Customer Reviews

Dremel 4486 MultiPro Keyless Chuck

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

It really works and is by far the most valuable accessory for the Dremel. It closes down to near 0 for the smallest of drill bits (much smaller than a sewing needle) yet still holds larger bits than the "large" hex collet. It is well made and durable, withstanding everything from concrete and tile dust to oily metal shavings. It must be tightened with considerable force to resist slipping under heavy use but that's to be expected.

I don't understand why Dremel doesn't include this great little chuck as a standard accessory with all their Multi-Tools. It is so much easier, faster and less frustrating than fumbling with the tiny collar and wrench that the tools come equipped with. If you change bits on your Dremel often, as most users do, you will quickly come to appreciate the 4486. As for me, the 4486 is comparable to the Flex-Shaft as one of the single most worthwhile attachments available for adding versatility and conveience.

This chuck (which I consider to be essential) greatly enhances the convenience of any Dremel. You might be tempted to save the old collet device this chuck replaces, but before long you will discard it as useless trash. I do a lot of really miniature work and I find the chuck to be great for holding things as small as a 1/64th inch drill. I have one on each of my 3 Dremels.

An adjustable drill chuck for the Dremel power tool is a brilliant concept. Unfortunately the manufacturing precision is less than brilliant. I purchased the chuck for diamond drilling my wife's quartz crystals and gem stones in a water bath. The chuck jaws are eccentric (out of true) and a 1 mm diamond drill tip actually moves in a noticeably larger circle. This makes it difficult to start the drill in a hard surface and also causes water to be splashed about when drilling. I have owned large drill presses which are much closer to being true than this chuck. It might work OK for softer materials but I don't understand why it couldn't have been manufactured true in the first place.

While I do like the conevience of the chuck, it does not rotate 100% true. This causes a very slight wobble at the tip of any drill bit. I have tried 2 different chucks, but both yield the same results. I only use the chuck when absolute precision isn't required.

I consider the MultiPro chuck to be the best accessory ever made for the Dremel tool. When you're doing work that requires constant bit changes, the changing of collets to fit a bit of a particular diameter becomes a real frustration, and wastes time. So, needless to say, an adjustable chuck is a real boon for these kinds of jobs. Just loosen it to remove one bit, pop in another, tighten, and vwah-lah! The collet nut and collets become pretty much obsolete.

The chuck may seem somewhat pricey, but when you consider the time you'll save and the convenience you'll enjoy, it's well worth the extra investment.

`Late

This is a really nice idea from Dremel that is supposed to make changing bits a lot faster. And that it does. Plus it is very well made. However, I stopped using it as no matter how hard you tighten it, it loosens up and the bit begins to wobble (not a good thing at 5000 rpm). Then you have to stop and retighten. So it's too much of a bother. I do not recommend this item.

No more change of collets, quick and precise change of bits

Several other reviewers have commented on the tendency of this keyless chuck to wobble and loosen in use. In some 20 years of use of this accessory, I've also found this to be the case (the tool bit works loose during use about 1/3 of the time), but have also found that this is particularly dangerous at high tool speeds. I recently had the keyless chuck vibrate loose while using a cut-off disk. Despite the fact that I felt a vibration in the tool and hurriedly moved to shut it down, by the time I did so, the mandrel had walked its way nearly fully out of the chuck, bent sharply sideways, but luckily stayed stuck in the chuck jaws long enough for me to shut down the tool. Despite the fact that cut-off wheels are extemely light, the mandrel was dramatically bent to some 30 degrees. I can barely imagine at what velocity the mandrel would have shot off had it not snagged in the chuck jaws. Lightweight but high velocity objects can cause severe injury, so if you intend to use this thing, I recommend that you save it only for low-speed applications. Stick to the collet chucks for high speeds -- I personally have never, in some 20 years, seen one of these get loose while working with the Dremel.

I rarely use the standard collet that comes with the tool any more, after buying this item. No more looking for a wrench (which I invariably loose), etc. Beware, though: I took for granted that it would be compatible with my chainsaw charpening attachment. It is not. If you use other attachments, don't expect to be able to use this at the same time. If you don't use other attachments...well...go on to the next review. Well worth the buy, in my opinion