Keyless chuck locking feature

[Spacey_G]

I saw this video linked elsewhere, explaining how to "lock" a keyless chuck like you'd find on a cordless drill/driver:

Supposedly, if you tighten the chuck and then back it off until it clicks once, this locks it in place and prevents it from coming loose.

Why have I never heard of this before? Why do the owner's manuals for my DCD996 and DCD701 make no mention of this in the sections that explain how to use the chuck? What's happening, mechanically, when you back it off that one click?

Is this a real feature? Is this why people sometimes complain about this brand or that brand having poor quality chucks that don't hold bits? What's going on here?

 

[jmarkwolf]

I saw this video linked elsewhere, explaining how to "lock" a keyless chuck like you'd find on a cordless drill/driver:

Supposedly, if you tighten the chuck and then back it off until it clicks once, this locks it in place and prevents it from coming loose.

Why have I never heard of this before?

Scroll down below Youtube videos and you'll usually find a lot comments.

I was unaware also, I'll have to check it out.

 

[Spacey_G]

I've read many of the comments on the video. They're all some variation of "wow I never knew that" or "I'll have to go try this on my drill". Unfortunately they don't shed any light on the questions I have.

 

[CJ7VFR]

I have several drills with keyless chucks, so I figured I would see if any of them do what you are describing.

I used the same drill bit in each of them so it would be a similar experiment in each drill. I tightened up each keyless chuck with the drill bit in it, and then backed off the chuck just a bit.

None of the keyless chucks on any of the drills would make a "click" or any other sound or feeling while backing off the chuck. They all just loosened up like normal.

So in my case, with the drills I have at least, the answer would be no to what you have posted about.

Jim

 

[Spacey_G]

Thanks for checking, Jim. What makes/models are your drills?

I tried with three Dewalt drills ranging in age from 5 years to less than a year and all three do it.

I'm just not convinced this is actually a locking feature. I've never backed the chucks off on these drills and they've never let go of a bit. I just make sure to tighten them firmly.

 

[seber]

All three of my Milwaukees do that. I always assumed everyone knew about it. No wonder people don't like the Milwaukee chucks.

 

[Spacey_G]

All three of my Milwaukees do that. I always assumed everyone knew about it. No wonder people don't like the Milwaukee chucks.

It would be a little comical if people were pulling original chucks off their drills to solve a problem that could be avoided by tweaking the sleeve a little bit after tightening. It doesn't fix poor run-out of course...

I hopped on customer service chat with Dewalt today and asked about it. The rep confirmed that the CCW click after tightening is indeed a locking feature. I'm kind of blown away that I have three drills with this and I never knew about it.

 

[darkzero]

I wondered about the same thing. Only thing I have found mentioned about it by a manufacturer was a video from Makita Australia.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=451474