# What R8 drill chuck should I get?



## Denisj (May 28, 2019)

Hi all
Dusting off the HF 6x26 mill
I sold my mini drill press and want to get a drill chuck with the R8 to use this mill as an oversized hole puncher. I occasionally drill 1/2 to 5/8 holes so a chuck that can take that and more would be ideal. I want to try to save money and avoid having a bunch of tooling I’ll never use. 
I’m OK with buying good stuff..I plan to keep it when I step up to a bigger machine
Searching eBay I found chucks in the 5/8 to 3/4 size from $19 to $350
Whoa the choices

A little help? USA made? Not a clue what’s good or bad.

Thank you!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## mikey (May 28, 2019)

If you plan to use large drills, a US-made Jacobs Ball Bearing Super Chuck would be good. A 16N has a 5/8" capacity, while a 14N goes up to 1/2". Here is one in nice condition that the seller says is made in the US. The ones on sale in most supply houses today are made in China and are not the same as this one. The jaws on this one are in very good condition and the seller is even taking offers.

You can buy an R8 arbor and change out the MT arbor currently in it. 

Super Chucks last for decades with care. My 20 year old 14N is like new but it is used only on the lathe. I use Albrechts on my drill press and mill.


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## darkzero (May 28, 2019)

I use a 1/2" Glacern keyless on the mill & and a Bison 5/8" keyless on the lathe. Been happy with them. I use my 14N keyed chucks if I need to power tap mutliple holes or with S&D drills. Although I have a 5/8" chuck for my lathe, I've really never needed the 5/8 capacity. Well I've used a 5/8" endmill in it once but generally I don't use endmills in the tailstock. I only got that Bison 5/8" keyless cause I scored it for $38 shipped brand new. Otherwise 1/2" capacity would be perfectly fine for me.




mikey said:


> Here is one in nice condition that the seller says is made in the US.



That one lists the service kit p/n right on the chuck. Those are the ones that use the new/current caged bearing. There is speculation that when they first changed over to the caged bearing that the early ones were still made in the US. These early ones that use the caged bearing (SVC kit listed on them) said "Jacobs USA" on them but some speculate they weren't actually made in the USA, just indicating that Jacobs is a USA company. Then there are those who say all the ones that lists the service kit number on them are all made overseas. Soon after they stopped putting Jacobs USA on them. If you buy one today it will just say Jacobs, no USA. May not matter much to some, just saying.

All 3 of my 14Ns say Made in Hartford Conn on them. They're getting harder find these days or cost a lot. This reminds me, I have an 18N that I need to rebuild but I may never use it, too big for my needs.


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## darkzero (May 28, 2019)

Oh for brands, not sure if there are still quality drill chucks made in the USA. We already talked about Jacobs which sadly are no longer made in the US. Jacobs Super Ball Bearing chucks are expensive new & I could never justify paying that much for one new. Used would be best if buying Jacobs. I have a small keyless Jacobs that is made in Italy.

Albrecht is pretty much the best for keyless chucks, again expensive if purchasing new but they are worth it. I seem to always miss out on the great deals on them second hand, maybe someday but I haven't searched in a while.

Llambrich makes very nice quality chucks. Made in Spain. I believe some older Jacobs keyless chucks were made by them. Many Accupro (MSC brand) chucks are made by Llambrich too & they also have Jacobs Super BB knock offs. But Accupro/Llambrich have economy models too. I have an economy Accupro/Llambrich on my cheap Craftsman drill press.

Rohm also makes nice chucks but I know they have an economy line also. I forget which were which though.

Then there's Yukiwa Seiko. They are said to make high quality chucks & I was looking to buy one back when I wanted to buy a Llambrich keyless. But I couldn't find much info on them, don't know anyone who's had one or where to even buy one (at the time). I had a feeling they were probably very expensive & decided that what I had was perfectly fine for me. I believe they make the chucks found on Makitas but can't base the quality of a drill chuck mfg based on the chucks they make for cordless drills.


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## mikey (May 28, 2019)

Rohm makes two keyless chucks, the high end Spiro and the economy Supra. I have two Supras and they are very accurate. Not sure I would spend the money on a Spiro unless I got an insane deal. I prefer Albrechts, of which I currently own 5, I think. Yep, just 5 left in my shop.


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## mikey (May 28, 2019)

darkzero said:


> All 3 of my 14Ns say Made in Hartford Conn on them. They're getting harder find these days or cost a lot. This reminds me, I have an 18N that I need to rebuild but I may never use it, too big for my needs.



Yeah, the good US made ones were engraved with the Hartford thing on them. Mine has that, too. Unfortunately, the ebay one I linked to doesn't show if that is on the chuck or not. Might ask before buying.


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## darkzero (May 28, 2019)

mikey said:


> Albrechts, of which I currently own 5, I think. Yep, just 5 left in my shop.



Now I know why I could never find one for a decent price!


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## darkzero (May 28, 2019)

mikey said:


> Yeah, the good US made ones were engraved with the Hartford thing on them. Mine has that, too. Unfortunately, the ebay one I linked to doesn't show if that is on the chuck or not. Might ask before buying.



Yeah if it has the SVC Kit P/N directly on the chuck, it wasn't made in Hartford. All the older Hartford ones used the individual ball bearings with races, way before the caged bearing came out.


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## mmcmdl (May 28, 2019)

Once you figure out what you want , shoot me a message . I have them all covered .


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## MrWhoopee (May 28, 2019)

As usual, I'm the contrarian. 
Get a straight shank chuck (3/4" shank) and cut the shank to about 1/2 length. Much easier to get in and out of the spindle.
Do not hold S&D (reduced shank) drills in a chuck, hold them in a collet. Reduces the likelihood of damage to both chuck and drill.


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## mmcmdl (May 28, 2019)

In the very near future , the ship is going to hit the fan , so to speak . I'm in the process of figuring out my last move in the machining arena . I'm loaded up with stuff and can't even get to it , but as soon as this grass cuts me a break it's all going other than the basics .


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## Denisj (May 28, 2019)

I'm not understanding..did you mean a chuck that has a straight arbor?


MrWhoopee said:


> As usual, I'm the contrarian.
> Get a straight shank chuck (3/4" shank) and cut the shank to about 1/2 length. Much easier to get in and out of the spindle.
> Do not hold S&D (reduced shank) drills in a chuck, hold them in a collet. Reduces the likelihood of damage to both chuck and drill.


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## Denisj (May 28, 2019)

This is great information guys. I suspected there was little left in the states.


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## BGHansen (May 28, 2019)

I have several Jacobs chucks, maybe 3 or 4 ball bearing super ones and one Albrecht with an R-8 collet.  Also have a number of cheaper Jacobs chucks with straight arbor.  Like Mr. Whoopee mentioned above, they are convenient on (for me) on the Bridgeport which usually has a ER-32 collet chuck on it.  If the job is going to use a 1/2" end mill which takes a 1/2" collet, I use the Jacobs chuck with a 1/2" straight shank (have chucks with 3/8" and 5/8" straight arbors also).  It saves from having to change ER collets and/or loosen/tighten the drawbar on the BP.

I also have a Jet JVM-830 mill where the top of the spindle is at about 6'.  It's a really easy reach so it has R-8 collets exclusively on it.  I have the Albrecht and a Super chuck at this mill, but usually use a keyed import chuck because it has better run out than either of the other two chucks.

My lathes have Jacobs ball bearing Super chucks too, but I usually use 1/2" capacity keyless import chucks purchased from All Industrial Tool Supply.  These both have MT3 arbors, All Industrial has 1/2" keyless chucks on eBay with an R-8 arbor for about $32 shipped.

Bruce


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## mickri (May 28, 2019)

I am going to throw out another option.  I went to an ER32 system for my mill/drill and lathe.  I have an ER32/R8 adapter that lives in the mill/drill.  I have an ER32/MT2 adapter that I use in the tailstock on the lathe and I made an ER32 chuck that fits on the headstock of the lathe.  It is slower to use then a drill chuck if your are changing drills all the time.  But it is much more compact than a drill chuck and can be used with drills or end mills.   I have not had to move the head on the mill/drill when changing tooling on the projects that I have done so far.  The key to ease of use is to have 3 or 4 ER32 nuts with the different collets in them that you need for the project you are working on.  I have 4.  If I am just drilling holes I use my drill press.


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## martik777 (May 28, 2019)

I have never used a chuck on my mill, ER25 collets handle everything I need and less obstruction than the larger ER32


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## ThinWoodsman (May 28, 2019)

At the beginning of the year I bought an R8 shank chuck from Precision Matthews and an MT3 shank chuck from Glacern. Both about the same price, and the same (good) quality. They do up to 5/8, run about a hundred bucks a pop. No complaints, though they are both keyless chucks which some people do not prefer.


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## mickri (May 28, 2019)

Martik777 I went with the ER32 because of the spindle bore on the lathe.  The largest ER32 collet is just larger than the spindle bore on my lathe.


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## amsoilman (May 28, 2019)

Albrechts for me


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## Titanium Knurler (May 28, 2019)

Albrecht’s keyless chucks are very nicely made but pricey; when used correctlythey work great. I have a 5/8” R8 for my mill and 1/2” MT3 with diamond coated jaws for my lathe.  But just a word of caution, I ruined my 5/8” R8 Albrecht by using a 2”hole saw.  It locked and wouldn’t release.  I used a strap wrench and finally got it to release but the run out was visible afterwards.  I sent it to Albrecht(Royal) and I was told that the repair would be several hundred dollars and that they do not recommend using a drill or other device larger than the stated size of the chuck.  I was fortunate, they sent me a new replacement at no charge.


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## amsoilman (May 28, 2019)

Good to know.  I have a 5/8” for the mill and a 1/2” for the old Avey drill press. Bought each for a hundred bucks, smooth as silk.


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## mikey (May 28, 2019)

Titanium Knurler said:


> But just a word of caution, I ruined my 5/8” R8 Albrecht by using a 2”hole saw.  It locked and wouldn’t release.  I used a strap wrench and finally got it to release but the run out was visible afterwards.  I sent it to Albrecht(Royal) and I was told that the repair would be several hundred dollars and that they do not recommend using a drill or other device larger than the stated size of the chuck.  I was fortunate, they sent me a new replacement at no charge.



Albrecht is one of the few companies nowadays that treats their customers with respect. Replacing a chuck that was damaged due to abuse just doesn't happen with other companies. Glad Albrecht continues that practice.


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## Denisj (May 29, 2019)

OK

Rohm Supra 5/8 keyless new $120 - Their website says these are for cordless drill applications, but comes mounted on a R8. Too light duty?

Shars? I found a $45 used 1/2 keyless


I found Jacobs "Made in the United States of America" 34B that looks very old, it is frozen but has no rust on it for free. Soaking in solvent now, but it has a threaded input..I am thinking a 5/8"-16tpi? Is this old dog worth fixing? Should I be concerned with the arbor needed to use it?

Thanks again!
I am not attached to the keyless idea..just want a good quality unit.


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## Denisj (May 29, 2019)

martik777 said:


> I have never used a chuck on my mill, ER25 collets handle everything I need and less obstruction than the larger ER32


I don't have a clue how to sort this out. I understand how they work...I assume I would need a holder?
..and it seems insanely expensive just quickly searching


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## mmcmdl (May 29, 2019)

When you make up your mind , shoot me a pm as I said in a previous post . I think I have 50 chucks in the basement , but I won't steer you as to what you want or need .


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## ThinWoodsman (May 29, 2019)

Denisj said:


> I understand how they work...I assume I would need a holder?
> ..and it seems insanely expensive just quickly searching



Yeah you would need an ER collet chuck and then all the collets. Unless you stick to just one or two drill sizes, you're going to need a pretty large set of collets. I picked up the R8 chuck after the first time I needed to chuck a drill bit that was between two collet sizes.


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## darkzero (May 29, 2019)

A threaded drill should be fine. One thing to consider is if you ever need to drill with LH drill bits they can unscrew the chuck. Should be fine as LH drill bits are usually used for broken screw extraction & usually it's light duty drilling but ya never know.

I can understand the guys who use collets for drill bits but I use fractional, letter, & number drills often with the occasional metric too so that's not for me. That's a whole lot of collets to cover for all those sizes. Drilling is also not a high precision operation.


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## Illinoyance (May 29, 2019)

If you ever plan to use hole saws you definitely want a keyed chuck.  Keyless chucks tighten so much with a hole saw that it takes a wrench to release them.  They don't work well with left hand drills, either.  Backwards rotation tends to loosen them.  Ihave keyless chucks, ball bearing keyed chucks and ER collet chucks and use whatever chuck is best for what I am doing.


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## pontiac428 (May 29, 2019)

Denisj said:


> Shars? I found a $45 used 1/2 keyless
> 
> I am not attached to the keyless idea..just want a good quality unit.



I have to say it here that my favorite chuck is my Albrecht, and it's not a close race.  Shameless endorsement, I know.  It's good you found Shars- I have a R8 integral shank keyless "precision" chuck from Shars that is cheaper than a used Albrecht, and I still smile when I use it.  It does the job very well.  I'd stay away from Jacobs keyed chucks.  Lots of folks may disagree, but I have six Jacobs chucks, including a 1970's unit that I bought NOS in original packaging.  None of them are reliable, and they are barely better than the cheapest China chuck.  So go for the integrated Shars chuck instead of Jacobs.  Sometimes I think people just like Jacobs because that's what their old reliable Craftsman drill presses came with.  I doubt their reputation is based on performance.


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## Denisj (May 31, 2019)

Missed an old Albrecht on ebay
Leaning to the Shars at $55 for a 5/8 keyless new
Rohm?
Johansen?
No hole sawing- cant remember the last time i used one
Drilling mostly..holes in steel and alum brackets for my work. A pilot hile and often 6-12mm holes 
Minimal milling with it, but im sure I'll try. I have 3 R8 collets for the only 3 end mills I have. 
I'm still super green with a mill and have almost no tooling and less experience.
I never was a huge fan of using a drill press..felt unnecessary when the mill works well. I used my friends BP to work some brackets and had an apifinay...the mill is a drill press. 

Feel free to correct me if I'm missing something. The floor space didnt allow another machine and the drill press lost.


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## mksj (May 31, 2019)

I would look at the nickle plated version of Shar's, they have tighter specs (TIR) vs. the lower priced version. I have some of their other higher end tooling like their nickle plated ER chucks and they meet/exceed specs.





						3/32-5/8" Keyless drill chuck with R8 Integral Shank
					

Shars Tool




					www.shars.com
				




One issue with some of the keyless chucks is that they do self tighten to the point that they are very difficult to loosen. This seems to vary by brand, but often reported with the Albrecht. I have the Llambrich 5/8" JK-160 R8  keyless drill chuck with Integrated R8 Shank and haven't had this problem. I have several Llambrich chucks w/o any issues and hold tight TIR, but I would recommend the Shar's at a more moderate price point. I would not use a keyless chuck for things like hole saws and/or larger drills, I have the Glacern keyless chuck and the body failed on mine using a smaller hole saw probably due to the torque on the chuck. I have an older 5/8" Jacobs keyed chuck that works much better in that application, and also for use with Silver & Deming drills. I like the older Jacobs chucks, but they have gotten expensive and often may be in poor shape.


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## martik777 (May 31, 2019)

mickri said:


> Martik777 I went with the ER32 because of the spindle bore on the lathe.  The largest ER32 collet is just larger than the spindle bore on my lathe.


Me too, I have er25 for the mill er32 for the lathe


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## martik777 (May 31, 2019)

Denisj said:


> Missed an old Albrecht on ebay
> Leaning to the Shars at $55 for a 5/8 keyless new
> 
> Drilling mostly..holes in steel and alum brackets for my work. A pilot hile and often 6-12mm holes
> ...



The shars looks exactly the same as the ebay ~$20 generic keyless chucks. I have 5 of them, no issues at all. 

You can get a full set of ER25 (16 pcs) for ~ $30 and a R8 collet chuck for your mill is about $20

but if you are mostly drilling holes of diff sizes a chuck is probably best.


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## KBeitz (Jun 16, 2019)

I drill more holes than most people. Sometimes 5000-10,000 per day.
My volt is for the US-made Jacobs Ball Bearing Super Chuck . 
I'm one of the few people that does not like an Albrecht chuck.
Get a drill stuck in one and you will see my point.


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## Driveslayer45 (Jun 21, 2019)

what is a good run out on a chuck? i am looking at the R8 integrated chucks as well, trying to decide and not wanting to spend a ton of money for a decent one.  Is .005 too much run out ( i am thinking so, but i don't really know). i think i would be happy with a .002.  Now, lets be honest, i am not sure my skills could use a drill with a run out of .002 … but if i screw up a part i want it to be me and not my equipment.


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## mmcmdl (Jun 21, 2019)

What exactly you are looking for is up to you . All chucks have their pros and cons . Price , accuracy ,keyed , keyless , R8 or straight shank , etc . Runout of less than .003 is acceptable , a drill chuck is not a precision tool .


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## mmcmdl (Jun 21, 2019)

Driveslayer45 said:


> Now, lets be honest, i am not sure my skills could use a drill with a run out of .002 … but if i screw up a part i want it to be me and not my equipment.



If you screw up a part for the reason stated above , it would be the operators fault , not the machine nor tooling . They make reamers for holding diameters and runout doesn't effect size . Learn your tools and their intended purposes before purchasing anything .


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## Driveslayer45 (Jun 21, 2019)

Total buzz kill


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## Titanium Knurler (Jun 21, 2019)

Driveslayer45, I think it’s probably common knowledge on this Forum but it wasn’t until fairly recently that I discovered what a crummy hole a drill bit makes; they are really not very round and not very smooth.  So I am not sure how critical run out is when drilling unless it is really bad. Nowadays, if I need a really nice round and precisely sized hole I use a drill followed by a reamer.  If it is a large hole I use a hole saw followed by a boring head.  I have a 5/8” Albrecht R8 keyless chuck that I use for smaller holes up to about 1/2”.  When the Albrecht keyless Chuck is used this way I have found that it is a real pleasure to use and releases easily. If I drill anything larger by using a reduced shank drill bit or hole saw, etc. I use my big, keyed, R8 5/8” ball bearring Jacobs chuck.   The old Jacobs chuck I have seems to be indestructible and never locks-up like an Albrecht can if you use too large a tool.  Hope that helps.  TK


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## Driveslayer45 (Jun 24, 2019)

Titaniam K .. i certainly understand the best holes are made by a reamer, just thinking about getting a good start with the cleaner hole


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## Titanium Knurler (Jun 24, 2019)

Driveslayer45 said:


> Titaniam K .. i certainly understand the best holes are made by a reamer, just thinking about getting a good start with the cleaner hole




Makes sense. 

Your OP mentioned that you will be drilling 1/2-5/8" holes so my recommendation would be a Jacobs Ball Bearing Super Chuck.  I have one that I bought for $5 at a used equipment place here in town years ago.  It is old, so I assume it is US made.  It isn't silky smooth like my Albrecht but it is a solid performer and it won't lock-up on you. It is built like a tank; I think if we have a nuclear holocaust there will only be cockroaches, Schwinn Varsity bicycles and Jacobs Ball Bearing Super Chucks that survive.  For larger holes it is my go-to chuck on the mill.  Good luck!  TK


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## T Bredehoft (Jun 24, 2019)

I have an 0 to .5 Albrecht chuck with a 1/2 in arbor, 1 1/2 inches long. It fits nicely in my mill with it's 1/2" R8 collet. The extra length of the arbor isn't needed, the collet only holds about that long anyway. It's easier to change in and out, too.


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## Driveslayer45 (Jun 24, 2019)

Thanks for the info guys


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