Like most woodworkers, we here at are fond of our cordless drill/drivers. So when two officials from Jacobs Chuck Manufacturing Co. showed up in our offices last week to show off a new aftermarket keyless chuck, they had our complete attention.
It didn’t hurt that Jacobs officials turned their demonstration into a contest between the editors. First a bit about the new SoftGrip chucks, then Ill tell you about the contest.
The SoftGrip chuck replaces your stock chuck on your cordless drill, no matter if its a 3/20 cm or
The chuck is noticeably easier to close than a hard metal or smooth plastic chuck. And thats thanks to its soft, nubby, almost gummy-worm-like feel. Anyone with arthritis or any other impairments to their grip can use the chuck to close the bit.
The soft grip is not just a molded part of the chuck. Its integrated into the structure of the chuck using a proprietary double-injection molding process, according to Mike Goodson, the core products development manager for Jacobs.
This means that you and I can trust that the soft surface won’t be damaged by use.
The SoftGrip can be lighter in weight than your stock chuck. For example, our stock Makita chuck weighs 261 grams and the SoftGrip 3000 series chuck for that drill weighs 159 grams. James Hou, product marketing manager, says that this weight difference can be noticeable when holding the drill. It can also increase the run-time of your drills by approximately 10 percent.
However, the weight savings are mostly in the SoftGrip 3000 series of chucks, which uses more aluminum in its construction. The 6000 series is the industrial version of SoftGrip. It uses more steel, which adds weight. Our stock Hitachi chuck weighs 264 grams. SoftGrip 6000 is the replacement. It weighs 289g.
The only other consideration with the SoftGrip is that you have to get your old chuck off. This is sometimes easy and sometimes not. I learned this the hard way when I had to replace the chucks on multiple drills. Heres the drill (sorry bout that): Remove the screw inside the chuck that secures it to the drill motor. Its a reverse-thread screw, so its righty-loosey. Then you chuck a large Allen wrench into the jaws of the drill and knock the Allen wrench with a hammer to spin the chuck counterclockwise. This loosens the chuck and you then unscrew it off. Adding the SoftGrip is even easier (instructions are included).
Clamping the drill to the bench made it much easier for one editor to remove the chuck.
We got the chuck off, along with the drills clutch assembly, spilling ball bearings everywhere. It was not good. Maybe our chuck was torqued by a robotically-sprightly person. Who knows? Take care when you remove your chuck.
Let’s talk about the contest. The Jacobs officials asked each editor to tighten a stockchuck and measure how much torque he/she managed to apply. Then each editor did the same test with a SoftGrip chuck and measured the input torque, which was much higher. That means the SoftGrip gives you a better grip for the same amount of work. Here are the before-and-after numbers , though Ive changed the names to protect the editors identities:
1. Editor with Ponytail – Stock Chuck: 83.7 in./lbs. SoftGrip: 88 in./lbs.
2. Editor with Gloves On: Stock chuck: 83.1 in./lbs. SoftGrip: 175.2 in./lbs.
3. Editor with Fiery Hair & Temper: Stock Chuck: 47 in./lbs. SoftGrip: 69.4 in./lbs.
4. Editor with Little Girl Hands – Stock Chuck: 89.5 inches/lbs. SoftGrip: 176.1 in./lbs.
The bottom line is that we like these chucks, and are currently testing their durability in the shop. You can now purchase the chucks at Home Depot or Lowes, depending on which model you choose.
