# Hole saw wobble



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Do all the holesaws do this or just one or two sizes?

If it's all of them I'd check the arbor. I'd try chucking it in a drill press or a drill clamped to something and try to check the run out of the arbor. 

If it's only a couple of the holesaws I'd say the mounting is worn.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

MechanicalDVR said:


> If it's only a couple of the holesaws I'd say the mounting is worn.


Yep.


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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

With the drill held steady on a table, the spinning pilot bit wobbles - the hole saws and arbor do not. This happens with multiple drills, which tells me the issue is with the pilot bit or a part of the arbor that affects only the pilot bit. Then I try the new replacement arbor and pilot bit and get the same result, which tells me the issue is with the drill(s). Also, when using a different (non-quick change) arbor with the same hole saws (with the quick change adapters removed), there no wobble.

Maybe I just got a bad replacement arbor and pilot bit?

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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

UncleMike said:


> Maybe I just got a bad replacement arbor and pilot bit?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


That is very possible. Often it's a run of items coming off a machine line that are bad before being found out.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

or maybe it has something to do with the quickchange arbor, since that what made the difference.


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## NorCalSpark (Nov 23, 2016)

I just buy the Milwaukee impact ready hole saws. Perfect holes every time. They come in a set for around $35(1/2",3/4", 1"), any other size I use a punch.


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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

MechanicalDVR said:


> That is very possible. Often it's a run of items coming off a machine line that are bad before being found out.


I've since gotten another replacement, and it too wobbles - in my drills and a friend's drill. The same friend's hole saw has no wobble in my drill. I'm going to call Greenlee on Friday and see if they'll send me a replacement since two attempts to buy one didn't help.

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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

NorCalSpark said:


> I just buy the Milwaukee impact ready hole saws. Perfect holes every time. They come in a set for around $35(1/2",3/4", 1"), any other size I use a punch.


I've got a set of those ($9 on clearance at Home Depot), but I keep forgetting I have them. But recently I've been using the hole saws in wood, making holes larger than i can make with those in the Milwaukee thin wall set.

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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Palsey?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

UncleMike said:


> I've since gotten another replacement, and it too wobbles - in my drills and a friend's drill. The same friend's hole saw has no wobble in my drill. I'm going to call Greenlee on Friday and see if they'll send me a replacement since two attempts to buy one didn't help.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


Good idea, many companies rather replace something quietly rather than admit to a problem and then have to recall a whole production run.


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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Good idea, many companies rather replace something quietly rather than admit to a problem and then have to recall a whole production run.


Not so much. All Greenlee wanted to do was give me a list of local distributors where I could actually check the replacement arbor on site.

I took advantage of the rainy day here and went to Home Depot to see if my Greenlee hole saws with adapters would fit in the Diablo snap lock arbor in the kit they're selling. No dice.

For some reason I tried my existing arbor in my drill outside the store, and NO WOBBLE! A little testing showed that the wobble varies from none to "a lot" depending which flats of the arbor shank are against which prongs of the drill chuck. I guess it's possible I damaged both the arbor and the drill chuck originally, and the original alignment works fine. I'm going to try my other drills when I get home. But this still doesn't explain why the replacement arbor wobble in ALL of my drills, and non of my other arbors wobble in any of them.

I'm not crazy about the Diablo snap lock system, since the snap lock adapters for larger hole saws don't appear to include the posts that fit into the holes on the base of the hole saws, and all the torque is delivered through the threaded nut. Well, that, and the kit includes a bunch of sizes I don't need, and is missing some that I do need. In comparison, the Greenlee kit includes hole saws for every conduit size up to 2 inches, with the hole saw size and corresponding conduit size etched on every hole saw.

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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

UncleMike said:


> Not so much. All Greenlee wanted to do was give me a list of local distributors where I could actually check the replacement arbor on site.
> 
> I took advantage of the rainy day here and went to Home Depot to see if my Greenlee hole saws with adapters would fit in the Diablo snap lock arbor in the kit they're selling. No dice.
> 
> ...



That's a pretty sad commentary on their current customer service.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

NorCalSpark said:


> I just buy the Milwaukee impact ready hole saws. Perfect holes every time. They come in a set for around $35(1/2",3/4", 1"), any other size I use a punch.


Are those the actual sizes? I mean we use a 7/8ths for 1/2". That's what I am asking.


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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

John Valdes said:


> Are those the actual sizes? I mean we use a 7/8ths for 1/2". That's what I am asking.


Those are the conduit sizes. The actual hole sizes are 7/8", 1-1/8", and 1-3/8".

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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

In each of 3 separate drills, I found one alignment of shank flats and chuck tongues that exhibits little or no wobble, another which exhibits significant wobble, and others that are in between. Round-shank accessories don't seem to exhibit any wobble.

I'm teaching my brain here trying to figure out what this means with regard to where the problem lies.

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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

sounds to me like you need to replace the chuck on your drill


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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

drspec said:


> sounds to me like you need to replace the chuck on your drill


On all 3 drills? Even when round-shank bits, other hole saw arbors with flat-sided shanks, and the pilot bit from the original shank don't wobble?

I'm not arguing with you. The results I'm getting support the arbor being bad, as well as the chuck bring bad, and I'm wondering how you zeroed in on the chuck.

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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

UncleMike said:


> On all 3 drills? Even when round-shank bits, other hole saw arbors with flat-sided shanks, and the pilot bit from the original shank don't wobble?
> 
> I'm not arguing with you. The results I'm getting support the arbor being bad, as well as the chuck bring bad, and I'm wondering how you zeroed in on the chuck.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


I would think the round shank would wobble the worst.

I had a similar issue not too long ago. Sometimes wobble sometimes not. If I was careful when inserting the bit in the chuck I could usually get minimal wobble. 

Take your drill and run the chuck in and out and watch the jaws. I guarantee at least one side is ground down.

I replaced my chuck and havent had the issue since.


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## UncleMike (Jan 2, 2013)

drspec said:


> I would think the round shank would wobble the worst.
> 
> I had a similar issue not too long ago. Sometimes wobble sometimes not. If I was careful when inserting the bit in the chuck I could usually get minimal wobble.
> 
> ...


I can run the chuck in and out, but have no idea what I'd be looking for with regard to being ground down. And you think this is a problem on multiple drills?

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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Are some of the flat sided arbors the quick change type by any chance? 

Buy a short 3/8" extension and see what happens? 

I might lube up one of the chucks with some WD-40, make sure it's moving freely, then see if it works - clean the wd40 off after with brake clean if necessary.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Sounds like the quick change adapter is bad


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