New Ridgid tools info as reported in FWW

[Frank Ketchum]

In the new Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking, they have an article on page 34 talking about the new Ridgid tool line.

Here are a few quotes I found informative

",the company (Ridge Tool Co.) will license the Ridgid brand name to the One World Technologies, which will build the tools overseas." "One World Technologies is part of Techtronic Industries (TTI), a Hong Kong company." "TTI has owned Ryobi Power Tools in North America since August 2000. TTI also builds some power tools for the Sears/ Craftsman line." "In addition, Ridge Tools has revised its product warranty for this new line. Instead of the previous lifetime warranty, which covered material defects and workmanship, the company now has a 90-day satisfaction guarantee and a three-year limited warranty."

Now I am glad I didn't buy that cordless drill I was looking at a week ago. It doesn't sound to me like the Ridge tool company has a lot of faith in the new line and are going the way of Crapsman.

I guess only time will tell. Frank

[Leon]

To clarify the new warranty a bit more per the new Ridgid Rep, From Sep 1 through Dec 31, 2003, ALL of the new Ridgid tools built by OWT will have a life time warranty which includes normal wear items like chargers and the batteries. You must retain your receipt to prove that the tool was built during the qualifying time period. So if you want one get be for the end of the year.

That said, IMHO with the exception of the 12 volt 3/8" standard duty cordless drill, all the other drills are HEAVY and IMHO the standard one seems cheesy. But, given the 90 day bring back policy, it may be worth a try.

[Rumpty]

Leon,

I wonder how many US jobs were lost with this "buyout"?

[Leon]

Probably none. I wonder how many Taiwan jobs were lost and then recovered.. '~)

[Clif]

[JuiceofChicago]

Frank I wish that people would pay more attention were there tool's are made. I know it drives me crazy to buy tools that are not made here, you would think that our government would pose a tax on import tools and protect American tool makers but thank NAFTA for all of the imports

[Clif]

No, thank ourselves, our litigious culture and the unions for driving up the cost of items "made in America"

[Secret Squirrel]

[e-mail] (JuiceofChicago) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Really? How many of those imports that offend you so much come from Mexico or Canada? Nafta doesn't really have anything at all to do with any other trade except with those two countries. Perhaps it's time that people started to realize that the industrial age is over in this country. The information age is here. Those that adapt thrive, those that don't fail. It's really very simple.

[Al Reid]

Also, don't forget OSHA, DEP, IRS...

-- Al Reid

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." --- Mark Twain

[Manny Davis]

[e-mail] (JuiceofChicago) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

It would benefit American tool makers, but only at the expense of all other Americans, in the form of higher prices.

TANSTAAFL

[P©WÉ®T©©LMAN]

Imagine my dismay...after being an Authorized Warranty service center for Ryobi (among others) since the days when Ryobi made some very good value middle of the road tools & a good chunk of Craftsman for Sears & Benchmark for Home Hardware, they lowered their quality as Techtronic & pump out the poor quality imported tools under the Ryobi name through Home Depot, now I find that Rigid (also under Techtronic but billed as more heavier duty tools than Ryobi) now falls under Barrett Marketing in Canada who I do the Ryobi Warranty service for & buy the Ryobi parts through. Which means that we will soon be sent the Rigid customers who have problems with their tools too....not to mention the same deal with McCulloch who also makes most of the Canadian Tires Mastercraft tools. It seems we may end up servicing more & more crap.

My point being that I hate giving a repaired tool back to a customer that was not well made in the first place....regardless of warranties blah blah blah...garbage in garbage out.

[Leon]

Frank, this has been going on LONG before NAFTA. It is just that there some people in this world that get paid less for the same work and the job goes to those people.

[David Babcock]

Please don't bring politics into this forum. Enjoy the smells and intricacies of working with wood, and leave the "flag waving", "union support/hatred" (choose one), and the "made in America bandwagon" to another group.

[Frank Ketchum]

I think making it more profitable for businesses to keep thier production here is a better solution than taxing imports. Don't you realize who pays for those taxes? (hint ---> the consumer)

Frank

[Lee K]

just recently bought the Ridgid 3650 table saw, which is very well made, IMO.

[Brian Elfert]

NAFTA is only for Canada and Mexico. When was the last time you bought a power tool made in Canada or Mexico?

The only Canadian made tool I know I have is a General drill press, and it cost as much or more than anything made in the USA.

Brian Elfert

[P©WÉ®T©©LMAN]

Let me just say...we'll see.

Emerson, Skil, Craftsman, Ridgid meet OWT, TTI, Ryobi, Craftsman, Ridgid at Home Depot.....a win win situation for all involved....what's the catch??

Probably Home Depot.....technical & after sales service....not at out closest HDs anyhow. I asked six very pertinent questions about some of the tools, re: warranty, accessories, usage, parts etc etc at two different locations.....got a handful of Dunno's, not sure's, I'll find someone to help (but couldn't) it was almost like visiting Wal-Mart.

PS...we don't service vacuums, thanks for asking.

LOL

-- © Jon Down ®

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I'm about to.

I'm thinking of going for a General 3hp cabinet saw.

Barry

[Brian Henderson]

Why would you buy crappy, overpriced tools made in the US when you can buy something quality and much cheaper made overseas? The whole "rah rah, go USA" nonsense only ends up encouraging US companies to provide crap because someone will buy it because it has a US flag on the side.

[Walker]

It seems that most of the posters have bought into the "globilization is good" mantra that the big corporations have been pushing on us for the last 20 years. To the point that no one cares anymore if their fellow Americans lose their (manufacturing) jobs.

But now the Information Industry is in a frenzy because their jobs are starting to be shipped off to India. I guess every high paying job here will eventually get shipped off to someplace cheaper.

And then think how nice it will be to get all our products and services cheaper from some place overseas. Too bad, we won't be able to afford them because we won't have decent jobs to pay for them.

At least 10% of the country will be better off.