normally i just tighten it and thats it. stays in. i was trying to see what the click was about, but just watched the second video and it appears to be BS.I’m not sure “very lightly tightening it” is what’s being suggested, it was to tighten it normally then turn it back ever so slightly.
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Pete.
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Right, I have tried this on my Hitachi 18v drill and it most certainily does not have this feature.
I tried it on my 240v drill which has a chuck fitted from an old Dewalt and it does do the click and you can feel that it's some kind of spring catch making the click and then you feel the turning part come up against a stop which it would need to do for manual release.
However, I don't believe it's any kind of 'lock'. It feels like the tightening ratchet releasing and springing into 'unlock' mode i.e. getting ready for un-doing. There must be some mechanism within the chuck that causes the 'ratcheting' mechanism to multiply the hand torque for adequate tightening without the need for a key, be it a differential thread orr some other feature. You can feel this building up tension as you tighten up the 'ratchet'. That mechanism will need to be released for un-doing and I think that's what the click is, the ratchet releasing ready to undo. It may be similar in principle to the quick-release grinder nuts I have on my angle grinders.
It's my belief that the reason that there's this idea that this one click becomes a 'lock' is because when it's not backed off the inertia that causes these chucks to release themselves causes the outer ring to slam into the stop you feel after the click and actually hammer the chuck open. If you have already manually backed it off until it clicks, it's already against the stop and has very little space to build up momentum to knock the chuck open.
That's my take on it just from the listen and the feel of the one I've got here ad it's only my presumption so feel free to disagree. If I had a spare one to pull apart I would do that just for my own satisfaction.
I tried it on my 240v drill which has a chuck fitted from an old Dewalt and it does do the click and you can feel that it's some kind of spring catch making the click and then you feel the turning part come up against a stop which it would need to do for manual release.
However, I don't believe it's any kind of 'lock'. It feels like the tightening ratchet releasing and springing into 'unlock' mode i.e. getting ready for un-doing. There must be some mechanism within the chuck that causes the 'ratcheting' mechanism to multiply the hand torque for adequate tightening without the need for a key, be it a differential thread orr some other feature. You can feel this building up tension as you tighten up the 'ratchet'. That mechanism will need to be released for un-doing and I think that's what the click is, the ratchet releasing ready to undo. It may be similar in principle to the quick-release grinder nuts I have on my angle grinders.
It's my belief that the reason that there's this idea that this one click becomes a 'lock' is because when it's not backed off the inertia that causes these chucks to release themselves causes the outer ring to slam into the stop you feel after the click and actually hammer the chuck open. If you have already manually backed it off until it clicks, it's already against the stop and has very little space to build up momentum to knock the chuck open.
That's my take on it just from the listen and the feel of the one I've got here ad it's only my presumption so feel free to disagree. If I had a spare one to pull apart I would do that just for my own satisfaction.
DAPPH
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Just come in from the mancave my new Kielder c/w new hand chuck does not have a click either to tighten it or release it.
One thing though that may help some who do experience drill slippage. I have purchased wood, metal & masonry Faithful drills 1,5 mm to 8 mm all with hex chuck drives so I don't get cylindrical drill slippage either in the new chuck.
Agroshield
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That sounds like a good analysis.
As has been said, the self-opening is particularly noticable with big hole saws if you let the trigger go from full speed.
In this discussion, we should be mindful of the difference between inertia and momentum (https://byjus.com/physics/difference-between-momentum-and-inertia/).
You could do some experiments by screwing a 300mm dia. circle of plywood to a spindle and seeing if it would self loosen when you release the trigger. Try it ten times with the click on and ten times with the click off and document your results. Make the plywood disk smaller and do the same. If you know the rpm of the drill and mass of the disk, you can calculate the kinetic energy and see at what value, if any, the click makes any difference.
Just to throw something else into the mix (and which supports your observations regarding the 240v drill) , the Rohm keyless chucks seen more often on corded power tools seem to have a locking ring on them. See, for example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metabo-636620000-Chuck-Futuro-Green/dp/B0002YYZ8C Maybe looking for the (Rohm) patent mentioned on the Metabo one would give some insight.
which model drill ?
Craig-SM
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M18 gen3 and M12 FPD, both have the same chuck
hotponyshoes
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I haven't checked any of mine but I've never had a problem with them coming undone anyway.
I wonder if turning it back slightly after tightening stops the inertia when you let go of the trigger?
The chuck would have to stay in the turned back position during use for it to work though.
Most modern drills stop pretty quickly and, if you fully tighten the chuck and leave it there then and play/slop in the body might start to spin in the unwind direction when you let off the trigger acting a bit like a hammer/impact to start it undoing itself?
I wonder if turning it back slightly after tightening stops the inertia when you let go of the trigger?
The chuck would have to stay in the turned back position during use for it to work though.
Most modern drills stop pretty quickly and, if you fully tighten the chuck and leave it there then and play/slop in the body might start to spin in the unwind direction when you let off the trigger acting a bit like a hammer/impact to start it undoing itself?
fixerupper
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So when did ratchet chucks come onto the market ? None of my 4 cordless drills have ratchet chucks ...the Hitachi I bought 3 years ago and the Fatmax I bought last year just have ordinary chucks ..
MetalMonkey
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The feature is, I believe, called "Radial Locking" - at least that is what Rohm call it.
It is supposed to stop the unintentional release of the bit while drilling and when using it for percussion drilling.
It is only available on certain models of chuck, tends to be their more expensive all-metal versions, although it is fitted on some of their plastic chucks.
In my experience it appears to make no difference to the drill dropping bits if it has an over enthusiastic brake.
My Hitachi has an almost instant electronic brake and is a bugger for dropping bits. It has a locking chuck and I've tired it "locked" and "unlocked" and it drops them either way.
The only way to avoid it that I have found, is to slow the drill down with the trigger rather than just taking your finger off.
It is supposed to stop the unintentional release of the bit while drilling and when using it for percussion drilling.
It is only available on certain models of chuck, tends to be their more expensive all-metal versions, although it is fitted on some of their plastic chucks.
In my experience it appears to make no difference to the drill dropping bits if it has an over enthusiastic brake.
My Hitachi has an almost instant electronic brake and is a bugger for dropping bits. It has a locking chuck and I've tired it "locked" and "unlocked" and it drops them either way.
The only way to avoid it that I have found, is to slow the drill down with the trigger rather than just taking your finger off.
i don't see it mentioned in the manual
i recently fitted a rohgm chuck to my old milwaukee drill, there's no mention of turning it back a click to lock it.
i just don't see why it's not advertised a feature ? they advertising everything and anything else even if it's pointless feature so what not this 'turn to lock' function ?
hotponyshoes
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I've got a set of adaptors that go to 1/4" and 3/8" drive.
I quite often use them in cordless drills for winding stuff in/out when I don't want it getting battered by the impact wrench and don't need a particular torque setting
I chopped up a 3/8 extention bar up years ago (still got the bit) unfortunately the drill broke. Lost 2nd gear then lost first. Old (it was new then) dewalt thing. From what I can remember there was only dewalt doing cordless drills at the time. It wasn't bad I got a good 5-7 year out of it with lots of abuse. Like sticking sockets on it for instance.
I think I bought a screwdriver handle and many bits set from Halfords 30 yrs ago that came with an adaptor - but as I didn't have a cordless drill back then, it didn't get much use. Once I got one, it got a fair bit.
I've various adaptors to go from small hex up to 1/2" sq. drive that I've found very useful.
MetalMonkey
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I should say I was responding to the posts on ratcheting chucks - I believe that is the "radial locking" feature on the rohms, and it is an advertised feature on their top end chucks (they mention it in the listings and on the blurb on their website).
They don't actually include any information on how you activate it, so I'm assuming it is just the action of continuing to ratcheting it past the initial "clonk" when you tighten it.
Not too sure about turning it in the opposite direction, although I tried that today and there is a definite detent - but it still drops the bits just the same, so i maintain it still makes bugger all difference!.
It could be different between manufacturers though. I suppose it might be worth a call to rohm to confirm - perhaps its something obvious everybody is missing.
