24v is it worth it?

[le bricoleur]

made a test home: circ saw with 24v ion battery=28 minutes run time, 18 nicad 24 minutes run time thought that 24 v ion batteries were better than that....i take them back at hd

[canucksartech]

made a test home: circ saw with 24v ion battery=28 minutes run time, 18 nicad 24 minutes run time thought that 24 v ion batteries were better than that....i take them back at hd

Firstly, grammar and spelling helps us to better understand your question.



Secondly, a lot of things are variables here with this that I don't see you've elaborated on:

What was the Ah of the 18 volt nicad battery? (The 24 volt li-ion is 3.0 Ah).
The run time is all fun and games with no load - it seems about right that the 24 volt is just slightly longer. But where it makes a difference is in two things:
The 24 volt battery causes the circular saw to have fairly higher RPMs. Even if the run time is exactly the same, the higher RPMs are a huge advantage on their own.
Also, no-load run-time is one thing. But if you really want to do a home test, then measure the amount of 2x4 cuts per fully charged battery. (Oh wait - myself and others have already looked into this - and yes, the conclusion was that the 24 volt batteries are definitely worth it).

But, if you feel you've completed the end-all-and-be-all of home tests, then please feel free to "i take them back at hd".

(Sorry all if my post seems sarcastic and harsh - but please, fellow forum users, please take presumption out of the equation, and put some sense into things. Not just "I do home test - not happy enough, so tool must be bad!")

[Woussko]

I bet the 24 Volt battery gave the tool more usable power even if not for longer than the 19 Volt battery. Try finding out how many cross cuts each fully charged battery makes sawing 2 x 8s and then report back.

[lurch]

I bet the 24 Volt battery gave the tool more usable power even if not for longer than the 19 Volt battery. Try finding out how many cross cuts each fully charged battery makes sawing 2 x 8s and then report back.Anyone else ever seen a 19 Volt battery?

[canucksartech]

Anyone else ever seen a 19 Volt battery?

I noticed that too. I'll give Woussko the benefit of the doubt - just a typo. :shrug:

[Jay6]

Seems like the best value these days are from companies such as Milwaukee, trying to upload their NiCd 14.4 volt and 18 volt older generation tools. When you compare them to new generation lithium ion systems in some cases you could by 2 NiCd kits. Probably the better value but the V18 & V28 tools still outsell the NiCd but a lot.

What would make you want to get a 24 volt NiCd but not get a 28 or 36 volt lithium?

[Gage Mc.]

Craftsman makes a 19.6 or something volt battery.

[reConx]

Anyone else ever seen a 19 Volt battery?

Just to keep this thread somewhat interesting, Sears (Ni-cad/Li) and Porter Cable have 19.2V batteries for their drills/tool line. Craftsman had a unique 15.6V Ni-cad back when 14.4 was their top power unit.
IQV 19.2V 1/2" cordless drill/driver - D650 by Ingersoll-Rand

[roadrashray]

made a test home: circ saw with 24v ion battery=28 minutes run time, 18 nicad 24 minutes run time thought that 24 v ion batteries were better than that....i take them back at hd
OK...Here it is! We have over 40 Ridgid cordless tools in our shop using 9.6V, 12V, 14.4V, 18V NiCad and 18V and 24V LI batteries. There are many reasons why the 24V LI batteries are superior to the 18V NiCad batteries.
1-The 24V LI provide's far superior power, especially when used with the power hog circ. or recip saws. There is no comparison to the power for these tools and that available from the 18V NiCad or 18V LI.
2-The built in fuel gauge is a nice aid in determining the status of a batteries job use before charging is necessary.
3-LI batts can be charged every day to assure they are topped off at the beginning of the work day. NiCad's of course must be completely discharged before recharging or they can develop a "false floor". This feature is very important to the professional as we want all the battery capacity we can get at the beginning of every work day.
4-In real world work conditions the 24V LI batts won't overheat like the 18V NiCad. This allows the 24V LI to recharge faster than the 18V NiCad on a hot day.
5-If I remember correctly the 24V LI is actually lighter than the 18V 2.5Max.
6-As a previous poster has already noted, a no load run time comparison has no value in the real world. A 24V LI will kick butt on the 18V NiCad when being worked.
In my opinion Mr. "i take them back" made his decision based on inadaquate criteria. Maybe he's one of the government officials who made the corn into ethanol decision!

[canucksartech]

Here, here, Ray. :bravo: Thanks for chiming in.

[Andrew M.]

Ray, why is it then that so many of us have had bad problems with the 24V Ridgig batteries? You consistently praise them when most post here are problematic. You can not even buy a battery in the store outside of a kit. What other manufacturer does that? Ebay is not a consideration for as they are noy authorized dealers. That is just stupid for HD to do that. 2 18v 2.5Max batteries cost less than one 24v battery if you could even buy one. Sorry , but the 2 24v I had were losers in performance, there was no "kicking butt" as the tools, hammerdrill, circ saw, would stop if under load for any extended lenght of time , and the stores had no replacement so they got returned. Service centers are so far away and I am not going to pay for shipping 2 "new" battery kits for repairs. I am happy for you but it seems you are the exception. I will stay with the NiCads for now.

[roadrashray]

Ray, why is it then that so many of us have had bad problems with the 24V Ridgig batteries? You consistently praise them when most post here are problematic. You can not even buy a battery in the store outside of a kit. What other manufacturer does that? Ebay is not a consideration for as they are noy authorized dealers. That is just stupid for HD to do that. 2 18v 2.5Max batteries cost less than one 24v battery if you could even buy one. Sorry , but the 2 24v I had were losers in performance, there was no "kicking butt" as the tools, hammerdrill, circ saw, would stop if under load for any extended lenght of time , and the stores had no replacement so they got returned. Service centers are so far away and I am not going to pay for shipping 2 "new" battery kits for repairs. I am happy for you but it seems you are the exception. I will stay with the NiCads for now.

Andrew, I don't know why you submit so many negative posts about Ridgid products. I can only post my experiance with Ridgid products. If you have monitored all my posts you will note that not all my posts have been positive. Over the years we have used all mfgr's tools and have had good and bad experiances with all of them including Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Bosch, et all. Maybe I have different expectations than you.
I had problems with early 24V batts and posted that info many times. I have seen as many positive posts regarding 24V tools as negative.
I challenge you to go to a Home Depot or Lowe's tomorrow and find a Milwaukee 28V LI batt, a DeWalt 36V LI batt(hell for that matter there are no DeWalt 18V LI batts around here), or Bosch 36V LI batts in stock. I have watched for those items and have NEVER seen them at either store. I would suggest that Ridgid is not the only mfgr having problems providing inventory for their highest voltage tools.
I'm not sure however believe all the battery mfgr's have focused on the 18V LI batteries to the detriment of the other voltages which is causing a shortage for them. You do understand that non of the tool mfgr's actually make the batteries that carry their name. The lack of the higher voltage battery is an industry wide problem. You seem to focus only on Ridgid. Yes, there is a 24V LI supply problem. I would suggest there is a DeWalt 36V LI problem, a Milwaukee 28V LI problem and a Bosch 36V LI problem. Lots of 18V LI's for all of them. Why? I don't know. But you only want to focus on Ridgid. Be honest and you will see it is an industry wide issue, not Ridgid unless you choose to make it only a Ridgid.

[canucksartech]

Sorry Andrew, but I couldn't disagree more. I appears that there are more on here that like them than those that disagree with them. Granted, there are retail problems, but that is an HD issue, and doesn't mean that the batteries aren't good. Unfortunately, some of the earlier 24 volt batteries had issues, but those made in '07 seem great - I've had nothing but excellent performance out of mine so far. I also sold a bunch of those MaxSelect Starter Kits on eBay, and out of the 6 kits I sold, I've been in contact with 4 of the buyers afterwards - all have extensively used and abused them, and have been extremely happy with their performance and handling, with no "clicking" issue with the overload protection circuits.

Sorry, but I myself (and I recommend others do the same), take negative posts of any tools/batteries with a grain of salt. If someone posts a bad comment, one of the first warning flags for me is what their status is as a member - are they a long standing forum member, or if it's May '08, did they join this month? Is this their only post, an extremely negative and bad post about a tool? Could this person be a flag-waver for another brand/company, and says "no-to-Ridgid-crap, but-come-try-a-Makita"? Also, if this person has only posted 20 or so posts, have they posted around 15 or so of them, in multiple threads, saying the same redundant thing ("I hate 24 volt batteries, so no one else should buy them!"), and seem to be a person on a mission? Again, just a grain of salt.

[Spinalzo]

Andrew,

I bought a couple of the Max Select Starter Kits in February. I experienced a problem with the batteries initially and I did what any manufacturer would have a consumer do - I took them to a service center for replacement and within a week all was well. The tools have performed and the batteries are strong and under the LLSA. If something occurs down the road - I'll drop by the service center to get it cured. I kept the Starter Kits because, short of buying a 24 volt kit, you don't get the combination of batteries, charger and LLSA.

[Andrew M.]

I have many Ridgid tools as I have said before. I am negative on my experience with the 24v issue, and 2 defective arbors[runout] on the 18v compact drills as at least 1 other person posted.
I like the 8pc kit.max select planer, my 12v drill,impact, RA corded drill, Fuego saw is excellent, BS1400 [grey] is OK, JP610 [grey] is very good..do I have to go on. Again ,I am not going to drive 3 hours round trip 2 times to a service center or pay for shipping on a new item. HD is of no help on service issues, they do not have and will not have any 24v battery kits which is really stupid IF they are going to carry 24V tools which as far as i can figure will be discontinued due to excessive cost and low sales told to me by several store managers. The V28 tools are much better it seems, from what I can see.

As far as questioning my membership here, I think 2001 join date is 6 years before 2007 if my math is correct and I am not reselling on ebay so I have no reason or motive to be a cheerleader for Ridgid, or bash them either for spite. I could care less about any brand as I have no financial interest in any tool company.
I returned the defective 24v starter kits and went with NiCads. I like the Fuego so much that I do not use the cordless saw much as I can cut straighter and cleaner with that saw. On the Fuego,I did have to fix the rear base rivet as the base was too loose.

[canucksartech]

As far as questioning my membership here, I think 2001 join date is 6 years before 2007 if my math is correct and I am not reselling on ebay so I have no reason or motive to be a cheerleader for Ridgid, or bash them either for spite. I could care less about any brand as I have no financial interest in any tool company.
I returned the defective 24v starter kits and went with NiCads. I like the Fuego so much that I do not use the cordless saw much as I can cut straighter and cleaner with that saw. On the Fuego,I did have to fix the rear base rivet as the base was too loose.

Andrew,

I'm not, and I don't believe others are, questioning your membership on here. Obviously you've been on here for years (granted, more than me).

But almost all of your posts that I've seen since coming on board (and trolling for the 6 months or so before that), are extremely pessimistic and negative, whether about Ridgid tools or not. It just gets a bit tired. Example: look at your last post, "I love the Fuego, it's an awesome tool...but I did have to fix it because it wasn't right/good enough." Always pushing the negative, it seems.

So you had a 24 volt kit, and the performance wasn't right due to the overload tripping, and you decided to return them because you didn't want to make the trips to and from your service centers. Sorry to hear that. And sorry to hear that your service center is so far away from you. But, others might not have those same issues. In fact, the majority on here it seems (granted, myself included) seem to enjoy the performance values of the 24 volt batteries. Okay, you returned yours because you had a defective set, sorry Ridgid didn't come through for you on that, BUT then it seems that you also don't have any extensive practical usage in the real world of a proper working set like so many others of us have. So there's no reason for you to always chime in with the "24 volt sucks, they're discontinuing it, 24 volt sucks" statements.

I too just had an issue fixed with the 18 volt compact drill - loose arbor due to fit in gear box, gear box and chuck replaced. I had a @$%$ of a time with the service center (another issue completely, and the fault of the service center, not Ridgid), as explained in another thread. HOWEVER, even though I had this issue with the drill, I have extensively used this one drill for just about everything and anything, and have been quite pleased with its performance and operation. Now, even though I've had this issue, and yes I had to bring it in to get it fixed in less than a year, I'm not posting all extremely negative comments about the drill, while not paying attention to the positive attributes, and saying, "The drill sucks, don't buy it, they're discontinuing it, they won't support it soon, the drill sucks." My long-term experience may turn negative with this drill, depending on future usage/problem issues with it, and how many times I have to seek service center repair in the long run. But there are also many positives I need to state about the tool, and if I have a negative experience with the tool, it doesn't trump the majority of otherwise positive experiences of other people with the same tool.

Sorry if this sounds harsh or critical, but it's just my thoughts on what I've seen with past posts.

And whether or not I resell some tools on eBay doesn't make me or give me a reason to be a cheerleader for Ridgid - I've only had about 10% of my buyers say they've looked at the forum before. The simple thing is that Ridgid tools sell themselves on eBay, their reputation preceeds them, and the biggest thing is that me being happy with my tools and positively endorsing them on this forum does not give me a higher chance/probability of selling said tools on eBay.

[Velosapien]

The lack of the higher voltage battery is an industry wide problem. You seem to focus only on Ridgid. Yes, there is a 24V LI supply problem. I would suggest there is a DeWalt 36V LI problem, a Milwaukee 28V LI problem and a Bosch 36V LI problem. Lots of 18V LI's for all of them. Why? I don't know. But you only want to focus on Ridgid. Be honest and you will see it is an industry wide issue, not Ridgid unless you choose to make it only a Ridgid.

I'm going to have to disagree here. There is an HD issue with not stocking high voltage batteries, thats not the same as an industry wide problem. But then again many HD's don't sell the high voltage tools to begin with. The difference is buying one of those batteries is not hard at all. You can go to almost any place or online shop that sells Milwaukee, Dewalt or Bosch high voltage tools and the batteries are stocked there. Point is it's not hard to buy one. The Ridgid 24v's do have a supply problem because they are still not sold seperately outside the starter kit and you'll probably be lucky if you can even find one at most HD's.

Anyone else ever seen a 19 Volt battery?

I'm sure that was a typo but 18v is actually a neat marketing term. Fully carged 18v's are actually 19 to 20v :)

made a test home: circ saw with 24v ion battery=28 minutes run time, 18 nicad 24 minutes run time thought that 24 v ion batteries were better than that....i take them back at hd

As has been stated by others before, it looks like you are comparing the no load run time. Put the tools to do actual work and suddenly not only will the available power to cut be very significant but the nicad 18v will start to drop off much sooner. The 18v nicad will generate more heat which will immediately cause it to drop in effeciency. The 24v lithium will also be able provide the tool with nearly full power all the way to the end. Nicad batteries start to drop in available power output immediately when they start being used. Even if both batteries were to run exactly the same under load the 18v would be cutting with much less power towards the half end while the 24v would be cutting with almost the same power it started with.

[roadrashray]

[QUOTE=Velosapien;142223]I'm going to have to disagree here. There is an HD issue with not stocking high voltage batteries, thats not the same as an industry wide problem. But then again many HD's don't sell the high voltage tools to begin with. The difference is buying one of those batteries is not hard at all. You can go to almost any place or online shop that sells Milwaukee, Dewalt or Bosch high voltage tools and the batteries are stocked there. Point is it's not hard to buy one. The Ridgid 24v's do have a supply problem because they are still not sold seperately outside the starter kit and you'll probably be lucky if you can even find one at most HD's.

Velo........I don't know about online shopping(although I did give ToolKing.com a quick look and they show the 36V DeWalt as out of stock) however I will repeat that I have NEVER seen big voltage 36V DeWalt, 36V Bosch, or 28V Milwaukee individual batteries at either Home Depot OR Lowe's or at any other independent retailer in our area. I have probably been in 4-5 Lowe's and Home Depot's and dozens of independents in this area. I went to the web site for Ridgid's online parts ordering(Gardner Inc. 1-877-545-4099) and they list the 24V battery as available. I did not order it, therefor have not confirmed that they carry it in stock. I haven't been traveling lately (choice between that and eating) however it would be interesting to ask others in this forum if they have seen any of the above high voltage batteries for sale as individual items in Lowe's or other stores around the US.

[Velosapien]

I don't think these batteries would be available at most/any big box stores and chances are the smaller retailers just don't carry them. They don't sell as easy as the lower voltages. I do understand what you're saying but it has more to do with smaller market demand rather than availability. If you really needed a 28/36v battery chances are you will at least find several online stores that carry them at somewhat competitive prices. With the Ridgid 24v the last I heard is what people have posted here that they need to be special ordered and are $199.