How to fit an MT2 drill chuck
Updated: 2026-10-23
The chuck is on the bench and the temptation is a steel hammer on the jaws. That bruises a Morse taper. Fit an MT2 drill chuck only when the two tapers already match: clean them, seat them with a soft blow, and catch the chuck when it comes out. If the arbor will not start into the bore, stop. That mismatch belongs on the [MT2 drill chuck buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/mt2-drill-chuck/sub/mt2-drill-chuck-buying-guide). Listings differ on the [MT2 drill chuck comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/mt2-drill-chuck). The steps follow Axminster's pillar-drill manuals.
The chuck is on the bench and the temptation is a steel hammer on the jaws. That bruises a Morse taper.
The chuck is on the bench and the temptation is a steel hammer on the jaws. That bruises a Morse taper. Fit an MT2 drill chuck only when the two tapers already match: clean them, seat them with a soft blow, and catch the chuck when it comes out. If the arbor will not start into the bore, stop. That mismatch belongs on the MT2 drill chuck buying guide. Listings differ on the MT2 drill chuck comparison. The steps follow Axminster's pillar-drill manuals.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Arbor pairing | Keyed or keyless | Clamping range | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Cocoarm Cocoarm 1–16 mm keyless | MT2-JT3 | Keyless | 1–16 mm | 7.9 | about £26.00 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Flylin Flylin 1–13 mm keyed | MT2-B16 | Keyed | 1–13 mm | 7.4 | about £16.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Ejoyous Ejoyous 1–13 mm MT2 | MT2, chuck taper not named | Keyed on the title | 1–13 mm | 7.6 | about £22.59 | View offer |
On this page
Two tapers, and the blow that is too hard
An MT2 drill chuck arrives as two joints. The short taper, B16, B18, JT3 or JT6, goes into the back of the chuck and is meant to stay there. Morse taper 2 is the long shank that goes into the pillar-drill quill or the lathe tailstock, and it is meant to come out again. Mixing them up is how people drive a wedge into the Morse socket when they only wanted the chuck off the arbor.
Oil, grease or swarf on the Morse shank lets the chuck spin or drop out, because the taper is a friction fit, not a thread. A steel hammer on jaws that are still sticking out bells the nose. Retract the jaws fully, and drive the short taper home with a soft mallet, a brass drift, or a block of hardwood, only after the arbor has started in by hand.
If it will not enter, stop
If the arbor nose will not start into the chuck, it is the wrong taper. UK reviews of the ZffXH and the YDHfdc describe a nose too large for the bore, often named as B18 against B16. More force will not resize it. Grinding the nose is not a seating step. Put the parts back in the box. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11, goods have to match the description.
If an MT2 shank will not enter the quill or the tailstock at all, you may have MT1, a damaged mouth, or a shank that was never MT2. Do not peen it in. Come back here only with a pair that slides in by hand for the first part of the taper. A chuck that has already fallen out under load, or a socket you can see is scored, needs a machinist, not a harder blow.
Seat a matched MT2 chuck
Clean both tapers until a dry finger does not pick up oil or grit. Retract the jaws so they are inside the body. Push the arbor in square, then give a light tap with a soft mallet. Axminster's bench-and-floor manual (111891/111893) says not to force a Morse taper, because the quill spline shaft can be damaged, and it seats the chuck by pressing it against timber. Manual 107690/107693 uses a light tap from a hide-faced mallet. Follow the book for your drill.
On a lathe, wind the quill out before you seat the shank. The feed screw often meets the tang and holds it off the taper, so the chuck feels seated and then falls out. Model Engineer owners describe that ejector in about the last half inch. One WM180 owner needed the barrel about 12 mm out. Those are workshop reports, not a setting for every machine. Line the tang up with the slot if there is one, and put timber where the chuck would land.
Drift it out, or let the tailstock eject it
On a pillar drill, wind the quill fully down and lock it. Lay timber on the table. Line the tang up with the slot and drive an MT2 drift through so the chuck falls onto the timber. Do not use a screwdriver. A self-ejecting tailstock pushes the tang out when you wind the quill back. A Myford ML7, open at the rear, is drifted from the back. Do not copy a slot method onto a barrel that has no slot.
Taking the chuck off the arbor is a third job: wedges at the Morse shoulder, or a pin through open jaws. That is not the quill drift. Take the key out before the spindle starts, and do not wear gloves near a rotating chuck. At work, isolate the machine first. HSE leaflet INDG291 says that. At home, unplug the machine anyway.
Common questions
How hard do I hit an MT2 chuck to seat it?
A light tap from a soft mallet, hide hammer, brass, or hardwood, after the taper has started in by hand. Forcing the taper can damage the quill spline. A steel hammer on open jaws is too hard. If it will not start in, stop.
Why does the chuck fall out as soon as I start drilling?
A film of oil or a chip on the Morse taper is the usual reason under a light cut. The next is the tailstock ejector holding the tang off the seat because the quill was not wound out first. If it has already dropped under a real cut, or the socket is scored, stop.
How do I get an MT2 chuck out of a pillar drill?
Wind the quill fully down, lock it, put timber on the table, line the tang up with the slot, and drive an MT2 drift through so the chuck falls onto the timber. That is the sequence in Axminster manual 107690/107693. Do not drift it with the quill up.
How do I get it out of a tailstock with no drift slot?
If the tailstock self-ejects, wind the quill back and let the screw push the tang out, with your hand or a piece of timber ready. If the barrel is open at the rear, drift from the back. The Myford ML7 is that second case. Do not invent a side slot that the casting does not have.
Can I leave the chuck key in while I line the drill up?
No. Take it out before the spindle starts, including while you are only checking the centre. A key left in a chuck becomes a flying part as soon as the spindle turns. Unplug the machine while you fit the drill.
When should I stop and get a machinist?
Stop if the arbor will not enter at all, if you cannot tell MT1 from MT2, if the socket is scored, or if the chuck has already fallen out while you were cutting. Do not grind a mismatched nose so that it almost fits.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
- ISO 296:1991, Morse taper standard (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- CGTK, Morse taper dimensions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Arc Euro Trade, drill chuck taper dimensions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE INDG291, isolate before adjustment (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE L22, PUWER Approved Code of Practice (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, accepting returns and giving refunds (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Axminster bench-drill manual, seat and drift (retrieved 21 October 2026)