I've have Dewalt 18 and 12 volt units and am happy with both of them. I can't imagine needing more power than the 18 volt unit. The other day I put in a fresh battery and the thing almost sprained my wrist. I like to buy American products when I can, even if they are made in Mexico...
-Scott
While I don't have a lot of Ridgid tools, the ones I've used haven't felt any different than the tools I do own and when I need to replace in the future, I'm going to give Ridgid a serious look.
"Stoutman" wrote in news:KL83h.17474$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.southeast.rr.com:
This is a systemic problem with all cordless tools. The general idea is that the batteries go and when that does the user generally tosses the whole thing and buys another. As a result the manufacturers love selling them them because they know the end user will be buying another one in a few years. Sales stay high, the end user gets fleeced in the long run and life is great depending on your perspective.
I have a Porter Cable 12V cordless that I bought in 1999. Still working. Both batteries still take a charge. Since there is no hour meter on it, can't say how many charges it's had.
Looked at Ridgid cordless? As mentioned in another post, if you register the tool (which is free) you get a lifetime warrenty, including batteries, brushes, etc.
Chris
I bet the manufacturer would rather see you buy two new batteries for your drill vs. paying $25-$40 more for a drill case, charger, drill, and two batteries. If you buy all new, the manufacturer stands the chance of loosing you to another brand. I have gone from Makita, to Panasonic, to DeWalt, and back to Makita, because I bought the whole nine yards each time. Had I only bought two new batteries I would still be with the previous brand and gotten much less for my money and I strongly suspect the manufacturers GP would have been higher.
I bought a Panasonic set a couple years ago that came with two batteries and there was a special mail-in offer for a third battery free. All three batteries still take a full charge with no problem. It'll probably be a couple more years before I have to start thinking about replacing anything, but by then, I figure the battery technology will be so far ahead that it'll be worth it to just replace the whole set with something more advanced.
I have a Bosch 14.4 that I bought at a tool store here. It's a rental place that always tells me "throw away the registration card". (you could also stop in for a beer at this place at around 5:00 or so) After about a 10 months the clutch started slipping, even when put on the drill setting. I took it in and voila, brand new drill. No paperwork, no hassle. Try doing that at a Borg store. I like to get stuff from a place that stands behind a warranty. I've had the replacement now for over 2 years with no problems.
Lots of good advise and recommendations.
I have a Milwaukee 14.4 that I got two years ago. I hung on to my corded drill with a death grip, but when it finally went to tool heaven, the Milwaukee was my choice. It came with two battery packs and had a rebate offer at the time where I could get my choice of another battery or some other stuff like a pocket knife.
I now have 3 battery packs.
In my case, the smart charger it came with recharges the discharged battery in one hour completely full. No undercharge, no over charge.
Mine is hobbyist use. Meaning, this drill is going to look new when those batteries finally give up, as they inevitably will.
I'd say that's a strong bet- look at all the sets of cordless tools that come with more tools than batteries. Sure, you can swap them around- that's the obvious and most sensible thing to do, but when those wear out, you have to decide between buying a new battery or two, or tossing 4-5 tools instead of just one.
I have to admit, it works on me- I'd buy a new battery before I'd get a new tool if the old one still worked, because everything I've got (cordless-wise, anyhow) is 18v DeWalt. Buying a different brand would require carrying another charger, and another outlet to plug into. When you break the cost per battery up amongst several tools, it's much lower, comparatively.
It also seems to me that the price of the large kits goes up unproportionally. Typically a Drill kit includes 2 batteries and a charger and case. The drill, charger, case and batteries can be had for a few dollars more than just two batteries. When you get the kit with a jigsaw, circle saw, recip saw, drill, and flash light, the price of the extra tools seem to steeper. The drill alone may cost $25-$40 extra, the cost of the extra jig saw, circle saw, recip saw, and flash light seem to cost $75-$100 each extra. I would be willing to bet again that the GP on the large kit is much higher than the drill kit alone.
That could be the case, but it's still often signifigantly cheaper than buying each of the tools individually. Usually, I don't go for the kits, but that's more because they've always got one or two things I don't want or need in them. If I were replacing everything, they'd be an attractive option.
I've been sorely tempted by the Dewalt 36v LiIon kit--
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.