Real world cordless tool warranty

[Kracin]

ok so i was going to purchase a set of cordless tools, and when i didn't have projects going on at home, i was probably going to bring them to work (industrial plant maintenance) because there are numerous times where having a cordless impact driver and impact would come in very handy. although we do have community dewalt drills, you can only imagine how well the community tool thing goes (yeah they are never there and never charged).

my first option was makita, i've always liked makita as they have seemed very reliable and consistent, and then i thought i'd just go with ridgid for their warranty because of the abuse the tools will take. but unfortuantely after reading their website they don't cover normal wear and tear, only defects, even if it is lifetime what are you supposed to do when a battery wears out after 3 years, i heard that you could replace them no matter what? and at this point im seriously considering the milwaukee and they seem to be the latest and greatest and most powerful right now.

so what do you guys think, who has the best warranty right now in the real world use and not just on paper. and whats the deal with ridgid, can you replace batteries that have gone dead over time or do they get really strict with you and only replace it if it has some kind of defect?

 

[Jack Olsen]

Maybe I'm just old, but four years flashes by in the blink of an eye to me. So I hate cordless tools for the fact that the Li-Ion batteries that everyone is using now will die that quickly, whether I'm using them or not. So from that point of view, the Ridgid warranty is untouchable, compared to the others. Free batteries for life. (Just make sure you follow the instructions for starting the coverage.)

If normal wear and tear is an issue for you, you could look into one of those aftermarket warranty services (like SquareTrade). I bought a vacuum cleaner from Target yesterday and got a $7 two-year coverage deal on it that specifically allows me to get a replacement even for normal wear and tear. I'm sure they assume most people will throw away the paperwork and forget about the coverage -- and even for me on that one, they're probably right.

 

[jjjrmx5]

I seldom see a cordless tool go bad or fail except from abuse.

At least the higher end like Milwaukee, Bosch, DeWalt, etc.

As Jack says and I agree, It's usually the batteries that go south far sooner and the cost to replace, unless you have a single brand tool crib, tend to make things costly for just buying new batteries.
Add in the current swing in battery technologies and platforms and you're peeing into the wind.

I don't buy cordless tools for the warranty.
Good tools are good tools and ill built tools usually fail within the warranty period.

I;d be more concerned in buying a platform or brand that supports selling you batteries and parts long after the next wave of tech moves in.
Bosch, Makita, Milwakee as are good at supporting older tools out there.

Ridgid warranty is awesome, but not a tool/brand I myself would use day in and day out professionally.

On a good sized mfgr. floor I saw gobs of DeWalt drills and impacts tossed or sent home as freebies due to batteries being not cost-effectivbe to replace over time. The tools were fine. Mgmt. and the tool crib felt the battery replacement math did not work.

Makitas and Bosch were the new norm unless shop guys ponied up for thier own SO cordless tools. Which has it's own nuances.

In the end I expect the high end cordless tools to perform and don't worry about warranty.
Never have.
It's battery support,availability over time, compatability, cost and battery technology that drives the cordless beast. Not tool failure as far as I have seen.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have steered away from lin ions. I had batteries fail in under a year and Milwaukee did not stand behind them. I switched back to 100 ni cad. I have five year old batteries still going strong and when they die I will get them rebuilt.

 

[woody 73]

I will agree with post #3 (jjjrmx5) my Dewalts are still going strong after these many years, just the batteries go south. Funny thing but today the cable guy needed me to cut off his lock on his truck (he saw my many tools), so out came my old Dewalt grinder and his lock was off before he could blink his eyes.

 

[Ign]

Milwaukee's great on actual tool warranty (its best to have the receipt) to get the full five years from date of purchase. Never had a battery fail within the warranty period.

AFAIK Bobcatdan's experience was with V28, some of the earlier li-ions to hit the market. The revised M28 batteries are much better. Plenty of new technology isn't that great when its new-new.

 

[Kracin]

Maybe I'm just old, but four years flashes by in the blink of an eye to me. So I hate cordless tools for the fact that the Li-Ion batteries that everyone is using now will die that quickly, whether I'm using them or not. So from that point of view, the Ridgid warranty is untouchable, compared to the others. Free batteries for life. (Just make sure you follow the instructions for starting the coverage.)

If normal wear and tear is an issue for you, you could look into one of those aftermarket warranty services (like SquareTrade). I bought a vacuum cleaner from Target yesterday and got a $7 two-year coverage deal on it that specifically allows me to get a replacement even for normal wear and tear. I'm sure they assume most people will throw away the paperwork and forget about the coverage -- and even for me on that one, they're probably right.

i just couldn't deal with the ridgid thing though, it seems like a complete hit or miss, especially with their policies. like not being able to buy anything from anywhere except home depot. or else you don't get to use the warranty at all.

i keep all of my warranty information, i have a filing cabinet with 2 drawers full of any and every receipt or document that came with something purchased, and it's saved some time and money in the end for some things.

but after reading so many downsides to the ridgid warranty, even that some people got defective batteries from amazon and ridgid refused to do anything about it. even though they were newly packaged, i'd hate to buy up a whole line of ridgid just to have them deny me a claim 2 years down the road when a battery starts failing because i was hoping they would honor their warranty but they had a loophole in it, and send me a letter back saying "normal wear and tear" and nothing faulty about it.

for those reasons i literally just went to home depot, and purchased a milwaukee m18 set for about a hundred after using a few gift cards i got from home depot for past problems as well as redeeming a 25% off harbor freight coupon on it as well (yes my home depot accepts those thank god).

from seeing milawukees reviews and even reading in depth their warranty information (which is simple, clean and to the point). i doubt ridgids lifetime warranty on manufacturer defects would ever sway me on a good 5 year warranty on something that from what i have seen, most people don't ever need anyway.

 

[jd_1138]

I never had a battery go bad on me. My last cordless was a Craftsman that was stolen out of my car, but it lasted 5 years on the original battery before it got stolen. Then I bought a HF Drillmaster drill a couple of years ago, and it still works fine.

Just buy the tools you want, and don't worry about the battery/warranty too much. They probably put that fine print in there for people who abuse the spirit of the warranty.

 

[pipsters]

Did you bother to read the Ridgid lifetime service agreement? It specfically states normal wear and tear is included. Remember you are reading stuff on the internet from people who get pissed that they forgot to register their product (painless now BTW, all online you don't even have to mail anything in).

https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/three-year-limited-lsa

Under "What is covered"

What is Covered? (applies to the 3-Year Limited Warranty, the Lifetime Service Agreement, and the Recon Limited Warranty)

The 3 Year Limited Warranty, The Recon Limited Warranty and the Lifetime Service Agreement covers all worn parts in properly maintained tools. This includes normal wear items such as brushes, chucks, motors, switches, gears and even cordless batteries in your qualifying RIDGID® Brand hand held and stationary power tools. These programs also cover replacement rings, driver blades and bumpers on RIDGID® Brand pneumatic tools. This service coverage does not apply to other ineligible RIDGID® Brand products.

Couldn't be more straight forward.

 

[jjjrmx5]

Did you bother to read the Ridgid lifetime service agreement? It specfically states normal wear and tear is included. Remember you are reading stuff on the internet from people who get pissed that they forgot to register their product (painless now BTW, all online you don't even have to mail anything in).

https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/three-year-limited-lsa

Under "What is covered"


Couldn't be more straight forward.

LOL Pipsters.

I agree 100%

Which is where the "Jack Olsen Rigid's Got Ur back" warrranty has its sweet spot.

If it's a Ridgid cordless tool that is NOT beat to death (and even if so, see above) and really only used a few times a month for years, the lifetime battery guarantee is a TOTAL money saver.

Big time.

Tool sees non-daily use.
Battery replacement cost aside from registration/re-registration if replaced hassle averted. No out of pocket costs.
It does have major up sides for non-pro users. Win-win.

It really is a great bargain as it currently stands for home only users mainly.

That's why I still applaude it for those in that use situation.

 

[jd_1138]

Is the Ridgid warranty 3 years or lifetime? Battery or tool itself? Or both?

I have a corded Ridgid recip saw a few years back, and it still works great. Was thinking of getting a cordless impact driver.

 

[k1rodeoboater]

Is the Ridgid warranty 3 years or lifetime? Battery or tool itself? Or both?

I have a corded Ridgid recip saw a few years back, and it still works great. Was thinking of getting a cordless impact driver.

It depends on what you're buying. It will say it on the box, and also on their website when you look at the tools.

For a non-pro/homeowner use only Rigid might be the best value on the market. Doesn't mean it's the best quality though. All the gripes ******* and complaints I've found about Rigid is the fact they don't have a dedicated repair center, and contract it out to small appliance repair places. So if there's not one local to you it's a PITA to get them fixed. They also don't really make it economical for those shops to do the work, and it really does depend on the shop in terms of the quality of your service. Timeframe for repairs is dependent on how long it will take to get the parts (which from posts a year old and older say can be a week to several months).

One really positive post I did see was a guy who had a tool that was discontinued (completely different voltage range) and they didn't have batteries for it. Customer Service sent him a brand new 18V set. That's pretty damn good service if you ask me.

I'm probably going to go with their $179 3 tool combo (compact drill, driver, and radio). Just using it for home use so I won't put the wear and tear on it like someone who uses them for a living. I'm betting my battery will die from sitting sooner than from charging/discharging cycles. Their free replacement batteries for life is really what attracts me to them more than anything. That will save me a ton over the long run.

 

[FarmerPete]

It depends on what you're buying. It will say it on the box, and also on their website when you look at the tools.

For a non-pro/homeowner use only Rigid might be the best value on the market. Doesn't mean it's the best quality though. All the gripes ******* and complaints I've found about Rigid is the fact they don't have a dedicated repair center, and contract it out to small appliance repair places. So if there's not one local to you it's a PITA to get them fixed. They also don't really make it economical for those shops to do the work, and it really does depend on the shop in terms of the quality of your service. Timeframe for repairs is dependent on how long it will take to get the parts (which from posts a year old and older say can be a week to several months).

One really positive post I did see was a guy who had a tool that was discontinued (completely different voltage range) and they didn't have batteries for it. Customer Service sent him a brand new 18V set. That's pretty damn good service if you ask me.

I'm probably going to go with their $179 3 tool combo (compact drill, driver, and radio). Just using it for home use so I won't put the wear and tear on it like someone who uses them for a living. I'm betting my battery will die from sitting sooner than from charging/discharging cycles. Their free replacement batteries for life is really what attracts me to them more than anything. That will save me a ton over the long run.

I've had rigid tools for four years now. I've had one battery die. Getting service used to be difficult, but now you can take stuff to home depot tool rental and they'll hook you up. Just know that you must register your tools online to get coverage. 98%of the people complaining didn't read the instructions and missed the 90 days window to register. Also, if you get any services replaced under warranty, you must call up their 800 number and register the new serial number. Ridgid is hoping that people forget to register or reregister their products.

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