Replies

1. 
   Shoeman | Sep 30, 2003 06:52am | #1

   Well Doc, I saw them today myself and thought the same thing about how nice it would be to have batteries for a lifetime.  Also noticed they had a 90 day home trial guarantee - just might have to try a drill. 

   Problem is..........I've gotten spoiled with the Panasonics for the last seven years or so and think I might have a real tough time using something else - those Panasonics just feel right in my hand.  Sure the Ridgid would have a lifetime warranty, but, who wants to be stuck with a drill they don't like for a lifetime - "well, ya know this drill here in my hand, sure it sucks, but at least I'll have it for ever"  hmmmmmmmm..

   Actually the drills felt alright - like I say - may just have to try one for 90 days and see how they actually perform.  Really didn't care for the cordless sawzall though - awkward to trip the safety and squeeze the trigger with one hand.  Corded RO sander felt pretty good though.  Also thought about getting a big corded drill to take the abuse of mixing mud and self leveling concrete - that might be nice to have a lifetime warrenty on. 

   Someone quick, buy some of this stuff, put it through the paces and let the rest of us know before the end of the year - thats when the special lifetime warrenty stuff ends.

1. 
   Shoeman | Sep 30, 2003 07:14am | #2

   Forgot to mention in the last post that the Ridgid batteries are only 2 amp hour NiCds.  Tough to switch to if you are spoiled with the 3.5 amp hour NiMh that Panasonic is making.  Although I did kind of like the idea that you could have two batteries on the charger at the same time with some of the Ridgid chargers.

   man - I still might have to swallow my pride and try one of these things

2. 
   BossHog | Sep 30, 2003 04:15pm | #3

   I'd be a little suspicious of the "lifetime guarantee".

   Wal-mart sold hand saws for a while with just such a guarantee. But then they changed their mind and cancelled the guarantee.

   Going from memory, seems like Sears has done that with tape measures before?

   The "lifetime replacement of batteries" also sounds good. But will they keep stocking the replacements in 5 years when they're obsolete?

   Maybe I'm too suspicious. But if it sounds too good to be true......

   Gravity's the only thing keeping me here.

3. 
   Parrothead2 | Sep 30, 2003 05:44pm | #4

   On another forum I frequent they contacted Ridgid and yes infact the batteries are considered normal wear and tear which makes them replacable under the warrenty. But also remember that Ridgid is now owned and manufactured by Ryobi no Emerson tools.

   I have heard wonderful things about Panesonic so that will be my next after my good old PC dies. I love that drill but the new PC's just don't hold up like the old ones.

1. 
   BillHartmann | Sep 30, 2003 08:55pm | #5

   " But also remember that Ridgid is now owned and manufactured by Ryobi no Emerson tools."

   Ridgid is still own by Emerson. And responsible for whatever they sell.

   But they have contracted a sister/parent company of Ryboi to make them under Emerson's direction.

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Sep 30, 2003 09:36pm | #6

   I'm pretty sure that some of the new Ridgid power tools don't come from Ryobi.   The 6" ROS and the saber saw are marked "Made in Germany", and look like designs Metabo (a German company) has been selling for years, except that the plastic is now Home Depot orange instead of Metabo green.

1. 
   bobl | Sep 30, 2003 09:40pm | #7

   this thread made me curious and went into HD looking for these rigid tools

   the local HD didn't have them.bobl          Volo Non Voleo

1. 
   raybrowne | Oct 01, 2003 01:32am | #8

   My Home Depot has them(Boston, MA), and if I remember correctly the Rigid cordless drills were marked made China or Taiwan, they definitely didn't look like anything Metabo has put out. A little heavy but not bad looking tools, if there is a made in America option for the same item I buy it though(all my cordless drills are US made...)

   -Ray

2. 
   bobl | Oct 01, 2003 02:13am | #9

   haven't seen yhem in tweksbury, don't think nashua has them eitherbobl          Volo Non Voleo

3. 
   SledBC | Oct 10, 2003 09:14am | #10

   Here's a link to the combo kit, anyone know if this stuff is any good?

   http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=Super+Categories%2fTools+%26+Hardware&BV_SessionID=@@@@1719066135.1065766274@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccefadcjikhllkicgelceffdfgidgjj.0&MID=9876&pos=p06

    

4. 
   SledBC | Oct 11, 2003 08:41am | #11

   Looked into them today, should have the combo by next week, $699 cdn with the recip saw, hammer drill, circular saw, and light.  I have 4 cordless drills each with 2 dead batteries, 2 milwaukee 14.4v, and 2 hilti 12v, and im not paying $100 each for new batteries anymore.....lifetime warranty on batteries is too hard to pass up.