Keyless chucks

I have a Dewalt 18 volt drill and like it very much except for one thing. Since new, the chuck slips when the drilling gets heavy even with a half inch bit. It is a PITA. Is there anything *I* can do to minimize or eliminate this? Is it possible and feasible to get into the clutch to clean or adjust it? Do all keyless chucks act this way? Hoyt W.

Reply to
Hoyt Weathers
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Some people have a problem with slipping chucks. I have a keyless on a Panasonic and 2 DeWalts and do and have nor ever had a slipping problem. My drills however are 9.6 volt. Also I have a keyless on a DeWalt corded drill and have witnessed the slipping on the larger bits. The clutch has nothing to do with the way a chuck grips. Getting into the clutch may improve the way the clutch works but will not improve the grip of the chuck. If you are using a hi torque drill with a 1/2" bit, you may simply not be tightening the chuck enough. Many bits over 3/8" in size have the ends ground flat in 3 places so that the bit is no longer round and will better engage the jaws of the chuck. This is done to insure that the chuck does not slip on the bit. Many better bits have been manufactured this way long before key less chucks were main stream. Large bits simply have much more bite and are more prone to grab and cause slipping especially on a higher torque drill.

Reply to
Leon

I have a DW 14.4v that slips. I cleaned and lubricated the inside of the chuck which helped a bit. Lowes has a new BD chuck that I've considered putting on the drill. It costs about $30 dollars. If I decide to go that route, I'll probably see about buying a chuck from DW.

Reply to
Lowell Holmes

I'm convinced they all slip when the going gets tough. They belong on smaller capacity chucks IMO, and I would never put one on a drill press for example. Unless your chuck seems sticky or sluggish when turning by hand, I would not expect cleaning it to help.

What does help is to use some inertia when tightening. For example if I want my chuck to maximum tightness, I will close the jaws to almost closed on the bit. Put the drill on the fast gear reduction, hold the chuck and let the drill slam it home. The result is much tighter than just using the low gear reduction to drive it closed. Mine is a 14.4v PC.

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Reply to
Pounds on Wood

Now THAT sounds like something which may help. TKX a heap.

Hoyt W.

Reply to
Hoyt Weathers

I have been told by several reps of portable drills that the method you describe is NOT the correct way, even though I use a similar method.

I have a Bosch 12.0 and their rep tells me that the "correct" way is to grasp the lower part and twist it while holding the upper portion of the chuck.

I use his method and the chuck still slips at times.

I use your method and the chuck still slips.

I think they all slip.

Pounds > I'm convinced they all slip when the going gets tough. They belong on

Reply to
Pat Barber

Every keyless chuck I've used has this problem to a greater or lesser extent. There are two solutions, one is to get bits that have flats on them (3 or 6), the other is to replace the chuck with a keyed one. This is the reason my old corded drills still get a lot of use, even though the new cordless ones are powerful enough for just about everything I do.

Tim Douglass

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Reply to
Tim Douglass

Another way is to use a Snappy or equivalent. They have a hex shaft. I have a few of the various drill bits that fit it, and also an adapter that lets it use any drill bit with a 3/8" shaft (intended for Kreg bits). It's a PITA to need special drill bits though.

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Reply to
Pounds on Wood

I use 1/2" keyless Albrecht chucks on a regular basis. They do not slip. I have used them on milling machines to drill 1 1/4" holes in steel plate. No problem. It would look a bit funny on your portable drill but if you want a good one on your drill press, there are none finer. List price: $225.00. Good ones are made just not at Home Depot prices.

Reply to
CW

nope a good keyless chuck is actually stronger then a normal chuck. I have one on my drill press. it works great. it's a 5/8" chuck and has no problems.

Reply to
Steve Knight

if the drill does not have a lock then you need both hands to tighten the chuck. if you just use the drill motor power it will not be tight enough. that's why I get a drill that locks the shaft when it is off. that way you only need one hand to tighten the chuck.

Reply to
Steve Knight

On Wed, 26 May 2004 13:54:57 -0700, Tim Douglass

if used right most keyless chucks have more torque then a keyed chuck. but you need to use both hands to tighten if there is not a spindle lock. of course cheap chucks don't help. but my metabo never slips and I can chance bits all day long. but it is cool and only requires one hand.

Reply to
Steve Knight

I have 14.4 v. Makita and Craftsman, 9.8 B&D, and a couple of Craftsman corded drills with keyless chucks that I haven't found to slip. In one of the Craftsman cordeds, there is a strong tendency to resist releasing the bit when in reverse but then the chuck comes off the shaft. Irritating so I seldom use the cordeds - that along with the wires makes them a hassle. I may get a couple of good 18 volts. Anyone have a favourite?

Agkistrodon

Reply to
Agki Strodon
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Do you mean the jaws of your keyless chuck slip or the torque setting of your clutch slips?

Many clutches can be set up for increased torque & some can't, older Makita's for instance can have one or two torque washers added to beef up the clutch, some makes if you remove the chuck & open the clamshell can have the torque increased by turning the change ring back a notch or two, some have a threaded inner clutch cam that can be rotated forward so that when you replace the change ring in the correct position the torque is increased considerably. DeWalt have used a few different style clutches, not normally prone to slipping unless the clutch housing assembly has cracked.

Sometime if the hi/lo shifter does not fully engage the orbital gears the clutch will appear to slip when actually it is the gears slipping out, this may be due to dirt, lack of lubrication, worn gears or bent or worn shifter mechanism.

If it is the chucks jaws that slip, replace the chuck with a better quality one...there are some excellent heavier duty keyless chucks available these days, some with a very effective lock once tightened.

Reply to
P©WÉ®T©©LMAN

heh. there's a world of difference between a "good" keyless like say an Albrecht and the cheezy keyless chucks that get put on cordless drills.

Different animal entirely.

Reply to
bridger

The Jacobs keyless on my 14.4V drill has too narrow a band for me to get a hand on it and use both hands to tighten. Sure, I could grab the channel locks and reef it down, but that sort of defeats the whole "tool-less" idea. I'm sure the serious professional stuff works fine, but I'm not spending 300+ on a drill just to drop it 8' onto concrete again. I've actually gone to the cheap HF cordless drills because I don't feel so bad when I break one.

By contrast, my old Milwaukee 3/8 corded drill has suffered all sorts of falls without any evident damage other than cosmetic.

Tim Douglass

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Reply to
Tim Douglass

I guess there must be good chucks out there. Sounds like the cost more than the whole drill kit so I probably won't own one. Keys are fine for me on stationary tools. My 14.4 PC has more torque than I can hold by hand without creating blisters on my palm after a few bit changes. (no palm blister jokes please) And the chuck is not designed with enough area for two hands. I guess you get what you pay for.

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Reply to
Pounds on Wood

I brought this up a couple of months ago and I seemed the only one with this slipping problem . I would like to replace my keyless chucks with keyed ones .

I dont know I folks know this but keyed chucks can be tightened he same way keyless ones are . I have been tightening chucks that way for 50 years only using a chuck key when doing heavy drilling operations.....mjh

Reply to
Mike Hide

I only have a imported 55.00 chuck on my drill press it works fine. but it takes two hands to tighten it.

Reply to
Steve Knight

my chuck on my drill press is just an imported one. it works pretty well. a cordless drill really needs a quill lock to make it easy to tighten the chuck.

Reply to
Steve Knight

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