18v DeWalt Driver -- Clutch Slipping

[Tom Godley]

I was using my hammer drill today to drill a hole with a spade bit -- it caught in the hole like they always do -- but the clutch slipped.

Thinking it was just on one of the driver settings I moved the clutch around - but quickly found out it is not working.

Anyone have the same problem -- and solve it.

[Brad Moser]

I have on occassion used my DeWalt drill/driver in tight quarters and halfway through a hole, it would begin to slip. I found that in the tight quarters, i scraped the torque switch on the top of the drill and it was in between 1 and 2.

[Tom Godley]

I should have used Google -- I see a few places selling the clutch -- so this must be a common failure.


Anybody ever get parts for Dewalt small tools?


It looks like the drill just comes apart - so I hope an easy fix.

[steve reeves]

The clutch is the achillies (sp) heel on these drivers. I have 2 of them and have replaced the clutch on both of them.

Fortunately for me there's a Dewalt service center here in town that actually keeps a good supply of parts for most of DeWalt's products.

I was told by one of there repair techs that if you have the clutch all the way tight and it ever slips.... the clutch is gone. I have in fact found that to be the case. I now run the drivers two clicks off of full tight and once the driver binds up I just reverse it out and go back in.

Since I've started doing that I've not had any further clutch issues. But today is a new day!:D