Drill Bits – Quick Release
Back in the old days, when I had to drill holes of various sizes, it was a royal pain in the you know what. It was tough and time consuming for two reasons. You had to use a drill chuck key to loosen and tighten the drill bits. What a pain! Plus, you had to adjust the drill chuck size to accommodate the new bit. Both of these actions took time, precious time.
Halfway There
Part of the problem was solved several years ago. The introduction of the keyless drill chuck revolutionized changing drill bits. Gone forever are the days of skinned knuckles and lost chuck keys! What? You haven't seen a Jacob's or keyless chuck? They are absolutely superb. You twist the outer ring of the chuck and it grabs the drill bit as tight as if you had used a chuck key - even tighter in my opinion. The keyless chucks are the only way to go. If you are in the market for a new drill, make sure it has a keyless chuck.
What an Idea!
If you have changed drill bits before - ones of different sizes - you know that rotating the collar on the chuck so that the drill bit is snug can be frustrating. Some bright individual decided to do that just one time. This same person decided to take the best part of traditional socket sets and ratchets and blend them together with a drill.
As you know, sockets come in different sizes for different nuts and bolts, yet they all fit a standard square drive on a ratchet tool. The inventor took this concept and modified the ends of drill bits, screwdriver bits, spade bits, etc. so they all have the same hexagonal sized end. This end slides snugly into the universal chuck to complete the connection. In other words, once you have tightened the universal chuck into the drill, you can change between bits of any size within a matter of seconds. It is such a simple idea that you just shake your head!
Extra Features
Several of the drill bit sets you can buy have some cool extra tools. One that I really like is the screw bit holder that has a device that allows you to drive a screw without the bit jumping out of the screw slot. Have you ever tried to drive a screw with a power drill or a screw gun and the screw falls over and the screw bit dents the finished surface? This tool stops that forever.
This accessory tool has a 2 inch outer sleeve that slides up and down. You insert the screw into the bit and then slide the sleeve over the screw. After you position the screw and begin to drive, the sleeve prevents the screw from tilting away from the bit. As the screw is driven, the sleeve automatically retracts. It is the coolest darn thing I have seen in a while. It is so amazingly simple it makes you want to scream!
These same kits offer another nice feature if you routinely drill pilot holes with countersink holes. The countersink with the drill bit is at one end of the tool and the other end has the screwbit! You just drill the pilot hole and countersink and pull out and rotate the bit to get to the drill bit you need. It is swell!
Companion Articles: Change Drill Bits in a Snap!, Where to Buy Quick Release Tools, Quick Release Drill Bit Manufacturers
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