# DeWalt keyless chuck loosens up



## SeniorSitizen

The old adage - " sometimes good things take a little longer " comes into play and keyless chucks are an excellent example. Keyed chucks usually save time and frustration. Good luck making the swap.


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## wptski

The swap was a 50/50 chance that it's "just" the chuck.


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## Oso954

How many clicks do you get when you tighten the chuck ?

I haven't used that drill, but I get 5-7 on my DeWalt drills. Could be the reason for his problems.

I don't know if his clumsiness was caused by trying to keep the drill in frame, but the video doesn't support his 20 years experience.


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## Bondo

Ayuh,.... Simon ain't to handy, 20 years or not,....

When I chuck up a drill bit, I put it in, hold the chuck, 'n hit the trigger,....
I use the motor's torque to tighten the chuck,...


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## wptski

Oso954 said:


> How many clicks do you get when you tighten the chuck ?
> 
> I haven't used that drill, but I get 5-7 on my DeWalt drills. Could be the reason for his problems.
> 
> I don't know if his clumsiness was caused by trying to keep the drill in frame, but the video doesn't support his 20 years experience.


That isn't me or a video of me! Not sure how many clicks I get on that chuck but I tighten it as much as I can. Point it towards something that can take a hit, hit the trigger eight times and it falls out. In reverse, it takes maybe ten hits before the bit falls out.

I've tried feathering the trigger down before fully letting go and it makes no difference.

This might be unique to the brush less 3-speeds. One guy stated that his DCD985 didn't do this but his DCD990 does.


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## firehawkmph

I have a half dozen of dewalt 18 v nicad battery drills. Sometimes I have a bit fall out. Only happens once in awhile. I always thought it was caused by the brake stopping the chuck quickly. 
Mike Hawkins


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## wptski

Got my denial response from DeWalt today!


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## Colbyt

I have owned several keyless chucks. They are all worthless and should be chucked in the inventor's ...............


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## wptski

I missed my return/replace window by one day! Since some have no problems like this, I'm taking it to a DeWalt Service Center a few miles from me. They said that they've never seen this before. Well, I'll be the first, taking it in tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a new chuck at least.

I found out the larger the drill bit the less hits it takes to loosen up.


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## wptski

Took it to the DeWalt Service Center. First there was one guy then two then three guys as they never heard of the problem before. Tried a bit in it but at first it wouldn't loosen up then all of a sudden it started to do it. Great as I was starting to feel stupid. They claimed that the Rohm chuck used is a good one but it could be the spindle brake acting too quickly. It'll 8 or 9 days before they even look at it. I'll post the results then.


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## wptski

Condensed version: Got the drill back from the service center with a new chuck but drill bits still loosened up. Took it back and got a brand new drill which did the same thing. Now this has been passed up to DeWalt Product Development.

It might help if more people with the same issue complain to them and take it as far as you can. I know the first you talk to may deny any problems as I found out.


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## Colbyt

See post 9 above.


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## wptski

Colbyt said:


> See post 9 above.


Everyone has their own opinion.


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## carmusic

dewalt needs modifying the brake it stops too fast, i have non brushless type 20v premium and it stops slower than that and doesnt loosen
imagine it with a big hole saw at full speed and the brake may break the drill when stopping so fast


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## SeniorSitizen

Why in he!! does a cordless drill have a brake anyway? If it ran a red light I suspect it ain't gonna hurt nothin.


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## carmusic

brake is usefull with small screw so they dont go too far when releasing the trigger. i think it is also a security feature, imagine you are drilling with a holesaw and you hit yourself or someone else with it, you want it to stop immediately, without brake it will turn for few seconds before stopping


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## Mort

I love that a lot of my tools have motor brakes. Set 'em down right away and go on to the next thing.


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## wptski

I just had a conversation with a DeWalt Service Center Tech and they said it was required, like a safety mandate.

The same tech stated that DeWalt used a different chuck on the earlier hammer drills but that part number has been flushed from their system. While searching the chuck used, I ran across a chuck that costs about $20 more which agrees with what that tech stated also.

I was using a 1/2" corded drill at work years ago, the bit stuck and it twisted out of my hands wrapping the cord all up. I later found out that the same drill had broke thumbs on two other guys!


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## SeniorSitizen

wptski said:


> I was using a 1/2" corded drill at work years ago, the bit stuck and it twisted out of my hands wrapping the cord all up. I later found out that the same drill had broke thumbs on two other guys!


If you'll recall that drill probably had a _push to lock on button_ that was conveniently positioned between the first 2 joints of the trigger finger. That was a very bad idea in the history of portable drill motors especially when it was nearly impossible to operate without locking it on.

If we were given the option of keyed or keyless chucks on stock drills I'd take the keyed every time. It will actually save time. But to the average consumer keyed won't sell so we're stuck with the keyless crap or replace the crap chuck.


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## wptski

SeniorSitizen said:


> If you'll recall that drill probably had a _push to lock on button_ that was conveniently positioned between the first 2 joints of the trigger finger. That was a very bad idea in the history of portable drill motors especially when it was nearly impossible to operate without locking it on.
> 
> If we were given the option of keyed or keyless chucks on stock drills I'd take the keyed every time. It will actually save time. But to the average consumer keyed won't sell so we're stuck with the keyless crap or replace the crap chuck.


It wasn't the lock button just that it was heavily geared, lots of torque which took a few revs to stop.

We had a DeWalt at work which had the older two sleeve keyless chuck. Instead of two hands, it took two pairs of channel locks to keep a bit tight. When I got my 14.4V I installed a key type chuck right away but as I mentioned above, I just swapped it for a keyless like I'm having the problem with. My workplace was a Ford manufacturing plant in maintenance so it was always used on metal not wood.


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## ZTMAN

http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/image/spin_prod_209044901?hei=468&wid=468&op_sharpen=1

Just get the drill bits with a hex shank and that should eliminate or reduce you problem


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## SeniorSitizen

DeWalt advertises one of their 29 pc drill sets as *no spin *by machining flats on the shank*. *What they don't tell us is those smaller than 3/16" are the standard round shanks and those are the sizes most used to pre drill for wood screws.

But I suspect the no spin shanks won't solve the chuck problem and just keep them spinning a few more revolutions before they fall out.


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## wptski

ZTMAN said:


> http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/image/spin_prod_209044901?hei=468&wid=468&op_sharpen=1
> 
> Just get the drill bits with a hex shank and that should eliminate or reduce you problem


If the chuck loosens up, it doesn't matter what shape the shank is.


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## wptski

Update:

On New Year's Eve I had a message on my machine from DeWalt but it just explained the proper way to tighten the chuck but said to call if I still had a problem. I called and got switched over to their repair service. They never heard of the problem either! They did say that a different Rohm chuck was used before but had been replaced and that part number was removed from the system.

The guy said that do have a Jacobs chuck with carbide inserts that he'd send me if I wanted, I agreed. I received it last week.

This chuck is about 1/4" longer and no spinning ring up front in case the chuck hits something in use. Much to my surprise, it fixed the problem. :biggrin2: Since the bottom or what the locking screw goes through is twice as thick it needs a different locking screw to be correct. I looked up the proper screw for that chuck and picked one up for $1.05.

Removing the OEM off the DCD995 took one heck of setup in a bench vise. Using a mallet didn't work and a bigger mallet didn't work either on a chucked up 3/8" Allen wrench. I graduated to a short handled 3lb hammer. Must have whacked six or eight times with last time raising it over my head standing on my tippy toes which loosened the bugger up. I expected to see some Loctite but it was clean.

I actually tried a 1/4" impact driver using a short piece of 3/8" Allen wrench but because of the way this brush less is, it just starts to spin slowly. Even when hammer whacked before it came loose, it jumps in 90 degree increments like it's popping over something on the inside.


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## EAC67GT

I have a dewalt dcd940 I have had for about 6 years. From day one I have had issues with chuck not holding bits. I either crank down as hard as I can to tighten chuck or do like some say and run drill to use it's torque to tighten chuck.
After about 5 years of hard use the torque settings didn't work correctly anymore. I took it to my local dewalt service center and had it rebuilt. They completely rebuild it and even install new chuck. With this being said even the new chuck has exactly same problem. It's real sad being brand new this drill was $260. You would think the least dewalt could do is put a quality chuck on it.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


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