DC925 first gear torque control and apparent spindle "looseness"

[DF118]

Hi folks,

I've been searching around the net all morning and I think I may already have pieced together the answer to my problem, but I'm posting here just in case anyone can give me some extra detail or explanation...

I have a UK DC925 and the torque control doesn't work in first gear - the problem being that the clutch won't let go at all.  It's as if it is in drill mode all the way round the torque dial.  The clutch lets go just fine in 2nd and 3rd gears.  From what I've read here and elsewhere this seems to be a common thing with the 925?

To be honest I didn't know until recently that the clutch even worked at all, since I always use first gear for screwdriving and had just gotten used to going by feel.  It was only when accidentally driving in second that I spotted the clutch working as intended.  Can anyone confirm this as typical behaviour and/or shed any light as to why it's the case?  Someone on another forum mentioned that the 925 is aimed more at electricians, plumbers etc. and so the torque settings are noticeably higher than for DeWalt's other 18V drills?  I can accept this as plausible, but surely I should be able to have at least some control of torque in first gear?

Lastly (and this may or may not be related - in fact it might not even be a fault) a friend who was using my 925 yesterday noticed that the spindle was moving in and out more than he thought it should; i.e. when you push the chuck the spindle moves into the drill body, then when you take off the pressure it springs back out again.  I measured the movement this morning and it's about 3.5mm.

Now, I can't honestly remember whether it has always been this way or whether too much hammer drilling has perhaps loosened the whole clutch assembly.  Looking at the parts diagrams I know there is a coaxial spring inside the assembly, so presumably there is meant to be some movement.  Can anyone confirm whether 3.5mm is excessive and if so whether it is likely to be related to the lack of torque control in first gear?  I'd be very grateful if anyone else with a 925 would measure the spindle movement on theirs for me.

Thanks for any assistance anyone can offer, and apologies for the essay-length first post!

Cheers!

[cyclone700]

I have a DW987 and have always had the same issue with th clutch.  I was driving some 3/8 lag screws this weekend and th clutch actually slipped in first gear.  I believe the clutch is not a torque limiting clutch, but more of a torque dividing clutch.  Take the torque output and divide it by the clutch settings and that's the torque that the clutch slips at.  If third gear is 1:1, first gear will be a 4:1 reduction giving you 4x the torque of third.  I would imagine on tupical screws even the lowest torque setting would still be too much for the screw.