I recently got a Grizzly drill press and am wondering whether it's worth upgrading the chuck.
What advantages would a Jacobs chuck give me? They are rather costly. Are they worth the price? Heavy duty or medium duty?
My machine came with a 0-5/8" chuck. It appears that if I want such a chuck I have the choice of a 0-1/2" or a 1/8"-5/8" but there is no
0-5/8". Now I'd rather not lose the low end and I have no clue what things anyone sells that have a shaft over 1/2". What would I be missing out on if I put in a 1/2" chuck? (I could, of course, keep the existing chuck in reserve.)
What is it you think you might be drilling that would require a bit that big? The standard 1/16" to 32/64" drill sets almost always have a maximum shaft diameter of 3/8" and it's not too often that the home woodworker is going to use anything bigger than that. I'd say you'll be fine with what you've got. Unless you're planning on drilling something pretty esoteric, I wouldn't worry about anything bigger until you need it.
Well, I haven't used it enough to get a good feel for it. I was asking because from reading this group, it seems that lots of people eventually end up upgrading, either because their chuck dies or because it's somehow unacceptable. If I have an idea of what to look for or what benefit an upgrade would offer I'll be better positioned to decide if I should do it. I did find it very difficult to get a
1/16" drill bit positioned in the thing straight. I don't know if this is universal for a chuck of this size, though.
So far the major annoyance is the lawyer inspired chuck key that pops off the chuck. And while chuck keys aren't pricey, the money would be wasted if I'm going to buy a keyless chuck in the future. I had originally thought that keyless chucks were inherently inferior to the keyed variety, but posts here seem to claim this isn't true. (My dewalt corded hand drill has a keyless chuck and it slips.) But the whole drill cost (much) less than an Albrecht. Do you really need to use two hands to tighten/loosen a keyless chuck? Because I'd rather use a key than deal with that. But if the chuck recommended by Jim Wilson
formatting link
good, for only $34, it makes upgrading more affordable. The other chuck people seem to recommend is the Bison chuck.
"Tom Dac>What don't you like about the one you have?
The only experience I have with a keyless chuck is my cordless Milwaukee drill and it needs two hands to properly tighten and loosen the chuck. If loosing a chuck key is of concern to you, then you might try something like Lee Valley Tools' magnetic key holder.
really trying to figure out the relative merits of possible chuck upgrades. There seem to be a lot more keyless chucks out there than keyed chucks to upgrade to.
The chuck in the link you posted is an Albrecht clone. I have not used this particular one but have used other quality clones and the perform well. A quick snap of the wrist is all it takes to tighten them. May want to use a second hand to tighten in a light spindle machine like a drill press (I'm used to them in milling machines) but probably isn't necessary. Yes, getting small drill bits misaligned in large drill chucks is normal. Just have to be a bit more careful. If a key doesn't bother you and there is no obvious problems with your chuck, I really don't see the need to change.
updated my 17" Jet drill press with a 5/8" chuck. The original chuck did not run very true when brand new. Then I spun a 1/2" drill in the chuck and it (the chuck) never ran true again. Evidently the jaws of the chuck are very soft and they were galled by the drill shank. This drill chuck is a joy to use, it's keyless, grips the tools extreemly well and the run-out is less than .001" .
Chuck changeovers are easy enough that your idea is practical. The Jacobs chuck will do two things for you: you'll be able to grab really small bit shafts more securely; you'll get less runout than with a no-name chuck, all else being equal (if the quill runout is too great, nothing will help). That means you can drill more accurate holes.
There isn't all that much that an amateur woodworker is likely to want to do that will require a bit over 1/2", though there are times when 5/8" is handy (and even a few when 3/4" might work). These usually have to do with special cutters and with larger Forstner bits. I wouldn't worry about it.
Charlie Self "The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the exercise of his mind." Jacques Barzun
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.