Rigid 18v Tools

[paris_tj]

I am getting ready to change over from crappy Ryobi 18v stuff to something else. I was reading that Rigid has a lifetime warranty on there batteries. Does anyone know anything about this, or is it a PITA to get them fixed/exchanged?



"In addition to the 3-Year Limited Service Warranty currently included with RIDGID® Brand Hand Held Power Tools Stationary Power Tools, and Pneumatic Tools, purchasers of these products may elect for a limited time to receive a free Lifetime Service Agreement. To accept this Lifetime Service Agreement, you must register your product and submit proof of purchase as described below. The Lifetime Service Agreement provides the original owner of qualifying RIDGID® Brand tools a lifetime of free replacement batteries, free service and free replacement parts subject to the limitations set forth below.


The Lifetime Service Agreement is available free of charge, for a limited time on all RIDGID® Brand hand held power tools, stationary power tools and pneumatic tools, subject to the terms and conditions stated below. Customers have 90 days from date of purchase to register tools for the Lifetime Service Agreement. "

 

[tonydanzah]

i have heard from an associate in the store you are supposed to send the bad battery back to rigid, but he was complaining about people returning them to the store. The store isnt supposed to swap them out, but if you make enough of a fuss they will.

 

[paris_tj]

Even if I have to send in for $10-15 shipping, still cheaper than $40-80 for a new battery every 3-6 months on my #$#$# Ryobi ****. Don't get me wrong, for cheap stuff they work good, but the batteries ****!

 

[Monte]

Ryobi + Ridgid possibly is the same underneath the housing of the tool....

 

[Grogan14]

The lifetime deal is the only reason I switched over to Ridgid. I have 4 of the 18v compact lithium batteries that need replacing after only a year or so of very moderate use. Plan on taking them to the closest authorized repair center when I'm out that way. Even if the exchange goes as it should, I'll think hard before buying another Ridgid power tool.

 

[TDITS]

I have two of the 18v compact lithium batteries. Have a drill and a impact. One battery didn't last 2 months; wont take a charge. The other one charges but doesn't have much power and doesn't last as long as it should. Both are about a year and a half old. I didn't register them when I got them, my fault, just never remembered to do it. I would think twice before buying Ridgid again; and if you do make sure you register them so you can warranty the batteries.

Ridgid does have a nice forum. You might check it out if you haven't already.
http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/index.php

 

[paris_tj]

Well, if not Rigid, what do you guys recommend? I have no issues with Ryobi other than there crappy batteries.

 

[TDITS]

Well, if not Rigid, what do you guys recommend? I have no issues with Ryobi other than there crappy batteries.

Next time I buy a drill or something along those lines it will not be a store brand. I don't want to be tied to just one place for service or batteries. I went by HD the other day to get another 18v compact lithiom ion batter for my Ridgid drill and they didn't even have any. They did have a lot of Dewalt batteries, and so does a dozen other places in town. I'd look at Dewalt first, then Milwaukee, and Makita

 

[mossyboy6]

My ridgid set has stood up to a year of moderate daily use.

Batteries are still the same as new, and everything performs perfectly.

To replace the driver/batteries you have to go to an authorized ridgid repair store. I did all of the research before hand, and made sure there was one close to me just in case.

If you dont want ridgid, I would go milwaukee, I have a hammer drill that has seen about 5 years of use, and still runs just as good as new.Take care of your tools, and they will take care of you.

It also helps to have a healthy understanding of batteries, and charging habits.

 

[zer0cell]

I own an m18 Milwaukee cordless hammer drill and it is powerful. It has a 5 year warranty which is better than most of the competition. One thing I like about it is the chuck is all metal and the drill itself feels very solid. I believe the rigid brand hammer drill also has this feature and from my limited experience with it I think it is a pretty solid performer as well.

There truly is a big difference in something like a hitachi or ryobi or whatever lower duty 18 volt drill and the top of the line 18 volt hammer drills. Yeah they cost about $80 more on average but they can provide a whole lot more torque and should hold a charge longer for heavy duty applications.

A few instances where the more powerful drill was handy was when I was using my drill to mix some thinset mortar inside a 5 gallon bucket. I tried using my dad's hitachi, which honestly isn't a bad drill for the price but it quickly lost its power and would bog down and the battery was drained before I was even finished. When doing the same thing with my milwaukee drill it did not slow down at all and I mixed multiple batches of the stuff before I needed to recharge. The hammer feature on the high speed setting also made drilling pilot holes into concrete and then setting the tapcon screws a breeze.

Yeah if you are going to be doing some really intense work in a limited area having a corded drill may be the best option. However, if you can only buy one drill I'd definitely recommend the top of the line cordless hammer drills for versatility and power. I plan on buying an impact driver later for those times when I need to drive a lot of deck screws, they are great for that, but useless for drilling purposes.

I can vouch for the milwaukee m18 hammer drill, and the dewalt is also good from what I have seen/heard. The rigid I have less experience with but it appears to be well made from what I can tell and having that lifetime service agreement, especially on the batteries is great to have if you don't plan on upgrading for a long time. I'd say give it a try for a few days and if you like it then keep it, otherwise just return it and try one of the other ones I mentioned.

Oh yeah, and Makita and Bosch make solid contenders as well, just to make your decision a bit harder

 

[mossyboy6]

I plan on buying an impact driver later for those times when I need to drive a lot of deck screws, they are great for that, but useless for drilling purposes.

Ive actually done quite a bit of drilling with my impact, and it does great with the small stuff, and it is a lot faster than my drill.

 

[zer0cell]

Ive actually done quite a bit of drilling with my impact, and it does great with the small stuff, and it is a lot faster than my drill.

Perhaps I should clarify but it does depend on what you are trying to drill and if you need to be able to accommodate 1/2 shanks. So 'useless' may not be as good of a word choice as 'not as useful'

 

[nnoble83]

i have had the ridgid 18v 5 piece kit for about 4 years now. i have used and abused every tool in a ******** diy and commercial environment and they have surpassed every expectation i had. The only complaint i have is that ridgid lost my registration when they redid their website and therefore no warranty. I will be switching to milwaukee soon but not because of the quality of the tool but because of the choices of tools. Milwaukee has a much larger assortment of tools and it keeps growing. BTY Milwaukee, Ridgid and Ryobi are all made by the same parent company with (in my experience/opinion) strength and quality descending in the order listed.

 

[american lockpicker]

Well, if not Rigid, what do you guys recommend? I have no issues with Ryobi other than there crappy batteries.

Swiss made Bosch.

 

[59 wagon man]

love my ridgid 18 volt wouldn't buy any other brand again have had too exchange 2 batteries but my tool repair guy was very easy to deal with and no charge at all . i've had dewalt, sears, milwaukee, makita

 

[TDITS]

I guess I should have stated that the town I live in only has 1 Home Depot. I really was stunned the other day when I went in there and they didn't have any of the 18v lithium batteries in stock. I had to order one will take a week.
As far as the tools go, I have a drill and a impact, they have worked well. In the future I want more options for service and batteries.

 

[babyjay8495]

I have multiple Ridgid tools and have been very happy with their cordless tools etc. I have an authorized ridgid place just a few miles from me, i have had to swap out a few 18 volt ni-cad batteries and they will hand me over a brand new one right there or if they are out they call me in about a week or two when they get the new one. Very good program so far. I had a corded saw zall and used it a few times and the mechanism that locked the blade in failed, i took it in and a week later had it fixed and works great. My dad has 18v li-ion milwaukee and they are good tools, and for what use we have used them for they are fairly comparable, except his li-ion is a lot lighter for obvious reasons. IMHO can't go wrong with ridgid.

 

[baubau]

go with Milwaukee or Bosch in 18 volts category...they have the best warranty, they are high quality, bare tools are available everywhere ...

 

[mrb]

im going to be in the market for new 18v tools soon. Ive always wanted milwaukee, but i think I am going to try to buy something that is not TTI (milwaukee, ryobi, ridgid, cman, and possibly some others) ill look at Dewalt and Bosch. Does TTI make the chinese bosch stuff (ie: 12v lithium?)

 

[Major Ramifications]

We sell and service Ryobi and Ridgid tools where I work. They are both owned by the same company, but they are definitely not the same "under the hood".

If you get Ridgid tools, REGISTER for the lifetime warranty! So many people don't and they are S.O.L. when it needs service.

I have mentioned this before on here, but it bears repeating. Here in the New Orleans metropolitan area, we have countless Home Depot's and Lowes, and several Sears. What we do not have is anyone who will honor the Ridgid or Ryobi warranty. The nearest place is out in the boonies.
There used to be several places in town who did warranty service and battery replacement, and we were one of them. None of them do it anymore, because there is just no money in it. Home Depot makes the sales, and they expect us (their competition) to take care of all the problems with the products for very little compensation. We will take care of any tools purchased from us, as we stand behind everything we sell. We send the Home Depot customers to the place out in the boonies, which most won't bother to go to.

Call the listed service center before you make a trip over there, and find out if they will do what you need under warranty. Then, even if you just need one battery, bring the tool, the bad battery(ies), and the charger so that they can determine that the battery is indeed bad and get the model and serial numbers from the tool to match them up to your registration.
Even if you do find a service center near you willing to do battery replacements, you will most probably have to wait for them to order the battery and then wait for it to come to their location and then go back and pick it up.

Home Depot sells it, they get the money, and I feel that they ought to stand behind their products. They apparently are only interested in taking the money for the tools.

Edit:
No, mrb, TTI does not do any contract work for Bosch, AFAIK.

And I DO like the Ridgid tools, just not the "lifetime" warranty.

 

[Monte]

Does TTI make the chinese bosch stuff (ie: 12v lithium?)

The 12 Volt Li-Ion tools are made by Bosch in their own Bosch factory in Penang/Malaysia (since 1972 they make car audio products there and since a while power tools too)

 

[csargents1546]

Once you register your tools, if you have a problem there is a # to call the Ridgid customer service and they will direct you to a qualified service center. In my previous career at HD, all the service centers I dealt with were very good, but like all things there is always a bad to go with every good. Still worth the investment.

 

[Grogan14]

The lifetime deal is the only reason I switched over to Ridgid. I have 4 of the 18v compact lithium batteries that need replacing after only a year or so of very moderate use. Plan on taking them to the closest authorized repair center when I'm out that way. Even if the exchange goes as it should, I'll think hard before buying another Ridgid power tool.

I just got off the phone with the nearest authorized service center. No simple exchange. Was told that I have to drop off my batteries, they will send them to Ridgid, and I will be sent replacements within somewhere between 10 days and 8 weeks! The guy told me it's usually closer to the 8 weeks than anything.

As a contractor, I certainly can't go for this, and will not purchase anything Ridgid again, power tool-wise. The 12v oscillating tool that I received for Christmas will be going back to HD.

 

[wbrian63]

I had a full brace of Ridgid 18v tools. Just gave them away.
1/2" driver drill
1/2" hammer drill
1/4" hex drive impact driver
5-1/4" circular saw
planer
reciprocating saw
large tube caulk gun
dual port "rapid" charger

I've got 2 5" random orbit sanders that perform very well and I'm very satisfied. I've got a trim router that works "ok", but gets hot to the touch after 10-15 minutes of normal trim-router-level work. It has been this way since new, but I'm not convinced Ridgid will do anything about it warranty-wise until it cooks itself.

I've had some items warrantied by the local service center, of which there is 1 in Houston - one of the largest metro cities in the US. The rapid charger has died twice - once was warrantied, 2nd was placed on a shelf to be disposed of later.

Batteries are not tested/warrantied properly. The center wants to keep them, fully charge them and measure the voltage to determine if they're defective.

I took two batteries, charged them on the same charger, measured the voltage, found it within .1 volts between packs (both values in-spec for 18v ni-cad). One drove 100 #7x1-5/8" coated screws into pine, but the other only drove 50. I allowed the driver to cool to room temp between tests, and both batteries were room temp when the test started.

According to the service center, both batteries are OK....

In that same test, I took my old Dewalt 14.4 impact driver and drove 150 screws. At the end of the first test with the Ridgid driver, the gear case was so hot you couldn't touch it. After 150 screws with the Dewalt, the case was just beginning to get warm.

All that being said, they might work just fine for a casual user, but I'd stay away if you're a professional. Go Lithium Ion whatever you buy and you won't be disappointed.

My recent tool of choice is Makita. I've got 2 impact drivers, regular and "compact" (basically, small difference in size and slightly less torque), 1 compact drill, one standard size 1/2" driver/drill, couple of flashlights, a worksite radio and 3 chargers. With all the purchases, and a recent Makita rebate for a free 3.0ah battery, I have 2 small 1.8ah batteries, and 5 3.0ah batteries. Only complaints so far is no power level indicator on the tools or the batteries, but even under heavy usage, they never get hot and will charge quickly (15min for small and about 30 for large) on the power-cooled chargers. The jobsite radio I bought because a review in FineWoodworking erroneously stated it charges batteries, and I thought it would be good for away-from-the shop work. It does sound nice and is durable for a site radio. Will run all day on a small battery, so we'll keep it. I do love the LED illumination on the new tools - don't know how I ever lived without that.

I've also got a set of Bosch 12v Li-ion tools. A drill and an impact driver, both use 1/4" hex shank bits. I bought these to carry in the truck - they come in a neat nylon zippered case. The go with the Bosch multi-tool (like the Fein Multi-master) that uses the same batteries that I bought 6 months ago refurbished for $99. The drill/impact I got from Lowes for $159.00 for the set. Not good / big enough for shop duty, but just fine for carry-around-just-in-case duty. I mounted the charger in the tool box of the truck where I've got a small inverter that runs on a timer. It's set to run 30 minutes after we cut the engine off, since the truck frequently gets driven only from the house to the shop - 10 or so minutes. That way, there's always a fully charged battery available, and the spare, being Li-Ion, will keep most of it's reserve charge for months on end.

My vote - stay away from Rigid cordless.