Is there any cordless drills, industrial duty, that use a chuck key to tighten a drill bit? I have expensive drill bits and don't want them ruined because the chuck can't be tightened. I'm using the Milwaukee 12M now and looking to upgrade, I have a fabrication shop and use the cordless mostly on 18 to 11 gauge steel.
3/8 cordless drill with chuck key?
- Thread starter ojh
- Start date
The only cordless drills with keyed chucks that come to mind are the mud mixers and joist drills, eg:
www.milwaukeetool.com
www.milwaukeetool.com
www.dewalt.com
www.dewalt.com
It's probably easier to find a drill that meets your needs except for the chuck, and buy a keyed Jacobs chuck and swap it out.
M18 FUEL Mud Mixer
www.milwaukeetool.com
M18 FUEL™ HOLE HAWG® 1/2" Right Angle Drill Kit
Right Angle Drill, RAD, Electricians Drill, Hole Hawg
www.milwaukeetool.com
60V MAX* Cordless Mixer/Drill With E-CLUTCH® System (Tool only)
60V MAX* tools deliver the POWER OF CORDED. FREEDOM OF CORDLESS™. Tackle demanding drilling applications and mix thinset, tile mortar, or fiber reinforced concrete† with this 60V MAX* Mixer/Drill with E-CLUTCH® system. Engineered with safety in mind, this powerful tool features anti-rotation...
www.dewalt.com
60V MAX* VSR™ Stud and Joist Drill Kit with E-CLUTCH® System | DEWALT
Complete plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work with the 60V MAX* VSR™ Stud and Joist Drill with E-CLUTCH® System. Featuring a 1/2 in. chuck and a powerful brushless motor, this drill makes quick ...
www.dewalt.com
It's probably easier to find a drill that meets your needs except for the chuck, and buy a keyed Jacobs chuck and swap it out.
RTM
Well-known member
I agree, I'd just swap the chuck.
GrantCee
Well-known member
I've had FAR more slipped drills with keyed chucks than keyless. Yeah, the keyless chucks from 20 years ago couldn't be tightened all that well, but the modern-day metal-bodied keyless chucks (as used on the better Makitas, and probably others too) get VERY tight.
Out of curiosity, what kind of drills are you using that are so expensive?
Forgottonia
Well-known member
Just buy cheaper drill bits!
neophyte
Well-known member
Better keyless chucks are made to tighten on the drill bit shank as the drill turns.
I also find the carbide tooth chucks made for hammer drill bits resist slipping, although those will likely mar the bit to some extent.
The keyless chucks I hate are the ones with plastic sleeves on the chuck.
These are usually cheaper chucks that fon’t grop well, and this includes some of the German chucks, like the ones Festool used to use(and may still)
The mostly metal Rohm and Metabo chucks are usually decent.
I used to swear by the Japanese made Milwaukee chucks, but these are made by Yukiwa Seiko, and their chucks seem weirdly inconsistent from modrl to model(or maybe generation to generation) and are sometimes excellent, and sometimes wanting.
I also find the carbide tooth chucks made for hammer drill bits resist slipping, although those will likely mar the bit to some extent.
The keyless chucks I hate are the ones with plastic sleeves on the chuck.
These are usually cheaper chucks that fon’t grop well, and this includes some of the German chucks, like the ones Festool used to use(and may still)
The mostly metal Rohm and Metabo chucks are usually decent.
I used to swear by the Japanese made Milwaukee chucks, but these are made by Yukiwa Seiko, and their chucks seem weirdly inconsistent from modrl to model(or maybe generation to generation) and are sometimes excellent, and sometimes wanting.
Lots of carbide and am upgrading to cobalt.
I never thought about changing the chuck, thats a good idea.
designer485
Well-known member
Once you try a high quality chuck like a ROHM, you will never go back to the cheap crappy plastic sleeve chucks that most manufacturers are using these days. I have now put a ROHM on every drill I own because they work so well and feel so much nicer when tightening down on a bit. I have 1/2" versions on my 20v drills and a 3/8" version on my 12v drill.
Stuey
Well-known member
Some of the pricier drills have really good chucks that don't slip, and if you want you can swap in your own keyless (or keyed) chuck with some of them.
I don't recall seeing any cordless drills with keyed chucks in recent years, aside from the mixers and heavy duty right angle stud/joist drills.
I don't recall seeing any cordless drills with keyed chucks in recent years, aside from the mixers and heavy duty right angle stud/joist drills.
javyLSU
Well-known member
99% of complaints I’ve heard about chucks letting go of twist drills are from people that don’t know how to lock the chuck. Not just ratcheting it tight, but locking the chuck by twisting backwards until you feel the stop. I’ve never had a properly locked chuck let go of a twist drill, even the cheap crappy ones.
@designer485 That’s a nice idea about swapping Rohm chucks onto newer drills… I might have to give that a try myself!
@designer485 That’s a nice idea about swapping Rohm chucks onto newer drills… I might have to give that a try myself!