# Need an inexpensive keyless chuck.



## Ken from ontario (Feb 6, 2017)

This chuck is going to go on my Mini milling machine so 5/8" chuck is the highest I would go , 1/2" is even alright, I have never owned a keyless chuck but we used to have one on our mill at work and I really liked how quickly you can change bits.

What's your opinion on SHARS 's claim that their chuck's accuracy is .~ 0055" ? I can get a 1/2" chuck with an R8 arbor for $105 CDN dollar, (the shipping is the killer ), what's your opinion on this Shars chuck:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/300408699465?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I could get a used *Albrecht * for $130 or so but it's used and I'm not sure it's a smart move to buy this item used just because it's made in Germany, it is a bit too high in price for a used one , what do you think ?
Has anyone heard of CME/Harvest  chucks?here's new one for good price but I'm not sure how much better it is than the Shars brand:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/181211027900?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Appreciate all your comments .
Ken.


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## Terrywerm (Feb 7, 2017)

I have a Shars 6" lathe chuck, and it is very good, but I know nothing about their keyless drill chucks.

I've seen both good and bad used Albrecht chucks, so don't assume that it is going to be good just because it's an Albrecht.

If you are interested in buying American made, brand new, Glacern is running a special on their R8 mounted keyless chucks this month.
1/2" keyless chuck on an R8 arbor: Regularly $179.99, on sale for $149.99
5/8" keyless chuck on an R8 arbor: Regularly  $229.99, on sale for $169.99
Both are advertised at less than .002" runout.
Shipping might be a killer on these though. They ship out of California.

Not affiliated with them in any way, just a happy customer. I absolutely love my Glacern 5" vise!


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## mikey (Feb 7, 2017)

Personally, I think Albrecht makes the best keyless chucks. They come up on ebay often and if you look and wait, you'll find one in really good shape. This one looks pretty good: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALBRECHT-1-...913399?hash=item3d322e8077:g:~9wAAOSw-0xYk47G, and is BIN for about $86.00. I bought my last brand new Albrecht 1/2" chuck for $85.00. 

Not knocking the Chinese stuff - no experience with them. I've had a total of 9 Albrecht chucks so far and all of them worked really well after I cleaned them up. Of course, there are garbage Albrechts, too, so you have to look carefully but good ones are out there.


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 7, 2017)

Terry, I looked at their ( Glacern's) prices, not bad at all, I'm still shopping around .
Mikey, since I posted this thread I've been looking around on the net for a good quality chuck and the name Albrecht keeps popping up , but as you and terry both mentioned, there are a lot of garbage ones mixed with a few good ones, I almost bid on a used one for $53 but stopped myself at the last minute, it looked too worn out although all I had to go on was the picture . the best ones on ebay are the new old stocks.

What are your opinions on this Taiwanese chuck under the name "Precision Mathews" ? they seem to build all sorts of  metalworking tools , I found this on ebay .ca and it looked promising, comes with integral R8 shank and the runout is ~.002", not bad for what I'm looking for.



http://www.ebay.ca/itm/232231595178

Thank you both for your thoughts.


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## wawoodman (Feb 7, 2017)

PM has a great reputation here. I suspect that the chuck would be fine.


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## mikey (Feb 7, 2017)

Sorry, Ken, I have no experience with that chuck. I can tell you that the price they're charging for a brand new chuck with an integrated arbor is very low; if cost is the major issue then it looks good. 

For me, a drill chuck is a tool I use often and I prefer an Albrecht chuck. Yes, there are many junk chucks out there but you can spot the good ones easily. Here is a good one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/152425212844?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

The body, hood and collar show little to no signs of wear or abuse. The tips of the jaws align; there are small marks to suggest the user made contact with the work but it is minor. The seller also cleaned it up; there are signs of some rust but nothing major. Overall, this chuck is in very good (near new) shape and I would buy it if the price was right. It is now up for bid. If you look at similar completed listings for chucks in this condition you'll have a ballpark idea of what they go for. If I had to guess, I would say this thing will go for about $120.00 or less, probably less. 

Keep in mind that it has a JT33 and you will need to add in the cost of an R8 shank but you'll have a fine chuck of known quality. Not sure what that is worth to you.


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 7, 2017)

Thank you both.
The availability of Albrecht chucks on ebay canada is nowhere near  what you'd find on ebay US(.com)  .if the seller's enrolled in GSP program then I would have a chance to bid/buy, otherwise I'd have to ask them if they would be willing to ship internationally, not many can be bothered.
Anyhow, I found a couple that I put in my ebay "watch list" including the one you linked,( thank you Mikey), of course I would go for Albrecht  if the the prices were as reasonable here as they are south of the border. 
The search continues.


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## ch2co (Feb 8, 2017)

I have an Albrecht look alike Chinese chuck and I have used real Albrecht chucks and there is a world of difference between them. Mh chuck that came with my used lathe works but not nearly as nicely as I would prefer with regard to slippage , the runout accuracy seems to be good though.  The PM that is shown above looks good and from all of the positive input about PM products that I've seen here, I would consider.  

CHuck the grumpy old guy


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## mikey (Feb 8, 2017)

Ken from ontario said:


> Thank you both.
> The availability of Albrecht chucks on ebay canada is nowhere near  what you'd find on ebay US(.com)  .if the seller's enrolled in GSP program then I would have a chance to bid/buy, otherwise I'd have to ask them if they would be willing to ship internationally, not many can be bothered.
> Anyhow, I found a couple that I put in my ebay "watch list" including the one you linked,( thank you Mikey), of course I would go for Albrecht  if the the prices were as reasonable here as they are south of the border.
> The search continues.



Patience is the key. Wait for a good one; it will come. Over the years, I've purchased 9 Albrechts on ebay; one 1/2 chuck was new for $85.00. Of the other 8, only one needed new jaws. All the others were restored to like new functional condition without issues. Here is a pic of a $50.00 ebay chuck very much like the one I linked to:


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 8, 2017)

Thanks Grumpy,I was sure about the PM I linked but Mikey convinced me to look more closely at Albrecht chucks.
Mikey,you are right, patience, *is *the key,,,, but it's something I seriously lack,lol. I just found a used but in good condition Albrecht for $99.99 USD and bought it.
 It comes with an R8 chuck, to be honest, it is more than what I wanted to pay but I'm 63years old, want to enjoy life so I'm now a happy owner of THE mighty chuck.


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## mikey (Feb 8, 2017)

I saw that one when I cruised ebay - looks okay. If you consider that you got the chuck AND the arbor for that price, you did good! I highly suggest you remove the arbor and recondition the chuck before you use it. They are not difficult to work on. If you need more details, I wrote it up here: http://www.machinistblog.com/rebuilding-an-albrecht-drill-chuck/


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## Ironken (Feb 8, 2017)

Ken from ontario said:


> Terry, I looked at their ( Glacern's) prices, not bad at all, I'm still shopping around .
> Mikey, since I posted this thread I've been looking around on the net for a good quality chuck and the name Albrecht keeps popping up , but as you and terry both mentioned, there are a lot of garbage ones mixed with a few good ones, I almost bid on a used one for $53 but stopped myself at the last minute, it looked too worn out although all I had to go on was the picture . the best ones on ebay are the new old stocks.
> 
> What are your opinions on this Taiwanese chuck under the name "Precision Mathews" ? they seem to build all sorts of  metalworking tools , I found this on ebay .ca and it looked promising, comes with integral R8 shank and the runout is ~.002", not bad for what I'm looking for.
> ...



I just received that very chuck. I have drilled about a dozen holes with it. So far, its just fine. Smooth operation and the quality seems good. If you don't like it, Im sure Matt will make it right. BTW, I used it to drill 5/8" holes in 3/8" plate.....no slippage at all and only hand tightened, no spanner used.

Edit, I just saw that you already purchased an Albrecht......


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 8, 2017)

Ironman, that PM chuck seems to be well made, it's brand new,seems to get a lot of praises on the net and should serve you well for many years to come, at least you didn't base your decision on a couple of pictures ,that's the trouble when buying used, a seemingly perfect chuck may have many hidden problems just waiting to be discovered,the truth is (when buying used) you'll never know for sure what you got until it's in your hands so you can check it out.

Mikey thanks for the link,for some reason I can't open it , it probably is just a glitch since the recent upgrade, there are also a few  good youtube videos on the same subject(how to recondition an Albrecht chuck),which are already bookmarked , I'll be ready to take it all apart  and grease/lube it,.I may need your  assistance if I get stock, I hope I don't need to replace the 25(or 26) little balls in the chuck but we'll see .


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## brino (Feb 8, 2017)

Hi Guys,

I tried to post yesterday, but I see it did not "take" maybe due to the website outage? (or maybe my ramblings caused it).

I realize Ken has already bought a used Albrecht, but I thought I'd re-post to perhaps get some opinions of this brand.....

Quality Machine Shop on ebay carries the Accusize brand of keyless chucks.
I have never bought from them, but have some of their AXA toolholders on my ebay "watch list".
Being in Canada they have reasonable shipping to Canada, and free shipping over a certain amount.
Here's is a 3/8"
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/0-3-8-2JT-Pr...Chuck-Accuracy-0-0048-0222-0872-/151697393245
Here is a 1/2":
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1-32-1-2-33J...Chuck-Accuracy-0-0048-0222-0878-/151665392297
I am sure they are also made in China.
Those pages above do specify an accuracy inline with Shars ones in the original post.
Prices are not terrible, but you'd still need to buy a Jacobs to R8 arbor though.

Anybody tried Accusize?

-brino


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 8, 2017)

brino, I don't know about their chuck quality but I have other Accusize tools and they seem to be alright for imported tools, the little research I recently did to find out more about keyless chucks lead me to believe(when shopping for keyless chucks) we would be better off separating them in two different categories, one is the imported type, one is the well made European/US  ones like Rohm ,Albrecht (Germany), LFA(made in France),Jacobs   and so on.
The imported ones also have a couple of well regarded brands, that Precision Mathews is Taiwanese ,I don't know where Accusize brand is imported from but in my humble opinion they are in the same category as the MP and much better than the run of the mill chucks found cheap on ebay for $30 ro so.
I also found out one of the reasons the Albrecht type chucks (and also the few imported ones)are so popular is they they lock onto tools , it seems to me you can tighten them 99.9% of time and walk away with confidence that they won't loosen up during a cutting/drilling operation and they reliably do so for many years.
Just a few points to consider, If you do go with the accusize chuck, you can get the R8 Arbor from Amazon.ca,itis also the same Accusize brand:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B011W2OHCQ...UTF8&colid=U1FASJ1VAXTT&coliid=I185UU0WNMYR6R
There's also another machine shop/metalworking supplier that has all their prices in Canadian Dollar ,they have good quality and good prices,here's the link:
http://www.traverscanada.com/


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## David S (Feb 8, 2017)

Seems like my post got dropped yesterday as well.  I have 3 Albrecht chucks that were new and have never had a problem with them.  If I didn't quite get it tight by hand it will self tighten as soon as it gets a load.  Always can release them with simple hand twist.  One thing to consider is that these chucks can't be used in reverse if that is an issue, such as left handed drill bits.

David


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## eastokie (Feb 9, 2017)

another thing to keep in mind is NOT to use drills or other tools with flats on the shank,for light drilling in wood u might get away with that but in steel, you will need a pipe wrench to open the chuck.


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 9, 2017)

That's a great tip, thanks.


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## Rudy_R (Feb 10, 2017)

I picked up an Accusize keyed chuck 3/4" the other day. Seems pretty decent, and price was right off Amazon.ca with the free shipping. Want to get a smaller chuck too, as this won't hold anything smaller than 3/16". Gotta fill up that turret somehow!


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## sanddan (Feb 10, 2017)

The collar on the Albrecht chucks is important to get a keyless chuck tight. I have 2 Glacern's and with out the collar it is hard to get them tight. They do give you a wrench but the point of keyless to make it quick and easy to change bits. I just got an Albrecht like the one above with the R8 shank for $93 shipped off ebay. Can't wait to try it out.


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## darkzero (Feb 10, 2017)

sanddan said:


> The collar on the Albrecht chucks is important to get a keyless chuck tight. I have 2 Glacern's and with out the collar it is hard to get them tight. They do give you a wrench but the point of keyless to make it quick and easy to change bits. I just got an Albrecht like the one above with the R8 shank for $93 shipped off ebay. Can't wait to try it out.



Good point. I first bought a Glacern integral R8 chuck when I got my mill. Being a benchtop mill I was worried about loss of Z travel since the Glacern integral is shorter without the collar. I got by by just putting it in low gear but not too long down the road I realized I'd rather have the collar & for what I do I have never came close to running out of Z.

Got me a Glacern with the collar & man is it so much better not having to reach up for the drawbar when I needed the extra grip. In fact I now use the collar all the time now.

I keep missing out on Albrechts, perhaps I'm too picky as well. Hopefully one day I will score me a nice one but for now the Glacern has been serving me well.


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## BFHammer (Feb 10, 2017)

Will
Like you I did I just ordered a Glacern integral R8 chuck for my mill.  Can you explain (or a picture would be great) the Glacern with a collar?  It appeared to me that they only offer integral shank?  

Still trying to get a handle on all this tool holding stuff.  The different options can be a bit overwhelming.


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## sanddan (Feb 10, 2017)

I'll be selling my Glacern after the Albrecht checks out ok. Anyone interested and PM me.


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## darkzero (Feb 10, 2017)

Ok, let me go dig out the Glacern with integral shank out & snap a pic. BRB


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 10, 2017)

master of none said:


> I made one and it was very easy just take your time watch the vid and go for it.Mine made a world of difference .





BFHammer said:


> Will
> Like you I did I just ordered a Glacern integral R8 chuck for my mill.  Can you explain (or a picture would be great) the Glacern with a collar? g.


Maybe Will can come up with a picture of the Glacern keyless chuck with collar cause I can't find any on their site,just checked , found only integral type , could be that's all they carry now.


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## darkzero (Feb 10, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## mikey (Feb 10, 2017)

Looks like you could make a simple knurled collar for the Glacern chuck that lacks one. Bore the ID to the same size as the OD where it sits, drill, countersink and tap for a locking screw, knurl the OD and then slit the side. This is just how an Albrecht collar is made and its only about 1/4" thick.


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## BFHammer (Feb 10, 2017)

I understand now and I see the JT shank chucks on their site now.  Thanks!


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## darkzero (Feb 10, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## mikey (Feb 10, 2017)

Oh, I think I see now. Too bad ...


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 16, 2017)

Just an update, I received my chuck this morning, it seems to be in a good condition & feels very smooth  but looks are deceiving so I'll follow Mikey's advice and recondition it asap ,mikey was kind enough to send me his blog on how to dismantle and clean these chucks, if I find something noteworthy,I'll share it with the rest but I don't foresee any problem doing this,it should be quickly.


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## mikey (Feb 16, 2017)

Ken from ontario said:


> Just an update, I received my chuck this morning, it seems to be in a good condition & feels very smooth  but looks are deceiving so I'll follow Mikey's advice and recondition it asap ,mikey was kind enough to send me his blog on how to dismantle and clean these chucks, if I find something noteworthy,I'll share it with the rest but I don't foresee any problem doing this,it should be quickly.



Watch out for that Mikey guy ... I've heard he is full of BS.


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 16, 2017)

I just noticed you live in Honolulu,how's life over there? you should see what I see when I look out the window, 2 feet of snow, one reason I didn't go in the shop today to work on my chuck.


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## ddickey (Feb 16, 2017)

At least you have snow. I haven't been able to ride my sled from my door all winter. Three days riding up north is it.


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## mikey (Feb 16, 2017)

Ken from ontario said:


> I just noticed you live in Honolulu,how's life over there? you should see what I see when I look out the window, 2 feet of snow, one reason I didn't go in the shop today to work on my chuck.



It's tough, Ken - 76 degrees with a cool NE trade wind blowing. No sign of snow today but its still early.


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 17, 2017)

Question for Mikey regarding the reconditioning of Albrecht chuck.
Mikey I just sent you a private message, or at least I thought I did, is "start a conversation" the same thing as private message?
Anyhow, my question was/is, I need to buy a single ball for the chuck, could I buy it from any store that specializes in ball bearing  or do I need to order a set from Royal product?
Thanks.


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