Ive found that drills with plastic keyless chucks are worthless and you get what you pay for. A good quality chuck will hold on most bits save for cheap hardened taps. I prefer keyless chucks on hand drills and spring collets over 3 jaw chucks on drill presses and mills.
Does Chuck need a key? keyless vs keyed drills
- Thread starter beowulf
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Smokeydog
Elite Member
Dewalt 1/2 cordless and with all metal keyless chucks are pretty good. Have converted several 1/2 corded drills with Metabo keyless chucks. They are the best keyless chucks I have used.
WranglerX
Super Member
Keyless chucks work great................ On bits that have "flats" because you don'y have to tighten them as hard..... If a key less chick/drill gives me a problem and if removing and cleaning and a bit of silicone spray does not fix them the are history, you can get them from me at local swap meet....
My old Montgomery Wards 1/2 drill with Jacobs chuck still out performs many of my battery drills with keyless chucks for heavy work... And it only something like 40 or so years old....
Biggest headache for production work were new safety chucks that only loosely grip bit,,, Had more bits at work that need shank cleaned up because the chuck spin on shank....
Dale
My old Montgomery Wards 1/2 drill with Jacobs chuck still out performs many of my battery drills with keyless chucks for heavy work... And it only something like 40 or so years old....
Biggest headache for production work were new safety chucks that only loosely grip bit,,, Had more bits at work that need shank cleaned up because the chuck spin on shank....
Dale
OP
beowulf
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Thanks to everyone for weighing in on this. I bought two replacement chucks and then took the chucks off both drills - a bit more trouble than it should have been, only to find out that they don't fit. The threaded spindle is larger than the threaded opening in the replacement parts. I was told they would work when I bought them, but anyway I will return those.
Then I searched on line and found the appropriate chucks but the cost of those is not much less than new drills assuming I buy the exact same models. So I doubt I will replace the chucks. On my next trip to town I will buy a new drill.
As an aside, I also took my Ridgid battery drill which also had keyless chuck problems, and my Ridgid circular saw in to Home Depot for repairs as I have the lifetime warranty on those. They charge $18.75 per tool which will be refunded once they verify the warranty.
BTW - as I searched for these items I came across a great deal at Home Depot - the same 5 item Ridgid battery took kit (cir saw, driver, drill, sawzall, and light with 2 4.0 AH batteries and charger) I bought in 2011 for $500, now for $299 - and with lifetime warranty. That is the same kit I have and it has had some hard use. Two 4.0 AH batteries alone cost almost that much.
Thanks again.
Then I searched on line and found the appropriate chucks but the cost of those is not much less than new drills assuming I buy the exact same models. So I doubt I will replace the chucks. On my next trip to town I will buy a new drill.
As an aside, I also took my Ridgid battery drill which also had keyless chuck problems, and my Ridgid circular saw in to Home Depot for repairs as I have the lifetime warranty on those. They charge $18.75 per tool which will be refunded once they verify the warranty.
BTW - as I searched for these items I came across a great deal at Home Depot - the same 5 item Ridgid battery took kit (cir saw, driver, drill, sawzall, and light with 2 4.0 AH batteries and charger) I bought in 2011 for $500, now for $299 - and with lifetime warranty. That is the same kit I have and it has had some hard use. Two 4.0 AH batteries alone cost almost that much.
Thanks again.
CADplans
Elite Member
I used to hate keyless chucks,, the threads that closed the chuck were not fine enough, the chuck would barely tighten,,
I had a first generation Milwaukee 18 volt drill, there was no way to get that chuck to grip a drill bit.
Over 1/4" drill bit,, drill REAL slow, or the bit would spin.
Then,, I purchased a Milwaukee drill (a 18 volt battery) with keyless chuck about 2 years ago.
That drill will tighten so tight, you can not make a 1/2" drill slip in that chuck drilling steel.
It will literally tighten, by hand, so tight, that I have never owned a keyed chuck that would tighten as tight.
So, what I am alluding to is that vintage, and manufacturer makes a WORLD of difference in how a chuck works.
I had a first generation Milwaukee 18 volt drill, there was no way to get that chuck to grip a drill bit.
Over 1/4" drill bit,, drill REAL slow, or the bit would spin.
Then,, I purchased a Milwaukee drill (a 18 volt battery) with keyless chuck about 2 years ago.
That drill will tighten so tight, you can not make a 1/2" drill slip in that chuck drilling steel.
It will literally tighten, by hand, so tight, that I have never owned a keyed chuck that would tighten as tight.
So, what I am alluding to is that vintage, and manufacturer makes a WORLD of difference in how a chuck works.
