dewalt vs ridgid

[em r snakes]

I've read quite a few posts and am impressed at how much some people research individual tools. However, lots of tool sales come down to a few basics. I've read the speeches, just short answers, please.

Tool Use: heavy or light?

Brand Preference: Dewalt or Ridgid?

Why? (last longer, good experience, service, I just like black n yellow)


Does Country of Origin Matter?

Did you check Country of Origin for last tool you bought?

Ridgid Lifetime Warranty:

I'd buy a Ridgid tool over another brand just because of it, yes or no?

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands, yes or no?

A lower price than the competition ($5-$10) is very important when deciding which tool to buy.

Thanks

[ 09-22-2005, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: em r snakes ]

[imported_wbrooks]

heavy
ridgid
higher quality tool for most part IMO
yes but little choice these days
yes
No, if Ryobi offered a lifetime warranty I would not by their tools. Quality first, warranty is added bonus
no

[BadgerDave]

Tool use, heavy or light = YES

Brand Preference: DeWalt or Ridgid? = BOTH

Why? = BOTH MAKE WELL ENGINEERED TOOLS.

Does country of origin matter? = GLOBAL ECONOMY

Did you check country of origin for last tool you bought? = NO

Ridgids' Lifetime Warranty: = RIDGID DOESN'T HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY

Ridgids' Lifetime SERVICE Agreement: = A GOOD DEAL

I'd buy a Ridgid tool over another brand just because of it = NO

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands = NO

[em r snakes]

BadgerDave,

Thanks for the clarification. You're right, it's a lifetime service agreement, not warranty.

I'd like to see a few more responses.

[Polar Sparky 1224]

Tool Use: heavy
Brand Preference: Ridgid
Why? I like the fast charge time and battery style.

Does Country of Origin Matter? it does but if i can't afford the best tools yet i will settle with what i can afford.

Did you check Country of Origin for last tool you bought? YES

Ridgid Lifetime Warranty:

Ridgids' Lifetime SERVICE Agreement: = A GOOD DEAL

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands?
I don't know YET.

A lower price than the competition ($5-$10) is very important when deciding which tool to buy.

A few buck doesn't matter bhut 100 dollars less makes a big difference to me.

I look for a combo kit i like and buy as many tools as i can for the lowest price possible. But in some cases it is better to put out more money.

[oldslowchevy]

just remember de walt now is just an high dollar black and decker and would you spend 239 on a 18 volt b&d cordless drill?and if you did buy the dewalt ones at that price then you already did

[BadgerDave]

Originally posted by oldslowchevy:
just remember de walt now is just an high dollar black and decker and would you spend 239 on a 18 volt b&d cordless drill?and if you did buy the dewalt ones at that price then you already did Using that logic then the same must also be said for Delta and Porter-Cable tools, nothing but expensive cheap ole B&D tools? :confused: :rolleyes: I don't think that just because B&D puts the parent companies name on their consumer line of tools necessarily means that their professional lines(DeWalt, Delta & Porter-Cable) are low quality tools.

[oldslowchevy]

I ment no harm with my comment and it may not have been thought out real well before I put it here,and for that i am sorry Badger dave it is that I have been burned by dewalt a few times in the past.Please allow me to tell you all just a little.The frist one,I had just got a new skill saw (dw 357)(9 years ago)used it maybe 2 weeks the trigger broke took it in they fix it right away i was happy again.Same day the locking knob on the front snaped(now i am getting upset)got that fixed month goes by trigger goes bad again now the saw is always on(now i am pissed),then when I got the dewalt sawzall i was unhappy with it from the frist cut till i got rid of it,to me any way always seemed to have been very under powered it never did break,but I just never liked it.Moving on now 3 years ago I had to get a contractors type table saw(the 1970s era craftsman died and wasnt worth fixing).The saw had plenty of power but the guide and rail system always was 3/4 inch off table was not flat 1/4 off from the ends to the center then I could go on for a long time about other tools, but the only 2 dewalt tools i still have is a tool belt the nylon one that has sreved me well but it is very bulky i should have got the leather one but I never had a nylon one before so i gave it a shot the other one is the old R.A.S. that my dad gave me I do like it but it is a very old saw all the casings are tan not yellow so I really have no idea how old it really is but it just keeps going and going but no have had nothing but bad luck with dewalt I have no use for tools that have let me down over the years I do like ridgid alot I must admit though porter cable has long been a favorite of mine also so now Badger dave I now hope you now under stand what my frist post was all about. So can we still be friends? :D

[BadgerDave]

"So can we still be friends? :D "

oldslowchevy, of course we can, just don't try and hug me. :D

I hear you loud and clear about having bad experiences with certain companies. I will never buy another Craftsman power tool because of past problems but I also won't condemn the entire product line as all junk either. Every company in the world builds some bad product every once in awhile. You seem to have gotten more than your fair share from DeWalt and if I were you I'd probably never buy another DeWalt tool again either.

[Polar Sparky 1224]

has anyone noticed that Ryobi and Ridgid are made in the same factory? The serial numbers are very similar and the blade clamp o the sawzall is a dead give away. So Ridgid and Ryobi are the same as Dewalt and Black & Decker. I told my dad hi should get the Ryobi Cordless combo's. If you see how my dad treats his tools you'll understand my line of thinking. The tools are cheap and the batterys are cheaper. So when my dad would break it (and hi would somehow) it is not a big deal.

In the future I would like to try bosch and see if they're better for durability and battery runtime/life.

[imported_wbrooks]

Some Ryobi and Ridgid are made in the same factory in China, some Ridgid and Metabo are made in the same factory in Germany.
The Chevy Suburban and the Escalade ESV are also made in the same Mexican Plant

GM Silao Products (http://www.gm.com/company/corp_info/global_operations/north_america/mexi_silao.html)

[ravensoncarpentry]

Tool Use: heavy or light?- Heavy

Brand Preference: Dewalt or Ridgid?- DeWalt.

Why? (last longer, good experience, service, I just like black n yellow)
More reliable in my experience


Does Country of Origin Matter?- Not really

Did you check Country of Origin for last tool you bought?- no

Ridgid Lifetime Warranty:

I'd buy a Ridgid tool over another brand just because of it, yes or no?- absolutly not

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands, yes or no?- maybe. I think its a way to lull folks into buying there stuff. Actualy getting stuff fixed under warrenty is a huge hassle, plus, a warrenty on a tool that breaks prematurly is still junk since said tool needs to be sent away for weeks and not on the jobsite where I need it.

A lower price than the competition ($5-$10) is very important when deciding
which tool to buy.
five or ten dollars isn`t worth the hassle. I`d rather pay a little more for a product I can rely on to work for the long haul.

[topper0910]

Very Simple :

Lifetime Warranty says it all. The main use for this is for batteries. It is nice to know that if your battery goes out in 3 or 5 years that you can go to Home Depot and exchange it free of charge. Technically it would need to go to sevice center after 3 yrs but I know a rep who says all batteries and charges will not be sent out but exchanged at store.Dewalt has 1 year on battery replacement.At $79 bucks a pop that could get expensive.The new Ridgid batteries are 2.5 ah compared to Dewalt's 2.4 ah's. Not a biggie right ? Well consider the Ridgid comes with a Dual battery charger which charges batteries in 30 min compared to Dewalt's 1 hour. Also, max torque on Ridgid 18v is 580 vs Dewalt at 500. Oh yeah and price. Just take the 14.4v impact for example. Dewalt-$239 Ridgid- $179(thats not $5 or $10). Oh and the spec that stands out: Ridgid torque-1400 in lbs / Dewalt-1150. All in all I believe Ridgid has not been out there long enough. Give it some time and you will see a lot less yellow and black.

My 2 cents

[topper0910]

Ryobi and Ridgid are both made b TTI. TTI also just bought Milwaukee. Just like B & D who also makes Dewalt. I do agree with ya on the prices. I actualy use and abuse Ryobi tools. At that price I almost consider them disposable tools. If I buy a $99 drill and it goes out in 2 years then oh well, I got my money's worth. Though they are made by the same company, the parts are all totally different. Hope this helps

[ump107]

Tool Use: light

Brand Preference: Dewalt cordless, Ridgid corded and some Corded Dewalt

Why? I Have made an investment in Dewalt cordless already, it is not economically feasible and convent to switch to another battery type and charger. I like the interoperability of my 18v Dewalt tools, and I have the Radio Charger.


Does Country of Origin Matter? No

Did you check Country of Origin for last tool you bought? No

Ridgid Lifetime Service:

I'd buy a Ridgid tool over another brand just because of it, yes or no? Yes, if the Ridgid tool is of comparable Specs I will spend a little more for it.

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands yes or no? No Parts wear out over time if I can replace those parts under a lifetime service plan it is more valuable to me.

A lower price than the competition ($5-$10) is very important when deciding which tool to buy. Its not important but it helps.

[CWSmith]

Topper0910,

You mentioned returning your Ridgid battery to Home Depot for exchange, should it ever go bad. While that may be true in your particular area, it is NOT Home Depot's policy to replace, repair, or exchange anything... even if it's within the initial 3-year warranty period. They will refund your money within the 90-day "Satisfaction" period that is Ridgid's policy. So don't be shocked if in a year or two you find this replacement "deal" to be bogus in your local store too.

The 3-Year Warranty and the Limited Lifetime Service Agreement clearly states that the tool, batteries, etc. must be returned to an authorized Ridgid Service Center, which Home Depot is not.

I've had some concerns in the past with a few "orange aprons" who seem to be under the influence or something. Three years ago, I had the tool department manager tell me and others that ALL power tools (regardless of brand), were guaranteed forever by Home Depot. Asked if that was in writing somewhere, he said, "No, but everybody knows that!" Well, his service desk didn't know that, neither did the store manager, and on a phone call to Atlanta, the Corporate Headquarters they weren't aware of it either and certainly it was a surprise to Ridgid.

A year later, I had a couple of guys on the service desk tell me that I could just return my tools anytime for a complete exchange. When I told them about the Ridgid warranty, they said it didn't matter, because Home Depot owned both Ryobi and Ridgid ("why do you think that Ridgid tools are orange?")

Bottom line is that some of these poor guys simply don't know and it is really hard to find out where they even get these ideas.

I certainly mean you no disrespect, but I wouldn't want you to get an unsuspected surprise,

CWS

[cat44]

Tool Use: heavy

Brand Preference: Dewalt, porter cable (Hitachi and Ridgid have recently found their way into my shop and are starting to impress me more and more.)

Why? 1) comfort 2) power 3) reliability


Does Country of Origin Matter? not anymore

Did you check Country of Origin for last tool you bought? no

Ridgid Lifetime Warranty:

I'd buy a Ridgid tool over another brand just because of it, yes or no? nope

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands, yes or no? don't know

A lower price than the competition ($5-$10) is very important when deciding which tool to buy. nope, i want something that is comfortable and reliable

Basically while i have plenty of dewalt tools i'm not dewalt biased...i like to check out the tool in person before i buy, the customer reviews on this site and amazon.com are very helpful too.

[RipsawMM]

Ladies, ladies, ladies, here's the real story. Yes, Ryobi and RIGID are made in the same plant and yes they are both crap. As for Black&Decker and DeWALT, initially the DW tools were B&D industrial tools painted yellow. That lasted for teh first 2 years of DW cordless. Today there are built on opposite ends of the earth (BD-China, DW-Mexico). Dewalt motors and table saws are still made in the USA. For those of you who don't know the facts, B&D has owned DW since 1960!! DW invented the radial arm saw and was the leader in that category for many years. Since 1992 DW power tools have dominated the market. You may hear many complaints but that is due to the volume of tools sold. To put it in perspective, DW sells more 18V tools than Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Panasonic, RIGID and Ryobi COMBINED!!! Is this just a coincindence? I think not. Delta and Porter Cable are still made in Jackson, TN and continue to make professional grade tools. The Delta Unisaw is the standard by which al other table saws are measured.

[RipsawMM]

No self respecting professional shops at Home Depot so you RIGID guys are exposing your true colors. Stick to the Ryobi and keep crankin out the bird houses and cribbage boards!!

[RipsawMM]

It is not a lifetime warranty, it's a lifetime "service agreement" if you fall for that you get what you deserve. Try and bring your bad batteries back in 3-5 years and they'll tell you to pound sand.

[Polar Sparky 1224]

Ladies, ladies, ladies, ....... To put it in perspective, DW sells more 18V tools than Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Panasonic, RIGID and Ryobi COMBINED!!! Is this just a coincindence? I think not. Delta and Porter Cable are still made in Jackson, TN and continue to make professional grade tools. The Delta Unisaw is the standard by which al other table saws are measured.

JACKASS JACKASS JACKASS,....where did you get this information? Ryobi is pretty much the same as black and decker. Both made in china and perfect for a homeowner who won't use them much. And yes ridgid and craftsman are made in the same manufacturing plants as well.

I do swear by my ridgid power tools (and still swear at my router:D ), I also own an 18v Dewalt and enjoy using it aswell. Both are great drills. The reason dewalt would sell more than other brands is that every decent hardware store carries them. A lot of proffesionals will swear by them and with good reason. They make good power tools, but given time these other brands will prove themselves worthing of more attention.
In the case of panasonic they do charge more but they have 3.5 amp hour batteries and have a reputation for laster for years. Although that changes if you have someone who is careless with their tools.

[bob bridgewater]

No self respecting professional shops at Home Depot so you RIGID guys are exposing your true colors. Stick to the Ryobi and keep crankin out the bird houses and cribbage boards!!

Week end warier no doubt. LOL

[bob bridgewater]

It is not a lifetime warranty, it's a lifetime "service agreement" if you fall for that you get what you deserve. Try and bring your bad batteries back in 3-5 years and they'll tell you to pound sand.

You are so wrong DUDE ! Some times I think You folks just run your key pad so you can see your self on line.Yee Haa, The world can see my stupedness!!! LMAO.
I have a card that Ridgid sent me after I went through the red tape and it has been good as Cash when my hammer drill stoped hammering and a battery free.
What you got? A blowed out DeWalt, that all it"s Worth is for is zip screws.
Give this a break folks they do back there tools but you have to have the card they send you. plus find the store that deals with Ridgid. Mine is 13 miles away.

[bob bridgewater]

It is not a lifetime warranty, it's a lifetime "service agreement" if you fall for that you get what you deserve. Try and bring your bad batteries back in 3-5 years and they'll tell you to pound sand.

You are so wrong DUDE ! Some times I think You folks just run your key pad so you can see your self on line.Yee Haa, The world can see my stupedness!!! LMAO.
I have a card that Ridgid sent me after I went through the red tape and it has been good as Cash when my hammer drill stoped hammering and a battery free.
What you got? A blowed out DeWalt, that all it"s Worth is for is zip screws.
Give this a break folks they do back there tools but you have to have the card they send you. plus find the store that deals with Ridgid. Mine is 13 miles away.

[Someguy]

RipsawMM, Comeon man, join us in the 21st century. Your information is WAY behind. B&D owns Delta, Dewalt, and Porter cable and none of them are made here anymore. The Tenn. plants were closed a couple years ago. TTI makes Ryobi and Ridgid and they OWN Milwaukee. B&D tools are not even fit for homeowners use. Ryobi runs circles around any of the Homeowners tools on the market. Ridgid warrenty is for 3 years for any reason, LSA is for expendable parts such as batteries on the cordless and hammers on the nail guns, parts that normally wear out over time are replaced for life. Dewalt is a good tool, but not any better than the other major brands. They may sell more, but it is due to availability as stated before and price. I have Dewalt, Ridgid, Bosch, Milwaukee, and Ryobi in my shop. ALL good tools!!!!!!

[CWSmith]

I own Ryobi and Ridgid tools, no DeWalt... and YES, I'm a homeowner and not in the trades. But my Dad was in the trades and he had more than his share of problems with DeWalt, to the point he wouldn't buy them anymore. He was a big Miwaukie fan, but they are now owned by TTI, who makes the Ridgid and Ryobi power tools.

I have yet to have a single problem with any of my Ryobi tools and the Ridgid tools are built much better. I've got some Ryobi-made tools with the Craftsman label on them, that are more than 30-years old and they are still working very well. By comparison, Black and Decker power tools are not nearly as worthy.

I know there's a lot of bias against "made in China", but take a look at your latest DeWalts, many are made in Mexico and some are no doubt made in China too. The one thing I noted with DeWalt, is that they are more inclined not to state the tools origin.

The bottom line is that we all have our favorite based on either experience or perception. Buy what you will and good luck with it. But understand that your choice doesn't necessarily mean you did your homework, worked your tool harder, or that you have superior buying skills. Similarly, with regard to service, I've seen guys who "fly off the handle", don't follow through, or simply don't have a clue as to how to handle a service issue. This doesn't mean the service is bad. Likewise, your perception of warranty and service agreements and whether or not the company behind them is trustworthy, is exactly that.... your perception! It certainly hasn't proven to be true.

CWS

[Velosapien]

Tool use, heavy or light = Depends on the tool really but mostly the saws, sanders, and more specifically the hammer drills get the hell abused out of them.

Brand Preference: DeWalt or Ridgid? = Depends on the specific tool. Each brand has a specific feature or accessory the other doesn't or is just better for my specific needs. All of my cordless tools are 18v dewalt because they are simply as good as anything else and better than most, make nearly every possible tool in cordless version and they work really good. Oh and of course, its a hassle to have to invest in seperate batter systems. I'm really looking forward to trying their 36v saws in particular. They finally have enough juice to run standard size 7 3/4" blades and compare much better to corded models in terms of power. My corded tools are an assortment of Ridgid, Bosch, Dewalt and Porter Cable, even some Craftsman. The deciding factor on Ridgid tools is usually they match the quality, finish and power of other brands while maintaining a competitive cost. Unfortunately sometimes they just don't offer the variety I'd hope for and accessories seem to be tricky to find which makes me nervous sometimes.

Does country of origin matter? = No, a well built product is a well built product.

Did you check country of origin for last tool you bought? = Only after buying it and by chance glancing at the tool label.

Ridgids' Lifetime service Agreement: = Don't particularly care about it. In my experience/opinion, there is never really anything that is "lifetime" when it comes to warranty or service of any kind. What I do expect is for a tool to have a reasonable warranty within its useful life and most important, for the company to be able to promptly and efficiently handle matters if the warranty were ever needed.

[CWSmith]

Tool Use: heavy or light? - Both! Frequency may be less, but when it's used, it's usually heavy.

Brand Preference: Dewalt or Ridgid? My first look is at Ridgid, but generally make purchase on features and price.

Why? Features, service, dependability, price.


Does Country of Origin Matter? I look, but bottom line buy what looks best, no matter where it's from.

Did you check Country of Origin for last tool you bought? Yes, but sad to say, it wasn't USA!

Ridgid Lifetime Service Agreement: Definitely a plus for cordless, for battery and charger reasons. Corded, not so important.

I'd buy a Ridgid tool over another brand just because of it, yes or no? It certainly carries some weight, but it's not the bottom line.

Is this intended to make up for manufacturing defects that are worse than other brands, yes or no? No! A company with a lifetime service agreement that has ongoing quality problems would go broke in very short time.

A lower price than the competition ($5-$10) is very important when deciding which tool to buy. Definitely NOT. When spending anything over $30, what's another $5 or $10? On the other hand, some tools cost two or three times as much... why would I want them. Considering the wear and tear, I could buy two or three $70 sanders or drills for the price of one costing $200 or more. In 7 to 10 years when I may wear the cheaper tool out, the technology will have changed and I can upgrade. With a $200 plus tool, it may still be working, but lack new features and may be obsolete in other ways.

CWS

[welchtima]

It is not a lifetime warranty, it's a lifetime "service agreement" if you fall for that you get what you deserve. Try and bring your bad batteries back in 3-5 years and they'll tell you to pound sand.

Ripsaw, suggest you actually read the agreement. "...The Lifetime Service Agreement provides the original owner of qualifying RIDGID Brand tools a lifetime of free replacement batteries, free service, and free replacement parts..."

Here's the whole thing:
http://www.ridgid.com/Manuals/RidgidLSA.pdf

[welchtima]

There sure is a ton of good information in this thread, and a ton of misinformation as well. It is very easy to find the correct info, guys.

http://www.bdk.com/

This is Black & Deckers' corporate investor site. Click on the link, then hover your mouse over the "Our Companies" link. Black & Decker owns DeWalt, Porter Cable, Delta, Kwikset, Baldwin, Weiser Lock, Price Pfister, Emhart and K2 Commercial.

Techtronic Industries Group makes Milwaukee, Ryobi, AEG, Homelite, Hoover, Dirt Devil and Vax. They are also publicly traded and you can see their brands here:

http://www.ttigroup.com/business/brands.php?PHPSESSID=8301153e393dcad09f40039c45881 635

Techtronic was started by a German named Horst Pudwill and quickly became the OEM manufacturer for Craftsman, RIDGID and others. The RIDGID brand was a joint venture with Techtronic and Emerson Professional Tools. There is a great history (including a timeline) of the company here:

http://www.answers.com/topic/techtronic-industries-company-ltd

You'll note they also own OWT Industries, Inc. in South Carolina, who act as a final assembly, service, and R&D arm for the firm. Recalls of Craftsman products often quote OWT Industries.

I like to do my research, and I found too much misinformation on this site, so thought I would post this and we can all have the real story.

In the end, I just love a good power tool.

[CoolToolKid]

I would definately go for dewalt drill bits every time but like ridgid tools better becausse they are cheaper and just as good (no offense):ignore:

[DRC-Wartex]

Just wanted to add my 2 kilobytes:

I use cordless tools on a daily basis, did a lot of research and took a lot of tools apart and tested a lot of tools. I used nearly ALL makita LXT tools (except for concrete vibrator), all 18v Dewalt tools (except for a caulking gun), and nearly all 18v Ridgid tools except for the latest drill with automatic torque adjustment, some Bosch tools and some Ryobi drills.

Here's what matters to me when I buy tools:

1. Quality of cells in batteries. Ridgid uses Lithium-manganese cells that degrade very fast due to charge cycles, in high temperatures (42 C or higher is damaging) and have a short shelf life (20% capacity loss per year). Same goes for milwaukee, Bosch, Panasonic, Makita, Hitachi. All these batteries lose 60% capacity after 400-600 cycles (depending on tools they were used in). Mind you, this is perfectly acceptable if you are a diy guy or a trade that does not heavily rely on cordless power. If you make cabinets etc, a 18v 1.5ah lithium Ridgid will work perfectly and will be a good investment. If you drill 1/2" holes in steel beams all day or build decks, your batteries will crap out real fast (read Amazon comments about makita batteries).

Most companies use Sony/Konion manganese cells, Milwaukee uses Moli Energy cells (eMoli). Chemistry is different. There are 2 sizes, 18mm and 26mm diameter cells. 26mm cells are 3ah, 4v per cell. So Milwaukee V28 has 7 cells in a battery. 3ah ridgid 18v has 10 cells in a battery, 2 banks of 10 manganese cells 3.7v 1.5ah in series, connected in parallel.

Dewalt's NANO cells are 2.3 Ah and 1.1 Ah respectively.


The best place to find out real performance of cells are RC enthusiasts' forums. Most of serious RC guys have very nice computerized chargers and battery analyzers that will plot out performance of diffent cells under different loads after a number of cycles. So far everybody confirms eMoli have the highest energy density per cell and the worst cycle performance (6% capacity loss after 50 cycles). For serious contractors, batteries is a disposable material. If you use cordless tools moderately and they make you good money, go for V28 line. Milwaukee's 28v grinder shreds Dewalt's 18v into pieces for example.

Who made cells for Milwaukee/TTI? Answer: http://www.e-one.com.tw/

However, if you heavily rely on cordless, go with Dewalt.
Dewalt developed their own formula (well, they got it from A123 Systems who got it from MIT) of Lithium Ion Iron Nano-Phosphate (LiFePO4) that has insane discharge currents (70 amps per cell) and insane cycle life. 15% capacity loss after 1000 cycles, and graph curve is a straight line, projecting into ~2000 cycles with 50% capacity loss.

Milwaukee's 2000 cycle warranty is marketing BS. Your 2000th cycle will be a 10-screw run or 15 minutes of flashlight fun.

I ditched my entire Makita line because of crappy cells.

2. Quality of parts and materials: Best chucks are on Dewalt's "pro" drills, Jacobs 700 series. If you see a hammerdrill with 500 series chuck (Hello, Makita BHP451), the chuck will crap out if you use it a lot in hammer mode.

Body plastic: Makita and Hitachi are the worst. I personally find Bosch soft enough not to shatter/crack on impact but hard enough not to bend. Nothing worse when a tool handle feels like a flaccid.... erm... "tool".

Dewalt is very impact resistant but scuffs easily and has a low melting temperature. Grinders always have crap embedded in the tool base - hot particles melt into the casing.

Ridgid is kinda in-between Dewalt and Bosch but also scuffs easily.

Makita's plastic is impact resistant but rips easily. So if you have a crack somewhere, expect it to get bigger.

Gearbox: Crappy gearbox metal results in a noisy drill and worn parts. Over time gear spindles will make the holes (where they go in) in the gearbox bigger (under load) and start rattling and at some point can just become a mush. Also, cheapo materials for gears themselves will result in eventual wear of teeth. Obviuosly, metals used to make gears in a Ryobi drill are softer than a Dewalt hammer drill.

Pulse width modulator/Trigger: cheap drills use cheap, less efficient PWM which result in higher stress on motor and the battery. PWM controls how fast your motor spins. I like makita's PWMs because they don't have a nasty whistle like others.

Design of circuit boards inside the chargers. Cheap chargers break when dropped. Quality chargers have a drop of glue on fragile components. Ryobi uses big transformers in their chargers, which makes them heavy and easy to damage.

3. Availability of local service centres. I don't care for lifetime warranty if I have to sit without a tool for weeks because I have to ship it to Zimbabwe and back. I'd rather pay $50 to get it fixed in 3-5 days at a local service centre.
Makita has a 3 year warranty on all LXT tools, so does Dewalt. LSA won't do anything extra for you except for batteries in the first 3 years. Dewalt's batteries have 2yr warranty BTW. Also, manganese Li-Ion cells cost $3.50 a piece or less, so 5 cells in your battery costs ridgid $20. And $80 for you. So effectively ridgid can give you 2 more new batteries and they still make money.

4. Motor efficiency. Dewalt's 6-1/4 circular cuts 74 2x4 with a 2.4 Ah battery. Makita's LXT BSS610 cuts 65 2x4 with a 3 Ah battery. And Makita's marketing keeps blowing the horn how their 4-pole motor is better than dewalt's 2-pole motor.

5. Tool weight. I had an X2 18v drill and got rid of it after 3 days. I go to work to make money, not to pump iron. If I need power I grab my Dewalt 36v drill, if I need to drill holes, I use my Dewalt DC827 impact or Makita's BTP140 hybrid impact (which I modified to take light 1.5 Ah batteries) with a 1/2 chuck adapter or a 4v Milwaukee's Li-Ion screwdriver for under 1/4" holes.

---------------------

Bottom line: when it comes to cordless power tools, professionals pick Dewalt, Makita or Bosch, depending on country. Ridgid is still an "outsider", and I will explain why. What TTI is trying to do is wedge themselves into the marketplace by using their plumbing reputation and "value" such as pricing and better warranty. The reason they are experiencing an EPIC FAIL is:
1. Black&Decker is huge, and dealer prices are just as good as Ridgids (I can get a 36v Dewalt hammer drill for $60, bare tool. Good luck getting that from Ridgid for that price).
2. Rather than doing serious R&D like Makita with LXT tools, Bosch with their 10.8v tools or Dewalt with NANO batteries and a new circ saw, TTI plays "industrial lego" - take existing technology, slap it together into a product, cross their fingers and put it on the shelves.

Ridgid has it's own market niche and dewalt has it's own. Comparing the two is like comparing an industrial supplier and Home Depot.

[Velosapien]

Thank you for that great post. The whole battery issue comes up a lot in these forums and a lot of people have a hard time getting past the fact that their favorite brand doesn't actually make their battery cells and there are real world factors that dictate how batteries behave. Marketing claims are almost always BS. Just because they make good tools doesn't always mean they have the best batteries. From now on I'll just link to this :D.

2. Quality of parts and materials: Best chucks are on Dewalt's "pro" drills, Jacobs 700 series. If you see a hammerdrill with 500 series chuck (Hello, Makita BHP451), the chuck will crap out if you use it a lot in hammer mode.

Dewalt has dropped Jacobs on most/all of their high end drills now. They now use the Rohm self tightening chucks which are awesome. Even the keyed chuck drills are Rohm now. I also have the Makita BHP451 which has the lousy Jacobs 500. After almost two years it feels like it wants to fall apart. Even worse the bits slip even with the chuck tighted with a deathgrip. The only solution is to avoid smooth shank bits.



4. Motor efficiency. Dewalt's 6-1/4 circular cuts 74 2x4 with a 2.4 Ah battery. Makita's LXT BSS610 cuts 65 2x4 with a 3 Ah battery. And Makita's marketing keeps blowing the horn how their 4-pole motor is better than dewalt's 2-pole motor.

This is the case with most of the LXT tools with a few exceptions most have sub standard run time and power. I had 18v XRP tools and switched to LXT only to find out it was mostly a downgrade. The circular saw didn't perform that much better but it was easier and more comfortable to handle as well as including a much better blade. The BHP451 was overall very good. It's light weight makes it very versatile but the XRP DC925 flies circles around it. In many situations the NiCD battery life was about the same as Makita's 3.0ah li-ion. The reciprocating saw was just a stunning piece of junk. Besides being massively underpowered it could barely cut 7 or 8 2X4's before loosing most of it's power. To add insult to injury it's larger AND heavier than a Dewalt 36V recip saw which completely annihalates it in every respect. The Impact driver is just all around perfect sweetness.

[reConx]

Dewalt has dropped Jacobs on most/all of their high end drills now. They now use the Rohm self tightening chucks which are awesome. Even the keyed chuck drills are Rohm now. I also have the Makita BHP451 which has the lousy Jacobs 500. After almost two years it feels like it wants to fall apart. Even worse the bits slip even with the chuck tighted with a deathgrip. The only solution is to avoid smooth shank bits
Velo I have similar issues with the Makita 18V chuck BHP452 with small drill bits yet have noticed it less with the similar 18V Ridgid chuck. I would like to remove my corded Makita hammerdrill keyless chuck but the manual makes no mention of it. Any ideas? I did not see a screw or bolt in the chuck.

[Velosapien]

It should have a left hand thread slotted screw in the chuck. My 451 at least has it because was going to take it out and swap the chuck for a Jacobs 700 from an old 14.4v XRP I don't use much anymore.

I think Ridgid might use the 700 if it's a Jacobs chuck because I seem to remember the specs saying it was a carbide reinforced chuck.

[DRC-Wartex]

Hi Velosapien, you are correct and I forgot to mention Rohm chucks on new stuff. I own the 36v hammerdrill and a DC927 18v hammer, both have Rohm. I got my last 36v tool today - the jigsaw, and now I have a full kit of all 36v tools. Dewalt's DC330/331/308 jigsaws are the best freaking jigsaws in the world.

I tested the makita grinder VS dewalt 18v grinder, and Makita was much better, but makita has a bigger battery. (10 cuts of 1/2 rebar, 2.4 Ah vs 17 cuts of rebar, 3.0 Ah), that and the BTP140 impact which I still have are my favourite tools. I almost cried :D when I sold my LXT grinder to my buddy, but when I tested the new 36v dewalt, I was blown away.

PS: Makita's cells are 1460 Mah, so battery is 2.92 Ah, not 3. They never really give out full 2.9 Ah unlike NiCd due to cutoff voltage, so they are like 2.8 Ah. Which means that LXT grinder has a really nice motor in it.

PPS: You can get a rohm chuck from dewalt service center for your makita. You need to use threadlocking goop because it has no center screw.

[Sceeter W Wheels]

DeWalt's 36V jigsaw is awesome. I can't believe how much power it has and how smoothly it cuts. It's a very addictive too to use. I often find myself using it for quick cuts on things that I would have used the circular saw for before.

Also check out the grinder too. I got that one a while back and it has massive power and very good battery runtime. I was also surprised at how well it works with sanding and flap discs, despite being geared more as a cutting tool.