To Key or Not to Key that is the question.

[jwmay]

I never tried a keyless chuck. In my shop, there’s one big thing that slows me down more than anything else. It’s between my ears. With that impediment, I’ve not seen a reason for theoretically faster bit changes, especially at the expense of bit holding capability.

 

[projectnut]

I have over a dozen chucks for the mills and lathes. All but 2 of them are the keyed style. The keyless are both Albrecht and were purchased new. However, I find I much prefer the keyed style.

I do have several hand drills, both corded and battery powered, that have the keyless chucks. While they are convenient, I find they don't hold nearly as well as the keyed type. In most cases I have gone to drills with the hex or triangle shaped shank for use in the keyless chucks. They don't spin or get galled.

 

[GrifterGuru]

I have over a dozen chucks for the mills and lathes. All but 2 of them are the keyed style. The keyless are both Albrecht and were purchased new. However, I find I much prefer the keyed style.

I do have several hand drills, both corded and battery powered, that have the keyless chucks. While they are convenient, I find they don't hold nearly as well as the keyed type. In most cases I have gone to drills with the hex or triangle shaped shank for use in the keyless chucks. They don't spin or get galled.

Glad I am not the only one that finds lack of grip and galling of shanks to be an issue.

Yes, hex shank bits are the only safe way to go when using keyless, which is why I refuse to spend money on unnecessary tooling and go for keyed only chucks.

The question I have is what the heck to do with the RoHm keyless I took off my hammer drill...

 

[WobblyHand]

I have a couple keyless chucks. Some Rohm's and now a small Albrecht. The Rohm's on my lathe are pretty good. On my hand drill, I find keyless tend to slip. I've munged up a few drill bits. I've had two different chucks on my hand drill and they simply slip under load, including a Rohm. On the other hand my PM keyless on my mill hasn't slipped. Maybe it's the type of load or use that causes slipping?

Haven't tried out my new to me Albrecht, but since it's a 0-3mm chuck, it's not a fair comparison between a 3mm and a 13mm chuck. The loads are different.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I use primarily keyless chucks on my mill and lathe but still have a keyed chuck on my drill press. Keyless is great, and a wonderful convenience, but you either need to get a good one (both of mine are Albrecht) or go keyed. Those who say keyless won't hold, haven't tried the right chuck.

GsT

So much this!


Biggest problem I have with keyless chucks it them getting tightened under load to the point I have trouble getting them to release.

OTOH it gives me fits when I run a tap in only to have the chuck release when I reverse the machine.

Probably 80% of my mill work is done with a keyless, on the lathe it’s the opposite.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

So I guess what you are saying is that Not all keyless chucks are created equal.

Just like anything else.

I’ve had good luck with even cheap (something “Goose” brand) and spotty performance with known good brands.

Albrecht, Rhom and one other brand I disremember at the moment have all usually performed well for me.

As far as accuracy goes, that is the purpose of a keyless chuck, with speed/ease of use second.

The BB super chuck runs a close second, but they’re designed to provide more clamping force for a given amount of grunt on the proper sized key.


I just got this lil guy to replace the “accurate” little keyed chuck for my sensitive drill arbor.

Had one years back and I could reliable run an 0-80 tap with it where as the keyed one it’s replacing would sometimes give me fits with a 4-40.






The jaws are finer than I can take a pic of.

 

[woodchucker]

I have 2 keyless, and many keyed.
I find that opening the keyless is a pain. Many turns to open, and it's tight to open. My Jacobs all open quickly and easily.
I have locked the drill bit in the keyless, it self tightened. Luckily it had a hole to put a spanner in and open it, but It required massive force.

I now prefer the keyed over the keyless. Just easier to open to a bigger size, and shorter in length.

 

[Jake M]

Personally, I find that on a hand drill, I do much prefer a keyless chuck, HOWEVER... I always have a portable drill available with a keyed chuck as well. There's times where they both win out. I use the keyless ones a LOT more for convenience, but if I had to choose only one (thankfully I don't have to choose, but if I did...), I'd have to choose a keyed one, because it does what keyless doesn't.
I find that on anything where the chuck is mounted to a fixed tool, drill press, lathe, horizontal drill (woodworking stuff), if the chuck is mounted to a machine, not to a portable tool, I actually PREFER the keyed ones. The convenience of not needing a key is quickly outweighed by the slow speed of adjustment and solid effort needed to tighten down the chuck, so that part is a wash. Not to mention the lack of or limitations of reversing any keyless chuck that's in my price range. You're pretty far up the quality ladder before that stops being an issue. In which case it'd solve that problem, but still not the other.

$0.02 only. It's gonna come down to the user's preference, and what work is being done with the actual chuck in question on any given application.

 

[mmcmdl]

I may have 2 dozen or more of each . Never use my Albreghts
in a tailstock unless tools are small . Jacobs SBB chucks all the way . For tapping in the mill or lathe , I use a couple of beater chucks . I want to allow the tap to spin before breaking in the part . As far as accuracy , a drill chuck is not a precision tool . .003 runout is more than acceptable .

 

[Firstram]

Yeah, you see, I bought a Rohm keyless off eBay and it was smooth as butter, a little tatty but seemed sound.

It could not hold a drill under any worthwhile load, to save its life. So I went back to keyed.

All that said, I recently got an Albrecht 1-13 and a Jacobs 0-13 so I'll give keyless another go.

The thing is, if Stefan Gotteswinter uses keyless chucks, they must be good for something.

Break that Rohm down and clean it out, it may have been improperly lubed!