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Anyone tried the Accusize 5C collet chuck?

U

Upnorth

Super User
Like the title says has anyone tried it? The price is pretty good but is it a decent chuck? What sort of runout did you get?

I'll pay 4 times the price for a bison one if I have to but I really don't want to. I'm only interested in 5C options because I just picked up a set of Lyndex 5C collets. 1/16" to 1 1/8" in 1/16" steps.
 
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This thread may help

canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

Collet Chuck information

My lathe is a Craftex B2227L 10"x18", with a spindle bore of 27mm/1" and #4 Morse taper. Been thinking on getting a Collet chuck for my lathe although never used one before. Looking at the collet chuck listings on KBC I become totally confused from their data. CNC simply does NOT fit my wants or...
canadianhobbymetalworkers.com canadianhobbymetalworkers.com
 
Upnorth said:
Like the title says has anyone tried it? The price is pretty good but is it a decent chuck? What sort of runout did you get?

I'll pay 4 times the price for a bison one if I have to but I really don't want to. I'm only interested in 5C options because I just picked up a set of Lyndex 5C collets. 1/16" to 1 1/8" in 1/16" steps.
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Normally, I would vote for the accusize. But maybe not this time.

Unlike other chucks that can be trued, there isn't a great deal the average user could do to true a 5C Collet Chuck short of using a toolpost grinder very carefully. The chuck is the center of the universe.

I have a bison 5c that I absolutely love. It lives on my lathe more than all the other chucks I have combined.

If it ever died, I'd go get another one in a heart beat.

Without ever trying the accusize, I'd still vote to save your looneys and toonies to buy the Bison.

If you do get the accusize, get it on amazon. That way it is zero pain to return it. It's easy to check it.
 
Susquatch said:
Unlike other chucks that can be trued, there isn't a great deal the average user could do to true a 5C Collet Chuck short of using a toolpost grinder very carefully. The chuck is the center of the universe.
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You true it by moving the chuck on the backplate, just like any other plate mounted chuck. Leave a bit of wiggle room on the locating boss on the mounting plate. Tippy-tap into submission and tighten the bolts. Of course the backplate is trued first.
I bought mine from All Industrial in excited states because it came with the correct backplate for my King 1022. Stopped fiddling when I got to 0.0002 runout.
 
gerritv said:
You true it by moving the chuck on the backplate, just like any other plate mounted chuck. Leave a bit of wiggle room on the locating boss on the mounting plate. Tippy-tap into submission and tighten the bolts. Of course the backplate is trued first.
I bought mine from All Industrial in excited states because it came with the correct backplate for my King 1022. Stopped fiddling when I got to 0.0002 runout.
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Hmmmm...... I don't believe my bison has a backplate. I could easily be mistaken but looking at the Accusize 5C on line and zooming in on the photos does not "appear" to show one either. There are no screws on the back and although there are a few holes in the front, they don't appear to be for a backplate. Accusize also describes the chuck as being an integrated design. But I guess it's a question that @Upnorth could ask of Accusize. Or maybe if someone who has one could chime in as per Upnorth's original request.

If it does have a backplate and if the register isn't too solid, that would certainly work.

My Bison was only a few tenths right out of the box. I have loved it since the day I first installed it.
 
I forgot that some of you have these fancy machines :) with DI style spindles.
Personally I have been pleased with Accusize, but I realize some ppl are more risk averse. Buying from Amazon for me doesn't inspire any additional confidence except perhaps ease of return.

Given that the lathe is a 13x40, it should have a spindle bore big enough to take a MT->5C adapter and skip the chuck altogether.
 
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Do a forum search here on 5C, the topic comes up a lot. Clough42 also did a recent review of his Asian import. Some have been satisfied, others not so. Also depends on what you are trying to achieve & condition of your machine. Accusize imports/distributes Chinese tooling but whether they are selective to various Chinese manufacturers I cant say. It may or may mot be any better than others, its difficult to compare. The consensus seems to be that their return policy seems to be OK, shipping back at your expense wouldn't be horrible, they are in Canada, so there's that.

FWIW my direct mount D1-4 new Bison 5C ~15 years ago had ~0.0015" runout. I sold it when a good deal presented on a Set-Tru model which can be dialed in. But Bison prices have gone through the roof. There are import versions of Set-Tru now which might be worth considering, but no personal experience. Gator line is dimensionally the same as Bison but ~80% quality IMO based on scroll chucks I have & price wise are more than regular Chinese, not as commonly distributed

strangely, better Bison prices than in Kanuckistan all fees & expenses in

based on my R8 collet experience. I would consider these guys for collets (mentioning this to others, your Lyndex are top shelf keepers)

Products - Tool Holding - Collets, Closers & Accessories - Collets - 5C Collets - Page 1 - All Industrial Tool Supply

allindustrial.com allindustrial.com
 
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I bought one of the eBay specials5C chucks that Clough42 bought. With care in making the backplate and some dialling in afterward I was able to get .0005 runout. Plenty good enough for me.
 
Stefan did a video on his Chinese 5C teardown inspect. Note its 6 years old already so things change. His old lathe had backplate style where chuck is front bolted, so allows adjusting (as long as it stays put). Some guys have made their own Set-Tru-ish plates for D spindle using a semi-finished chuck adapter plate (finished spindle taper turned & D-pins installed). They turn this in-situ with a slightly larger ID relief pocket for a front mount style 5C chuck & then drill tap their own set screws.

Clough42 follow-up video FWIW (of course the question is will Chinese chuck A be the same as Chinese chuck B)
 
gerritv said:
Personally I have been pleased with Accusize, but I realize some ppl are more risk averse. Buying from Amazon for me doesn't inspire any additional confidence except perhaps ease of return.
Click to expand...

It isn't just the returns. Amazon also makes the delivery FAST, painless, and free if you have prime. Sometimes they even sell Accusize products at lower cost than Accusize.

What I like best about the Accusize Amazon partnership (if you can call it that) is that you can order from Amazon and then call Accusize directly if something isn't right. They have ALWAYS looked after me.

gerritv said:
Given that the lathe is a 13x40, it should have a spindle bore big enough to take a MT->5C adapter and skip the chuck altogether.
Click to expand...

I've never tried this option for any collet system yet, but I do think about it often since I have ER 32, 24, & 11 collet systems for my mill.

The nice thing about the 5C Collet Chuck is that it doesn't need a draw bar and can handle long stock that extends into the spindle. But not everyone needs or wants that.
 
Susquatch said:
It isn't just the returns. Amazon also makes the delivery FAST, painless, and free if you have prime. Sometimes they even sell Accusize products at lower cost than Accusize.
What I like best about the Accusize Amazon partnership (if you can call it that) is that you can order from Amazon and then call Accusize directly if something isn't right. They have ALWAYS looked after me.
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Turns out that Amazon returns, both Prime & otherwise, is kind of a fluid situation lately & often region specific. A few months back a return involved printing a label. Option 1: pickup from yor home via Intelcom or whomever your normal delivery mode is. The catch: you must be there in person to sign it over and (the crappy part) be available within a 12 hour window or however they word it. Not great for people who work. Option 2) print a label to return ship. This used to be Canada Post of which there are typically many outlets. But Amazon fired CP & now uses Purolator. Of which there are fewer & less convenient drop locations & business hours. In other regions of Canada, maybe where couriers are more sparse, I've heard its still CP. So maybe depends.

Turns out in Calgary the Staples locations that have a shipping desk are now the Amazon courier return depots of choice. Still a personal drive though. I just did it the other day & it was relatively painless. It cost me $6.85 return fee because mistake was mine, ordered wrong item. Weight/size it was a pair of pliers essentially to give you a reference & destination was Amazon center in Calgary. If it was something real heavy, I wonder if it would be a lot more.

Accusize I believe has an Amazon 'store' which (I think) is a bit different than normal fulfillment sellers & why some of these Accusize-specific advantages work. Also costs of returns may well be a function of defective or missing parts or shipping damage from the drop down, vs 'I don't like it'.
 
PeterT said:
Accusize I believe has an Amazon 'store' which (I think) is a bit different than normal fulfillment sellers & why some of these Accusize-specific advantages work.
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Yes, they do. And you might be right about that affecting the outcomes and choices.

FWIW, I call accusize themselves. For all I know that might be same folks as the ones at the amazon store. But my sense is that they are different. For whatever reason, it works fine for me.
 
Susquatch said:
Yes, they do. And you might be right about that affecting the outcomes and choices.

FWIW, I call accusize themselves. For all I know that might be same folks as the ones at the amazon store. But my sense is that they are different. For whatever reason, it works fine for me.
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It is the same store. I bought one from Amazon, free shipping of course, ordered the wrong lathe mount on it, call them directly and they did and exchange at there office no problem. Have to say I enjoy dealing with them, and their is approx Leslie and Hwy 7 so its within east driving distance being in the GTA myself.

Just be aware that some of the stuff they sell as final sale may be a second, but then again if you can fix its a bargain.
 
I have a 5C chuck. It needs to be ground to be true - I think from factory its off by around 1.5 thou runout.

I do not like using the "floating backplate" technique as the register should fit the chuck very well so it does not move. Holding the chuck "zero" on the bolts was never intended.

Grinding seems to be a better way to go.

I paid like 160 CAD or so for mine. So not a bad deal. Like 2 years ago.
 
Your machine takes a D1-4 mount doesn't it?

Are you in a hurry or do you have time to wait ( within reason) for the used market to cough one up?
 
Thanks for all the responses. Looks like this place is going to be a good source of information. I was surprised to get so many responses.

I'm still tempted to give one of the Accusize chucks a try. Price is less than the back plate for a bison. One of the above post's had a link to a place with great prices on a Bison. If that place will take paypal I'm going to order a Bison. Probably the set-tru version. I have some funds in there I need to use on something.

In my search for information I did run across something interesting. I mentioned that I had recently run across a set of Lyndex collets. Some people who ordered them got collets marked "Made in India". I have had issues with Indian made machining products that were absolute garbage. The exception to this for me was my Indian made parting blade. It was sold by KBC and works excellent. The set of Lyndex collets I have are made in Japan so I was happy about that.
YotaBota said:
Your machine takes a D1-4 mount doesn't it?

Are you in a hurry or do you have time to wait ( within reason) for the used market to cough one up?
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Yes it's a D1-4. One of the earlier posted links was to a place that has the Bison plain back collet chuck for $500 US. I'm ok with that price. The set-tru version is only $50 more. A direct mount one from Accusize is about $370 CDN. I expect that the collet chuck will be getting a lot of use in the shop. There is a product I make that a collet chuck will make a lot easier.

I'm currently waiting on a phone call for work in the new year. If it comes though I wont be in a hurry at all because I'll be away for a few months. If not I expect to order a chuck shortly. At this point I'm tempted to give the accusize chuck a try. The issue with that is if I want to be around to try it right away and see if it is accurate enough. By the time I get home it won't be returnable. If I do go away I'll probably order the bison so it will be here when I get home.
 
All you can do is try the Accusize, if it works for you then it's money in the bank, if not then send it back.
 
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