Ridgid Sub compact drill drive set

havn’t seen the impact yet. Very cool. How much was is?

-- Childress Woodworks

These look like nice tools – I have never tried 18V tools, as I have always found my 12V sufficient for the relatively light work they do – but that might change.

You should write to Rigid and tell them how happy you are with the tools at the same time make the suggestion for the lanyard attachment, you might get some goodies in return for the suggestion.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Childless;
The kit as shown was $159.00 CDN$
Tony:
I went to 18 volts on the old Ni cad batteries to give myself longer times between charges.
The extra torque is nice but it also draws more power and adds considerable bulk to the drills.
With this newer technology I can charge a battery in 15 minutes which is reasonable on a job.
The batteries are smaller per volt than their predecessors making larger capacity battery a practical addition for using portable saws and the like. ( now available with 36 volt s)
I have to send in the warranty so I might as well mention the missing lanyard hook.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

nice review – thanx!

I’m in a similar boat – using my older 18v dewalt NiCd which don’t hold a charge much anymore. and find it non-cost-effective to get new batteries (2 batteries at ~$110 – almost the price of this set, although not 18v, but still…a point to consider) and after I just got my Ridgid table saw, it seems like they are descent tools. you forgot to mention – and correct me if I’m wrong – but I checked their warranty (for my saw) and it appears that Ridgid will replace your dead batteries – FOR LIFE – on you cordless tools (if you are the original owner) – now – seriously – you can’t beat THAT.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Purplev:
The warranty is on the box as well as the specs. ( odd)
They will replace everything including the batteries for a limited period of 3 years and offer a lifetime warranty for service separately.
I will admit I am today having trouble getting the info required for the warranty as the box is rather sketchy with respect to the model number(s) and the bar code plus a couple of other unidentified numbers.
All I need is to get them out of order and I will be in a technical nightmare should I ever need service.

There is a toll free line and that’s next on my list.

p.s. I just noticed they want a serial number for each tool, each battery, and charger plus the model number on the box plus the “original UPC bar code” from the package meaning I have to cut it off the box, plus a copy of my store bill with and arrow pointing to the product purchased.
They might want to try to make this procedure a little bit easier with some peel and stick labels.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Do they want the tracking info from your personal GPS device, showing you entering and exiting the store and tool section, complete with transaction times?

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Hey Mot!

I see you too have been victimized by the techno geeks. <g>

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

That looks to be a big bodied drill It it that mammoth.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Bob, that’s how most tooling/equipment companies deal with warranties and rebates – gotta get that UPC off the box and mail it with receipt and list of serial numbers, nor only Ridgid.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Hey there, over in the uk we unfortunately don’t really see the Ridgid power tools just their pipework stuff, just outta interest though their tools look like they are made by AEG (their BS12 driver is identical) and as the trade range of Milwaukee AEG has good heritage, I think they too offer a battery replacement for life…as long as you adhere to strict rules, ie. registering within 30 days, but beware that using the tool in wood may invalidate any such guarantee etc (just kidding about the last one). As someone who uses tools regularly but actually sells them on a daily basis too (for my sins- 24/7 tool geek) I know that the number of customers who actually bother to register for extended warranties etc is probably only about 20-25% which is why the manufacturers can offer these deals, the majority of their customers won’t take them up. I don’t know what it’s like over in the states but over here I think Ryobi (also linked to Milwaukee/AEG nowadays) is about the only company who sells their batteries at a reasonable price in the one+ range so the bitter pill of new batteries isn’t so hard to swallow, oh yeah unless you own a Makita 9.6v (stick type) but you probably replaced that by now….

-- Dan, Steel City, UK

Dan:
The box says made in china (big surprise) and it also says the name Ridgid is used under licence from Ridgid Inc.
To make my small brain ache more it is distributed by: One World Technologies inc of Pickens South Carolina.

So I’m thinking that Ridgid is the”brand name” here and it could be diffierent in different markets.
Having been in the manufacturing business myself I am not that impressed with Brand names. ;-)

Karson: The handle is a fist full but the drill is actually quite compact. (5-3/4”)
It packs a torque of 120 in pounds on the driver and a whopping 1000 in lbs on the impact driver.
For us older gentlemen the shorter drill means we can often see the head of the screw without puttng our faces along side the drill. <g> and yep they have a light on the bow too.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I agree 100% on brand names with you Bob, once apon a time a name/brand could be trusted but you get good stuff & bad stuff under all brand names nowadays, a few exceptions such as Festool spring to mind but most of the big names Dewalt, Bosch etc manufacture where they need to to sell at a certain price…as you have done you just have to take each purchase in your stride & see what’s out there at the time… ...just for the record I like to put my nose next to the paper/wood things when I’m technical drawing or precise marking, if I can see the fibres of the paper or the pencil dint the wood ever so slightly I know I’m bang on the mark (usually) but nose next to a screw hurts, especially drywall screws, don’t quite remember how it happened but it involved a step ladder & somehow steadying myself by sticking a drywall screw attached to my driver up my nose, luckily was only 32mm & I was the only one around!!! so remember observe shop safety & all that…stuff happens… that’s how we learn

-- Dan, Steel City, UK

DAN, the one that get me is the reach with the Robertson #2 stuck on the drill tip over and over and over until you finally get down, pickup all the near misses, move the cabinet in the way, and get up close enough to get some pressure on the drill.
Arrrrgh!
Now with the eyeglasses wanting you to turn your head completely horizontal like a scene from the exorcist to accommodate your trifocals that don’t want to focus at any transition on the lenses….

I need the best tools our there now to cover up for my own part that are staring to fail me.
I wonder if I am just a poorer “brand” ;-)s

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Hi – I wonder if this is only sold in Canada. I can’t find it on the HD website or on Ridgid’s.

-- -Kirk

The box suggests its intenational for at least Canada and the US.
I could not find this offer as such either when I was looking for a stock picture.
Try calling a HD store near you.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I’m glad to hear they are coming out with another light weight drill to use as a screw driver. I don’t need an 18 volt 1/2 chuck to drive sheet matal screws all day!! I hate those little impact drivers, they make too much noise; I’m almost deaf already:~((

I ran into the warranty registration issue a couple of years ago. All the tools in the kit had the same part number. If you registered on line, you still had to register by mail. I finally concluded they give a good warranty, but use every CS procedure they can think of to make sure you screw up the process; therefore, are not covered ;~)) That is consistent with American corpo pigs trying to generate revenue flow without doing any thing of value!

I have had very good luck with their tools. If you spend the day on ladders most of the days you work, they are going to hit concrete from 6 to 10 feet. They seem to hold up to the abuse just fine. I have bent driver bits, but the drills still work. My old Mikitas used to break occasionally.

The tool man at HD told me a few years ago when they first came out with Rigid battery tools that HD had bought Rigid to have their own brand of power tools.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Glad you are having a good experience. I certainly fell on my face with a Bosch buy. I am now the owner of the Milwaukee M12 driver and very happy. The Rigid tools look very nice.

-- Just 'cause a cat has kittens in the oven, it don't make 'em biscuits.

I had a Milwaukee Battery drill in the early 80s when they first came out. The battery wouldn’t last long enough to drill a 1/4” hole in an electrical panel front. Milwaukee always had good tools. I don’t know why a company with a good reputation would even put a piece of garbage like that on the market!!

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Kirk-T- I have found that the combo pack seems to be a new thing and has not made it to the web yet. I can find it in HD stores here in Upstate New York.

Bob #2- The lanyard slot is just below the speed selector (at least on the store demo). Seems like a small piece of webbing is the intent for the lanyard.

-- P.O.C.

I found this drill in a HD in Baltimore area. They had it with the drill and a light for $99.00 I believe. I also saw the impact drill.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

i still have not located the lanyard slot on my drills.???

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

How are they holding up?
I’m looking for something like this for a Christmas present for my neighbor that’s a carpenter.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................