Keyless chuck model, and is an integral keyless chuck better?

[James Biddle]

I want to replace the keyed chuck on my Jet drill press with keyless. I see many chucks are available with an integral MT2 taper and some have something else, like a JT taper or such, that requires an arbor to adapt to the MT2.

Part of me thinks that an integral is likely to have less runout with only one point of connection. Another thought is that a non-integral could be reused as drill presses change, another arbor being all that's required. Plus, if an arbor bent or was damaged, the cost of a new arbor is so much less than a new chuck.

What's the three best keyless chuck models with the best arbor that fit my drill press with a MT2 taper? I drill mostly wood, but some aluminum and steel as well. If Albrecht or Jacobs, which model (I can always leave it to my son in my will)?

[John Lanciani]

Albrecht is the best, with a price to match. I personally use an Asian clone of an Albrecht on my wood shop drill press and it is perfectly adequate with only a thousandth or so of runout and a price of about $50. JT33 is a common size, using a MT2 - JT33 adapter to fit it to the press.

[Vince Shriver]

I have an Albrecht chuck on my Delta 16" DP. It's spendy and unnecessary. However, I never regretted changing the factory chuck. An easy twist to the right and the bit holds as well, if not better, than a key'd chuck - an easy twist to the left and the bit just drops out.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I've been very happy with my keyless from Woodcraft. It does everything I need. If I need a hole bored to the thousandth, then I use a Bridgeport with DRO on the tables.

[Paul K. Johnson]

Most of my work is small so I use a lot of small drill bits. Every bench-top and standing drill press I've used has had problems with bits 1/8" and under. I have to keep loosening the chuck and retightening over and over until the bit is centered properly.

That's why I bought a high-end chuck. I lost capacity (3/8" now instead of 5/8") but I can put in my smallest wire bits, tighten and drill. I paid almost $200 for it and have put it on three different drill presses. I had to buy an adapter to put it in my current drill press. The chuck is J33 but I can't remember what my drill press is. I didn't know the adapters even existed. I found it while pricing out a new chuck. Glad I did find it because the adapter was just over $10 while a new chuck would have been the same cost or more than my last one.

The only problem is that sometimes bits come loose and fall out while the drill press is running. I'll never go back to a stock chuck again. I've spoiled myself. But honestly, I'd rather it was a keyed chuck if it were just as accurate. I don't need the speed of keyless over keyed when changing bits.

[Paul K. Johnson]

I have an Albrecht chuck on my Delta 16" DP. It's spendy and unnecessary. However, I never regretted changing the factory chuck. An easy twist to the right and the bit holds as well, if not better, than a key'd chuck - an easy twist to the left and the bit just drops out.

I might have been able to get by with a less expensive chuck but I really needed something that could hold very small bits and center them properly. But mine is not as strong as a keyed chuck. If I'm doing production drilling the bit falls out almost every time at least once.

[glenn bradley]

I also have the Woodcraft clone and have been running it since 2007 without issue. I use 2" Forstner's and circle cutters reliably with just a hand tightening. I galled a Forstner when I first got the chuck and was still getting used to how tight is tight enough. Like tightening a router bit in the chuck, you learn how much is enough without going overboard.

[James Biddle]

So I looked at Albrecht chucks on McMaster Carr to see what was available. They have a 1/32"-1/2" with integral MT2 arbor for $434. They don't make a chuck only with a Jacobs #3 taper, but they do make a 1/32"-1/2" with Jacobs #33 for $378 and they also sell a MT2/JT33 arbor for $17 for a total of $395, or $40 less expensive than the integrated setup.

Now, I'm not sure if I want to spend that much for either solution, but in general, is the integrated arbor worth paying extra for?

[Bill Dufour]

Rohm chucks are supposed to be good as well. I understand that all the new Jacobs chucks are made in China and very low quality. A harbor Fright chuck will be just as good as a new jacobs after you return the first few for excessive runout.
A quality chuck can be rebuiklt with new jaws etc. but a rebuild kit for jacobs will be the same poor quality made in China junk.
Bill

read here for more good information
practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/cheaper-alternative-jacobs-super-ball-bearing-chuck-337276/

[Bruce Page]

IIRC, the Shars keyless chuck was well thought of. I have both 1/4" & 1/2" capacity Albrecht’s along with a 1/16” capacity Albrecht slip chuck that I use on my milling machine. For 90% of my drilling I prefer my keyed 14N Jacobs chuck.
JMO, I think an Albrecht on a drill press is overkill.

[James Biddle]

So, MSC has the Albrecht integrated for $354 today (25% off sale). This is the one that David T gray bought for his new Nova drill press, which is the only DP I'd consider for a potential upgrade. I'd like to think I could see a repeat of that price from them (maybe Labor day?) so I don't want to impulse buy.

I'de like to check the prices on both a Rohm and Shars, as mentioned above. I read that if buying a Rohm, the Spira is the comparable model to the Albrecht. MSC doesn't identify the model. Any sources I should check for either?

[Phillip Gregory]

Rohm chucks vary, the ones that are made in the EU are expensive and nice, but they also make less desirable stuff overseas as well. Like Jacobs, you pay a premium for the stuff made in Asia. LFA makes most of their chucks in France (not the AAA ones- those are made in Asia) and the French made units are well thought of and reasonably decently priced. Llambrich makes chucks in Spain and they are well thought of as well, and modestly priced. I have not used any of those chucks although I did see and handle a used and pretty poorly cared for example of LFA's version of the Jacobs 32 plain bearing chuck once. About all I could say is that it was poorly cared for- any chuck will be sticky and gritty if it is banged up and covered in a bunch of nasty old swarf-laden tarry sludge.

I did some looking at chucks and replaced the worn and apparently no longer manufactured Taiwanese clone of a Jacobs 16N that came with my drill press with an essentially unused US-made Jacobs 16N. I got it and an English-made Jacobs arbor for about half of what you can buy a new Asian made Jacobs 16N and arbor for, so fair but not "you suck." It won't chuck bits smaller than 1/8" but those would be best served by a much smaller chuck. My machine has a Morse taper spindle so changing chucks takes about 30 seconds.

[Paul K. Johnson]

I would go without the arbor unless you're absolutely sure that you won't ever need to have a different arbor. If mine had one then I think I'd have needed to buy a second chuck when I got a new drill press.

[James Biddle]

So, after all of my research, I ended up buying the highest end Rohm Spiro chuck w/J6 and a separate J6/MT2 arbor. It was $210, but that's still a lot less than the Albrecht. I'm glad I went with a separate chuck and arbor since you never know what DP will come along next. I'll keep the keyed chuck in case I need to run anything really large that may cause the keyless to slip. I'll need to figure out how to clean it up though. I did order a small can of Ballistol on recommendations from others to test out.

Thanks for all the advice.

[James Biddle]

To pull the chuck from the arbor, do you do that while its still on the DP or on a bench? I ordered a set of wedges from McMaster-Carr but I wasn't sure if they are used between the DP and chuck or if they fit in the groove on the arbor?