Reasons Why I am Unloading Ridgid WW Tools

[pwsdave]

Number one reason why, no ethical, customer oriented service, warranty or otherwise availabe locally, left my planer off 2 weeks ago still hasn't even looked at it, told "Well take it else where I am too busy". Went to the web page for service locations, 3 of the listings, numbers disconnected, 1 of the listings does not service ww tools, last listing the guy was drunk or stoned, hung up.

Number two: TTI/Ryobi-enough said.

[UO_Woody]

I'm affraid this was a bad decission in the direction of service. I'm more affraid Ridgid will realize it too late, and Ridgid will fade into the past due to lack of sales because of the way warrenty service is handled. And from the posts on this forums, service is unavoidable...thus the "TOO BUSY" statement.

I know I can pay about 10% more at the only WW store within 100 miles, and they have an onsite service center for what they sell. If the machine is 150lbs or more, they will include unlimited warrenty onsite service for 2 years with any purchase of $500 or more. And these machines are of 5 high end brand names.

This takes alot of time to decide upon!

[KT]

Hello all,now I'm really concerned! To make a long story short ...after waiting a LONG time to buy my first new tablesaw, and being impressed with Rigid's reputation, I just purchased the TS3650 because I couldn't find a 3612 that wasn't a beat up display model. I like the new improvements on the 3650 and HD's 2yr. no intrest offer I thought... IT'S TIME TO BUY!, while I can get the lifetime warranty.
BUT... what good is a lifetime of fighting with an aggrivating and useless customer service department? I saw woody's web page.. he seemed like such a happy camper ... with all of those RIGID machines... but when I read he and so many others complaining about RIGID's new and worse service... should I take this thing back before I unpack it?????


HELP
I'm serious ... somebody tell me if I'm makin' a huge mistake and should I just pick up that nice Delta with the beisemeiertable and fence.

[daveferg]

Well, in fairness, the biggest complaints I read, on other brands, are people not getting good customer service from other brands "authorized" service centers----and I'm sure with the change over, it hasn't helped things. If possible, with any tool, if you can learn enough about it---you're better ordering parts from their headquarters.

But, if even their central parts is having problems---I'd say it's time for writing letters to them and Home Depot.

[VLL]

I never liked the way Home Depot handled things from the start with poor dirty improperly assembled displays etc.etc.etc. All the wrong answers when you asked questions. I asked questions that I already knew the answers to just to test the people that were supposed to be working in the tool department & questions that they should have known the answer to & always got the wrong or no answer. Based on the above I have never purchased a Ridgid tool. Now as I watch what is going on I know I will probably never own a Ridgid tool. Ridgid reminds me of a little boy splashing through mud puddles that never learns that you can't stay clean & dry while playing in the mud puddle. So I say just set them down in the middle of the Home Depot mud puddle & let them play to their broken little hearts content. If you want to do something right you sometimes have to do the job your self & not keep handing it off to someone else & expect them to do the job you should of done your self in the first place.

[ 10-16-2003, 02:11 AM: Message edited by: VLL ]

[Rafael]

Excuse me for asking dumb questions, but why can't HD handle ridgid service? Most consumer electronic stores(best buy, circuit city,...) service or send out what they sell. Simple solution. HD is the only place you can buy the stuff anyway.

[Greg's Garage]

This looks like a good time for a response from RIDGID...and Home Depot.

Hello?...Anyone there?

[Greg's Garage]

I just e-mailed the moderator of this forum asking for some input. We'll see if he is more responsive than the customer service dept.

[yogibear]

Excellent point Rafael!

There is already a huge infrasture in place for Home Depot, so they SHOULD be the interface for service and warranties.

bdueker, what's the story here? I was planning on purchasing several Ridgid WW tools and have been reading this forum for several months. If you don't supply a reasonable response, I'll give my money to Delta, Jet, or Powermatic. At least I know they'll be in business for a while!

[Greenwood]

Decided to maake investment and purchase a mid priced table saw. It came down to a Craftsman, Delta and Ridgid. I ended up buying the 3650 during my last visit to HD. Salesperson didnt know what he was talking about-bought it anyway. I assembled the machine a few nights days ago with relative ease and have used it several times confirming that it is a good machine. Buth then again, so were the other mcahines.

Even then best of machines break down and need repair. With the lack of customer service and support, I am better off with the Delta or Craftsman. So, I will probably return it to HD this weekend.

my .02c

[Curt]

Suggest that you hang on to your machine. The chances of anything breaking are relatively small. The chances of being able to get useful parts is pretty high. It is still a great value. I have a 3612 and it's been essentially perfect out of the box - it's about a year old now.

If you want to give it back and spend more money, I'd certainly understand. I'll wait for the reviews on the rest of their tools, but i'll keep the tablesaw.

Later, Curt

[ralphthetoolman]

I for one, will keep the Radial Arm Saw and the 3612 Table saw i purchased in the last 2 months. Both great pieces of equipment, no complaints at all. However, due to the problems at Ridgid, they did not get the Sliding compound miter saw, nor will they get the planer or drill press,sander, or any other piece of equipment that i purchase in the near future. I planned on buying all at HD. Hoping to get service and parts there also. I know a lot of folks in the trades,and i will not recommend Ridgid.School is still out on HD itself :-( at times the service is outstanding, at other times, i get the village idiot.

Rafael had a good point, buy at HD, service at HD.

Delta makes great tools and they will be in business for a looooong time ......Nuff said.

[BadgerDave]

Does every Delta, Jet, PC, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, etc. dealer service the tools they sell? None of the ones around here do with the possible exceptions of Authorized Service Centers. Why should HD be expected to be the exception to the rule? It does appear that RIDGID still has alot of work to do on the service after the sale end of things but to expect HD to service these tools after the sale is not going to happen.

[daveferg]

Badger----point being----HD is the EXCLUSIVE dealer. Yet they don't carry accessories and apparently, you can't order parts there.

Local dealers carrying Delta and Jet have accessories and can order parts for you. Most will certainly assist with a repair if needed.

But, even with their service shutting down (or so it seems) if I had a 3612 or earlier, I'd sure hang on to it. I'd be sure to stock up on whatever accessories you think you may want and buy an arbor assembly (for thoses who, like me, are bearing challanged)----you'll be all set for the next 25 years or so. ;)

[Rafael]

Badger,
My point was(I know I am often not clear) the large chain consumer electronic store service, or send out for service, everything they sell. I don't expect the neighborhood hardware store to do this. I expect HD, Lowes, Sears and the like to do this. Not just for ridgid, but for Delta, Jet, PC, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita if they sell it. Sears actually services things that they don't sell, their service is pricey, but for large things like a cabinet saw they will provide onsite service. HD will basically give you the middle finger when you ask for service. HD is generally a well managed company, but they are shortsighted. They could contract the service to a third party and sell extended warranties, good profit and no risk and keeps customers happy. This is what many stores do.

[BadgerDave]

Originally posted by daveferg:
Badger----point being----HD is the EXCLUSIVE dealer. No Dave, they're not. They may be the only place that anyone will find them for less than MSRP but any RIDGID Distributor can order and sell these tools.

[Cutbuff]

"you'll be all set for the next 25 years or so" DaveFerg

It's a $600 Table Saw. Does everything in Woodworking have to be handed down to offspring/the next generation/etc.,

My $1500 laptop when 4 years old will be sold, probably for a pittance, and I'll get the Latest & Greatest. Why is a relatively cheap tablesaw so sacrosanct?

Don't like it, can't get spares, don't like the color...sell it, move on... :confused:

David

[Rafael]

Cutbuff,
Probably because a 25 year old table saw will do as good a job as a new one. A 25 year old computer will not. I have two 40 year old circular saws that work as well as when new. Except for the blade, nothing needed changing or fixing.
Also there is the expectation that a good tool will last a lifetime with minimal care. Computers need care and sometimes it is cheaper to buy new than repair.

[tcaniff]

Sorry to disagree with Mr Daveberg, but HD is the exclusive dealer for Ridgid "Woodworking Tools". I have a friend who is a manager for a Fastenal store which carries and is a distributor of Ridgid. He was told he would have to buy from HD, he could not order Woodworking tools direct from Ridgid. I am surprised that the animosity toward Ridgid is still festering, I thought it had been put to bed and that I could reume learning at the collective knees of the experts who frequent this forum.

[daveferg]

Badger Dave---well, apparently they are exclusive ;) Look, you're spitting hairs. I wouldn't care about Delta service centers either---there's only one near me----almost a 3 hour drive away----Would have to agree that if they can step up and have self-checkouts, they can at least support their tools a touch better.

Cutbuff----I'm sorry, but totally agree with Rafael----technology in tools doesn't change that much----Sears tried to introduce a bunch of electronic tools---they fell flat on their faces----people want the basics---and as to passing it down----heck, I plan on being around a while, so I just want my own 25 years. ;)

[woodslayer]

David, that is a very intriguing concept you bring to light, I cannot think of another hobby where myself or anyone else I know does not hesitate to pay out more cash every couple of years to update their equipment (usually exceeding the price of a table saw). What drives the mindset that our tools must be of sufficient quality to survive decades of use? Why do the majority of us analyze a tool acquisition to the extent that this particular purchase must possess all the features we may ever desire in our life time?

Woodslayer

[Backyard Woodworker]

Pwsdave,
What do you have and what prices are you un-loading them at?
Could be some good deals here!
Your from the Inland Empire, close enough to make a deal (I own a rental out there)
If they break, I'll fix them myself as I'm handy that way.
Rob Johnson
Orange,Ca.

[ 10-17-2003, 11:17 PM: Message edited by: Backyard Woodworker ]

[daveferg]

Woodslayer---I can tell you why I buy tools that are not throw-aways----i.e. designed to last. Very simple---the well-built tool is also the tool that tends to give me the most accurate results. I've owned cheap jig saws and routers and believe me, you'll end up fighting the tool to do anything like quality work. The stock Craftsman (Emerson) table saw was really bad---really bad fence, pulleys and belt that added to the vibration, but it had a good motor and table structure that allowed me to add improvements over the years. Sure, you can cut wood with cheaper saws, but you'll be fighting poor fences, etc.

I would guess the "last a lifetime" attitude came from the fact that woodworking has been around as a hobby for at least 8 decades, and there was just a tendancy to buy good tools and take care of them. And yes, I buy a new computer every 5 years, but it's kind of hard to compare the two. ;)

[Cutbuff]

There is a male psychology issue with tools versus almost every other possession, probably including the wife & kids!

The hot tub I have in my garden will be left when I move house. I will have no feelings whatsoever about it. It cost more than the combined cost of everything in the workshop! But to sell or leave a table saw, a router, a random orbit sander...agggghhh...the anguish.

We must have the very best tools that money can buy, just like the professionals. How many of you out there drive new Mercedes, BMW's versus bog standard Fords, GM's, Chryslers? After all their only 2x - 3x more expensive. You'd pay that percentage differential for a Unisaw over a Ridgid wouldn't you. Or for a Bies fence/rails over the Ridgid fence/rails...$275 vs $150.

Is there a Psycologist out there that can provide insight into this phenomenon!! :eek:

David

[daveferg]

The few times we've had a garage sale, there is always someone who will come up and ask if I have any tools for sale! :eek: :eek: :eek: :mad: Sell my tools---never! tongue.gif

I think it's pretty hard to compare table saws and cars----while I have seen table saw owners take pride in the brand they bought----this is a drop in the bucket compared to car buyers who buy for prestiege.

But, buying tools to last, as I said earlier, is still completely different than other hobbies/interests. We're used to buying new computers because there's been such radical changes in software, memory, and speed---but, how much has really changed in an electric drill or table saw? So, if a table saw blade turns at 3400 rpm and you have flat surfaces and an accurate fence/miter gauge, a model 5 years down the road is likely to have very little to offer you.

[Dave Arbuckle]

How many of you out there drive new Mercedes, BMW's versus bog standard Fords, GM's, Chryslers?

Wellllllll...... Pardon the gloat, I drive one of these (http://www.mbusa.com/media/images/main/models/C230K_main.jpg).

And I have a Ridgid TS2424. smile.gif

Dave

[Cutbuff]

And will you keep the small Merc or the lowly TS2424 for 25 years, and hand it down to whomever?? ;)

David

[daveferg]

Hand it down----he's having his body perfectly aligned with the Incra fence, before he gets buried in his Merc' :eek: :D

[Dave Arbuckle]

And will you keep the small Merc...for 25 years
Nope.

or the lowly TS2424 for 25 years
Harder question to answer. Probably not though. Doubt that I will upgrade to a cabinet saw, but format sliders are very attractive to me.

Dave

[Greg's Garage]

I hope my tools won't last 25 years. What fun would that be? I'd settle for a good 10 years worth of quality use.

...I guess I just diminished my previous arguments regarding the former RIDGID's LIFETIME warranty. I hate when I do that! I just kicked my own ***.

[Cutbuff]

Dave A,

What's a "format slider"?? :confused:

David

[Dave Arbuckle]

The ones where the sliding table comes right up to the blade, are format sliding tables. As opposed, say, to a sliding table added to a U.S. type saw, where the table is a long way from the blade.

Haven't the faintest clue why they are called that...

Dave

[measure once...cut twice]

getting back to what greg said a few days ago regarding ridgid's cervice warranty. I think that home depot should be a service center for ridgid tools since they are the exclusive dealer. Now the deal with home depot is that they DO NOT LIKE TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER UNHAPPY! If you are to push the right buttons you can jsut get your ridgid tool serviced at the HD. I took my ridgid miter saw in after 2 years of use. I complained that they are the exclusive dealer and ridgid has the lifetime warranty. They just gave me a new saw to replace my old one. NO questions were asked.

[Penny]

Do you guys think this "lifetime" warranty is going to be a nightmare for Rigid? Seems to me that already there is a huge outcry due to a lack of anything resembling customer service/tool repair. You'd think that any company that would launch such an expansive new line of "industrial quality" tools would have thought about how to repair them. Did the R&D team even go onto jobsites in order to see what happens to tools there?
I like the look/idea of these tools, but are they really THAT good?

[daveferg]

First----I'm willing to cut OWT/Ridgid a little slack in re-establishing their network of service centers, though from comments I've read, it's a bit bumpy now.

But, as to the lifetime warranty---first, on the new "industrial" tools, the warranty line I read said "normal" use---that may exclude commercial/contractor use---just a possibility as it's used with other brands. Second, I'm sure some beancounter has figured out what percentage of customers will loose their receipts---which they clearly need for the warranty.

As to service centers, I agree with Measure Once'. Since HD is the exclusive retail outlet (I don't really care that existing service centers sell the tools), they could at least have their customer service desk set up to make quick orders of parts, of to let you drop off tools for service. I worked for Radio Shack and you could bring in a Radio Shack item to any store and they'd send it in for service work for you----ya, it would take forever, but it was convienent.

[spacebluesonoma]

one of the reasons i bought my ridgid tools was because of the lifetime warranty. but not because i thought i would need it,,,,it was because they offered it. when it comes to a power tool, the longer the warranty offered...the less likely you will need it. this is a true measure of quality in my opinion

[rofl]

yeah. those long warranties on K-cars were an indication of their quality.

[ToughToolGuy]

Read the fine print fellas - the "Lifetime Warranty" has some exceptions. If the tool fails because of a manufacturer's defect than of course Ridgid will replace it. Just like any other tool company. But the idea that "contractor use" would void the warranty.. well isn't this supposed to be a contractors tool? This sounds like someone who claims to be tough, but is afraid to play with the big boys.

[Dave Arbuckle]

Just like any other tool company.

Ummm...... :D

Dave

[pwsdave]

I guess I started this messy discussion-just got back intown so decided to see what comments were posted-sofar which I am sorry to say I expected no comment from Ridgid. As for the request from Rob in Orange, my neighbor-I think he was on drugs at the time is weekly/monthly purchasing everything-good thing he's moving to NE, after the first of the year.
Let me be real clear about this, I made a substantial investment 4 years ago in Ridgid tools, bandsaw, TS, Jointer, Drill press, thickness planer, sanding station and chopsaw, due in large part to my previous experience dealing with not only Ridgid but my dealings with Emerson (parent company) over the years, to say that I am sorely disappointed is an understatement. Most of my power handtools are either DeWalt or PC and they get used alot, In both instances when I went to their service centers, the issues were dealt with promptly and with relatively no hassle, I cannot say that for Ryobi, I literally threw an almost brand new Ryobi Router in the trash because I could not get it serviced and HD would not replace it. Due to it's age I do not feel HD will replace my planer if they would I'd return it in a moment, but then what do I have, a Ryobi, no thanks. What I can I will replace with DeWalt, and or Jet and it's to bad because I was a very loyal Ridgid user-customer.

Bye the bye, do I make my living with these tools no I do not, but nightly, after work I am in the garage using them. I actually make my living in sales and marketing so I do understand the importance of GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS, interestingly, Ridgid lost a bandsaw sale due to the poor response I received and I never said a word to the buyer, he just over heard how difficult it was for me to get the service I needed.