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Warning: dont ignore the little rubber grommet on your hammer drill

I was using my old hammer drill to bore holes for some 3/8 inch anchors on a retaining wall job last week. The thing kept overheating and smoking after like 20 holes. My helper noticed the rubber grommet around the bit shank was missing and said it keeps dust out of the chuck. I jammed a cheap spare grommet on there and the drill ran cool the rest of the afternoon. Has anyone else run into this or am I just late to the party?
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3 Comments
skyler_kelly69
Not gonna lie, I've been in that same boat. That little rubber grommet seems like nothing until it's gone. Your helper saved you a new drill, honestly. Those things keep dust and water out of the chuck bearings which is huge for longevity. I've toasted a chuck before from ignoring the little stuff like that.
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jessica331
jessica33115d ago
Did you guys know those little grommets can actually crack from heat over time? I had a buddy who ignored a cracked one on his drill and the chuck seized up solid after one dusty job. He LITERALLY had to buy a whole new drill because the fix cost more than the tool.
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margaretc42
Oh man, that's the stuff of nightmares right there. I had a similar thing happen with my impact driver, the grommet cracked and I just figured "eh, it's fine." Two weeks later I'm driving screws into some pressure treated lumber and the whole chuck starts wobbling like crazy, then just froze mid-screw. Took me an hour with a rubber mallet and penetrating oil to get it loose, and by then the bearings were shot. My buddy was like "why didn't you just swap the grommet for a dollar?" and I felt like a complete idiot, (obviously). That dollar part would have saved me a hundred dollar trip to the hardware store for a replacement.
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