Before I address the problem and its solution, let me mention what type of chucks a Dewalt Drill has:
Chuck is the part of a drilling tool that holds drill bits in it. It is manually or physically tightened to adjust a drill bit properly.
Types of Chucks in Dewalt Drills
There are two types of drill chucks.
- Dewalt Keyless Chuck
- Dewalt Keyed Chuck
Dewalt Keyless Chuck
The keyless Chucks in Dewalt drills are engineered to help with the things keyed chucks could not. They do not require any key to tighten the chuck of your Dewalt drill. You fix it to the arbor using an adequate amount of force.
By appearance, it looks like this.
Dewalt Keyless chucks are mostly recommended by professionals for many reasons.
- First thing first, the keyless chucks in Dewalt drills are very easy to use. You twist them on the arbor until you feel the ratcheting. They also hold the bit pretty fast if you have correctly tightened the chuck and nicely adjusted the bit.
- Secondly, it is less anxious to use them. If you are using a Keyed Chuck and you lose the key, you are done for. Your bit is stuck in there forever and you can’t do anything about it. With a keyless chuck, this problem is ruled out.
Dewalt Keyed Chuck
The older generation or heavy-duty Dewalt drills used to come with Keyed Chucks. As their name represents, require a key to adjust them to the drilling tool. These chucks are used to hold heavy-duty drill bits.
Here’s what it looks like:
How Do Drill Bits Get Stuck In DeWalt Keyless Chucks?
There can be some complications with keyless chucks as well. Drill bits can get stuck in them too. And there may be various reasons why that happens. Now here we are getting into the details.
Your drill bit might be stuck in your DeWalt chuck because of:
- The over-tightening of the chuck.
- Chuck jam.
- Unlubricated bit holder.
Over-Tightening The Chuck
Since keyless chucks require you to physically tighten them, you have to be careful with the amount of force you are putting in.
Don’t fix it either too loose or too tight. If it is loose, it will interrupt you while working. Drill bit won’t set in and it will get out as soon as you pull the trigger.
If you end up over-tightening it, you will have a hard time loosening it. Rotate it until you hear that ratcheting sound or you feel it tight enough. If you hear it, you are done. No need to tighten it anymore.
Chuck Jam
There might occur a chuck jam in your drill machine. This problem can take place for many reasons.
It might be happening because you twisted the chuck excessively. There are jaws or teeth inside the chuck that hold the drill bit. If you apply excessive torque on the chuck, the grip on your bit will be greater than necessary. It will be hard to remove it then.
Unlubricated Chuck
If you don’t frequently lubricate your chuck, the chances of your drill bit getting stuck in it are very high.
Well, you know we use drills for different places. We come across dusty & filthy surfaces all the time. Moisture and dirt can get inside your tool and damage it.
One of the most unavoidable damages that can happen, is the rusting of the chuck. It is not totally unavoidable if you are careful and mindful enough.
It is very inconvenient and infuriating to remove a drill bit that is stuck in a rusty chuck.
How To Remove A Stuck Drill Bit From DeWalt Keyless Chuck?
If you have a drill bit stuck up your DeWalt drill keyless chuck, you must have tried everything to let it loose. In this article, I will provide the easiest and helpful ways to remove that stuck drill bit in your DeWalt drill chuck.
Here are the solutions that you can count on. Use;
- Two pairs of pliers to rotate the chuck.
- Penetrating oil to lubricate the chuck before and after the bit is out.
- Non-Metallic Hammer. You will need to tap on the bit holder to get it out.
- Two pairs of vice grips. Open the vice grips wide enough so they can hold the chuck to proceed.
Method 1: Use Two Pair Of Pliers to Release the Dewalt Drill Keyless Chuck with Force
- Get two pairs of pliers.
- Put one pair of pliers (the first one) around the larger part of the chuck and the other pair (the second one) around the smaller part of it.
- Rotate the first one to the right and the second one to the left.
- Set your Dewalt Drill on Reverse mode.
- Pull the trigger.
An easy way to release a stuck drill bit out of your DeWalt chuck is using pliers. For this, you will need two pairs of pliers. One for the larger part of the chuck and the other for the upper (smaller) part.
Open the pliers wide so the chuck can fit in. Put the first pair of pliers around the larger part of the chuck and the second, around the upper/smaller part of it.
The next thing you will need to do is rotate the first pair of pliers which is around the larger chuck, to the right. And the one around the smaller part of it, to the left. It will only take about an hour or less to release the drill bit.
If it does not work, try applying WD-40 or any other lubricant around the chuck before you proceed. Penetrating oils lubricate the dried/unlubricated areas and make it easy to loosen stuck drill bits and chucks.
Method 2: Use Penetrating Oil to Remove Struck Drill Bit from Dewalt Keyless Chuck
- Get Penetrating Oil/WD-40.
- Apply it on and around the chuck.
- Leave it overnight or for 24 hours.
- Rotate the chuck in an anticlockwise direction and the drill bit will get out.
- If the bit doesn’t move, apply the first trick after applying the penetrating oil and leaving it for some time.
Grease is a lubricant that can be of great help in this case. As I have mentioned before, most of the time, chuck jams occur because of no lubrication. Which in turn is caused by corroded insides.
If your DeWalt drill is old and you have been using it frequently, chances are high that its chuck lacks lubricants. Use grease like WD-40 spray to lubricate your tool.
Get your penetrating oil and spray it over and around the stuck bit and leave it there overnight or for a whole day. It will remove all the rust and get the bit out quickly.
You will then rotate your DeWalt chuck in an anticlockwise direction and pull the trigger, after setting your drill on reverse. I assure you, your drill bit will come out quickly by using this technique.
I will suggest you lubricate your tool regularly. Even if you succeeded in getting it out this time, you still don’t know when it would start acting up again. It is better to take precautions beforehand than to cry over the loss afterward.
Method 3: Tap On The Chuck Using A Non-Metallic Hammer to release the Drill from Dewalt Keyless Chuck
- Get a Non-Metallic Hammer.
- Tap on the chuck with it lightly.
- Set the DeWalt Drill on Reverse and pull the trigger.
Another easy way to remove a stuck bit is, by hitting the chuck using a nonmetallic hammer. Just lightly hit the chuck a few times with it. That drill bit will come out.
What happens when you do this is that the jaws inside the chuck, that are holding that drill bit, will loosen up. Thus, releasing the bit.
DO NOT HIT THE TOOL TOO HARSHLY or it will damage the chuck or your whole DeWalt tool. If this trick doesn’t work, I still have another solution for you.
Method 4: Use Vice Grips AKA Locked Pliers
- Get two pairs of vice grips.
- Put one around the larger part of the chuck and the second, around the smaller.
- Rotate the vice grips in opposite directions.
- The chuck will loosen. Set the drill on the reverse and pull the trigger.
If none of the above solutions worked, try this one. Use two pairs of vice grips. One to hold the larger part of your DeWalt chuck and the other to hold the top part of it. Set your DeWalt drill on REVERSE MODE.
Rotate both vice grips in opposite directions and pull the trigger. Locked Pliers will loosen the chuck and pulling the trigger will shoot out the stuck drill bit. After it is out, put in some penetrating oil or WD-40 to keep it working. Hope this helped.
In Conclusion;
Getting your drill bit stuck in your tool is one of the most frustrating things one can go through. In this article, I have mentioned the easiest ways to get it out of the DeWalt Chuck. The reasons why it got stuck are also listed.