Lifetime Battery Warranty

[Carol Laflin]

Apparently you have to give up at least your first born to get replacement batteries. I was given a gift from my Dad (who has since passed away) of a great drill/skill saw/flashlight combo kit, probably 12-15 years ago. He bought the combo because of the lifetime battery replacement that was advertised
at Home Depot. Loved the combo. Used them constantly. Now that the batteries won't hold a charge, try getting them replaced! Of course they are different batteries now! You have to buy the new charger to charge the new batteries! But you can't get the new batteries because they won't give them to you because they are not the same batteries as before! I don't have the original receipt so I'm out of luck! I hate Home Depot and will NEVER buy another Rigid Product. I've been thru the wringer on this! Which probably makes Rigid happy that they don't have to eat the cost of new batteries!

[Mightyservant]

Welcome to our world (sort of) where in case you haven't noticed most of us aren't real crazy about HD though we do like a lot of tools they have for sale.

Before you put your tools in hibernation or worse try searching for replacement batteries on AMZ. You can find all manner of new original and knock offs for all sorts of power tools. I'd look for UL,CE listings to stay on the safer side though. Battery packs can can also be rebuilt if your the adventurous sort

You can find all manner of chargers there as well.

By the way even though you might not like HD they've got some great deals right now on tools.

[CWSmith]

Carol,

Sorry to hear of your father's passing.

It is my understanding that LSA and the replacement of those batteries under that program is only given to the original purchaser, which of course would be your late father and then only if he registered them into the LSA program. If they were bought for, and given to you as a gift, then they should have been registered in your name. Do you know if they were registered into the Limited Lifetime Service Agreement program, and if so, in his name or yours?

CWS

[Bob D.]

I had the same questions as CWS as I was reading the OP.
If they weren't registered in your name then sorry to say but any warranty is gone as it holds to the original purchaser.
If they were registered by you AND you did the additional steps to register for the LSA then I would think you should be covered, but you have to expect that they will ask to see your proof of LSA registration, not much different than any other warranty on any other product.

[Joshua Burgess]

Honestly Ridgid's done a good job keeping compatibility with older batteries when you consider pretty much every other brand has changed battery platforms in the past 12-13 years (except Ryobi who has kept the same battery system since the 90's) when your dad got those tools he would have probably known that the lifetime service agreement only applies to the original purchaser, which as frustrating as it may be is still better than other brands 3 or 5 year warranty that would have expired years ago. Your problem is not something that only happens to Ridgid, as batteries from most brands are quite expensive. Just keep in mind that the quality of the batteries has also gone way up with the price so you still get a good value in my opinion. If you're willing to give these tools a second chance with some new batteries Ridgid has 2 pack of 4.0amp hour batteries on sale at home depot for $99 which is a stinkin good deal.

[JDawg70]

Rigid's Lifetime Service Agreement doesn't come with the tools. It comes from REGISTERING with Rigid and adding tools with LSA eligibility within 3 mos of their purchase. Otherwise the tools have warranties for up to 3 years. This fact is not hidden in small print on a buried web page or pamphlet. Registering is stated loud and clear anywhere the topic comes up. I view the post above to be a testament to Rigid (15 years of frequent use without a problem) and an example of the importance of registering. Hating the brand that offers lifetime coverage by simply registering for it on tools lasting 15 years regardless isnt going to garner sympathy but may garner sentiment from others who too never registered for the LSA their tools could have been covered under. If you are late for a fight and the plane has taken off, do you hate the airline you have flown problem free for years with because they didnt turn the jet around to come back and pick u up? Is that a reasonable expectation on your part? The responsibility to be at the departure gate on time doesn't disappear because the ticket was a gift or expensive. Rigid cannot guess who my have bought tools any given day to then catalog the original owner. It's the owners responsibility to inform Rigid. I did. And a new battery is reroute to my front door. My ONLY further action required after the 5 minute phone call to Rigid claims was that I call back when the new battery is delivered so it can be included in my list of LSA tools too.

[BossTom]

Boy after reading these I am getting that quezy feeling in my stomach. I went to Rigid after having found the Craftsman quit have a life time warrantee on power tools ( having over $2,000.00 worth of battery operated drills and saws and dead batteries). Looks like I may have done it again. I am having to put in a charged battery in my tools after sometimes 20 minutes compared to getting a full day when new.

[CWSmith]

BossTom,

Sorry to have to say, but when you buy something, a tool or anything else that comes with a warranty or an offered service plan, you really need to take the time to read the rules, warranty, or anything else offered with that purchase.

Ridgid's "Limited Lifetime Service Agreement" ("LLSA" or "LSA" as it is mostly referred too) was introduced with the NEW line of Ridgid orange-colored in 2003. These tools were manufactured by Techtronics International, a Hong Kong-based company known for it's many tool brands (Ridgid, Ryobi, Hoover, Dirt Devil, AEG, Milwaukee, and others) and uses the "Ridgid" brand name under license from Emerson Electric, an American company. ( https://www.ttigroup.com/ )

(Note do not get this confused with "Tektroniks" which is a totally different company! (https://www.tek.com/?adpos=%7Badposi...SAAEgKRHvD_BwE )

The "LSA" is only offered for TTI-made tools, and is not available for Emerson-made tools, like shop vacs, and plumbing tools. The "LSA" has ALWAYS required registration of your purchase FROM Home Depot. Purchases from other sources are NOT eligible.

Now about that Craftsman warranty.

The Sears "Craftsman" tool warranty has always been on their handheld tools like screwdrivers, wrenches, etc. IT was never offered on power tools... EVER!

I bought my first Craftsman tools when I was in high school, and my first power tools shortly after graduation in 1962. My late FIL was the leading hardware manager here on the east coast and worked for Sears for decades. Craftsman Power tools had a "Power Tool Guarantee" of only ONE year! (also included Craftsman welders)

A lot of people seem to have bought into the legend of Craftsman's "Lifetime Warranty", but it never did cover power tools.

CWS

[MAS]

I believe the Craftsman torque wrenches only ever had a 1yr warranty as well. I know a few people that thought they were lifetime warranty as they are a hand tool. However I actually read the warranty section when I bought mine many years ago so I knew it when I purchased it that it was only 1 yr.
That happens to coincide with the annual calibration cycle that is recommended for torque wrenches that nobody follows.

[Bob D.]

"That happens to coincide with the annual calibration cycle that is recommended for torque wrenches that nobody follows."

I'd say almost nobody, but not everyone, it depends on where you are working. Some places calibrate torque wrenches every 3 months and require you to check them on a torque tester immediately before each use AND afterwards and record the test results in a procedure filled out by the technicians for that particular job. And if it should fail then or during a quarterly recalibration every job it was used on in the past 3 months gets reviewed and possibly retorqued.

So as you can see there are two sides with extremes at both ends, from total anal retentiveness to don't care at all.

[eph6]

My two cents. I own many Ridged tools. When they started the lifetime warranty I jumped on it. I register everything as directed in the directions and website. I have had NO TROUBLE ever with a battery replacement. I use my tools more than the average home owner and they do get some punishment. No tool has ever failed me. I have had one battery go bad and it got replaced with no questions asked.

[CWSmith]

eph6,

Welcome to the Ridgid forum!

I do not use my power tools professionally as you do, but my experience too has been the same in that battery replacement under the LSA is pretty easy. Just this last spring, I replace some batteries that were purchased back in 2005. No problem whatsoever.

Again, welcome to the forum,

CWS

[Moar]

My two cents. I own many Ridged tools. When they started the lifetime warranty I jumped on it. I register everything as directed in the directions and website. I have had NO TROUBLE ever with a battery replacement. I use my tools more than the average home owner and they do get some punishment. No tool has ever failed me. I have had one battery go bad and it got replaced with no questions asked.

The fact that they just replace without even sending a return label for the old one makes me suggests the failure is more common than they'd like to admit that they'd rather not pay for the return label. They just told me to take the old one to Home Depot for recycling.

[Bob D.]

Batteries are heavy and Lithium batteries must be shipped as a hazardous material so they can't go by air, surface shipping only in most cases. Plus if all those batteries come back to them they have to dispose of them. They would rather that you do that in concert with a local collection center. All places that sell cordless tool batteries must take used batteries in for disposal. That disposal cost is covered in the price you pay for the battery at time of purchase. Lowes, HD, and other places will have a collection box somewhere in the store. I have found it near the Customer Service Desk in most cases.

Same goes for laser printer toner cartridges. Staples and the other office supply stores must take them in and dispose of them. They should not be tossed in the regular trash where they would end up in the landfill.

My county sponsors hazardous waste collection days three times a year. Homeowners can bring household waste and dispose of it for free. Items such as tires, car batteries, oil-based paints and solvents, electronics can all be brought to them and will be properly disposed of. The county figured out it was cheaper to do this a couple times a year than pick this stuff up from along side some back road where people would dump the stuff. Unfortunately that still happens but it is greatly reduced since they started the program.

I'd reason your city or county may do something similar too. If not why not suggest it.

[Moar]

In most cases, return shipments for RMA almost never go back by air anyways. You missed my point. Getting the defective item back has always been the norm in warranty and companies with reasonable service that stand behind their product would provide you with the return label. If the product was extremely reliable and durable; they'd be asking for the defective item back.

Instead, I feel like they're sell cheaply made products prone to failing, then just sending replacements when people call and complain.

[Bob D.]

Why? Why would they want hundreds of batteries coming back that will tell them nothing new. My point is it's all about costs, save money by not having to handle all those batteries is how I think they're playing it. Batteries probably cost a couple dollars to produce, and have a huge profit margin. Why eat into that, just take the loss as long as it's acceptable and count your money.

[BadgerDave]

Business 101

[CWSmith]

I agree that requiring a battery return to the Ridgid company just wouildn't make a lot of since. First off, it's not Ridgid's battery, but TTI that is providing the LSA.

When I replaced four batteries this past spring, the person was very pleasant and my phone conversation was only a few minutes. I asked specifically about returning the batteries and was told that I could just drop them off at Home Depot "anytime" so they could recycle them. I was happy that I didn't have to box them up and send them via UPS or something. Frankly, I wasn't particularly sure if my local UPS store would even take something like that without a special label.

Personally, I'm just happy the process was so simple and that they will be properly recycled.

CWS

[Bob D.]

OTOH, when one of my Festool batteries died they wanted it back. They sent me the replacement and a return shipping label. Process was easy. I think they wanted it back because it was leaking and they wanted to find out why. Battery was only a year old and not abused.