Let's discuss Ridgid Cordless tools........

[pioneer1]

I am just surprised there isn't much posted on here about these tools. I have been debating about getting into a battery platform and was really leaning towards Milwaukee, but I am having a hard time justifying the cost of their tools since I am just a DIY person that wouldn't be using these tools everyday.
What started me looking was just wanting an Impact Wrench for tire removal, brake jobs, tie rod and other suspension work. Was really looking hard at the Stubby, then started looking at the Mid-Torque for more power when some would say the Stubby wouldn't remove SOME lug nuts. Then I found out TTI who owns Milwaukee also owns Ridgid and others.
What really made me look at Ridgid was the Life Time Service Agreement and Lifetime Batteries since I wouldn't be using these that often.
I do know they don't have as many tools as Milwaukee's line.
But is Milwaukee that MUCH better for a DIY , hobbyist?

Just wanted to hear others thoughts.

 

[Farmall450]

If you don't need the more unique tools, no probably not. But, you can get steals on Mil/DeWalt sets...making anything else kinda pointless, unless you only pay full retail.

 

[vavet]

Don’t buy it for the LSA and batteries. If you like the color, the price, the looks, the performance or anything else, then go for it. If you buy it for the LSA and you have to use it, you’ll be disappointed because they **** at administering it. I say this as someone who has bought many of these tools and successfully registered all of them for the LSA. Many of the complaints you’ll hear are from people who never went through all the hoops they require.
The process when you have a claim is always different. I’ve had a few claims. One was for the battery powered shop vac. I took it to the HD store so they could ship it out. They charged me $20 which is refundable when they determine it’s under warranty. That’s my first beef with it. Then they ship it out, I get a call from the store a couple weeks later saying it’s ready. I go to get it and they can’t find it for about 30 minutes. They finally locate and tell me it wasn’t fixed. Huh? Why not? So we call the Ridgid 800 number. These units are not repaired. There was never a need to ship it out. So then Ridgid sends me an email with descriptions of pictures they want me to take and send to them. I did all that. A few weeks later I had a new vac. Bottom line....they made good on it, but it was a lot of trouble for me, the customer.

Another claim, my 18v recip saw. I took it to a different HD store for them to ship back. This guy goes to the tool department, comes back with a 5 piece kit, opens it, and hands me the recip saw and says have a nice day. Ok this is great. So how do I register this for the LSA? Oh, you just go online and do it. So I do...except I can’t. I finally call the 800 number and tell them how it went down. They said Nope..you either need a store receipt, even if it’s for a penny, or you lose your LSA. I called back to the store to get them to hold my saw before they shipped it out. I explained my story to about 3 different people and asked to have the tool rental counter people call me back to confirm. No call...I stop at the store on my way home that evening. Luckily they didn’t ship it out yet so we were able to send it out for repair under my name and maintain the LSA, no thanks to the store clerk.

It’s just a frustrating, inconsistent experience. If I was buying today, I’d look real hard at Ryobi. They’re much less expensive and have a wide range of tools.

 

[Fly YX]

I have the 1/2 Ridgid impact for doing aircraft tires and it works great. I have quite a bit of the Ridgid tools sometimes you can get a better deal on their website so check online for you buy in the store. The only reason why I got the Milwaukee M12 tools is that Ridgid did not make what I needed. I have the m12 3/8 stubby it works good for what it is. If you go the Ridgid route make sure you keep your receipts and set up a Ridgid account and register everything and then print out or save it on your computer just in case they have a problem on their site. It's nice not to have to worry about bad batteries and they have gotten better about warranty on batteries you no longer have to go to an authorized service center you can call them give them the serial number and they will send you a new battery.

 

[DFB]

like Farmall450 said. I don't see buying into Ridgid saving you THAT much over Milwaukee if you play the price deals on basic stuff like drilldrivers and smaller impact tools


And I have availed myself to Milwaukee warranty numerous times, totally painless, no registrations, no in store returns and also had CS exceed my expectations giving me new products at no charge.

Been some discussions here on GJ over the years about warranty dealing with Ridgid and whether that's was the buyers fault for incorrectly following warranty stipulations not for me say here.

But if Ridgid is what you want get it, it stands right up there with other names, tool choices among the platforms my be not be the same as other brands but conversely Ridgid has items Milwaukee wont provide that I really want (cordless tank compressor is just one.

 

[Blind1]

Great tools. They would work for nearly 95% of the forum if they made them in red with a Milwaukee logo.

 

[jeffmoss26]

two of my coworkers (locksmiths) swear by them.

 

[Yarpo]

When I had them at work we used and abused them with little issue, but issues none the less. The brake on the drill stopped working. Sawzall would run slow and heavily bog down when cutting anything. Both tools got repaired but it was quite the hassle.

 

[peteco]

I started buying Ridgid 10 years ago. You have to be disciplined and register as required. Yes there is some hassle doing that, but I have had several batteries and chargers replaced and tools repaired for free. I am glad I went with Ridgid.

 

[59 wagon man]

tried to warranty a ridgid mini Sawzall that I bought new ridgid said a guy in Chicago registered that number so im screwed. Ryobi isn't bad but the Milwaukee is the one I reach for. the tools seem like they weigh a little less so they are less tiring to use

 

[Mecha]

I have a Ridgid 12" Miter, and cast iron table saw, from like 8 years ago. Love them, absolutely love them. I think that may have been before TTI.

That said they are supposed to be in quality halfway between Ryobi and Milwaukee. Whatever, I have Ryobi for cordless, I am just a homeowner, I am not using it to make a living like others. I have Ryobi because batteries and tools are cheap. If I don't use them for a year and the battery is dead, it isn't too big a deal to replace. Plus they do have a lot of nice brushless motor stuff.

 

[metaldad]

i have not had a problem using ridgids warranty.
and, i really am not of fan of cordless.
last experience - had a 18v vsr drill. co worker jammedphucked the chuck, and the clutch. brought it to an authorized repair shop.
it was obsolete, no parts available.
repair shop got me a new drill, lifetime warranty. new battery, charger, 3 year. carrying bag.
all no charge.
repair shop - i recommend them highly - berlands tools. an adult male toy store! they have EVERYTHING in stock.
https://www.berlandstools.com/

 

[Tynee]

As a homeowner, I’ve been very happy with my sawzall in very limited use, my drill, impact driver, 1/2” impact wrench, and work light in heavier use.

I have not been pleased with my circular. Seems gutless, bogs down in 1/4” plywood. I’m reading above about somebody’s sawzall running slow and bogging, so maybe that tool isn’t working right?

 

[Yarpo]

As a homeowner, I’ve been very happy with my sawzall in very limited use, my drill, impact driver, 1/2” impact wrench, and work light in heavier use.

I have not been pleased with my circular. Seems gutless, bogs down in 1/4” plywood. I’m reading above about somebody’s sawzall running slow and bogging, so maybe that tool isn’t working right?

Certainly sounds like an issue. I mean we used the thing a lot (plumber) and then one day it just started bogging down, even in 1/4 plywood like yours. I'd look at getting it fixed.

 

[jgromada]

i have a bunch of Ridgid stuff. Ridgid doesn't seem to have the fanboys on here that DeWalt and especially Milwaukee has.

 

[Farmall450]

like Farmall450 said. I don't see buying into Ridgid saving you THAT much over Milwaukee if you play the price deals on basic stuff like drilldrivers and smaller impact tools


And I have availed myself to Milwaukee warranty numerous times, totally painless, no registrations, no in store returns and also had CS exceed my expectations giving me new products at no charge.

Been some discussions here on GJ over the years about warranty dealing with Ridgid and whether that's was the buyers fault for incorrectly following warranty stipulations not for me say here.

But if Ridgid is what you want get it, it stands right up there with other names, tool choices among the platforms my be not be the same as other brands but conversely Ridgid has items Milwaukee wont provide that I really want (cordless tank compressor is just one.

The only thing I can think of that Ridgid offers, but not DeWalt, is the lame cooler + fan thing. Granted, I also don't have a local HD.

OP, once you get a few Yellow/red batts in a kit or on letgo, FB, or clist, you can get really really good baretools dirt cheap. DeWalt also is offering an ever-growing amount of them that are made or assembled here, if that matters to you.

 

[fourjeepin]

I have a ton of Ridgid tools. I used the warranty once on a chop saw. I had to take it to a service center but they gave me a brand new one. The ridgid line is not as complete as some of the others, but the quality is great and the warranty has worked for me.

The main thing that got me started switching to Ridgid from Dewalt was the price. I highly disagree that they are just a but cheaper than Milwaukee. They can be found a LOT cheaper. I got two impact kits for $40, a circular saw and hammer drill set with 4ah and 2 ah for $60. A sawzall bare for $40.

I must confess that I do have a couple of Ryobi tools - hedge trimmer and a 18gauge brand nailer. I made an adapter for the hedge trimmer to use the ridgid batteries so I don’t have to keep multiple chargers around. I have considered the Milwaukee pex tool, it like all of their stuff, it is spendy.

 

[Polo_Karl]

Probably not a big deciding factor, but I like the folding Ridgid battery powered lights a lot. Everybody brings their own battery powered lights to the courts so we can play at night. The ridgid ones sure seem to fill in the light the best.

 

[youm0nt]

I like my brushless, cordless router and corded table saw from them. I also own Milwaukee impact wrenches and ratchets. I haven't had to use Ridgid's warranty but from what I've read, it's great.

 

[Legion Prime]

I went with Ridgid both because of the LSA and the fact I liked their router best. Milwaukee to the best of my knowledge doesn't offer one. I'm not a fan of Ryobi, the DeWalt was WAY more expensive which left the Makita. I didn't like the Makitas adjuster as much and the bare tool cost the same as the Ridgid with a 2ah battery and charger. I've only done some familiarization cuts with it on some scrap but I really do like it a lot, especially the adjuster. At first I thought I might not like the power switch but it's not nearly as annoying as I thought it might be and I appreciate the easy slap to turn off aspect.
I then went back and got the drill/impact combo and I really like it a lot. The drills a little loud but not bad, used it to mount a vise the other day. The impact is awesome! It's my first impact and I really like it and not just for the convenience of a drill to drill with and a driver for screws without swapping bits. The ONLY thing I'm kinda not thrilled with is the light. It's not terrible, damn handy to be honest but I for the life of me can not figure out why they put the light on the base shining up rather than placing them around the chuck as on other models. Not a big gripe but a touch baffling nonetheless.
I haven't had to use the LSA yet but registration was straightforward as it can be while reading those tiny serial numbers and I uploaded images of the receipts so they can't get lost. I also checked in at the local authorized service center before buying them to make sure THEY knew they were an Ridgid service center. I've gone to companies website listed dealers only to find they didn't exist or closed up before so I just like double checking. Plus they sharpened a few blades for my table saw so I'm happy with them already. I don't plan to buy too many more tools but the nice to haves eg. sander and circular saw look pretty decent and will probably be picked up when I have a paycheck I haven't spent too much of. LOL

 

[Handyandy23]

I think it depends on how you buy tools, too. If you buy tools from the brick and mortar store every time there's definitely a cost difference in the brands. But once you go online that cost difference is almost nothing, since you can save quite a bit buying bare tools on Amazon from DeWalt or Milwaukee, while Ryobi and Ridgid are basically in store only.

I have DeWalt 20V but also have a Ryobi battery and charger from a trimmer and leaf blower I bought. Got the bright idea one day in HD that I should start looking harder at Ryobi since it was so much cheaper than DeWalt.

But when I started comparing Ryobi pricing to DeWalt on Amazon, the prices were within $10 or $20 of each other. IMO not worth the drop in quality.

 

[PhantomEB]

I like them, Home Depot is 10 min away.

My brother also has the full set and we use them constantly on the job site so that bolsters my support of them.

 

[CoryDH]

I am already invested in another battery platform but a guy I trained had Ridged Drills. They worked great. We drove 6 inch lags and they held up fine. What impressed me though, he had a battery hammer drill from them. We needed to get a cable through 18inch concrete/stone. I usually kept a plug in drill in the truck for stuff like this. His drill drove my 36inch concrete bit through and didnt chug at all. They feel just as good as any other brand out there to me. I have a pancake compressor and a shop vac from ridgid, both AC and never had any issues. I would be comfortable with the battery drills on the job. Dont know about warranty claims amd such to speak on though.

Sent from my LG-TP450 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Tul]

I like them, Home Depot is 10 min away.

My brother also has the full set and we use them constantly on the job site so that bolsters my support of them.

How's the battery life?

Does he have the standard batteries or new (Optane?)?

 

[Moparman390]

i have not had a problem using ridgids warranty.
and, i really am not of fan of cordless.
last experience - had a 18v vsr drill. co worker jammedphucked the chuck, and the clutch. brought it to an authorized repair shop.
it was obsolete, no parts available.
repair shop got me a new drill, lifetime warranty. new battery, charger, 3 year. carrying bag.
all no charge.
repair shop - i recommend them highly - berlands tools. an adult male toy store! they have EVERYTHING in stock.
https://www.berlandstools.com/

I never knew that place was there, I clicked on it wondering where this magic tool store was, thinking it was probably in some other part of the country, turns out I'm sitting here at work like a mile away, almost right down the street. I gotta check it out.

 

[PhantomEB]

How's the battery life?

Does he have the standard batteries or new (Optane?)?

Standard ones, held up good whether using the grinder or the drill.

 

[patchap]

I'm a roofing contractor, I use their stuff. The brushless cordless saw is great, haven't plugged a saw in at a job in a couple years. Have sheathed hundreds of houses with them.
Their impacts and hammer drills do the job fine, sawzall is ok but works. 1/2 impact has no problem on my 3/4 and 1 ton trucks doing suspension etc.

 

[pioneer1]

i have not had a problem using ridgids warranty.
and, i really am not of fan of cordless.
last experience - had a 18v vsr drill. co worker jammedphucked the chuck, and the clutch. brought it to an authorized repair shop.
it was obsolete, no parts available.
repair shop got me a new drill, lifetime warranty. new battery, charger, 3 year. carrying bag.
all no charge.
repair shop - i recommend them highly - berlands tools. an adult male toy store! they have EVERYTHING in stock.
https://www.berlandstools.com/

So are you saying the replacement battery only came with a 3yr warranty? Why not lifetime since it replace a life time warranted 1.

 

[59 wagon man]

I can tell you the sawzalls dont compare. I was forced into the m18 battery for some of my trade tools . when the ridgid Sawzall quit and they wouldn't warranty it because they said the serial number was for a tool in Chicago (im in fla) I bought into the m12 setup .yesterday I used it to cut out a galvanized 2" water line for 2 stories requiring several cuts with no problems. it is extremely light weight compared to some of the other cordless which dont work nearly as well

 

[Farmall450]

I can tell you the sawzalls dont compare. I was forced into the m18 battery for some of my trade tools . when the ridgid Sawzall quit and they wouldn't warranty it because they said the serial number was for a tool in Chicago (im in fla) I bought into the m12 setup .yesterday I used it to cut out a galvanized 2" water line for 2 stories requiring several cuts with no problems. it is extremely light weight compared to some of the other cordless which dont work nearly as well

Why would it matter if you moved?

 

[Handyandy23]

Why would it matter if you moved?

I think he implied in an earlier post that someone else had mistakenly registered the wrong serial number (which was his SN). So Ridgid wouldn't honor the warranty to him.

Seems like a needlessly complicated way to do things.

 

[Farmall450]

I think he implied in an earlier post that someone else had mistakenly registered the wrong serial number (which was his SN). So Ridgid wouldn't honor the warranty to him.

Seems like a needlessly complicated way to do things.

Makes more sense. That is still really unfortunate. "original" owner only, apparently.

 

[pioneer1]

If you don't need the more unique tools, no probably not. But, you can get steals on Mil/DeWalt sets...making anything else kinda pointless, unless you only pay full retail.

like Farmall450 said. I don't see buying into Ridgid saving you THAT much over Milwaukee if you play the price deals on basic stuff like drilldrivers and smaller impact tools

I just can't seem to find the steals / deals you guys are talking about. Show me where I can get a better deal than this.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...05900100;303101201;305658528;-_-305658534-_-N

I did look at the dewalt 1/2 impact with the same specs as the ridgid since I already do have a Dewalt Drill / Charger/ 2 batteries. But it was 185.00 for the bare tool. So where am I going wrong here?

 

[Farmall450]

I just can't seem to find the steals / deals you guys are talking about. Show me where I can get a better deal than this.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...05900100;303101201;305658528;-_-305658534-_-N

Here's the thing: you aren't going to be able to impulse buy them all at once. I have 16ish tools...and I've paid more than half of retail on like 4 of them.

 

[DFB]

I just can't seem to find the steals / deals you guys are talking about. Show me where I can get a better deal than this.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...05900100;303101201;305658528;-_-305658534-_-N

I did look at the dewalt 1/2 impact with the same specs as the ridgid since I already do have a Dewalt Drill / Charger/ 2 batteries. But it was 185.00 for the bare tool. So where am I going wrong here?

In general that combination of tools is different than most 5 pc sets so really can't be compared to some manufacturer present offerings that I can see.

There are no saws included most kits usually have a circ and either a sawzall or hackzall type tool and the grinder or impact wrench is usually an added bonus.

Plus that kit only has one XC battery, the other is a compact so that also helps to keep the price lower. To it's benefit its all brushless though, and very good priced deal.

Early on I said if you like the Ridgid brand get it...and if those are the tools you want and need.


One thing I will say though and I think could be slight drawback is most Ridgid purchases are solely limited to shopping at Home Depot (I believe CPO is an outlet too though).

So also a bit difficult to avail to buying at other suppliers like ACME OR Toolup especially when they run percentage discount codes or flash sales.