Ridgid

Ridgid is one of the most famous American power tool manufacturers. The company has been around since the 1930s, and it’s responsible for many innovations that completely changed the way we look at power tools. That means that they take a lot of care when designing a tool, which brings us to their latest and most popular line of devices named GEN5X.

All of the GEN5X tools are powered by the same 18V batteries. The line has some really nice looking and useful tools, most of which outperform their competition. You can find tools like the hammer drill, drill/driver, oscillating tool, sanders, reciprocating saw, circular saw, and so on. The tools are sold separately, but some of them are sold together as a combo kit. The company has half a dozen different combo kits to offer, so finding the one that fits your needs best can be a little tricky. That’s where we come in. Keep reading, and we will help you figure out what kit you need. Answer these questions, and you will know what you need.

Ridgid Company History

The company was established in 1923 in Ohio, USA. It introduced a pipe wrench that became a massive success in the plumbing industry. By the 1930s, Ridgid was more about inventing pretested work-saver tools to meet consumers’ demands.

The company then moved to its current headquarters in Elyria, Ohio, in 1943. Three years later, it started exporting products across Europe. The brand had tremendous pipe threading innovations between 1948-1959.

However, in 1966, Ridgid was acquired by Emerson Electric, a move was geared towards increasing investments and expanding into new territories. The brand specializes in making construction, plumbing, pipe fitting, and HVAC system tools. Its product line has equipment suited for plumbers, electricians, and general-purpose contractors.

Today, it has 300+ power tools that are manufactured by Techtronic Industries (TTI). It has less than 300 employees and annual revenue of 46 million dollars.

What They’re Know for: Ridgid Products

Ridgid is one of the most recognizable brand names in power tools and for good reason. They deliver in a number of areas, bringing customers back to their products time and again.

The first reason is that they have established a reputation for being trustworthy. When you think of Ridgid, you think of high performance and even higher quality. You won’t find anything cheaply made by Ridgid.

They are also known for the ruggedness and reliability of their products. They are built to stand up to frequent use and will not break down without taking a serious pounding first. For those make a living using their tools, that can be a very important feature of any power tool.

Ridgid also delivers the power. They build their tools for professionals and are designed to deliver some of the best performances in their class no matter what the tool. With all the power, ease of handling, and a lifetime warranty, it is no secret why Ridgid is so popular.

How About The Quality of Ridgid Tools

Now, it is a little hard to find a lot of information on where Ridgid tools are made. Even though, as mentioned before, Ridgid is owned by Emerson Electric, TTI actually makes the vast majority of the power tools which are sold under the Ridgid name.

From what we can tell, virtually all Ridgid tools are made in China.

Many would say that this is a bad thing because outsourcing production to the Global South is often associated with decreased product quality. However, Ridgid tools actually receive a lot of praise from people around the world.

For the most part, users are very happy with their Ridgid tools, particularly their cordless tools. Now, people are not overly pleased with the selection available, but the quality does seem to be more than acceptable.

Ridgid tools are geared partially towards professional use, but their power tools specifically, tend to be more for light-duty use. People agree that while Ridgid tools often don’t have the best specs or the fanciest features, they are durable, convenient, and reasonably priced too.

Best ridgid tools of 2021:

1. Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Belt Sander

The Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Belt Sander is a solid supplementary tool. If you plan to do some refinishing work, this belt sander gives you cordless freedom. With plenty of power in its brushless motor, we found we could remove material at a solid rate. Runtime remains the limiting factor, of course. Our own real-world sanding tests netted around 13 minutes and 40 seconds of continuous runtime.

The sander has a variable speed dial to run at speeds between 400 and 940 FPM and surprisingly good dust collection. A three-position pommel gives you some adjustment in your hand position. The belt is easily removable and there’s a tracking knob to help you adjust the belt closer to or further from an adjacent part of the workpiece.

This is another tool that’s great for one-off and punch list work for the carpenter, or for the general contractor to keep on hand for those times when a belt sander will save time over other options.

2. Ridgid 18V Brushless Compact Router

Ridgid has been pushing the boundaries of where cordless tools are going in several categories. The Ridgid R860443B compact router features a brushless motor and is built on the foundation of their popular corded model.

Ridgid took their time-tested design and gave it an Octane boost. Once you get used to the pull-out power switch and opposite side placements for the speed and micro-adjustment dials, it’s perfectly capable of replacing your corded trim router.

Side-by-side with the other cordless routers that are available, the Ridgid Octane 18V cordless compact router isn’t as strong as the top contenders. It shows on dadoes, dovetails, and other higher-demand cuts. It’s not underpowered in that it can’t do the job, though. Just plan on taking a little more time to do it.

3. Ridgid 18V 1″ SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer

The heavy hitters may have cornered the market on cordless rotary hammers, but don’t count Ridgid out. These cordless models tend to be expensive and they’re still trying to move up to corded performance—but they’ve mainly fallen short. While you could spend as much as $800 jumping onto another platform, Ridgid’s cordless rotary hammer still boasts a 1-inch capacity for $309.

For the mason, the Ridgid R86711B SDS-Plus rotary hammer is a punch list workaholic. No one wants to drag out the big boy to make one or two holes on a project you’re just about to wrap up. Slap a battery in and finish it up without running an extension cord. Or, use it to bust up a bathroom’s worth of tile.

It’s also invaluable to the general contractor. You get better performance than a hammer drill when you need to make larger holes in concrete. There’s no doubt bigger hammers are the best bet for floor tile, but no one I know wants to hold that kind of weight when working on vertical material during demo.

4. Ridgid R9652 18V cordless 5-Tool Kit

Ridgid R9652 combo kit includes a hammer drill, an impact driver, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and an LED light to add to your tool collection.

The impact driver provides 2,000-in-lbs. High torque while the hammer drill produces 780-in-lbs. The cordless reciprocating saw and circular saw have the powerful cutting ability on different materials.

All tools in this combo kit use a Gen5X permanent magnet motor that delivers excellent power, runtime, and performance. They also have a lifetime service agreement.

5. Ridgid R82005

This cordless drill is a versatile and compact tool. Don’t allow its size to fool you because it comes with lots of power-packed in it, making this power tool a suitable tool to have for fastening projects.

At 300 inches per pound of torque at up to 1,500 RPM, you will be able to get various types of holes bored and screws driven through a number of materials.

This power can also be customized to your requirements with its 18 position chuck and two-speed gearbox, allowing you to taper the drill down for more delicate tasks.

You will also be able to keep control of this power tool too. Its rubberized over-mold on the pistol grip aids you to keep hold even in slippery settings.

LED lighting on its front, activated when you use the power tool can help you keep an eye on the task at hand, even at low-light conditions. You can also keep this on either side of you with its ambidextrous belt clip, a feature other brands don’t really include. You don’t also need to worry about this power tool running out of juice when you least expect it to.

FAQs

How long do you have to register Ridgid tools?

To accept the RIDGID® Brand Lifetime Service Agreement, you must register your qualifying RIDGID® Brand Hand Held Power Tool, Stationary Power Tool or Pneumatic Tool within 90 days after purchase. Register by logging on to www.ridgid.com, click on “Product Registration,” and choose the appropriate product category.

Are Ridgid power tools guaranteed for life?

RIDGID tools are warranted to be free of material and workmanship defects. This warranty lasts for the lifetime of the RIDGID tool. Warranty coverage ends when the product becomes unusable for reasons other than defects in workmanship or material.

What Will You Be Doing?

The Ridgid combo kit offer is pretty vast. Some kits have 12 tools, some have only two, so it’s essential to think about the work you plan on doing. If you only need to drill a couple of holes and drive some screws, a 2-piece set will do just fine. But, if you’re planning on doing a lot of woodworking or maybe some furniture restoration projects, you will need tools like the Orbital sander, reciprocating saw, or perhaps a circular saw. If that’s the case, getting a five, six, or 10 tool combos is the best way to go.

Is Ridgid a good brand?

In my experience, Ridgid tools are quite good. They’re often well designed, and durable. Some tools might not have the latest and greatest features and specs, while others might offer unique functionality.