Bosch 1617 collett

Mike
What is your problem with the collet?

no..

Collet seems to loosen, however the bit will not release, have to use the wrench to loosen again then try to remove the bit.

It`s supposed to loosen a couple of turns and then get tight again so that you have to use the wrench. When you loosen the second time it`s supposed to push the collet out of the forcing cone in the arbor.

That is correct, it is working as designed. This is a safety feature to make sure the bit doesn't get loose while the router is running.

From the manual:
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REMOVING THE ROUTER BIT

1. Use the shaft and collet chuck wrenches as described earlier, and turn the collet chuck assembly in a counter-clockwise direction.

2. Once the collet chuck assembly is loosened continue to turn the collet chuck assembly until it pulls the collet free from its taper, and the router bit can be removed.

NOTE: The collet chuck is self-extracting; it is NOT necessary to strike the collet chuck to free the router bit.
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You're not the only one with this issue. Many people have asked the same question.

Agree with the points made above.

Yup, it's normal. Works as designed. I keep a spare half inch collet on hand because they are really a precision device and it's a matter of a few thousandths between one that's good and one that's bad.