Battery drills and impact drivers

[Gttrucker]

I have a pair of Hitachi battery hammer drills that are finally aging out. Got a lot of work out of them, but batteries are getting old, chucks are getting loose, and battery clip is broken on one, so I'm looking for a new set.

My current ones are 800 inch pounds torque with 3ah batteries. Most of the current name brands are about the same, but now they have those small impact drivers that would be nice because I drive a lot of screws into virgin holes in steel n aluminum and occasionally use with sockets.

So Question is, Milwaukee, Dewalt are probably about the same quality and power (unless you have a different experience) but I'm wondering about the Rigid brand.

The sales guy said they are made by Milwaukee and Carry a LIFETIME warrantee on everything including the batteries. If I had that on mine I wouldn't be buying a new set.
Any one have experience with Rigid battery tools and how well they honor their warranty?

 

[LB-1911]

Any one have experience with Rigid battery tools and how well they honor their warranty?

Previous thread w/ responses from several active members that may be along later.



Jan 11, 2016
RIDGID lifetime service agreement - is it a scam?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=316704


LIFETIME SERVICE AGREEMENT
https://register.ridgidpower.com/about_lsa

LIFETIME SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR RIDGID® HAND HELD POWER TOOLS, STATIONARY POWER TOOLS AND PNEUMATIC TOOLS
http://www.homedepot.com/c/SF_TH_PR_RIDGID_Power_Tools_Warranty

 

[Gttrucker]

Sounds like they make it a pain. Sounds like the registration is the biggest pain. But these tools and batteries have a limited life and the prices keep going up and i hate buying new ones. I'm pretty good at keeping receipts and following up until the registration is accepted so i might chance it.

Here is a tip for all of you I learned years ago when dealing with returns and warranties.

have things sent to you and send things out through US mail (with receipt). Then when they start to screw you around file a mail fraud complaint with the post office and the PO's legal department will contact the company. When companies get contacted by them, it goes to their legal department and they immediately change their tune! I've done it twice. They go from saying things like "your warranty/return is not authorized because blaa blaa blaa" to "This must have been a misunderstanding. The warrantee/refund will be processed immediately" I'm not kidding. Their corporate legal departments basically say "Make this go away, we don't want any federal legal agency looking into our operations" and you get your refund ha ha.

All you have to do is make sure some thing went through US mail and the mail fraud division will start an inquiry. It's like having your own federal legal team on your side ha ha

 

[The Cobbler]

I don't own rigid, but a colleague does and he has received at least 2 sets of batteries & a few repairs with no hassles or drama.

 

[djcslice]

My registration for my Ridgid tools was easy. Haven't had to warranty anything yet.

 

[peteco]

Bought a Ridgid drill 9 years ago after getting tired of Craftsman drill batteries dieing in 3 years and a new drill w batteries was cheaper than just buying batteries. Sears (and others) also change the battery design occasionally so new style batteries don't fit older tools.

Since the drill purchase I have bought numerous Ridgid tools. All have been great. I just had the 9 year old NiCad batteries replaced for free. Went to a Home Depot with a rental/repair department and they called it in. Rigid sent me the new batteries in the mail. Had the trigger replaced on my impact last year. Had some Li-Ion batteries replaced recently too.

You have to be diligent and register the tools, and check to make sure they got registered. And when they replace a battery or the tool you have to register the new one.

Yes, there is some hassle but it has been worth it to me.

 

[Ign]

I've said it a million times here: Milwaukee's 5 year warranty is painless and effective. If anything is going to break in a tool, it's likely to happen in a 5 year time span. After 5 years, you don't have much to ***** about - the tool can still be repaired but it'll be on your dime.

 

[shockwave]

For general use drills and impacts Milwaukee cannot be beat with tools or warranty for the long haul

 

[Thumper68]

Here is my response in this thread.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=338146

Any one of the top brands will serve you well.

I have the Ridgid and have had no issues with the warranty had 1 battery replaced, had a charger fixed and had a impact driver replaced, have to admit the impact driver was my fault, driving 4 inch construction screws several hundred of them with only a few battery swaps as a rest, the tool was so hot you could not hold it in a bare hand, the thermal overload shut it down I should have let it cool more before abusing it again but ran it to shut down 4 or 5 times, when it did finally cool down over night it was toast. got a new one less than a week later.

Just remember to go online and register the tools and batteries.

BTW if you do not register them then they only have the same warranty as all the other manufactures, so you really are not out anything.

In the Ridgid line I have:
2 drills
2 impact drivers
2 hammer drills
2 circ saws
1 sawzall
1 Jig saw
1 1/2" impact driver
4 flashlights
3 chargers

The reason I have so many is that the new Lion batteries fit the old NiCad tools, no adaptor needed so I pick them up cheap.

 

[Thumper68]

I've said it a million times here: Milwaukee's 5 year warranty is painless and effective. If anything is going to break in a tool, it's likely to happen in a 5 year time span. After 5 years, you don't have much to ***** about - the tool can still be repaired but it'll be on your dime.

Have you actually tried to warrantee a tool? or are you going on hear say.

I had to have a warrantee one of my Milwaukee Sawzalls less than 3 months after purchase. What a cluster ****, took 2 months to get it fixed and back in my hands.

 

[FigureItOut]

The large majority of anecdotes I hear about Milwaukee warranty service are very, very positive, and that was my experience.
Ign brought up an interesting point though. Beyond warranty, it'd be wise to invest in tools that are easily serviced if you're in them for the long haul, and that's something I've never considered. A $200-300 drill ought to be serviceable. The only account regarding the serviceability of a power tool I've heard was RTR talking about opening up his IR compact 1/2" impact and noticing that it appeared to be built with possible future repairs in mind.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[cja245]

I recently bought the 5x brushless kit. Registration went through without a hitch. I did it online. I didn't have to send anything in, just enter the serial numbers and the home depot receipt code. Processed in about 3 days. The tools are excellent. I've only had them a couple months so I cant say how the will hold up. At work they have the Milwauke m18 fuel's in the shop. I would say they are maybe not on par with Milwaukee, but very close.

I previously had a Milwaukee V18 set that the batteries are pretty much shot and prohibitively expensive. I beat the **** out of the drill at work and it's had its fair share of repairs, 1 chuck, 2 triggers, brushes, 2 batteries. My previous employer did all the warranty and repairs in house, which was the primary reason for going Milwaukee at that time. No personal experience with Milwaukee's warranty service

 

[gdocktor3]

The 1/4" Ridgid impact driver makes 2000 in lbs of torque. That is roughly 167 ft lbs. About 30 ft lbs less than most cordless 3/8" impact wrenches. I like Ridgid. I have a lot of their 18v tools and never had a problem with any of them. I also have at least 10 of the 18v batteries, new and old. None of which have given up yet after years of daily use doing carpentry, up until I stopped about two years ago. Even now they still hold a charge and work just fine with only random usage. If you play by their rules and do all the legwork, you should have no problem with warranties if you ever even need to...

 

[fourjeepin]

I've used the Ridgid warranty and it was painless. The warranty process has gotten much easier of late as the last couple I bought I was able to register online without mailing anything.

Their warranty is what sold me when it was time to replace my Dewalt stuff. Is their lineup as good as Milwaukee? No. Is the quality as good, maybe not, but the warranty is the best and the prices are far better.

 

[truckdriver]

Have you actually tried to warrantee a tool? or are you going on hear say.

I had to have a warrantee one of my Milwaukee Sawzalls less than 3 months after purchase. What a cluster ****, took 2 months to get it fixed and back in my hands.

Did you warranty it by mail directly through Milwaukee or at an authorized repair center? I took my M12 grease gun to an authorized center and they dicked me around for 2 months. Contacted Milwaukee and they overnighted a new grease gun to me and had my old one fixed in 3 days and told me to keep both. Lesson learned. Send it directly to Milwaukee.

 

[buckwheat_la]

Hate the Rigid tool warrantee, nothing but problems. I outfitted my entire landscape crew 3 years ago with Rigid while giving my construction crew Makita 4 years ago. Makita so far has had 2 drills go, easily warranteed. Rigid has had 2/4 drills, 3/4 impacts, 1/2 cordless saws and 4 batteries all **** out and Rigid has said they believe my guys are abusing the tools. This spring the landscapers begged me for a Makita kit, so far no problems with it at all. Keep in mind too, we do construction year round with the Makita where as the Rigid are only used during summer.....NEVER GOING BACK TO RIGID. Now the reason I went Rigid was so the guys wouldn't mix up tools, so next year the Landscapers are getting Milwaukee tools.....my 2 cents

 

[Thumper68]

Did you warranty it by mail directly through Milwaukee or at an authorized repair center? I took my M12 grease gun to an authorized center and they dicked me around for 2 months. Contacted Milwaukee and they overnighted a new grease gun to me and had my old one fixed in 3 days and told me to keep both. Lesson learned. Send it directly to Milwaukee.

Took it to the tool store where I bought it an authorized repair center, they put the blame on Milwaukee, stating and showing me the e-mail from Milwaukee asking that the tool be sent in so they could diagnose the issue and look at the tool to see if it was a manufacturing issue.

Just so everyone knows I love my Milwaukee corded tools, I have 4 Sawzalls, 2 1/2" drills, a 7 1/4 circ saw, right angle drill, power shear and 2 drywall screw guns. So you can see that I am not a hater, but I see little point in buying Milwaukee cordless for more money when I can get a tool just as good (also made buy Milwaukee under license from Emerson Elec.) unless the tool I need is only made under the Milwaukee brand.

Also I expect that Milwaukee in a few generations of tools to change the battery design again, making all the tools you have now incompatible.

I can buy any Ridgid 18v tool and use my lion batteries, I keep my eye on CL and at auctions and pick up any that are in good shape for pennies on the dollar.

 

[Thumper68]

Just wanted to add there is this too, if you look around on the HD website you can find deals like this.

2 amp hour battery, usb adaptor and the charger for $70, they sell the battery alone for $70.
(I just ordered 2 of them)

Last year they had a 4 amp hour battery and flashlight for $50 I wish I had bought more than 2.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Portable-Power-Source-Kit-R604830/206736727

 

[reader2580]

Sure, TTI makes Ridgid tools and owns Milwaukee tools, but they also make Ryobi tools too. One just as easily say that Ridgid tools are made by Ryobi.

 

[gdocktor3]

Sure, TTI makes Ridgid tools and owns Milwaukee tools, but they also make Ryobi tools too. One just as easily say that Ridgid tools are made by Ryobi.

Exactly. I forgot to ad that in my comment.

 

[inlikeflint]

I just end up buying DeWalt kits. The ones that come with two batteries is what I look for. My parents bought into the Rigid plan in 2004. My stepfather never register the Rigid and after he past away, I inherited a drill kit that Home Depot won't service... (And this is a good clue for anyone who picks up tools at estate sales like I do.) Anyway, My DeWalt without a service plan that I have used since 2002 are still working, and if they ever shoot craps, I can justify buying another kit with two batteries.