I usually hear that click of disengagement when I am removing my drill from the chuck. It is most likely the paw disengaging from the ratchet, which if anything would loosen. AVE just uploaded a video and actually goes into mechanics of modern keyless chucks, funnily enough the locking "trick" actually caused the tooling to release sooner than if it had just been left tensioned.
@@Oliver-hx9sc Yup no contest. Trust the man who points the camera at the work, not at his own little face. 'This trick works because the minimum wage company people wanted to laugh, so they told me it works.' vs. 'Son, here's a f*ckin blueprint as to why that's bullsh*t.'
There's no need to turn the chuck backward to activate the anti-inertia feature, it does it automatically. The reason the manual doesn't mention it is that it's not a Ryobi or DeWalt or Rigid feature, it's a chuck feature. Jacobs knows all about it. That feature had to be added when automatic brakes were incorporated into drills. If the drill is spinning at 2000 RPM and stops instantly, the chuck will often loosen without the clicky feature.
Ok now this makes some sort of sense. He never explained what he meant by “locked in place” but your explanation was perfect. It locks the Chuck not the bit. Thanks engineers!
Thanks! Brilliant tip/discovery. Have fought with bit retention in various tools for years - this 'hold me back-click' shows great engineering and foresight. And, sad oversight/missed marketing opp... Thanks much - forever grateful / Tom
When you're 61 and you think you've learned enough in life, sometimes you come across a video that answers a question you've always had about something, but didn't know you HAD the question. I've NEVER been able to figure out how to tighten these chucks properly, and in the first two minutes of your video, my mind is blown. Thank you!!
I'm a little older than you and I can concur. I constantly have drivers loosen up and drop out of the chuck when removing sheet metal screws. Always was tempted to grab the chuck with some channel locks to tighten further, just out of frustration. Have a workmate that has a Milwaukee with a drill bit permanently planted in that chuck but never asked him how it got that way. Anywhoo, I will try this.
My 20 year old Bosch mentioned this in the user's manual. That "locked in place" is not 100% either, a cylindrical drill bit can still slip if stuck in the material. Chucks are usually designed and manufactured by an external company, like Röhm or Jacobs. Maybe you should contact them too, maybe they will give more insight how this mechanism actually works. That would be interesting, Im sure. Kudos for the thorough investigation. Cheers!
Was going to say the same thing, drill manufacturers just assemble the drills, they would not be aware of something like this. Welcome to globalization.
I worked in commercial construction for almost 45 years and my Makita repair center rep showed me that about 6 or 7 years ago. Keep up the great videos.
@@bobbyhempel1513 thats why theyre reps...they represent the company and are out there to demonstrate to make sure their product is being used properly and to their full potential.
I've worked with Makita drills before and had an issue with bits falling out, because when you used the tool it would loosen up by itself. I found out however, that it locks the bit in place if You go counterclockwise until one click, so I can confirm it works, since the bits stopped falling out and I always use that now when working with drills. Cheers for making all the research and company calling for answers, that's some dedication hahaha
I have been a tradesman for the better part of fifty years. I thought my “firsts” were over. Then you whipped this into the mix. It does feel fun to learn something new. Thank you.
I’ve been a woodworker for many years and just discovered that feature about a year ago. It goes to show you that your always learning !!! Thanks for doing this video!!!
I wonder if the chucks of these drills are made by a separate company and that's why it's not listed in the user's manuals of any of these brands. Like if it was a feature the brands created you would think they would mention it 🤔
I don’t know what’s more impressive, the fact you bought all these drills to test this theory, or the fact you had patience to deal with customer service for all these brands.
It's true. I despise calling customer service because, so seldom, are they actually able to address whatever I am calling about. My favorite is when the website says to call if your question isn't answered in the FAQs, but then the call center employees are just equipped with scripts that read just like the FAQs. Sometimes they don't even speak English. I wish there was an exam I could take that w certify me to skip all the rigamarole and go straight to Tier2/3/Engineering or whatever.
Neither. It's the fact that having the drills he doesn't show on video the locking working. He just shows them clicking, but doesn't show them being loose before the counterrotation, so showing them to be apparently locked after that doesn't mean anything. Useless video.
@@arde4 Wow, you are the epitome of an incredulous person, a doubting Thomas, without even trying it out yourself. Judging this man and his video. Again, Wow !
Thank you so so much I’m 63 and trying to use the drills and with you and all ur help I’m able to start smarter then most who is experienced so I will be looking at many of your videos to get knowledge and safety of course thank you so much for helping us grandma
An Aussie stuck in an apartment in Wales after picking up Covid in London... I just stumbled across your video. I have watched thousands of DiY, home maintenance and tool review videos on TH-cam and this is the best I've ever seen for sense of purpose, clarity and presentation. Great job Nils! I have never before subscribed to a channel... yours is the first.
I agree, "also" give credit to the absolute clarity of this man speaking the English language in his video which is commendable and praiseworthy. "In Ireland, Devon & Cornwall in England, and some parts of North America & Scotland" speak the purest, clearest, and most accurate English dialect.
I’m a commercial electrician. I’ve been using these drills on a regular basis since 2001. I’ve never had a problem with any bits falling out. I believe that the click you are feeling is just the ratchet disengaging so you can loosen it.
I suspect another commenter is correct in his belief that the "feature" is not meant to be manual, rather its simply an automatic mechanism to prevent the bit from loosening under counter clockwise rotation.
You're correct that the employees of these companies are unaware of this "SECRET" feature. That's because there is NO secret feature. What you are describing on a Key-Less chuck is not a Lock as you believe. It's a Dog mechanism much like what you find in a Ratchet Wrench when you switch the wrench from CW to CCW. In short I would not turn the chuck collar CCW unless I was opening the jaws to remove or insert tooling in the chuck. *"Righty Tighty - Lefty Loosey"*. Wakodahatchee Chris
I feel like taking apart and exposing the mechanism is going to make a great video. Contacting anyone who can provide a photo of the old manuals or indicator on a drill would be amazing too.
3 Follow-ups: 1) TO UNLOCK THE BIT: Just keep turning counterclockwise. "Locking it" is just seating it in a certain position where it kind of rests and then you just keep going past that to unlock it. 2) Ridgid has a Lifetime Service Agreement, not a warranty. You have to register the tool within 3 months and then it’s covered as long as you own. Same with their batteries. 3) Several folks have mentioned reaching out to Jacobs or Rohn about the chucks themselves. I’ll see what I can find from them.
there is a much better way. 1 - hold your chuck 2- spin it in reverse until the chuck bottoms out 3 - tighten the chuck onto your bit. trust me you will immediately see what I'm talking about when you go to release your bit again. it will not let go until you want it to let go.
Them tool companies are too busy for you meaning me meaning everyone they have become to good for us little customers to dare to know more than them or accept they don't know something you do.
Did you conduct any experiments with your large assortment of drills to see if they loosened after "Locking" the chuck and then drilling a series of holes?
@@BlueJayOakerson , have you tried to change the brushes in a hilti? i have. non-replaceable brushes. okay, thats alright, i'll just buy another hilti and use the old batteries on the new drill. no i wont. they changed the new model drill so it isnt compatible with previous battery packs. well done hilti. these are reasons why they are now rare on building sites.
I believe the click is a detent that locks the chuck just before it is fully tightened to prevent it from loosening during use. By turning the chuck counter clockwise just past the detent releases the lock and the chuck can come loose during use.
I can attest to the legitimacy of the locking feature on the DeWalt drills. I, like the reviewer you mentioned, have on occasion had the chuck loosen during repeated forward and reverse drilling/tapping operations. After remembering to lock the chuck, no loosening occurs.
@@Goalsplus This lends credence to my theory that the "locking" does not add any force to the jaws, but simply prevents the chuck from attempting to tighten more, which would also prevent slop in the mechanism, eventually allowing it to loosen if it "skips back" over a click.
When the chuck brake kicks in on my Dewalt drills when drilling, the chuck unlocks after about five or six times of the brake kicking in, I gotta try this, it may just improve my life significantly.
Honestly, I think it was the brake kicking in on the reverse drill/tapping operations that was exactly why the chuck would loosen, when I'd forget to lock it.
Drill- Packedge in typical box, came with a tool bag (added bonus), two batteries, one charger, drill, and driver. Two words "plenty of Torque" th-cam.com/users/postUgkxW1vOBRCMrgTCDEijzpVzDWsgI-Jm2iQv well I guess that's three. Nice upgrade from current setup. Has belt clips, I don't think I will be using those. Driver and drill were bigger than what I expected but it is an upgrade from the current setup. For the money I would say that this is a great setup for Professionals and DIY/Weekend warriors.
When I was working construction as a union lather going through the apprenticeship program and as a journeyman, I wanted to work with all the members in our local. Especial the OG"s I found I was able to learn something from each of them. Some trick or so-called secret to make things easier or faster. By far, most of the OG's wanted to pass on what they knew. I have always been fascinated watching a true craftsman in their trade using their tools and skill to make work easier. This is one of the greatest things about TH-cam, is the thing you are able to learn. Thank you for sharing.
Have not heard of it before now, but first thing in the morning I'll try my 5yr old Ryobi and see what happens. It does loose the bit every once in a while.
How hard would it be to set up some tests of this feature? It’s weird that it’s presented as a kind of black box instead of just trying it a bunch of times with and without the lock to see if there’s any difference.
Could be a click bait thing because these websites and this one in particular promote this type of behavior as well. Yeah but don't use foul language. That type of behavior is offensive for the public.
I've been doing this for years with my Bosch drills in the UK and it totally works. I never realized it wasn't in the manual anymore though. Like others have said here it may be worth looking up the chuck companies they use and see if they know more or if it makes a difference by company. If it isn't in the manual anymore you can bet they don't think to check it and it won't be officially supported should they change the chuck company they buy from.
Another secret feature is that the Ridgid LSA (Lifetime Warranty) only applies to batteries that were included as part of a kit. Batteries purchased seperately only receive a 3 year limited warranty. The 'lifetime warranty on tools and batteries' comment gives people like me who wouldn't burden themselves with the reading of any warranty documents the impression that all Ridgid cordless tools and Ridgid batteries have the lifetime coverage, which is almost true. You're right, other tools don't offer this and it is pretty awesome, until you find out all of the 4Ah battery 2-packs you bought at Depot were only covered for 3 years when the lifetime of free battery replacements is why you committed to the Ridgid line of tools in the first place. Pretty awesome turns to pretty butthurt pretty fast.
@@SammyInnit I had a reciprocating saw that I had them rebuild and it was way more than five years after I purchased it. I have a drill and a multitool that I will be doing this with as soon as I finish a project I am using them on. That said, they no longer seem to advertise that it has a lifetime guarantee and when you look up getting a tool fixed, you are asked if it has the lifetime guarantee or not, so they must have been losing money on it. I plan to milk mine for as long as possible! BTW-you had to have registered each tool and battery to get that deal. And yes, I have gotten free batteries from them as well.
@@SammyInnit ... correct - if all Ridgid cordless tools n batts were 'lifetime' there wouldn't b so many used ones listed on ebay n elsewhere for sale as - " selling for parts - not working "
... BTW - Ridgid tools r made by the same manufacturer as Milwaukee - all new versions of cordless r 'first' produced n marketed with the Ridgid branding to see how well they n there certain parts perform and sell over a period of time - IF successful 'those parts' r re-branded or modified for new Milwaukee lines
I gave a drill away once because bits kept falling out - an older Ryobi possibly. I bet this would have solved that problem. Thanks for the report. Great info!
Ummm. Have you considered testing to see if the bits are really locked in place or not? Usually if a bit comes out of my keyless chuck, it's when I reverse the drill to back a bit out of a hole that it doesn't want to come out of.
In all my years of using drills I never knew about this feature. Just watched this video and went and checked to see if my Ridgid would do it. Sure enough mine does. Unbelievable you’re never too old to learn something new. I’ll be sharing this secret. Thank you for the video.
I remain skeptical. Just because it clicks, doesn't mean it is a lock. None of the drills or hammer drills I have seen have this "feature" listed in their manuals. And they even describe how to slide a battery on and how to insert a bit.
I fully expected you to test the drills out on this video. I would think one could cause the accessory to loosen by running the drill in the CCW direction. That often happens when I am using a wire brush, as I spin it in both CW and CCW directions to keep the wires from bending in one direction of travel.
I thought that click was the beginning of the process of you loosening back the chuck. It sets the ratchet mechanism in reverse and if you keep clicking it you will loosen the chuck all the way. Either way I've never used it, and I've never had issues with bits falling out.
you got a genuine eyebrow raise out of me, so you've earned a subscription. I have never heard of this feature, but on rare occasions I've had the chuck loosen during a project and i've found it annoying. I look forward to trying this out! Great video, thanks for staying on hold for hours so I don't have to.
For years I've been thinking keyless chucks were a pain, never guaranteed not to slip. Here's hoping this is the complete answer. Well done for pointing that out.
@@tylerk.7947 I have, the round smooth shank on spiral drill bits (especially when stuck) do slip a lot in keyless chucks of rechargeable drills for me.
If turning counter-clockwise locks it, then how do you loosen it? And what does "locking it" even mean when the bit is supposed to be friction-fit into place in the chuck?
The drill chuck is clamped and locked with a single hand movement. The radial locking device prevents the unintentional release of the drill bit during counter-clockwise rotation. Impact resistance is a standard at Röhm. That means these quick-action chucks are predestined for use on hand-operated drills, not least due to their weight-reduced design.
Thanks! I literally got up walked into my garage and tried this on 3 drills. It took me a minute to understand what locking meant. Fantastic safety tip and convenience too.
Lol can you explain what it actually does? I cant understand and i dont think this video was very clear on it, tried on my dewalt, the feature is there but what does it lock?
@@remysavary689 It locks the chuck in place to however tight you tightened it, It doesn't make the grip any stronger or lock in the bit, it just stops the chuck from accidentally loosening itself over repeated stops and starts.
@@remysavary689 I am not 100% sure but it seems that by twisting backwards a pin snaps into place but going backward gentle it doesn’t. The gently backward is like loosening by vibration. I tried this on one of my drills and if I am really careful I can loosen slow enough where the locking pin, assuming I am correct in what is happening, does not snap into place. Not exactly sure how the mechanism works. Regardless if it prevents loosening I am going to be doing it.
I was really hoping you'd test this out with a torque meter, measuring how much force was required to turn something in the chuck with and without locking. Seems pretty easy to test, given that you already have all the drills! Relying on random reddit comments doesn't seem nearly as useful, since that's just an anecdote for a single drill.
I am by no means a drill expert, but found out about this feature on my dewalt cordless by accident (after the bits kept falling out). I thought it was "the way" to lock them in! It definitely works and I've been too lazy to look at the manual to see if it was a published feature. Thanks for the exhaustive research and great video!
Check the update video in the description. It isn't a feature, the click you hear is the pawl disengaging the ratchet effectively unlocking it and turning it into a normal ratchet-less chuck.
In the 90s or older, some cordless drills has a mechanical device to stop the spindle once trigger-throttle is released. The feature become popular and was taken by most drill tool makes as desirable feature. That creates a new problem, when spindle brakes the chuck’s momentum continues to rotates in the dismount direction causing the bit to fall out. The solution to fall out bits was to add a locking mechanism enable user to lock the chuck manually. As technology progress we have electronic resistance stopping especially those brushless models. The manual locking become a redundant. To avoid confusion and avoid user perception to their product is inferior it was chosen to remove it from the operation manual, while continue producing drills with old stock chuck, chuck with manual locking mechanism.
I found this info on another TH-cam video about a year or 2 ago and sent the info to my work buddies. I’ve confirmed it in use with my Milwaukee hammer drill. I always had problems with having the chuck loosen when using hole saws in cabinets. Started doing this all the time and my issue stopped.
This has been really informative! I totally didn't know about this feature. One thing that is like to see, though, is how exactly this works in seating the bit into place. I wonder if anyone has ever taken the bit locking mechanism apart and see how it worked.
Not sure exactly how it works as only discovered this a few weeks ago myself but think it works by taking the back lash out so shock can't be transferred through the tightening mechanisium from the bit causing it to loose grip. Hope that makes some kind of sense 😵💫
I have a P271 Ryobi One+ and it doesn't have any audible click or cluck. When I turn it counterclockwise it just puts it into that limbo where it's ready to be unlocked. I think Simon Gore in the previous comment to this one is pretty spot on with his explanation.
The feature was put in place for several decades. This was due to the chuck on cordless drills loosening during use. My first cordless DeWalt had the feature and that was back in late-90s. The feature wasn't described in the instruction manual. A friend of mine was a finish carpenter and he told me about it. I purchased another DeWalt cordless a year to a year and a half ago and the feature works, There is a paragraph dedicated to the locking feature in the instruction manual. It's in the section titled, "Installing a Bit or Accessory into a Keyless Chuck (Fig. D).
@@I_Don_t_want_a_handle most cordless drills are keyless chuck and most corded drills use a chuck key to tighten which gets the bit held tighter usually
I'm from Brazil. I have a DeWalt cordless drill/impact driver similar to the one you showed in the video. It has this locking mechanism, however the locking feature is in the same direction as tightening the drillbit and it does show in the manual!
Yeah, I would need to see how that works mechanically. I have never dropped a bit because it came loose. I just have a hard time understanding what the "lock" actually locks. I might see if I can find one and break it apart, maybe we can see what it actually does inside.
After your video, I ran to get my 12v Makita drill, tighten it with the trigger, then hand tighten 3 clicks, then counterclockwise one click (sounds more like a clonk). It does feel like you’re loosening it and I think that’s why people are calling it a hoax. Anyway, to test, this, I set the speed to 2, press my trigger and disengage abruptly to loosen the bit. Took about 5-6 disengages to loosen the bit. I tried tightening it regularly with the trigger. Took 2-3 disengages to loosen. Tried the trigger tighten with hand tighten, and it took 2-4 disengages to loosen. So it does work. Just doesn’t do a full lock. Still a stronger lock than the other ways. Thank you and subscribed!
Thanks for including my comment in your video. They dont slip into the right place when you take it a click back, its just the internal sleeve being undone. From there you only turn a little bit more and the bit is loose. Test with round drillbits, not with hex. There is no one click back to lock, just an intermediate position before you starts loosening the chuck. By the way, talk to Yukiwa.
Thanks for that info. That's what I'm suspicious of. I'm hearing very mixed feedback in the comments here already but I'll keep digging. I see that Yukiwa is a chuck manufacturer but do they make the chucks for any of these brands? I'm not too familiar with them so I don't know.
What do you mean by locking in the bit? The bit is locked in by the pressure of the jaws just as with any Jacobs style chuck. It will only fall out if you didn’t get it tight enough. As a retired engineer, I’d like to hear something about this from an engineer at one of these companies. I personally suspect this click is simply the reset operation that allows the pawls inside to shift from tightening to loosening, basically like switching direction on a ratchet. I am not buying the “locking the bit” claim as the bit is locked by tightening of the jaws. After you “lock” the bit, what do you have to do to loosen the chuck and remove the bit? Do you have to turn it again in the tightening direction before you can loosen the chuck? Or can you just turn the chuck in the loosening direction as normal? If the latter, then this further supports that the click is just the pawl changing direction. If you have to turn the chuck back in the tightening direction to release the “lock”, then that provides support for the locking theory. And even then, it wouldn’t be locking the bit, it would be locking the chuck collar to prevent inadvertent loosening of the chuck.
I came here to post this theory, as well. My guess is the "click" you are feeling with the initial reverse motion on the chuck is the internal mechanism transitioning from ratcheting in one direction, to ratcheting in the other direction. I would like to see a cut-away diagram of the chuck, and how this "locking" mechanism is supposed to work. Sounds unlikely to me.
LT . . . from one mechanical engineer to another, You have presented thus far the best (and correct) response to "all" whom think there is a "special feature" with a keyless chuck to lock in a drill bit! I did however find it entertaining reading most of the replies of which only a select few were correct like you. My preference is still an independent 3-jaw chuck over the keyless. (Tighten each jaw separate, and twice lol). Funny thing about innovation/technology, Always a "sacrifice" in something when adopting to "new & improved".
@@leesands892 Well, not a mechanical engineer in the sense of degree, as I have CS, EE and CE/SE degrees, but I did start out life in aerospace engineering before switching midstream to computer science for my first degree. 😁. However, I have maintained and repaired my own cars, trucks, motorcycles, furnaces, boilers, etc. for nearly 50 years so experience plays a role as well.
Hi - Interesting feature and video discussion. However, the bottom line is to test this 'feature' and find out if 'locking the bit in' (whatever that means) has any effect at all in keeping the bit or tool tight, before it slips in the chuck... IE, does this process increase the amount of torque you can drive with before slippage. Otherwise, who cares?
It doesn't hold the bit any tighter, it basically disengages the ratchet so if the drill stops suddenly (as cordless drills do) the inertial of the moving chuck doesn't loosen the ratchet, which would loosen the bit.
I've never had a bit fall out, so I never tried anything other than the tightening step. I always thought that 'click' was the first step in loosening the bit. This is interesting, but I'm more confused than convinced.
(This is the question - is the click he is describing - (yes my drill has the ratcheting feature, and if it is engaged (without the one back click) there is no way the brake or "stop/start" budges the chuck ring...) - actually the detent preparing the ratchet to be released, or actually disengaging the ratchet.... I only spin drills occasionally - due to not tightening enough (even collets loose grip on small drill bits..) not due to the chuck "coming loose.
I was surprised by your information about this "hidden feature" but right away I went to my regular GSB 21-2 RCT Impact drill and discovered the same effect which you described concerning all those cordless drills. However - in all those years since I am using this regular impact drill, I never had any problem with loose bits, forstner bits or other tools used in this drill's tool mount. Following this, I will stick with my habit to fasten my tools with several right-turn-clicks and only use left turns afterwards when I want to remove this tool from the drill.
@@RK-kn1ud I disagree and my cordless drill has been my second most used tool for 26 years, I drill large wells in living trees hardwood and soft my bit always loosens randomly , but my local AEG rep showed me this feature when I upgraded to an AEG fusion drill. It saves me a lot of time. Now my problem is remembering spare batteries so I'm not leaving bits in trees ☺️
@@nunbaiter I'm not sure of the size/design//manufacturer of your chuck or drill, but I have probably drilled 100,000+ holes per year over 20 years with a 1/2" DeWalt cordless drill and never had an issue. That includes drilling tons of 304SS, mild steel, masonry, and various types of construction lumber. I may have had an issue when I tightened the chuck but accidentally left the adjustable clutch on, but that's more of a "my bad" than a chuck issue.
@@RK-kn1ud I think it's the nature of what I do , I think the oils and sap fuse to my bit under heat , for my purpose I pull the bit out of the hole while still at high forward revs I think that's why the feature is great for me 👍 . My drill is cordless 18v AEG 'Fusion'. And auger bits from 8mm to 40 mm (sorry I'm metric).
Something that might worth checking into: 6 or 7 years ago, I had, just through happenstance, to handle/have my hands on several models from different manufacturers. I noticed the vast majority had a similar look and feel to the whole, front collet/collar assembly. The front part that holds the bits. When I did some digging, many times just by looking closely at the assemblies themselves, that regardless of where and by whom the tools were made, almost all of the brands sourced those assemblies from the same, American, manufacturer. If you do some digging you may find the same is true today.
Exactly !!! this is what I was thinking… I’m not really sure about this so called lock feature… my point is…. I’ve never in my life needed an EXTRA “LOCK FEATURE” to help me operate any drill to accomplish any job… I’ll be scratching my headed on this one for a long time until someone can show me how this really mechanically works… just doesn’t make sense
YES, "why" are some rechargeable drill manufacturing companies (not all) purposely "hiding" this information (being "not" in some user manual instructions) from the public on how to use this particular chuck locking feature!!??
@@bengilbert4738 Not to mention it would be a pretty weird feature anyway, cause if you turn just a tiny little bit too much, the drill bit comes completely lose again.
The chucks are basically all made by probably even fewer companies than all the different brands. It is basically a subassembly they purchase and put on their drill. So what you really need to do to find out about it being real would be to find out where they get their chucks at. You might wanna try going on Amazon and checking out the different people who supply drill chucks.
Well you got me on this one. I didn’t know you could turn it back once to lock it in. I haven’t had problems with bit’s falling out either so I never even thought about it. I knew all the features you were talking about in the last video about the drills but not this one. Great video. 👍🏻👍🏻
AvE just posted a video, breakdown of course. So yeah, turning it one click backwards disengages the ratcheting pawl to allow the chuck to be loosened. It's not in the manual because it's not a feature
Glad to see others watching AvE. AvE is an artist of linguistics, profanity and tool tear downs. I suspect this video is clickbait ad monetising, praying on the weak of mind. I'm sensitive of wrist but I'll still crank chuck until I warm my palm. I do wonder though if the click back mechanism is better for the gear mechanism though. ?
Subscribed simply because bravo for dealing with all that customer service. Including the recordings was super helpful too. Great video, this was new to me too.
I have had bits fall out when i'm using the clutch. The vibrations from the clutch pry untightens the chuck if you don't have it on super tight. So I will definitely try it out. It would improve my work performance...
This really surprised me actually, because I do this with my Milwaukee and DeWalt drills. I never knew it was a hidden feature, I’ve always just subconsciously done it to give it a little bit more bite. Very interesting video 👍🏼
@@coreytohme9861 It's doesn't give it more bite, it locks the ratcheting mechanism in place so it won't vibrate loose. Röhm or Jacobs make many of the ratcheting chucks you find on drills... it was a feature listed in the 1990s when the ratcheting chucks first came to market. Companies like "Dewalt" are owned by other companies, in this example Stanley Black & Decker is the parent company. The parts for Dewalt drills are manufactured by other companies, and "Dewalt" doesn't know exactly what they are using. They just know that the ratcheting chucks meet their overall needs and they utilize those products. Basically when you rotate back one click, you are setting the ratcheting paws into a locked position and it prevents the bit gripping mechanism from loosening under vibration. It is useful when using the "hammer" feature of drills for masonry work. Not sure if you have ever used a ratcheting screwdriver, but they have a "center" setting that prevents the chuck from rotating. This is very similar to how the ratcheting chuck mechanism works.
@@JJ_ExMachina I understand what it does. I am trying to understand how doing something counterintuitive came to you subconsciously. I would never have thought that turning the chuck in the "loosening" direction would have locked it.
@@coreytohme9861 Not the OP... nothing subconscious about the drills here... The information is in the owner's manual of the drills I purchased a while ago. Not sure about the OP, but the information is/was available.
The locking mechanism is supposed to engage without you needing to turn it backwards. If you don't have a problem with bits falling out then your drill is working fine. Doesn't need to be in the manual.
FYI, I have two cordless DeWalt drills, a DC970 and a DCD791, both of which have the counter-clockwise locking feature. My Makita also has this feature. Good to know. Thanks for posting.
You ought to get a medal for the amount of effort and the level of thoroughness you put into your videos. Truly impressive. Well done (and I don’t think you stumbled over a single word - you ought to be a newsreader, one who doesn’t need a teleprompter.)
If I were to guess (never really thought about how a keyless chuck works until now)I would say this is less of a “feature” and more of an artefact of having a ratchet when incrementally tightening anything combined with a omnidirectional torque adjustment mechanism. All the backing off seems to be doing is releasing the torque back tension in the chuck which may, if the chuck is not tightened properly to start with, cause the jaws to loosen up. The design engineers are probably well aware of this effect, but it isn’t included in any manual as you aren’t “locking” anything, just releasing a bit of back tension that may or may not help depending on the drill.
This is the only correct comment. Nothing is being locked. You're removing the tension of the last "click" so the ratchet will be in-between clicks (hence the slop). It is harder to jar the chuck loose when there is slop compared to when it is under tension (more potential energy when loosened). Like this guy said, you ARE loosening it by one click so if it wasn't tight enough to begin with you'll have an unsecured bit.
I am a little skeptical that it actually locks it in place by twisting it in reverse. I have been playing with mine, it seems when I tighten the chuck, the large click seems to engage the ratchet where you hear smaller clicks and loosing it disengages the ratchet. From my experience, the service people really don't know much and assume because that's what they hear. I would want to speak to an engineer for a real answer (good luck with that.) If someone has a direct contact with AvE, he would probably be more than willing to research this.
Me too... I'm scanning these comments to see if anyone has suggested* or done a tear-down and inspection. THAT would also be definitive. There are many industrial or consumer products that employ cam mechanisms that can do different things contingent on preceding actions... [I haven't combed through all 800 some comments yet, LOL] *edit: Oops, I already see it has been suggested; @Fearsome Warrior
Maybe the real way to find out, is to use the drill in a manner that requires it to run in reverse and see if the 'bit' will stay tight. This is usually the scenario in which retention problems occur.
*Thanks a lot, you have me dressing up and running out at 3am the morning to my car to get all my drills to test this feature.* *The Walmart branded 18v and 20v HYPER TOUGH impact drills definitely had it. The regular 20v drill was hard to tell.* *I can see how this is useful because sometimes when working the bits, etc. will fall out. This feature would keep the bit holder from coming loose when you're drilling or tightening or loosening, etc... things.*
First of all, great video, I love the topic! I've always had the issue of bits coming loose, even falling out while using the chuckless drills. I'm hoping this in fact does work, it'll save me a lot of headaches. I can't wait to try it out. Thanks!!
I cannot do mine. I have three drills. None of them clicked as you said. If it can be locked, that would be a good as I always have it loosed up while making a pilot hole. Maybe I do not know how to turn it locked.
My drill bits were slipping out of the chuck while drilling and my guess was that I had worn out the chuck from not backing out enough while drilling. I'll be using this locking mechanism from now on and if my drill bits stop falling out, then you have saved me from needing to buy another drill gun. Thank you.
This was really interesting! I have always noticed that click when you´re loosening the bit and wondered whats it for but never thought any more about it. Bits falling out has happened to me every now and then, but most of the times has been when using a hole saw, especially if you are starting and stopping a lot, so maybe that´s a good way to test this feature.
Your experience is perfect example of what this is for. It locks the chuck in place to keep reverse inertia from loosening the chuck which happens quite more often with larger sized bits such as a hole saw. When the chuck spinning at 2000 rpm comes to a halt all of a sudden the inertia would loosen the chuck of not for this feature.
I once experienced the same thing as the reviewer said at the end of the video on Amazon. I was drilling holes in wood so I was tightening the chuck without the counterclockwise thing (locking the chuck) and the bit was unscrewing itself and kept falling. I heard about the locking feature not long ago and I tried it then and everything was fine. So I have to say that it works. I'm using a Parkside tools which is a Lidl brand and they are selling these tools. This feature is available only on 20 volt drills and not on 12 volt ones
I own a porter-cable 20v lithium cordless drill and I am totally going to check to see if mine has this feature, right now! Update: YES absolutely it does "lock" when I tried it. Awesome video, thanks for sharing this! I'm going to tell everyone I know what I've learned from you. 😁 New Update: I apologize. Mine does not actually "lock" when turning it back into the unlock direction. Mine does however make a clicking sound when I turn it just a bit more going towards the actual locking direction. Again I apologize and thank you for your comments.
@@quantumss Cause after "locking" it, I then actually used the drill to drill through a piece of oak and the drill bit stayed in place better than before.
I also have the Porter Cable 20v Lithium Cordless Drill and I tried this right after I viewed this video. It does not have the feature. It only loosens the chuck when I turn it in the opposite direction from tightening.
Yes this is a feature. I run Makita and tend to find that when using something other than a small drill bit in the drill (such as paint mixers etc.) the vibrations tend to loosen the chuck and drop the attachment out quite quickly if I don’t lock it in. I was having a bunch of issues with this some time ago and, completely by chance, happened across this feature somewhere on the internet. Started locking the chuck and stopped losing attachments the same day.
Yes, I was thinking along the same lines. I failed to see how it would hold something like a drill tighter, but did think it might lock the ratchetting mechanism down to prevent it undoing. I can't see any other reason for this feature.
Been doing this to my bosch drills for a while now after discovering it via random video. Never had any issues so unsure if it improves anything. I presume they don't include it so not to confuse people in their manuals that can't be experienced or understood without actually trying it out. Because it's not just a click, you also can feel a different kind of give than than the ratchet tightening
Well what do you know, I’ve learned something new today. I’ve just tried this tip on my Ryobi R18PD5-120G One+ 18V Brushless Drill, and it works. The click isn’t quite as loud as some of the drills on the video, but you can feel it. Practicing it a couple of times “dials” it into your memory. I’ve never actually had any problems before with bits coming loose, but this is a handy tip to know all the same. Thanks for the video.👍
Just curious because I've seen AvE's stuff and even searched his channel - did you see a video that actually addresses this specific question? I couldn't seem to find one.
Hi. I just went and checked my 18 year old DeWalt which I still use and it definitely has a positive twist back click. I usually have the chuck loosen up when using a rotary wire brush in it, so next time I do that I will have to remember to use this "feature" and see if the chuck stays tight. Amazing if it works and great videos. Thanks.
Except it isn't what you're saying it is. If you do the "backwards click", you're defeating the mechanism that should keep the bit/tool from loosening.
@@RC21114 As I said above. Next time I use the drill with the wire brush I will test it by clicking back and see if it comes loose like it has done before without clicking back.
Wouldn't taking it apart or cutting the chuck in half to reveal the mechanical function help to clarify this matter? I think that would make for another interesting video.
I think if you really wanted to validate this feature was designed and intended by engineers, you'd need to go patent hunting. In any ratcheting mechanism patent, they'll go through and painstakingly describe all the features and why they are innovative to protect their research investment / IP. So they'd be motivated to describe any such feature in the original patent for the mechanism.
This little "trick" actually disengages the locking mechanism. The click is the pawl lifting off the gear so it can be loosened. How anyone could believe this tightens it further is beyond.
I discovered a long time ago on various cordless drills (most of my experience was with DeWalt) that you could back it off a bit where the chuck suddenly moves freely a small amount) without loosening it, but I always just assumed it was some play in the locking mechanism during a change in the direction of the chuck rotation. I never considered it might be a feature. I'll have to test it out a bit as I do occasionally have issues with heavier bits falling out if I start and stop the drill a number of times at high speed.
THAT IS SOOO COOL!!!! This will save soo much frustration. I will be able to impress all of my friends and coworkers! Your the best thank you sooo much!!!!
It’s probably something that’s built into the chuck. Most companies use a common chuck made by the same manufacturer. For instance , Jacob’s is a common chuck used by many drill manufacturers. I’d guess it’s a feature that’s built in that wasn’t properly communicated between the drill and chuck company. Very cool to know. Thanks for the video.
You don't need to tighten anything... To lock: Tighten clockwise until you hear just 1 click. Your drill bit will never come loose. It's a misconception that you need to add "extra" tightness to your bits. To unlock: Tighten clockwise until you hear additional clicks (frees the lock) and then spin counterclockwise (the 1 more click indicates switch from clutch to bit holder control)
I would love to see a video explaining how the mechanism works and maybe a test seeing if the pressure increases with the reverse click. Maybe you could use a pencil and chuck it up super light and count the clicks and pull it out from the drill then do the same with the reverse click and see if it dents the pencil more.
@@snower13 THANK YOU!!! People just do not listen or they hear something and understand it differently or something. It does NOT apply any more force to the drill bit or attachment installed in the chuck. It ONLY keeps the chuck from loosening up from where you tightened it. If you only half tighten it and lock it down with the reverse click then that is all the clamping pressure you’re getting. Same as when you tighten it as tight as it will go. That’s it. It only keeps the chuck from loosening up due to vibration and repeated stops and starts!!! Geez Louise… god help some of these people. Read the comments… everyone thinks that it applies more clamping force but it doesn’t.
Think of it like the middle setting on a retching screwdriver. When you rotate back one click the retching paws are now set in a fixed position and won't allow the gripping mechanism to loosen. Not to say a drill bit won't still slip in the chuck, since most have a smooth round shape to them. BUT bits with flats won't shake loose.
I was hoping this video was going to put this question (which I never asked but now will never forget!) to rest by testing it. What does it mean to "lock it in" in the first place? I thouight that the initial ratcheting clicks WAS the process of 'locking it in'. What would further 'locking it in' do? Prevent you from unscrewing the chuck?
Hey Nils, I suspect that the feature is not designed to lock the bit in place. My personal opinion is that the racheting works to prevent the chuck from coming loose - it has to get past that extra click in order for the loosening of the chuck to occur. It's basically a gap between having a tightened chuck and a loosened one. Talking on the phone to random support reps is not going to provide a definitive answer, but it is interesting to hear. In my own testing I've discovered that going one click back actually makes it easier for the chuck to become loose. We should see if Todd from Project Farm can set up some legitimate tests. 😂
Learned this a few years ago doing a job at a tool repair center, that was open while we renovated a section of the building, right next to the tool drop off area. I overhead so many good tool tips, but this is one I’m always repeating even to men many times my senior. Great tip thanks for sharing.
I see I'm not the first to make this observation, but I'll second the idea: I notice that after making several holes and stopping the drill quickly (by releasing the trigger immediately), the chuck can loosen from its rotational inertia making a counterrotation. I assume this well hidden feature is to avoid this annoying effect. Nice find!
As a Plant Hire/small tool repair technician (
I agree with you. I have dissassembled a racquetting chuck, and the way you describe it is correct,
AvE has put out a couple of reaction videos to this video, including cutting away a chuck to show exactly this.
You are quite right. Turning back loosens the chuck... Who'd of thought
So you watched the AvE video he uploaded.
Thankful I saw your post!
I usually hear that click of disengagement when I am removing my drill from the chuck. It is most likely the paw disengaging from the ratchet, which if anything would loosen. AVE just uploaded a video and actually goes into mechanics of modern keyless chucks, funnily enough the locking "trick" actually caused the tooling to release sooner than if it had just been left tensioned.
I am guessing it is all CLICK BAIT!
@@Stan_in_Shelton_WAlol
Tried it yesterday and it is total b.s. AVE is on the money
This does nothing for tightening the grip, this is to stop the inertia of the chuck from loosening when it stops, and it happens automatically.
@@Oliver-hx9sc Yup no contest. Trust the man who points the camera at the work, not at his own little face.
'This trick works because the minimum wage company people wanted to laugh, so they told me it works.' vs. 'Son, here's a f*ckin blueprint as to why that's bullsh*t.'
There's no need to turn the chuck backward to activate the anti-inertia feature, it does it automatically. The reason the manual doesn't mention it is that it's not a Ryobi or DeWalt or Rigid feature, it's a chuck feature. Jacobs knows all about it. That feature had to be added when automatic brakes were incorporated into drills. If the drill is spinning at 2000 RPM and stops instantly, the chuck will often loosen without the clicky feature.
Bob, thank you for providing an answer that actually describes this feature. Thank you sir....
@@Mark-EFMB-Combat-Medic Welcome Mark, thank you too!
To be honest, it should be in the specifications and passed along in the manual.
I noticed one of my drill does this in high speed but I never noticed in a lower end version of the same brand.
Ok now this makes some sort of sense. He never explained what he meant by “locked in place” but your explanation was perfect. It locks the Chuck not the bit. Thanks engineers!
Thanks! Brilliant tip/discovery. Have fought with bit retention in various tools for years - this 'hold me back-click' shows great engineering and foresight. And, sad oversight/missed marketing opp...
Thanks much - forever grateful / Tom
When you're 61 and you think you've learned enough in life, sometimes you come across a video that answers a question you've always had about something, but didn't know you HAD the question. I've NEVER been able to figure out how to tighten these chucks properly, and in the first two minutes of your video, my mind is blown. Thank you!!
I totally agree.
I'm a little older than you and I can concur. I constantly have drivers loosen up and drop out of the chuck when removing sheet metal screws.
Always was tempted to grab the chuck with some channel locks to tighten further, just out of frustration.
Have a workmate that has a Milwaukee with a drill bit permanently planted in that chuck but never asked him how it got that way. Anywhoo, I will try this.
I'm so happy another 60"s yr old had the exact same thought.
@@pdr701 (Shhhhh! There are many of us....)
Same here, I've already rang three tradesmen I know and their shocked.
My 20 year old Bosch mentioned this in the user's manual.
That "locked in place" is not 100% either, a cylindrical drill bit can still slip if stuck in the material.
Chucks are usually designed and manufactured by an external company, like Röhm or Jacobs. Maybe you should contact them too, maybe they will give more insight how this mechanism actually works. That would be interesting, Im sure. Kudos for the thorough investigation. Cheers!
That is some nice additional info!
Users manual?!? Is that some kind of esoteric fairy tale juice? Users Manual, your just making that up, never heard/ seen one.
My gues is that drill tightens as much as you rachet but when you lock it it wont go lose due to vibration
Contacting the chuck makers is a great idea!
Was going to say the same thing, drill manufacturers just assemble the drills, they would not be aware of something like this. Welcome to globalization.
I worked in commercial construction for almost 45 years and my Makita repair center rep showed me that about 6 or 7 years ago. Keep up the great videos.
Ya Makita rock used them in construction for years dropped off buildings and keeps on ticking only reason I own a dewalt was price
@@scotmetcalf2745 they are pretty close in price
The fact that a rep from a company had to show you how to use your tools properly it's kind of sad.
@@bobbyhempel1513 thats why theyre reps...they represent the company and are out there to demonstrate to make sure their product is being used properly and to their full potential.
Bottom line is this all those chucks are made by Jacobs they are all the same they all do that. Has nothing to do with the manufacturer of the drill.
I've worked with Makita drills before and had an issue with bits falling out, because when you used the tool it would loosen up by itself. I found out however, that it locks the bit in place if You go counterclockwise until one click, so I can confirm it works, since the bits stopped falling out and I always use that now when working with drills. Cheers for making all the research and company calling for answers, that's some dedication hahaha
I have been a tradesman for the better part of fifty years. I thought my “firsts” were over. Then you whipped this into the mix. It does feel fun to learn something new. Thank you.
Seldom. But then, I have a fist grip like a pipe wrench 😂
It's so you can run the armature of a c&c milling machine if you must with a drill
The lock-in feature works great for operating as something for a lathe power plant if yours fails as well
So it doesn't become loose over time
@@dustinswatsons9150 Porter Cable time is 10 seconds!
I’ve been a woodworker for many years and just discovered that feature about a year ago. It goes to show you that your always learning !!! Thanks for doing this video!!!
Grammar police here. "You're" or "you are" always learning
@Hank Hill lol
I wonder if the chucks of these drills are made by a separate company and that's why it's not listed in the user's manuals of any of these brands.
Like if it was a feature the brands created you would think they would mention it 🤔
@@JAMESYBOY. they're all pretty much made by Jacobs.
This is a feature that not all of them have. Must be the brand of chuck they use.
I don’t know what’s more impressive, the fact you bought all these drills to test this theory, or the fact you had patience to deal with customer service for all these brands.
It's true. I despise calling customer service because, so seldom, are they actually able to address whatever I am calling about. My favorite is when the website says to call if your question isn't answered in the FAQs, but then the call center employees are just equipped with scripts that read just like the FAQs. Sometimes they don't even speak English. I wish there was an exam I could take that w certify me to skip all the rigamarole and go straight to Tier2/3/Engineering or whatever.
When you spend $1,000 but the video makes you 10k in ad revenue it makes real sense.
Neither. It's the fact that having the drills he doesn't show on video the locking working. He just shows them clicking, but doesn't show them being loose before the counterrotation, so showing them to be apparently locked after that doesn't mean anything. Useless video.
Customer service 100%
@@arde4
Wow, you are the epitome of an incredulous person, a doubting Thomas, without even trying it out yourself. Judging this man and his video. Again, Wow !
Thank you so so much
I’m 63 and trying to use the drills and with you and all ur help I’m able to start smarter then most who is experienced so I will be looking at many of your videos to get knowledge and safety of course thank you so much for helping us grandma
An Aussie stuck in an apartment in Wales after picking up Covid in London... I just stumbled across your video.
I have watched thousands of DiY, home maintenance and tool review videos on TH-cam and this is the best I've ever seen for sense of purpose, clarity and presentation.
Great job Nils! I have never before subscribed to a channel... yours is the first.
Welcome to Wales!
@Wasn't Me Coming from the same groups as those who don't believe in Australia? Yeah, I'm gonna listen to you mate... *Snort and laugh mockingly.*
Welcome to the land of sheep shaggers and ram raiders! Hope you enjoy the rain, and lack of stinging nettles that cause suicide.
I agree, "also" give credit to the absolute clarity of this man speaking the English language in his video which is commendable and praiseworthy. "In Ireland, Devon & Cornwall in England, and some parts of North America & Scotland" speak the purest, clearest, and most accurate English dialect.
Agree!
I’m a commercial electrician. I’ve been using these drills on a regular basis since 2001. I’ve never had a problem with any bits falling out. I believe that the click you are feeling is just the ratchet disengaging so you can loosen it.
Yea the bit is tightened with the first motion. That back click does not lock anything. If the bits are falling out the chuck is not tight.
Agree. This video looks like a hoax.
@@philscott7949 how is it s hoax if he's not making a definitive statement?
I suspect another commenter is correct in his belief that the "feature" is not meant to be manual, rather its simply an automatic mechanism to prevent the bit from loosening under counter clockwise rotation.
It’s exactly this. The opposite of what this useless video states. IT’s disengaged a feature not “activating” it.
You're correct that the employees of these companies are unaware of this "SECRET" feature. That's because there is NO secret feature. What you are describing on a Key-Less chuck is not a Lock as you believe. It's a Dog mechanism much like what you find in a Ratchet Wrench when you switch the wrench from CW to CCW. In short I would not turn the chuck collar CCW unless I was opening the jaws to remove or insert tooling in the chuck. *"Righty Tighty - Lefty Loosey"*.
Wakodahatchee Chris
...unless they are left-handed threads and then it is lefty tighty, righty loosey.
@@stevenx2414 Find me a chuck with left handed threads...
theres no secret feature . . its creating a gap ( endplay ) before releasing happens
I've only seen a couple of this guys videos, but I like that he doesn't have a lot of emphasis on style over content.
I feel like taking apart and exposing the mechanism is going to make a great video. Contacting anyone who can provide a photo of the old manuals or indicator on a drill would be amazing too.
We need @AvE
@@NolanRollo And, Or, This Old Tony..!
aVe !!!
AvE!!!!!
I'm just waiting for the video on how to 'unlock' the chuck, hope it comes soon!
3 Follow-ups: 1) TO UNLOCK THE BIT: Just keep turning counterclockwise. "Locking it" is just seating it in a certain position where it kind of rests and then you just keep going past that to unlock it.
2) Ridgid has a Lifetime Service Agreement, not a warranty. You have to register the tool within 3 months and then it’s covered as long as you own. Same with their batteries.
3) Several folks have mentioned reaching out to Jacobs or Rohn about the chucks themselves. I’ll see what I can find from them.
I have an older Makita that has the chuck key to tighten.
How dose no one know this?
Thanks for making the video, this is valuable information. I have told people about it ever sense I’ve learned.
there is a much better way.
1 - hold your chuck
2- spin it in reverse until the chuck bottoms out
3 - tighten the chuck onto your bit.
trust me you will immediately see what I'm talking about when you go to release your bit again. it will not let go until you want it to let go.
Them tool companies are too busy for you meaning me meaning everyone they have become to good for us little customers to dare to know more than them or accept they don't know something you do.
Did you conduct any experiments with your large assortment of drills to see if they loosened after "Locking" the chuck and then drilling a series of holes?
of course not. that would have ruined the whole premise of the video, defeating the purpose of making it (making back the money spent)
I also didn’t see a single Hilti, just the typical Home Depot and harbor freight trash.
@@BlueJayOakerson , have you tried to change the brushes in a hilti? i have. non-replaceable brushes. okay, thats alright, i'll just buy another hilti and use the old batteries on the new drill. no i wont. they changed the new model drill so it isnt compatible with previous battery packs. well done hilti. these are reasons why they are now rare on building sites.
@@BlueJayOakerson Brand loyalty will get you nowhere, I've used good and bad products by them all, including hilti
what is to be gained by turning the chuck anti clockwise? The chuck is already tight or does it tighten it a bit more?
A collaboration with the Torque Test Channel to see if the locking affects anything through thorough testing would be great!
My first thought too, they're the perfect channel for this.
project farm enters chat
@@cameronck beat me to it
🤥🤥🤥🤥🥴
That would be very interesting indeed
I believe the click is a detent that locks the chuck just before it is fully tightened to prevent it from loosening during use. By turning the chuck counter clockwise just past the detent releases the lock and the chuck can come loose during use.
Exactly! This isn't a thing.
Yes. The video is BS
I can attest to the legitimacy of the locking feature on the DeWalt drills. I, like the reviewer you mentioned, have on occasion had the chuck loosen during repeated forward and reverse drilling/tapping operations. After remembering to lock the chuck, no loosening occurs.
Oh yeah! Thanks for saying that. I don't usually have a problem in forward but with repeated forward and reverse I definitely do. Now I see the value!
@@Goalsplus This lends credence to my theory that the "locking" does not add any force to the jaws, but simply prevents the chuck from attempting to tighten more, which would also prevent slop in the mechanism, eventually allowing it to loosen if it "skips back" over a click.
When the chuck brake kicks in on my Dewalt drills when drilling, the chuck unlocks after about five or six times of the brake kicking in, I gotta try this, it may just improve my life significantly.
Honestly, I think it was the brake kicking in on the reverse drill/tapping operations that was exactly why the chuck would loosen, when I'd forget to lock it.
Just to specify, including 18V?
Drill- Packedge in typical box, came with a tool bag (added bonus), two batteries, one charger, drill, and driver. Two words "plenty of Torque" th-cam.com/users/postUgkxW1vOBRCMrgTCDEijzpVzDWsgI-Jm2iQv well I guess that's three. Nice upgrade from current setup. Has belt clips, I don't think I will be using those. Driver and drill were bigger than what I expected but it is an upgrade from the current setup. For the money I would say that this is a great setup for Professionals and DIY/Weekend warriors.
When I was working construction as a union lather going through the apprenticeship program and as a journeyman, I wanted to work with all the members in our local. Especial the OG"s I found I was able to learn something from each of them. Some trick or so-called secret to make things easier or faster. By far, most of the OG's wanted to pass on what they knew. I have always been fascinated watching a true craftsman in their trade using their tools and skill to make work easier. This is one of the greatest things about TH-cam, is the thing you are able to learn. Thank you for sharing.
Union Boilermaker
Have not heard of it before now, but first thing in the morning I'll try my 5yr old Ryobi and see what happens. It does loose the bit every once in a while.
How hard would it be to set up some tests of this feature? It’s weird that it’s presented as a kind of black box instead of just trying it a bunch of times with and without the lock to see if there’s any difference.
Because that would prove there's no "secret" feature and couldn't make a clickbait video.
He bought all the drills, he literally has them in his hands and asks us what we think.. bro..
Could be a click bait thing because these websites and this one in particular promote this type of behavior as well. Yeah but don't use foul language. That type of behavior is offensive for the public.
I've been doing this for years with my Bosch drills in the UK and it totally works. I never realized it wasn't in the manual anymore though. Like others have said here it may be worth looking up the chuck companies they use and see if they know more or if it makes a difference by company. If it isn't in the manual anymore you can bet they don't think to check it and it won't be officially supported should they change the chuck company they buy from.
The biggest secret feature I learned was that Ridgid has a lifetime warranty on tools & batteries. Any other tools offer this? That's pretty awesome 😂
Another secret feature is that the Ridgid LSA (Lifetime Warranty) only applies to batteries that were included as part of a kit. Batteries purchased seperately only receive a 3 year limited warranty. The 'lifetime warranty on tools and batteries' comment gives people like me who wouldn't burden themselves with the reading of any warranty documents the impression that all Ridgid cordless tools and Ridgid batteries have the lifetime coverage, which is almost true. You're right, other tools don't offer this and it is pretty awesome, until you find out all of the 4Ah battery 2-packs you bought at Depot were only covered for 3 years when the lifetime of free battery replacements is why you committed to the Ridgid line of tools in the first place. Pretty awesome turns to pretty butthurt pretty fast.
Life time means lifetime of the tool, usually 5 years, not your lifetime.
@@SammyInnit I had a reciprocating saw that I had them rebuild and it was way more than five years after I purchased it. I have a drill and a multitool that I will be doing this with as soon as I finish a project I am using them on. That said, they no longer seem to advertise that it has a lifetime guarantee and when you look up getting a tool fixed, you are asked if it has the lifetime guarantee or not, so they must have been losing money on it. I plan to milk mine for as long as possible! BTW-you had to have registered each tool and battery to get that deal. And yes, I have gotten free batteries from them as well.
@@SammyInnit ... correct - if all Ridgid cordless tools n batts were 'lifetime' there wouldn't b so many used ones listed on ebay n elsewhere for sale as - " selling for parts - not working "
... BTW - Ridgid tools r made by the same manufacturer as Milwaukee - all new versions of cordless r 'first' produced n marketed with the Ridgid branding to see how well they n there certain parts perform and sell over a period of time - IF successful 'those parts' r re-branded or modified for new Milwaukee lines
I gave a drill away once because bits kept falling out - an older Ryobi possibly. I bet this would have solved that problem. Thanks for the report. Great info!
Me too
Not necessarily. Low end tools don't always come with ratcheting chucks. One of the ways the manufacturer save cost and sells them for less.
My older ryobi doesn’t lock
They don't all lock. My green Ryobi did not.
Ummm. Have you considered testing to see if the bits are really locked in place or not?
Usually if a bit comes out of my keyless chuck, it's when I reverse the drill to back a bit out of a hole that it doesn't want to come out of.
In all my years of using drills I never knew about this feature. Just watched this video and went and checked to see if my Ridgid would do it. Sure enough mine does. Unbelievable you’re never too old to learn something new. I’ll be sharing this secret. Thank you for the video.
I remain skeptical. Just because it clicks, doesn't mean it is a lock. None of the drills or hammer drills I have seen have this "feature" listed in their manuals. And they even describe how to slide a battery on and how to insert a bit.
I fully expected you to test the drills out on this video. I would think one could cause the accessory to loosen by running the drill in the CCW direction. That often happens when I am using a wire brush, as I spin it in both CW and CCW directions to keep the wires from bending in one direction of travel.
I thought that click was the beginning of the process of you loosening back the chuck.
It sets the ratchet mechanism in reverse and if you keep clicking it you will loosen the chuck all the way.
Either way I've never used it, and I've never had issues with bits falling out.
you got a genuine eyebrow raise out of me, so you've earned a subscription. I have never heard of this feature, but on rare occasions I've had the chuck loosen during a project and i've found it annoying. I look forward to trying this out! Great video, thanks for staying on hold for hours so I don't have to.
Same here. Thanks for the new intel. My Dewalt 18V cordless hammer drill sometimes loses a bit. Very annoying. Looking forward to trying this out !
For years I've been thinking keyless chucks were a pain, never guaranteed not to slip. Here's hoping this is the complete answer. Well done for pointing that out.
I’ve used keyless chucks for years and never have had a bit slip
@@tylerk.7947 I have, the round smooth shank on spiral drill bits (especially when stuck) do slip a lot in keyless chucks of rechargeable drills for me.
@@royjohnson465 I've had a HUGE amount of problems with a wire brush attachment coming loose, I need to try this when I do my front brakes!
@@Entropy512 I see, >>a 4, 5, or 6 flat sided shaft "is much better" than a round shaft
@@royjohnson465 I need to double check, but I'm positive that the ones in question were 6-sided shafts - the chuck still loosened anyway
If turning counter-clockwise locks it, then how do you loosen it? And what does "locking it" even mean when the bit is supposed to be friction-fit into place in the chuck?
The drill chuck is clamped and locked with a single hand movement. The radial locking device prevents the unintentional release of the drill bit during counter-clockwise rotation. Impact resistance is a standard at Röhm. That means these quick-action chucks are predestined for use on hand-operated drills, not least due to their weight-reduced design.
Thanks! I literally got up walked into my garage and tried this on 3 drills. It took me a minute to understand what locking meant. Fantastic safety tip and convenience too.
LOL, i just did the same. Went to my shop and tested. Works!
Lol can you explain what it actually does? I cant understand and i dont think this video was very clear on it, tried on my dewalt, the feature is there but what does it lock?
@@remysavary689 It's suppose to lock in the bit.
@@remysavary689 It locks the chuck in place to however tight you tightened it, It doesn't make the grip any stronger or lock in the bit, it just stops the chuck from accidentally loosening itself over repeated stops and starts.
@@remysavary689 I am not 100% sure but it seems that by twisting backwards a pin snaps into place but going backward gentle it doesn’t. The gently backward is like loosening by vibration. I tried this on one of my drills and if I am really careful I can loosen slow enough where the locking pin, assuming I am correct in what is happening, does not snap into place. Not exactly sure how the mechanism works. Regardless if it prevents loosening I am going to be doing it.
I was really hoping you'd test this out with a torque meter, measuring how much force was required to turn something in the chuck with and without locking. Seems pretty easy to test, given that you already have all the drills! Relying on random reddit comments doesn't seem nearly as useful, since that's just an anecdote for a single drill.
I am by no means a drill expert, but found out about this feature on my dewalt cordless by accident (after the bits kept falling out). I thought it was "the way" to lock them in! It definitely works and I've been too lazy to look at the manual to see if it was a published feature. Thanks for the exhaustive research and great video!
Check the update video in the description. It isn't a feature, the click you hear is the pawl disengaging the ratchet effectively unlocking it and turning it into a normal ratchet-less chuck.
In the 90s or older, some cordless drills has a mechanical device to stop the spindle once trigger-throttle is released. The feature become popular and was taken by most drill tool makes as desirable feature.
That creates a new problem, when spindle brakes the chuck’s momentum continues to rotates in the dismount direction causing the bit to fall out.
The solution to fall out bits was to add a locking mechanism enable user to lock the chuck manually.
As technology progress we have electronic resistance stopping especially those brushless models. The manual locking become a redundant. To avoid confusion and avoid user perception to their product is inferior it was chosen to remove it from the operation manual, while continue producing drills with old stock chuck, chuck with manual locking mechanism.
This makes sense as my Ryobi R18PD7 model is brushless and doesn't have that feature.
I found this info on another TH-cam video about a year or 2 ago and sent the info to my work buddies. I’ve confirmed it in use with my Milwaukee hammer drill. I always had problems with having the chuck loosen when using hole saws in cabinets. Started doing this all the time and my issue stopped.
This has been really informative! I totally didn't know about this feature. One thing that is like to see, though, is how exactly this works in seating the bit into place. I wonder if anyone has ever taken the bit locking mechanism apart and see how it worked.
Not sure exactly how it works as only discovered this a few weeks ago myself but think it works by taking the back lash out so shock can't be transferred through the tightening mechanisium from the bit causing it to loose grip. Hope that makes some kind of sense 😵💫
I have a P271 Ryobi One+ and it doesn't have any audible click or cluck. When I turn it counterclockwise it just puts it into that limbo where it's ready to be unlocked. I think Simon Gore in the previous comment to this one is pretty spot on with his explanation.
The feature was put in place for several decades. This was due to the chuck on cordless drills loosening during use. My first cordless DeWalt had the feature and that was back in late-90s. The feature wasn't described in the instruction manual. A friend of mine was a finish carpenter and he told me about it. I purchased another DeWalt cordless a year to a year and a half ago and the feature works, There is a paragraph dedicated to the locking feature in the instruction manual. It's in the section titled, "Installing a Bit or Accessory into a Keyless Chuck (Fig. D).
Why would a cordless drill loosen and a corded one not? Serious question, not doubting you or anything. 🙂
@@I_Don_t_want_a_handle most cordless drills are keyless chuck and most corded drills use a chuck key to tighten which gets the bit held tighter usually
@@did_that_hurt8387 Keyless
@@fliedaway duh sorry you are correct was half asleep still when I answered lol
Yes and there is writen sometimes on the chuck "lock" with arrow pointing. So it is not something the drill manufacturer hiding....
I'm from Brazil. I have a DeWalt cordless drill/impact driver similar to the one you showed in the video. It has this locking mechanism, however the locking feature is in the same direction as tightening the drillbit and it does show in the manual!
this video is disinformation. backing it off actually disengages the lock.
AvE debunks this video: th-cam.com/video/8ztB1C7dERc/w-d-xo.html
Yeah, I would need to see how that works mechanically. I have never dropped a bit because it came loose. I just have a hard time understanding what the "lock" actually locks. I might see if I can find one and break it apart, maybe we can see what it actually does inside.
Prevents the chuck from spining loose if it rubs on something or vibrating loose.
@@ehisey yes but what physically makes it lock when you turn it one click
After your video, I ran to get my 12v Makita drill, tighten it with the trigger, then hand tighten 3 clicks, then counterclockwise one click (sounds more like a clonk). It does feel like you’re loosening it and I think that’s why people are calling it a hoax. Anyway, to test, this, I set the speed to 2, press my trigger and disengage abruptly to loosen the bit. Took about 5-6 disengages to loosen the bit. I tried tightening it regularly with the trigger. Took 2-3 disengages to loosen. Tried the trigger tighten with hand tighten, and it took 2-4 disengages to loosen. So it does work. Just doesn’t do a full lock. Still a stronger lock than the other ways. Thank you and subscribed!
Thanks for including my comment in your video. They dont slip into the right place when you take it a click back, its just the internal sleeve being undone. From there you only turn a little bit more and the bit is loose. Test with round drillbits, not with hex. There is no one click back to lock, just an intermediate position before you starts loosening the chuck. By the way, talk to Yukiwa.
Thanks for that info. That's what I'm suspicious of. I'm hearing very mixed feedback in the comments here already but I'll keep digging. I see that Yukiwa is a chuck manufacturer but do they make the chucks for any of these brands? I'm not too familiar with them so I don't know.
I tried the round bits in my drill and it works perfectly. No problem at all
What do you mean by locking in the bit? The bit is locked in by the pressure of the jaws just as with any Jacobs style chuck. It will only fall out if you didn’t get it tight enough. As a retired engineer, I’d like to hear something about this from an engineer at one of these companies. I personally suspect this click is simply the reset operation that allows the pawls inside to shift from tightening to loosening, basically like switching direction on a ratchet. I am not buying the “locking the bit” claim as the bit is locked by tightening of the jaws.
After you “lock” the bit, what do you have to do to loosen the chuck and remove the bit? Do you have to turn it again in the tightening direction before you can loosen the chuck? Or can you just turn the chuck in the loosening direction as normal? If the latter, then this further supports that the click is just the pawl changing direction. If you have to turn the chuck back in the tightening direction to release the “lock”, then that provides support for the locking theory. And even then, it wouldn’t be locking the bit, it would be locking the chuck collar to prevent inadvertent loosening of the chuck.
Thanks - this is the same question I had: What does it lock?
I came here to post this theory, as well. My guess is the "click" you are feeling with the initial reverse motion on the chuck is the internal mechanism transitioning from ratcheting in one direction, to ratcheting in the other direction. I would like to see a cut-away diagram of the chuck, and how this "locking" mechanism is supposed to work. Sounds unlikely to me.
LT . . . from one mechanical engineer to another, You have presented thus far the best (and correct) response to "all" whom think there is a "special feature" with a keyless chuck to lock in a drill bit! I did however find it entertaining reading most of the replies of which only a select few were correct like you. My preference is still an independent 3-jaw chuck over the keyless. (Tighten each jaw separate, and twice lol). Funny thing about innovation/technology, Always a "sacrifice" in something when adopting to "new & improved".
@@leesands892 Well, not a mechanical engineer in the sense of degree, as I have CS, EE and CE/SE degrees, but I did start out life in aerospace engineering before switching midstream to computer science for my first degree. 😁. However, I have maintained and repaired my own cars, trucks, motorcycles, furnaces, boilers, etc. for nearly 50 years so experience plays a role as well.
@@leesands892 I just found this. Excellent explanation with a patent reference. th-cam.com/video/8ztB1C7dERc/w-d-xo.html
Hi - Interesting feature and video discussion. However, the bottom line is to test this 'feature' and find out if 'locking the bit in' (whatever that means) has any effect at all in keeping the bit or tool tight, before it slips in the chuck... IE, does this process increase the amount of torque you can drive with before slippage. Otherwise, who cares?
It doesn't hold the bit any tighter, it basically disengages the ratchet so if the drill stops suddenly (as cordless drills do) the inertial of the moving chuck doesn't loosen the ratchet, which would loosen the bit.
Hi, I have a Dewalt, and I also had a problem with bits falling out, till I tried you suggestion, now no more annoying fall outs. Thank you
I've never had a bit fall out, so I never tried anything other than the tightening step. I always thought that 'click' was the first step in loosening the bit. This is interesting, but I'm more confused than convinced.
(This is the question - is the click he is describing - (yes my drill has the ratcheting feature, and if it is engaged (without the one back click) there is no way the brake or "stop/start" budges the chuck ring...) - actually the detent preparing the ratchet to be released, or actually disengaging the ratchet....
I only spin drills occasionally - due to not tightening enough (even collets loose grip on small drill bits..) not due to the chuck "coming loose.
I was surprised by your information about this "hidden feature" but right away I went to my regular GSB 21-2 RCT Impact drill and discovered the same effect which you described concerning all those cordless drills.
However - in all those years since I am using this regular impact drill, I never had any problem with loose bits, forstner bits or other tools used in this drill's tool mount.
Following this, I will stick with my habit to fasten my tools with several right-turn-clicks
and only use left turns afterwards when I want to remove this tool from the drill.
People who actually use tools in any significant manner will agree...even if there is a mechanical reason why you should do this, it does not matter.
@@RK-kn1ud I disagree and my cordless drill has been my second most used tool for 26 years, I drill large wells in living trees hardwood and soft my bit always loosens randomly , but my local AEG rep showed me this feature when I upgraded to an AEG fusion drill. It saves me a lot of time. Now my problem is remembering spare batteries so I'm not leaving bits in trees ☺️
@@nunbaiter
I'm not sure of the size/design//manufacturer of your chuck or drill, but I have probably drilled 100,000+ holes per year over 20 years with a 1/2" DeWalt cordless drill and never had an issue. That includes drilling tons of 304SS, mild steel, masonry, and various types of construction lumber.
I may have had an issue when I tightened the chuck but accidentally left the adjustable clutch on, but that's more of a "my bad" than a chuck issue.
@@RK-kn1ud I think it's the nature of what I do , I think the oils and sap fuse to my bit under heat , for my purpose I pull the bit out of the hole while still at high forward revs I think that's why the feature is great for me 👍 . My drill is cordless 18v AEG 'Fusion'. And auger bits from 8mm to 40 mm (sorry I'm metric).
How do we know it is actually locking ? Just one click back, isn't it just loosening the bit by one click ? Yet still holding tight ?
Something that might worth checking into: 6 or 7 years ago, I had, just through happenstance, to handle/have my hands on several models from different manufacturers. I noticed the vast majority had a similar look and feel to the whole, front collet/collar assembly. The front part that holds the bits. When I did some digging, many times just by looking closely at the assemblies themselves, that regardless of where and by whom the tools were made, almost all of the brands sourced those assemblies from the same, American, manufacturer. If you do some digging you may find the same is true today.
A Jacobs Keyless Chuck. That's what I was going to comment on. Don't look at the drill, look at what keyless chuck manufacturer they're using.
That’s the one! And yes, on the chuck. Shoulda been clearer in my wording. Thank you.
Same thing for a ton of products. There are millions of things for sale, do you thing there is a dedicated warehouse making parts for each item? No.
AVE talks about that in various videos. Even dissimilar manufacturers use the same chucks.
I thought that might be the case. I had not heard of this, and it DOES seem counterintuitive. Cool.
That seems super counterintuitive but I'm glad to know this is a thing! Also lol...just got a "chuck" Norris ad after this video 😂.
I'd love to see a breakdown of the chuck mechanism and an explanation as to how the locking function works.
Exactly !!! this is what I was thinking… I’m not really sure about this so called lock feature… my point is…. I’ve never in my life needed an EXTRA “LOCK FEATURE” to help me operate any drill to accomplish any job… I’ll be scratching my headed on this one for a long time until someone can show me how this really mechanically works… just doesn’t make sense
YES, "why" are some rechargeable drill manufacturing companies (not all) purposely "hiding" this information (being "not" in some user manual instructions) from the public on how to use this particular chuck locking feature!!??
@@bengilbert4738 Not to mention it would be a pretty weird feature anyway, cause if you turn just a tiny little bit too much, the drill bit comes completely lose again.
Ave
@@jimmySWphilly He would be my choice, too.
The chucks are basically all made by probably even fewer companies than all the different brands. It is basically a subassembly they purchase and put on their drill. So what you really need to do to find out about it being real would be to find out where they get their chucks at. You might wanna try going on Amazon and checking out the different people who supply drill chucks.
Röhm is where its at
This looks like an opportunity to partner with a machining channel to take the chucks apart and understand how it works! Nice job!
Yes, I was going to ask the same question. Would be cool to see how it’s made.
That's what's up.
Ave. He could use the jaws of life to open them up…
But does it scookum
Thanks!
Well you got me on this one. I didn’t know you could turn it back once to lock it in. I haven’t had problems with bit’s falling out either so I never even thought about it. I knew all the features you were talking about in the last video about the drills but not this one. Great video. 👍🏻👍🏻
AvE just posted a video, breakdown of course. So yeah, turning it one click backwards disengages the ratcheting pawl to allow the chuck to be loosened. It's not in the manual because it's not a feature
Glad to see others watching AvE. AvE is an artist of linguistics, profanity and tool tear downs. I suspect this video is clickbait ad monetising, praying on the weak of mind. I'm sensitive of wrist but I'll still crank chuck until I warm my palm. I do wonder though if the click back mechanism is better for the gear mechanism though. ?
@@hemplimeoffgridder2236 of you buy a skookum choocher it'll last 🤷♂️ I admire Ave, cause I abuse my tools like he does.
@@TheStevester2 likewise. I like to crank them hard. I've succumbed to the milfucccy foolishness but maybe someday I'll see the light.
Subscribed simply because bravo for dealing with all that customer service. Including the recordings was super helpful too. Great video, this was new to me too.
I have had bits fall out when i'm using the clutch. The vibrations from the clutch pry untightens the chuck if you don't have it on super tight. So I will definitely try it out. It would improve my work performance...
This really surprised me actually, because I do this with my Milwaukee and DeWalt drills. I never knew it was a hidden feature, I’ve always just subconsciously done it to give it a little bit more bite. Very interesting video 👍🏼
That's counterintuitive. Why would you subconsciously turn it backwards to give it more bite?
@@coreytohme9861 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@coreytohme9861 It's doesn't give it more bite, it locks the ratcheting mechanism in place so it won't vibrate loose. Röhm or Jacobs make many of the ratcheting chucks you find on drills... it was a feature listed in the 1990s when the ratcheting chucks first came to market. Companies like "Dewalt" are owned by other companies, in this example Stanley Black & Decker is the parent company. The parts for Dewalt drills are manufactured by other companies, and "Dewalt" doesn't know exactly what they are using. They just know that the ratcheting chucks meet their overall needs and they utilize those products.
Basically when you rotate back one click, you are setting the ratcheting paws into a locked position and it prevents the bit gripping mechanism from loosening under vibration. It is useful when using the "hammer" feature of drills for masonry work. Not sure if you have ever used a ratcheting screwdriver, but they have a "center" setting that prevents the chuck from rotating. This is very similar to how the ratcheting chuck mechanism works.
@@JJ_ExMachina I understand what it does. I am trying to understand how doing something counterintuitive came to you subconsciously. I would never have thought that turning the chuck in the "loosening" direction would have locked it.
@@coreytohme9861 Not the OP... nothing subconscious about the drills here... The information is in the owner's manual of the drills I purchased a while ago. Not sure about the OP, but the information is/was available.
The locking mechanism is supposed to engage without you needing to turn it backwards. If you don't have a problem with bits falling out then your drill is working fine. Doesn't need to be in the manual.
FYI, I have two cordless DeWalt drills, a DC970 and a DCD791, both of which have the counter-clockwise locking feature. My Makita also has this feature. Good to know. Thanks for posting.
You ought to get a medal for the amount of effort and the level of thoroughness you put into your videos. Truly impressive. Well done (and I don’t think you stumbled over a single word - you ought to be a newsreader, one who doesn’t need a teleprompter.)
If I were to guess (never really thought about how a keyless chuck works until now)I would say this is less of a “feature” and more of an artefact of having a ratchet when incrementally tightening anything combined with a omnidirectional torque adjustment mechanism. All the backing off seems to be doing is releasing the torque back tension in the chuck which may, if the chuck is not tightened properly to start with, cause the jaws to loosen up. The design engineers are probably well aware of this effect, but it isn’t included in any manual as you aren’t “locking” anything, just releasing a bit of back tension that may or may not help depending on the drill.
This is the only correct comment. Nothing is being locked. You're removing the tension of the last "click" so the ratchet will be in-between clicks (hence the slop). It is harder to jar the chuck loose when there is slop compared to when it is under tension (more potential energy when loosened). Like this guy said, you ARE loosening it by one click so if it wasn't tight enough to begin with you'll have an unsecured bit.
I am a little skeptical that it actually locks it in place by twisting it in reverse. I have been playing with mine, it seems when I tighten the chuck, the large click seems to engage the ratchet where you hear smaller clicks and loosing it disengages the ratchet. From my experience, the service people really don't know much and assume because that's what they hear. I would want to speak to an engineer for a real answer (good luck with that.) If someone has a direct contact with AvE, he would probably be more than willing to research this.
Me too... I'm scanning these comments to see if anyone has suggested* or done a tear-down and inspection.
THAT would also be definitive.
There are many industrial or consumer products that employ cam mechanisms that can do different things contingent on preceding actions...
[I haven't combed through all 800 some comments yet, LOL]
*edit: Oops, I already see it has been suggested; @Fearsome Warrior
Maybe the real way to find out, is to use the drill in a manner that requires it to run in reverse and see if the 'bit' will stay tight. This is usually the scenario in which retention problems occur.
Videos like this is why people were mad the dislikes were removed
*Thanks a lot, you have me dressing up and running out at 3am the morning to my car to get all my drills to test this feature.* *The Walmart branded 18v and 20v HYPER TOUGH impact drills definitely had it. The regular 20v drill was hard to tell.* *I can see how this is useful because sometimes when working the bits, etc. will fall out. This feature would keep the bit holder from coming loose when you're drilling or tightening or loosening, etc... things.*
The video is wrong. Check AvE on YT or schematics showing the chuck ratchet mechanism.
First of all, great video, I love the topic! I've always had the issue of bits coming loose, even falling out while using the chuckless drills. I'm hoping this in fact does work, it'll save me a lot of headaches. I can't wait to try it out. Thanks!!
I cannot do mine. I have three drills. None of them clicked as you said. If it can be locked, that would be a good as I always have it loosed up while making a pilot hole. Maybe I do not know how to turn it locked.
It s fake. AvE did a video explaining it
@@gasper5223 really? I am so sorry to hear that.
My drill bits were slipping out of the chuck while drilling and my guess was that I had worn out the chuck from not backing out enough while drilling. I'll be using this locking mechanism from now on and if my drill bits stop falling out, then you have saved me from needing to buy another drill gun. Thank you.
Simon Gore
Simon Gore
4 weeks ago
As a Plant Hire/small tool repair technician (
This was really interesting! I have always noticed that click when you´re loosening the bit and wondered whats it for but never thought any more about it.
Bits falling out has happened to me every now and then, but most of the times has been when using a hole saw, especially if you are starting and stopping a lot, so maybe that´s a good way to test this feature.
Your experience is perfect example of what this is for. It locks the chuck in place to keep reverse inertia from loosening the chuck which happens quite more often with larger sized bits such as a hole saw. When the chuck spinning at 2000 rpm comes to a halt all of a sudden the inertia would loosen the chuck of not for this feature.
I once experienced the same thing as the reviewer said at the end of the video on Amazon. I was drilling holes in wood so I was tightening the chuck without the counterclockwise thing (locking the chuck) and the bit was unscrewing itself and kept falling. I heard about the locking feature not long ago and I tried it then and everything was fine. So I have to say that it works. I'm using a Parkside tools which is a Lidl brand and they are selling these tools. This feature is available only on 20 volt drills and not on 12 volt ones
I have a 16 Volt Parkside/Lidl PABS 16 B3, and it doesn't have this feature.
Great sleuthing! I had NO idea that this was a THING. Good to know. Will be using this feature from here on out. Love the channel. Keep it coming!
Unfortunately, it’s not a real feature. Check out the follow up video for even deeper digging.
I own a porter-cable 20v lithium cordless drill and I am totally going to check to see if mine has this feature, right now!
Update: YES absolutely it does "lock" when I tried it. Awesome video, thanks for sharing this! I'm going to tell everyone I know what I've learned from you. 😁
New Update: I apologize. Mine does not actually "lock" when turning it back into the unlock direction. Mine does however make a clicking sound when I turn it just a bit more going towards the actual locking direction. Again I apologize and thank you for your comments.
Oh, how do you know that its locked and what good does it do for you.
@@quantumss Cause after "locking" it, I then actually used the drill to drill through a piece of oak and the drill bit stayed in place better than before.
I also have the Porter Cable 20v Lithium Cordless Drill and I tried this right after I viewed this video. It does not have the feature. It only loosens the chuck when I turn it in the opposite direction from tightening.
@@gakjarr I apologize and you are correct. I have also updated my original comment.
Yes this is a feature. I run Makita and tend to find that when using something other than a small drill bit in the drill (such as paint mixers etc.) the vibrations tend to loosen the chuck and drop the attachment out quite quickly if I don’t lock it in. I was having a bunch of issues with this some time ago and, completely by chance, happened across this feature somewhere on the internet. Started locking the chuck and stopped losing attachments the same day.
yes, and it is why this is feature on drills with hammer function etc.
Yes, I was thinking along the same lines. I failed to see how it would hold something like a drill tighter, but did think it might lock the ratchetting mechanism down to prevent it undoing. I can't see any other reason for this feature.
Been doing this to my bosch drills for a while now after discovering it via random video. Never had any issues so unsure if it improves anything. I presume they don't include it so not to confuse people in their manuals that can't be experienced or understood without actually trying it out. Because it's not just a click, you also can feel a different kind of give than than the ratchet tightening
I'm impressed with your legwork. I might've called all those companies, but I'd off never purchased all those drills. True dedication sir.
Well done sir! After 15 years of using drills with keyless chucks, this is the first I've ever heard of that feature.
It’s auto activated from inertia so it’s not something the user has to be aware of.
Well what do you know, I’ve learned something new today. I’ve just tried this tip on my Ryobi R18PD5-120G One+ 18V Brushless Drill, and it works. The click isn’t quite as loud as some of the drills on the video, but you can feel it. Practicing it a couple of times “dials” it into your memory. I’ve never actually had any problems before with bits coming loose, but this is a handy tip to know all the same. Thanks for the video.👍
Would love to see someone actually tear down some chucks and confirm this once and for all.
Check out AvE’s channel
Just curious because I've seen AvE's stuff and even searched his channel - did you see a video that actually addresses this specific question? I couldn't seem to find one.
Hi. I just went and checked my 18 year old DeWalt which I still use and it definitely has a positive twist back click. I usually have the chuck loosen up when using a rotary wire brush in it, so next time I do that I will have to remember to use this "feature" and see if the chuck stays tight. Amazing if it works and great videos. Thanks.
Except it isn't what you're saying it is. If you do the "backwards click", you're defeating the mechanism that should keep the bit/tool from loosening.
@@RC21114 As I said above. Next time I use the drill with the wire brush I will test it by clicking back and see if it comes loose like it has done before without clicking back.
Wouldn't taking it apart or cutting the chuck in half to reveal the mechanical function help to clarify this matter?
I think that would make for another interesting video.
I think if you really wanted to validate this feature was designed and intended by engineers, you'd need to go patent hunting. In any ratcheting mechanism patent, they'll go through and painstakingly describe all the features and why they are innovative to protect their research investment / IP. So they'd be motivated to describe any such feature in the original patent for the mechanism.
This little "trick" actually disengages the locking mechanism. The click is the pawl lifting off the gear so it can be loosened.
How anyone could believe this tightens it further is beyond.
Watch AvE s video on this. He shows the patents
I discovered a long time ago on various cordless drills (most of my experience was with DeWalt) that you could back it off a bit where the chuck suddenly moves freely a small amount) without loosening it, but I always just assumed it was some play in the locking mechanism during a change in the direction of the chuck rotation. I never considered it might be a feature. I'll have to test it out a bit as I do occasionally have issues with heavier bits falling out if I start and stop the drill a number of times at high speed.
Word !
@@jjbat150 Yes you typed a word now can you type a sentence.
@@phillhuddleston9445 just
@@phillhuddleston9445 one
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THAT IS SOOO COOL!!!! This will save soo much frustration. I will be able to impress all of my friends and coworkers! Your the best thank you sooo much!!!!
It’s probably something that’s built into the chuck. Most companies use a common chuck made by the same manufacturer. For instance , Jacob’s is a common chuck used by many drill manufacturers. I’d guess it’s a feature that’s built in that wasn’t properly communicated between the drill and chuck company. Very cool to know. Thanks for the video.
I hope he investigates that fact with a follow up video
You don't need to tighten anything...
To lock: Tighten clockwise until you hear just 1 click. Your drill bit will never come loose. It's a misconception that you need to add "extra" tightness to your bits.
To unlock: Tighten clockwise until you hear additional clicks (frees the lock) and then spin counterclockwise (the 1 more click indicates switch from clutch to bit holder control)
Obviously never owned power tools with keyless chucks
I would love to see a video explaining how the mechanism works and maybe a test seeing if the pressure increases with the reverse click. Maybe you could use a pencil and chuck it up super light and count the clicks and pull it out from the drill then do the same with the reverse click and see if it dents the pencil more.
I'm guessing it prevents the chuck from de-rotating, not actually applying more clamping force. But IDK.
@@snower13 THANK YOU!!! People just do not listen or they hear something and understand it differently or something. It does NOT apply any more force to the drill bit or attachment installed in the chuck. It ONLY keeps the chuck from loosening up from where you tightened it. If you only half tighten it and lock it down with the reverse click then that is all the clamping pressure you’re getting. Same as when you tighten it as tight as it will go. That’s it. It only keeps the chuck from loosening up due to vibration and repeated stops and starts!!! Geez Louise… god help some of these people. Read the comments… everyone thinks that it applies more clamping force but it doesn’t.
Think of it like the middle setting on a retching screwdriver. When you rotate back one click the retching paws are now set in a fixed position and won't allow the gripping mechanism to loosen. Not to say a drill bit won't still slip in the chuck, since most have a smooth round shape to them. BUT bits with flats won't shake loose.
I was hoping this video was going to put this question (which I never asked but now will never forget!) to rest by testing it. What does it mean to "lock it in" in the first place? I thouight that the initial ratcheting clicks WAS the process of 'locking it in'. What would further 'locking it in' do? Prevent you from unscrewing the chuck?
I love the amount of effort youve put into this piece; keep up the good work!
Hey Nils,
I suspect that the feature is not designed to lock the bit in place. My personal opinion is that the racheting works to prevent the chuck from coming loose - it has to get past that extra click in order for the loosening of the chuck to occur. It's basically a gap between having a tightened chuck and a loosened one.
Talking on the phone to random support reps is not going to provide a definitive answer, but it is interesting to hear.
In my own testing I've discovered that going one click back actually makes it easier for the chuck to become loose. We should see if Todd from Project Farm can set up some legitimate tests. 😂
I'm inclined to agree with you, and like the idea of a ProjectFarm video on this.
No this is more for Ave to tackle.
Oh and not all brands use the same chuck, e.g. Metabo not locking.
Learned this a few years ago doing a job at a tool repair center, that was open while we renovated a section of the building, right next to the tool drop off area. I overhead so many good tool tips, but this is one I’m always repeating even to men many times my senior. Great tip thanks for sharing.
What do you mean by "locks the bit in place" ?
Prevents it from turning like a safety feature ?
I see I'm not the first to make this observation, but I'll second the idea: I notice that after making several holes and stopping the drill quickly (by releasing the trigger immediately), the chuck can loosen from its rotational inertia making a counterrotation. I assume this well hidden feature is to avoid this annoying effect. Nice find!