is not electric, I thought I’d offer what I found that has been wonderful in our homeschool room! I tried several electronic models only to have every one of them die after very short periods of time. I tried this one and actually bought it from Walmart:
It is amazing! It is currently attached to our school wall. It has eight different pencil sizes. It sharpens colored pencils and regular pencils both. Doesn’t break the lead out of the pencils EVER! It is just plain fantastic!! And it’s only about $10–like I said, amazing!! It can be attached desktop or to a wall (with screws). So if you aren’t looking for battery powered or plug-in models, this one is a great way to go
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We have been through a few pencil sharpeners in the 4 years of homeschooling. Mainly the first couple of years. I came across a sharpener from Swingline and it has worked great. It doesn’t break the lead or chew up the pencil. It also sharpens colored pencils without any problems. I highly recommend it. I bought it at Staples but it can be bought from many sites online. Here is a link:
http://www.swingline.com/swingline/us/us/s/2280/pencil-sharpeners.aspx#.Vvv5f8ArIy4
Hope this helps!
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