Complete idiot (me) needs help with hammer drill

[brenton]

I just bought a corded hammer drill from Homebase, brand PBX (their own) and,... I cannot work out how to insert the drill bit. (Pause while you all have complete hysterics) It's a keyless chuck where you pull the rear sleeve of chuck back and then turn front sleeve to tighten/loosen the chuck.

The rear sleeve seems to move back, although only slightly and the front sleeve only turns a half - 3/4 turn which barely tightens the chuck at all.

I know this is absolutely stupid but I am completely baffled and embarassed to have to ask for help.

Please someone put me out of my misery!

[Set Square]

Are you sure it's a hammer drill and not an SDS drill. SDS drills need special bits with fluted ends - which can be inserted or removed after sliding back the collar on the equivalent of the chuck. Is this what you've got?

[brenton]

Yes it is a hammer drill. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious but can't work out what.

[Alex (YMG)]

SDS is also sold as 'rotary hammer' though. When you look in the end of the chuck, are the three jaws present?

Alex

[mrcheerful]

or are there two roundy things?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sounds like it's an SDS drill. You need SDS bits which simply push in. To remove them you pull the sleeve back.

An SDS chuck is easily identified by not having the usual three jaws sticking out.

[chris French]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Indeed, maybe the op could find the drill on the homebase website?

[brenton]

There are three jaws present in the chuck. They don't stick out of the chuck like on most drills but it does look like the picture of the drill.

I have looked for drill on website and elsewhere but no such luck.

It does also come with a small set of drill bits which are ordinary bits.

Brenton

[chris French]

In message , brenton writes

Ahh, ok it certainly does sound like a standard hammer drill. Can't say I've ever seen chuck mechanism like you describe though.

Have you considered the possibility that it maybe faulty in some way? I'd maybe take it back and get another one see if that is working better.

On another tack, how much use do you imagine you will give this drill as an actual hammer drill. If it's going to be a significant amount then I'd suggest buying an SDS drill, which are *soooooo* much better at drilling masonry. But probably not worth it if you are just putting up the odd curtain track etc.

[Lobster]

So it's definitely not SDS then.

Doesn't it come with any instructions?

Is it faulty? Try taking it back to Homebase?

David

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Every keyless chuck I've got has the jaws protruding for smaller size drills. Only for the largest are they behind the front of the chuck.

Perhaps yours has simply jammed? Try running some thin oil into it and working it back and forth?

The sleeve at the rear which pulls back has confused me - that's normally the way you remove an SDS type drill.

[Rob Morley]

Sometimes the chuck on my drill gets stuck in the fully open or fully closed position - gripping the chuck, pulling it back and running the drill slowly in the appropriate direction frees it up. Of course this is one of those things that you're not supposed to do, so don't blame me if it rips your hand off. And don't do it with a bit in the chuck or it might fly out and put your eye out.

[David Lang]

Hi All

By Jove I think I've cracked it lads! Is it one of theose 'Snappy' type chuck which takes a hex bit? They have a pull back collar. I have a B&D mains drill driver which has one as standard.

Dave

[Ziggur]

My trusty old Elu drill has a similar collar arrangement.

It sounds as though your collar ring is not pulling back far enough to fully release the chuck mechanism.

Have you considered that it might be faulty? Could you not take it back and try a replacement?

[brenton]

I have followed the instructions as far as I can tell.

I will take it back on Monday but was hoping to use it this weekend!

brenton

[brenton]

Tried that. Good idea. Just shame it doesn't work.

brenton

[brenton]

Thank you all for your advice. I took it back to Homebase this morning. They insisted on checking it themselves, tried plugging it in and loosening chuck as suggested by Rob and it still didn't work. Got their mate to come over and look at it as well. Ten minutes later they conceded that it was faulty and decided to replace it. They then got shirty when I insisted on unwrapping the replacement and checking that it works which it does so I now have no more excuses left.

brenton