Got a new fuel 2704 hammer drill... seems the chuck has a small amount of wobble. Far from preventing you from doing a job... but catches the eye. This is my first Milwaukee set... common with these or should I send it in?
Wobble in Milwaukee fuel chuck
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MatBirch
Well-known member
I have an 18v Fuel 1/2" drill bought new about 1.5 years ago, and feel the same way. Just enough to notice and piss me off.
Kind of disappointing... You hear all the rave reviews and how they are the cats meow... which I do agree they have alot of power, comfortable, battery lasts quite a while... bit for that premium price you would think you would get precision out of it
1950mercury
Well-known member
Mine does it to
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
One previous thread on the topic
Milwaukee Drill Chuck Wobble
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5675463
UPDATED 5/24/16 with final resolution.
kctyphoon
Banned
A lot of people have mentioned a slight wobble in their Milwaukee drills. One of my m18's at work has a slight wobble too. It's really only an issue if you use a long drill bit on it. I've had dewalts with the same problem. They are cordless drills, so not exactly made to be "machine shop" precise.
You can probably send it in or exchange it even if it's that bad or annoying. Someone either had a post or a YouTube video where they swapped in a premium chuck, and basically eliminated it. I know, it shouldn't be there - especially with a more expensive drill like this, but you'll just have to decide for yourself if it's worth trying to correct it or just live with it. For me, nothing I do really needs to be SO precise that it matters on a cordless drill.
I wouldn't swap brands over to dewalt over this though. You'd be giving up access to ALOT of other great things. If you can goto a store and exchange it, I'd try that first. If you bought it online, I'd hate to suggest this, but you "can" make life easy on yourself and buy another locally from a big chain like HD, and return the other one there afterwards. If nothing else at least you'd have two to compare side by side.
You can probably send it in or exchange it even if it's that bad or annoying. Someone either had a post or a YouTube video where they swapped in a premium chuck, and basically eliminated it. I know, it shouldn't be there - especially with a more expensive drill like this, but you'll just have to decide for yourself if it's worth trying to correct it or just live with it. For me, nothing I do really needs to be SO precise that it matters on a cordless drill.
I wouldn't swap brands over to dewalt over this though. You'd be giving up access to ALOT of other great things. If you can goto a store and exchange it, I'd try that first. If you bought it online, I'd hate to suggest this, but you "can" make life easy on yourself and buy another locally from a big chain like HD, and return the other one there afterwards. If nothing else at least you'd have two to compare side by side.
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bcradio
Well-known member
Do what you gotta do.
It's not terrible. But on a spade bit or a long driving bit holder it wobbles enough to get a little vibration I'm the drill. I love the drill... I suppose I can keep sending it back to Milwaukee until they absolutely correct the problem if they don't the first time
So just took my beat to hell cordless porter cable with a 8 inch bit extension, drive a screw into the side of my work bench no problem. Used the same extension on the Milwaukee and could never get it even started. The wobble was too much it transferred into the screw and threw the screw off point. How good is Milwaukee at actually fixing these things if I send it in vs. Just them saying they fixed it and they didn't?
FigureItOut
Well-known member
I sent mine in for a noticeable wobble, and got it back without any noticeable difference. I guess it's within their spec. Mine's a hammer drill, and I've heard that the acceptable wobble in a hammer drill is greater than that of a non-hammer drill. I actually did ask the Milwaukee rep if that was true and didn't get an answer.
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This was my worry... maybe I'll buy a Milwaukee bare driver that's non hammer.. but a wobble in a hole for concrete can make the difference whether the anchor is tight or not. I'm really not impressed with it.
I should say I'm not upset with everything else. The power is nice and it's comfortable.. besides the wobble this thing is awesome... but the timeframe I'm at.. I have one week to return it and find something different or send it in for repair... the more I read the less I think I'll get an actual fix. Dewalt may be in my future. Maybe makita.. but if I send it in it'll be too late to return
Hate to break it to you, but theres only a couple of companies out there that make drill chucks. Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee, et.al. buy them all from the same places.
The problem with wobbly chucks is in the chuck, not the drill. You run the same risk of getting a wobbly drill from any company that sells in a big box store.
The problem with wobbly chucks is in the chuck, not the drill. You run the same risk of getting a wobbly drill from any company that sells in a big box store.
bcradio
Well-known member
Yikes. so you bought it from somewhere that doesn't know what an exchange is... That *****.
warweapon762
Well-known member
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Milwaukee has had some issues with bearings. I have had to send a couple of fuel 1/4 impacts back due to premature bearing failure. The wobble goes from bad to worse pretty fast.
cajunfirehawk
Well-known member
The more you look into this issue you will discover the chucks are junk, in fact, I have a 2704 sitting on my bench apart due to this, tried to upgrade to a better Jacobs chuck and got the small screw out (after a fight) on the end but cant get the chuck it self off to swap to a Jacobs chuck, I had issues with my chuck prior to this which is why I wanted to swap it out. Suggest you don't use it as a hammer drill because the few times i did , it made the chuck impossible to get loose without like a large channel locks and then I marred up my new drill chuck 
Well is a different chuck on the dewalt vs the Milwaukee's? Or even the makita? Like I said my year old beat to hell porter cable runs true. This is my first Milwaukee and if they can't fix the problem after all the complaints I'm reading about these chucks, them they're not a company I want to deal with
No I bought it from a company with a 30 day return guarantee. It's going back not getting exchanged.
Ign
Well-known member
Yes, for awhile at least dewalt was running Rohm.
But there's a Jacobs out there that's supposed to work. Somebody like tsxacura (or something) got super crazy on this and replaced his.
Honestly, it's been beat to death here and that's one reason you're not getting a lot of responses. Every question you've asked has been asked 10 times before over the past 2 years. I'd search, and use google if the board's search engine is unsatisfactory
But there's a Jacobs out there that's supposed to work. Somebody like tsxacura (or something) got super crazy on this and replaced his.
Honestly, it's been beat to death here and that's one reason you're not getting a lot of responses. Every question you've asked has been asked 10 times before over the past 2 years. I'd search, and use google if the board's search engine is unsatisfactory
I agree... I honestly didn't even realize it was an issue with these until after I posted and started reading more into it how many problems people have had. It's going back, or going to Milwaukee. Either way I'll have a new dewalt kit very soon (non hammer drill to eliminate that) and I guess we'll see from there lol
WittHay
Well-known member
I recently purchased the 2703-20 Drill/Driver, and i find the chuck acceptable. I don't think the DeWalt would be much better.
I bought it for the convenience, not having to fire up a generator. On larger jobs, near power I use a corded Makita spade drill with a keyed industrial chuck. For concrete I always used a corded hammer drill.
I bought it for the convenience, not having to fire up a generator. On larger jobs, near power I use a corded Makita spade drill with a keyed industrial chuck. For concrete I always used a corded hammer drill.
I have both the 2604 and the 2704. They both have wobble but the 2704 is worse. On top of that, it (apparently) uses an uncommon spindle size so you cant just swap out the chuck with a different brand. On the 2604 you can get a Rohm Supra that will fit directly and is of higher quality.
I like the extra power of the 2704 but the chuck bothers me a little. I took it back to HD and had them open a few they had on the shelf and they all had similar wobble. I kept the one I had and am debating just selling it as a bare tool and sticking with the 2604.
I like the extra power of the 2704 but the chuck bothers me a little. I took it back to HD and had them open a few they had on the shelf and they all had similar wobble. I kept the one I had and am debating just selling it as a bare tool and sticking with the 2604.
MikeF2316
Well-known member
I have 2 Milwaukee cordless drills, and an old corded right angle drill. None have a chuck that noticeably wobbles.
Plus I have a Craftsman Nextec, a Ridgid 18v, and an old Craftsman corded. All 3 of those have chucks with no noticeable wobble. My 4 cordless Craftsman drills with no good batteries anymore (NiCads) also all didn't wobble either.
Damn, I have 10 drills!
Plus I have a Craftsman Nextec, a Ridgid 18v, and an old Craftsman corded. All 3 of those have chucks with no noticeable wobble. My 4 cordless Craftsman drills with no good batteries anymore (NiCads) also all didn't wobble either.
Damn, I have 10 drills!
DFB
Well-known member
Well I have 2604 and until now I hadn't really paid any attention to the "wobble" as it has generally drilled holes and ran screws okay. I normally use Milwaukee's 2 3/8" bit holder and jobber length drill bits into metal and wood spades at full speed.
But I just chucked up some 12" ARES socket adapters and Milwaukee's 6 inch bit holder to see what I could see for any wobble, and I have to agree that it is very distinct at low rpms especially with the long ones but at least for me all these bits seem to spin decent enough when at full rpm.
I am not even going to try to explain that!
So I also just ran some hex head self tappers down with the drill using both a socket on the 12 inch adapter and a nut driver in the 6 inch I also bored rough holes with spades and some with 12" brad point drill bits. Really didn't have any problems.
Obviously has been good enough for me and my work in general but I guess if you are looking to do more precision drilling in wood or metal at low rpm maybe it wont cut it.
Would I drill tap holes with it at low speed?
Doesn't bode well for Milwaukee to offer an expensive pro level tool with such a glaring visual issue
I did put those long adapters into my old Makita drill chuck and at all rpm they do spin with no noticeable wobbling. But that drill also has lower max speeds too FWIW.
These same long bits also run pretty smooth in the Fuel 12v drill.
Does anyone know if the chucks are maybe the same part# being that both are 1/2 inch? They do look quite similar
A bit off topic and just as a side note longer adapters do have to be balanced well. I have tried quite a few and some are real junk, and real cheap ones I have just tossed in the trash. I also notice that longer bit adapters spin much smoother in the Milwaukee brushed impact drivers than in the different Fuels too. Looking down the collet the brushed versions seem to have 2 ball retainers where as with the different Fuels with the push connect I only see one.
Most adapters in general will get the job done though coupling up a socket and using an impact just don't look at them spinning round and round
But I just chucked up some 12" ARES socket adapters and Milwaukee's 6 inch bit holder to see what I could see for any wobble, and I have to agree that it is very distinct at low rpms especially with the long ones but at least for me all these bits seem to spin decent enough when at full rpm.
I am not even going to try to explain that!
So I also just ran some hex head self tappers down with the drill using both a socket on the 12 inch adapter and a nut driver in the 6 inch I also bored rough holes with spades and some with 12" brad point drill bits. Really didn't have any problems.
Obviously has been good enough for me and my work in general but I guess if you are looking to do more precision drilling in wood or metal at low rpm maybe it wont cut it.
Would I drill tap holes with it at low speed?
Doesn't bode well for Milwaukee to offer an expensive pro level tool with such a glaring visual issue
I did put those long adapters into my old Makita drill chuck and at all rpm they do spin with no noticeable wobbling. But that drill also has lower max speeds too FWIW.
These same long bits also run pretty smooth in the Fuel 12v drill.
Does anyone know if the chucks are maybe the same part# being that both are 1/2 inch? They do look quite similar
A bit off topic and just as a side note longer adapters do have to be balanced well. I have tried quite a few and some are real junk, and real cheap ones I have just tossed in the trash. I also notice that longer bit adapters spin much smoother in the Milwaukee brushed impact drivers than in the different Fuels too. Looking down the collet the brushed versions seem to have 2 ball retainers where as with the different Fuels with the push connect I only see one.
Most adapters in general will get the job done though coupling up a socket and using an impact just don't look at them spinning round and round
dnschmidt
Well-known member
I've got four FUEL drills without hammer and their chucks seem perfect. I think hammer drills **** anyway. If you need to drill concrete buy an SDS hammer. Screw hammer drills.
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Shaytanabyad
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Any updates? My 2704 has significant wobble. Hell, I might have received one of the tools that others were trying to offload because of it. If so, not cool.
I have an old corded Milwaukee hammer drill that does not wobble. It is not inherent in hammer drills. I have had wobble in the past on non hammer drills that were cured with a better chuck. It is inherent in cheap chucks. Milwaukee is good stuff but they are not perfect. They have some less than great products, like eveyone else. For Milwaukee prices, my position would be fix it or give me my money back. I would not accept a second one rhat was as bad as the first. Those must really be junk chucks. If you absolutely hsve to stay in the Milwaukee system, at all costs, buy a decent replacement chuck, like a Rohm.
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jonesg
Well-known member
With a hand held drill I suspect there's a lot more wobble in your hands than any Chuck.
I don't know if my Milwaukee chucks wobble, never bothered to look.
Maybe if I could get past my gratitude of owning Milwaukee I could dedicate more time to fault finding, or not bother.
It is not the same thing as hand instability. If you had bad chuck you woukd know it. When you try to start a long bit and the tip is wobbling so badly that you cannot start the hole where you want it. This is caused by badly machined jaws that do not center the bit properly. It is not that rare with cheap chucks. Milwaukee should step up their game and find a better source
for their chucks.
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Shaytanabyad
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Thank you. Will do.