Don’t believe us, watch this - Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge VS Ridgid Stealth Force - Best Impact Driver Comparison! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j4okfpkcEh0.html
This is exactly how a tool manufacturer could grow their market share, by listening people who are using their tools as a living and keep improving. Great job guys !
You're kidding, right? None of the three tools demonstrated in this videos are staples of a commercial worksite. Ridgid might as well be building blenders.
As a professional the Ridgid Miter box is not something I would ever buy. Took mine back, very inconsistent cuts even at 90 degrees. The cuts were all over the place. I have an old Ryobi that cuts 90 after 90 after 90 all day, dead on. Ridgid also does not offer the same selection that their sister Milwaukee does. So, at this point I am going over to Makitia. The quality is there, and they give you a great variety equal to Mil or better. I stayed with Ridgid for the last 8 years. Now, for a tool company to fall on their face with a poor miter box design, they are not competent, how did you let this happen?
I actually switched from Dewalt to ridgid after replacing several dewalt tools in a short time from use. I absolutely love Ridgids line of tools and they work very well for me the last 6 years or so. Having said that, this is nothing but good news and great constructive criticism going forward.
I agree 100%. I cannot see paying 2 or 3 times more for a tool that will get the job done just as good as the other. None of my clients have ever come up to me and said, "You did a really nice job remodeling our place, but it would have looked so much nicer if you had used DeWalt or Milwaukee." LMAO
My buddy at work keeps trying to get me over to Milwaukee. Yet my older generation rigid tools the Gen 5x brushed models have more power than his brushless models. And I paid half as much for my 5 piece combo set on sale for 250 bucks he paid $500 for his high torque Milwaukee impact wrench. The only reason I could see going Ryobi or Milwaukee or even Makita is if you need more tools than the basics. Circular saw reciprocating saw impact driver impact wrench drill driver. If you need more than those then by all means go somewhere else with a wider variety but as far as the basics go rigid offers a great lineup for the basics that most prosumers use. Every house project I've been able to complete with rigid tools and they get me very far at work fixing tractor trailers. The only thing I really need is a high torque impact wrench.
@@Techprep23 I just got the Rigid 600 ft/lb impact wrench and it works great. Black Friday is coming up at home depot, GREAT time to collect some Rigid tools for cheap cheap. Not even on Black Friday are the DeWalt or Milwaukee tools on sale. It's ridiculous how much the want for the them.
Funny, we switched from Rigid to Metabo for framing guns since all the rigid ones generally wore down pretty fast…. It’s been like 8yrs since tho so maybe they’ve improved the year and wear in the framing/finish gun lineup … but for now we’re still Metabo fans
Those tests were a total setup overall. I want to see full batteries on both tools, new blades and same wood in addition to the same force. Using a dull blade on the competition is a classic on trade shows. And that drill was a comparison between brushless and brushed, may as well not compare it at all.
the Ridgid has a much larger stroke length and runs a faster stroke per minute. The thicknesses of the board is the reason Ridgid performed way better better. the board was thicker than DeWalts stroke length but not the Ridgids. Ridgid could clear the chips DeWalt couldn't. if they were cutting 2x4s it would have been much closer. Ridgid would still win though.
You were invited there because they have clearly hired good leadership that is actually accepting criticism. I'll keep my eyes on rigid now and see what they come up with.
Don't hold your breath....rig·id /ˈrijid/ Learn to pronounce adjective 1. unable to bend or be forced out of shape; not flexible. "a seat of rigid orange plastic"... ..that's a copy and paste definition...Rigid is stuck in the same crap form it's always been
This is ALWAYS. and I mean ALLLLWAAYYYSSS when a company starts to turn around. When the execs actually give a shit about delivering GOOD products that people actually want. Instead of having an, "Oh people will buy it anyway so whatever" attitude.
@@aerball my thoughts exactly. When the CEO is focused on the customer and not shareholders, those are the best run companies! Tells me a lot about the Rogid company!
Well if they switched sides on the board instead of saws we would’ve seen a different outcome. Its a lot harder to cut through yellow grain than the light which is why it slowed half way through. Look at the color of grain when it slowed down
That pine with knots and sapwood on the one end of the board is twice as hard to cut as the clear almost quarter sawn end. They should have swapped ends for a true comparison.
I'm sure VCG knows that too which makes you wonder why he didn't call them on it if it was a genuine comparison but instead participated in false advertising.
Refreshing video. They really do look promising. Rigid does do a lot of things right like you said, but there has always been better options for the same money. Now that they are attacking their flaws I see them becoming a much better option. Thanks for the video and thanks to Rigid for being fair about things!
DIYer here. I just upgraded all of my old power tools to DeWalt. Ridgid was considered but quickly disqualified because the power tools are just too big and too blocky. Love the boxes and the vacs. Good to see they are going more compact.
I have many and don't mind the shape or weight. I really prefer their grip to others not only because of the texture, but because as a professional user they do not seem to seperate from the handle as bad as the dewalts or milwaukees. Don't missunderstand with enough use they still get loose but it doesn't seem to be right on the front seam of the grip like the other two, its usually on the back around the thumb / pointer area. Otherwise I would agree that they are often bulkier or heavier in some instances than the others. It just doesn't seem to bother me I guess because the grip feels better making it less noticeable. Funny note though. There subcompact drill is only slightly smaller than the Gen3 Milwaukee fuel lol. If I were looking for weight savings out of the 3 I would have to pick the Dewalts. They are light and although I don't prefer the smooth grip they are still very ergonomic. The grips on Milwaukees are about the same but their tools are a little on the heavier side, however they generally make that difference up in power.
I'm a dewalt guy. But if another tool maker comes out with a tool that dewalt doesn't make ill buy it. I just got there new dcf923 atomic haven't used it yet but can't wait to.
Ik I'll be in the minority but I consider every other power tool over dewalt. Every work place I've been at has dewalts and they've always been complete shit. Especially their impacts. They've never lasted.
Apprentice here, one of the guys I work with uses rigid here in Australia it’s called AEG. Two days ago we went through 3 batteries with 1 bar of charge left and none would power the leaf blower. He then discarded a fourth battery with 3 bars because it was faulty. Not sure if we’re talking about the same brand here but I can see where Vince is coming from, He’s in what you might call a pickle of a situation. Don’t envy you at all Vince, glad you spun it to the brighter side though you’re a gentleman.
I have Ridgid, Ryobi, and Milwaukee (the TTI trifecta) and just picked up a Makita saw the other day. I don't use any of them often/hard enough to run them into the ground. So, I can't say which is the best value. We nitpick differences between brands, but I'm just happy cordless tools have become the new standard. I love them all!
I worked in the trades a long while, and mostly Dewalt and Milwaukee held up. I scorched my makita set, worked side-by-sede with with guy who went ryobi, and they were about the same as makita. Now, out of the trades, 8 have an M12 set from Milwaukee, which is more tool than most homeowners would ever need, while being comfortable for people whose hands aren't anywhere near as strong as tradesmen hands.
Im not on the Ridgid platform but I'll be cheering on their success. Ridgid's new offerings will help drive innovation, competition and ultimately improve their customers end user experience. Those demo's were impressive! Have an awesome night! 👍
As a professional the Ridgid Miter box is not something I would ever buy. Took mine back, very inconsistent cuts even at 90 degrees. The cuts were all over the place. I have an old Ryobi that cuts 90 after 90 after 90 all day, dead on. Ridgid also does not offer the same selection that their sister Milwaukee does. So, at this point I am going over to Makitia. The quality is there, and they give you a great variety equal to Mil or better. I stayed with Ridgid for the last 8 years. Now, for a tool company to fall on their face with a poor miter box design, they are not competent, how did you let this happen?
As a contractor I went to Ridgid many years ago specifically for the lifetime warranty. To date they are yet to repair or replace a single defective tool. I am now switching everything to Milwaukee.
With 40 years of experience with power tools i can say this. I want a tool that performs and is well made. I grew up around Black and Decker, Skilsaw Porter Cable and Milwaukee. Today some of these brands are junk. They have been bought out by mega tool companies. If the tool is well made and durable it will stand on it's own no matter what brand it is.
Now or today all big name of tool Made in China with low quality parts ( the 1st important Production low cost ) . I have Dewalt Made in England and USA . Hitachi Made in Japan , Milwaukee Made in USA and all have more the 15 years and still works.
@@rubenmv91 I do some research before buying a tool based on it's brand name. I recently bought a worm drive. It's a skil saw mag 77 based on reviews from the essential craftsman RU-vid channel.
I am the biggest Ridgid tool fan, over 60+ registered tools. What got me deep into the brand was the Octane line, and now I feel like the line has been neutered. Octane discontinued, Megamax discontinued. I feel betrayed after the large financial investment I have made. Ridgid seems to be becoming a orange painted Ryobi, I did not buy into the brand for entry level tools and that is what they are becoming sadly.
I am an independent appliance repair technician. I bought the rigid portable shop vac to remove water from dishwashers and washing machines. Only lasted 6 months
Bro, I'm glad you did this... I've been a ridgid tools due to price points but Dewalt tools seem to be the standard. Glad to see that Ridgid is moving the needle forward with performance and quality. Their lifetime warranty has been one of the main reasons I've stuck with them. I agree with everything you mentioned in the video.
Ridged should have stayed with the octane line and upgraded the current tools like every other brand has done and not make a whole new line that only has a few tools. The octane tools had potential
As a ridgid user, I'll be completely honest. They have a lot of work to do and step it up. I'm glad after they took out the octane line they began to replace and also add more tools to their arsenal. What I want to see from them is to bring back their 12v line. Give the market competition against Milwaukee, competition drives innovation and and quality, different lights besides the 4 they currently carry, updated corded tools that have been in their arsenal for years! Their own driver and impact bits. Their own saw blades, more cabinetry tools like their old band saws, planers. Get into electrical! They have a lot of work to do but with them throwing the octane away they seem to finally have a set path for tools and what to make. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but only time will tell
@@keegannoel43 they own them yes, but it doesn't stop them from producing new tools. If ridgid Is able to bring in more users they will probably expand more of their line.
@@unclepungus7828 it's a Chinese company now. The only thing they care about is making the cheapest tools an charging as much as they can for them. I was a power tool Salesman for a year, now I am an electrician. Believe me the entire company is headed down hill.
I KNEW IT!!!!!! My evil twin said he could not help me last week cause he had something to do. Now I see it was because he was HANGING WITH YOU!!! (HE REALLY IS EVILLLLLL!)
I have always been a yellow guy but I recently was looking for a smaller drill . I ended up getting the sub compact ridged . So far I am very happy with the overall performance . The ergonomics are good the weight is good and so far the battery life has been good . Last but not least the price point you can’t beat . I am already looking at the circ saw to make another pc of yellow stay on the shelf .
As somebody who didn’t get into the Ridgid lineup until their octane mid-torque impact wrench came out, I had serious buyers remorse after they discontinued the octane lineup. It was at that moment I jumped to Milwaukee, though I still have my octane impact wrench, angle grinder, and four of the 4 aH octane batteries. It would be nice to see more offerings and a stable platform.
Bravo Vincent! You may have helped save the Rigid brand. Unfortunately, in today's world there's too much 'that's good' and not enough 'this sucks'. Companies cannot grow from good to great without some hard-swallowing moments. Well done.
About 5 years ago I bought a Ridged 10" mitre saw on sale @ Home Depot, Never could keep the saw cutting square, the fence would constantly move on me, also finally realized the fence was bowed. Called Ridged to try to get a replacement, and was told that this particular saw was made by a different manufacturer that was allowed to use thier name, and I would have to contact them for warranty! Well that was $400 in the trash, now very happy with my DeWalt!
That's probably a good leader with faith in his product. Inviting in someone who's not a fanboy rather than preaching to the converted. After years of supermarket brands, I've recently started my own professional collection and it's primarily Makita, so I won't be buying. But I think that strong competition is healthy.
A few years back I moved almost 100% to Rigid, starting with a Black Friday Bundle. There are other brands that have better/more offerings, which is the downside of Rigid at times. I felt like DeWalt and Bosch had lost their edge, performance, and quality. I didn`t have the money to go Milwaukee. I now have the money to go with any brand, but I am sticking with Rigid. I am not a daily power user but so far Rigid has not let me down. That being said, they all have their pros and cons. Nothing motivates a team more than seeing the guy that says, "I don`t like your product". Great videos.
No bro you speak your mind ...you were honest....coming years of experience in the trades and using tools....if they are offended then they dont care about its users opinons and how to better improve on them..
That’s the good part, they’re very receptive to the constructive criticism. They even admitted to being “off course” for a while and talked about how they’re working to “Right the ship”! Raj!
@VCG...Yeah Vince, it's good that you keep the course and be true to your methodology given the time you've been in the trade. I loved when you threw the curve ball to ,(us), the viewer, and chucked one of the freshly unboxed tools right on to the ground, and said, " oh that's not what you were expecting?- well we do real scenarios with tools here at VCG." Love that you really ask the questions that need to be asked to keep competition great and engineers on their toes.
As a sheet metal mechanic, for me, it’s all about the warranty. I like it when I can print a repair ticket, ship out my broken tool, and 9 times out of ten, Milwaukee won’t hassle, they just ship me a brand new or refurbished tool. In fact, the one time the warranty wouldn’t cover my chuck repair, I paid the $60, and they didn’t repair the chuck. Nope. They just sent me a brand new drill. I’ve had every manufacturer you can think of, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Hilti, Makita, Bosch, Porter Cable, Matabo, Festool, Skil, etc. And I’m not saying Milwaukee is the best, but they have a dam good warranty. 🇺🇸
Like they say “two’s company and three’s a crowd.” It’s hard managing three separate tool lines and maintaining a purpose for each. Back when Ryobi was blue and didn’t have as large of a line of tools and was what Chaka Gillis thinks Ryobi still is, having the Rigid line made sense as a step in between Ryobi and Milwaukee. But the Ryobi line has become huge and the green so much better and Milwaukee’s prices are really competitive that there isn’t as much need for the middle step anymore in my humble opinion. Maybe they should stick to corded tools and vacuums where a lifetime warranty is more valuable?
Milwaukee's price is not all that great when you consider the top end ridgid octane tools meet them in quality and swap blows in perfomance. No matter where you look they swap blows on many tools and Ridgid hi torque 1/2 impact holds the crown of the most powerful 1/2 cordless impact as tested By Torque Test Channel found here on youtube, which includes all models of 1/2 Milwaukee impacts which are intern more powerful than pretty much all others themselves. The biggest thing ridgid lacks is variety which is funny considering the amount of other tools they release under their name in other countries which is AEG. I would however agree That Ryobi is still on a Slope headed closer to the top day by day as their tools keep getting more features and more power. Their new mid torque impact is a monster. Leaving only a small space for ridgid to fit in. If ridgid continues to make tools like their newest line up though they may be swapping spots with Ryobi. Happy with all my Ridgids except for the three subcompact tools I own. The power is ok but the quality is, well it remains to be seen. When Ryobi starts to swap blows with Milwaukee constantly then it may be time for ridgid to go. I guess Id have to go Milwaukee because I hate the old school style of the Ryobi batteries, they are terrible to store and pack out if you have a few
@@D3M3NT3Dstrang3r I completely agree with you on rye batteries. The HP line should have been in the new style of batteries and just include an adaptor to make them backward compatible. Total ball drop there.
@@billsedutto8824 Totally agree. I would love to pick up more of their line as they are getting strong and reliable enough for daily use given their variety and price. I just hate that with all other manufacturers you can stack the batteries in a box or cabinet etc. Not Ryobi though, you got to play a game of Tetris to get them to fit neatly. Your right too, it would have been a good time to swap to a newer style. I agree it would suck to lose backwards compatibility but they could just as easily make an adapter like Dewalt did with their 20v max Lithium to 18V ni-cad tools. In 99 percent of cases considering the average buyer of most of the older Ryobi tools that would be just fine, especially if they made the adapter nice and thin so it would almost be unnoticeable when attached to the tool. I guess it would suck to have to buy newer batteries but if your buying the newest tools you probably need to anyways to get the power gains of the newer tools. If your gonna cut the power in half with an old battery might as well just use the old tool.
@@D3M3NT3Dstrang3r I went out and got that 1/2 in. Octane impact and 3Ah batteries after that TT test. Sad to see Ridgid abandoning Octane power in favor of emasculated pretty-boy metrosexual mini-toys!
Nothing will beat the quality and reliability of Milwaukee tools hands done no questions asked. I’ve seen Milwaukee tools almost burnt and melted in fires and they still work like brand new and other examples. With Milwaukee your not just paying for the name but your paying for great tools!
I have been a Ridgid tool user for over 10 years now. I replaced my line of Makita tools with Ridgid and have been very happy with my decision. I have the first Ridgid tool I ever purchased in 2011 (an 18V jig saw) and it still works perfectly. I now own over 30 of their cordless power tools and several 120vac powered tools, and I have never had one single tool failure. I am not a contractor, but I use my tools heavily. @the mandalorian, I agree the Stealth Force impact driver is an amazing tool, I have it and love it. I was sad to see it go.
I recently switched from Ridgid to Milwaukee, and seemingly at the right time. The Octane line was awesome, but their new lines just seem... slightly better than Ryobi
@@robertrandall9807 at any rate, they clearly put more into their Milwaukee line. Thanks 4 info, didnt know that. Dewalt/ black n decker marriage i was aware of.
Go look at a tool company ownership chart. Each brand is to fill a specific segment in the market, and each parent company had a tool brand at each price point. You are a perfect example. Ryobi, Ridged/AEG and Milwaukee are all owned by the same company. Having a customer progress ryobi - Ridged/AEG - Milwaukee like you have os the perfect outcome for the company
I agree with you. I am a old time Ryobi user. 22+ years ago they came out with a 7 tool work station when they started the 18volt (IMHO) revolution That tool station helped me to become a millionaire (I deal in income investment properties, all aspects as such at the time). I knew what I was getting into by using Ryobi over anything Ridgid and other brands. At the time of my first purchase in the construction Ryobi was bought for "one job" only set up. Meaning use it once beat the hell out of it and then throw it away. You just got to take care of your tools and they will take care of you. I did with my Ryobi and it held up better than I expected. BTW I still have the original 7 tool work station. It's now considered... Vintage :)
No joke!!! I have lots of respect for Ridgid. I do think they will fill those gaps.😁😁😁 and improve their game. Theh did it with that tiny impact driver.
It seems like they have realized that the feedback from your unbiased reviews and from other trade pros is imperative to their bottom line and survival of the company. The feedback that comes from your tool comparisons is so valuable to a company’s research and development. They ignored it for a while or maybe couldn’t implement it but it seems like they are now. That’s great for the tool industry. More competition pushes for better technology and better tools
“Milwaukee won’t let us have the good tools” Ridgid got straight up punished when their high torque impact wrench out performed the 2767. They had to discontinue it, and basically come out with a rebadged ryobi high torque.
They insist on the long aggravating process of registration only to say IF we register your tool we'll get back to you. If they don't to give the life time warranty just stop offering it.
I ran Rigid tools for quite a few years…they always seemed like they weighed 2x as much as the higher end lines, but the price was right especially when it seemed like they were always clearancing out a line at the depot. However, I got sick of spending more times waiting for my tools to get serviced that I made the switch to team red. Should have spent the extra money day one!
I liked Rigid long long ago The tool felt like quality in my hands. Over the years I have changed to using multiple brands other than dewalt and rigid. Depends on the application for what tool ill break out. If I had to pick one brand it would prolly be makita, With ryobi being second. IMO ryobi used to be junk now I like them.
As a professional the Ridgid Miter box is not something I would ever buy. Took mine back, very inconsistent cuts even at 90 degrees. The cuts were all over the place. I have an old Ryobi that cuts 90 after 90 after 90 all day, dead on. Ridgid also does not offer the same selection that their sister Milwaukee does. So, at this point I am going over to Makitia. The quality is there, and they give you a great variety equal to Mil or better. I stayed with Ridgid for the last 8 years. Now, for a tool company to fall on their face with a poor miter box design, they are not competent, how did you let this happen?
Ryobi 18V One+: Over 225 different tools Milwaukee M18: Over 200 tools Ridgid 18V: Altogether, about 56 Neither TTI nor Emerson have folks completely convinced that they are 100% dedicated to the Ridgid line. My first set of tools was Ridgid. Once my needs changed, I had to buy into other platforms. They're not bad tools, but they're not great, either. They're good, but it seems like they just cannot find their target customers.
I was thinking of switching to Ryobi from Kobalt (a rebranded Skil basically) because Ryobi has every tool under the sun to the point I wouldn't be surprised if they had a battery powered kitchen sink. However I've heard Ryobi isn't as durable in their construction as their competitors.
I bought into the Ridgid system early on and was totally disappointed, DeWalt was the same. Been team Milwaukee for 15 years now and will never change. Good luck Frigid!
I have to agree with one of the other comments that there was a knot in that wood and up to that point there wasn't a difference. Also I'm sure dewalt will be updating their right angle drill ...the Dewalt brushed drill was barely a half second behind. It just seems like Ridgid dropped the ball about 2 years ago. Thanks for another good video though.
I am not sure if Rigid was waiting for others to produce newer and more efficient compact tools so they could see where the market was going. Their drills still had a metal chuck which rubbed on surfaces and polished right up (it quickly looked worn) when others had unbreakable plastic chucks for years. It looks like they are catching up, or trying. It shud be noted that once a craftsman selects a brand of power tools he usually sticks with it because of the $1000 of batteries he has for it.
Thank God you actually gave a timeline for when the rigid tools quality seemed to take a nose dive, because I thought I must have been insanely lucky or something. I've had my rigid tools for around five years now, and not one of them has been bad, or crapped out on me. I work maintenance, and I use them every day, often, some of them, like my circular saw, sawzall and drill perform as well as other people's corded tools. The drill mixes mud like a corded one, and my sawzall is really close to my corded Bostitch one in performance. My finish nailer can pretty much keep up with the pneumatic one that my company has without having to lug around a compressor, and my circular saw rarely has ever bogged down, same as the corded saws I've used, and that's only when the battery is just about dead. So if what you're talking about is the uglier looking ones I've seen popping up within the last couple years, that makes sense, as they didn't seem to have the quality of the ones I already have. I also imagine that if there are issues with any of their products, said issues are more likely to pop up when used in a construction setting where they are used for their singular purpose all eight work hours of every day. While I am shooting up trim in a couple of apartments in a day, I'm not shooting trim every day all day, so I thought that maybe that's where people were seeing problems, but maybe it's just the tools from the last couple years?
You could clearly see the dewalt was cutting through the knotted side of the wood 🪵, dewalt was winning both times until it hit the knots and basically stalls hmmmm fair test I think not lol.
Yes, but it looked like it missed the knots both cuts. Regardless of the knots, it looked like that Rigid cut faster to me. I still prefer Milwaukee for most of my tools.
@@BRENDANTHERED I was a huge red man but unfortunately over the last few years whilst the performance has increased the reliability has been appalling, yet my yellow never fails it's a shame as they were once the king of cordless.
My issue is that when you are invested in a specific brand of tools changing brands is expensive and as a result not practical. The main reason is batteries.
You can adapt Milwaulkee and Dewalt batteries to Ryobi tools really easy. I do it for when I want something that Milwaulkee doesn't make (hot glue gun or 18V tire inflator).
Waiting to see Ridgid response to Packout and others fitted tool storage systems. Bought a bunch of their 3 piece set and bucket, then started making my own kits with Kazan foam
Good for you Vince. In today's world, more than ever, I respect someone that tells it the way it is. Rigid has to respect it and we definitely respect it. Today's world is mostly sponsored videos and I'm sorry you cannot be 100% honest when a video is sponsored. Can't be done unless you're already well off.
Yes, but far too many salty ass motherfuckers out there in today's world who can't have the ovaries and testis to take the truth... Far too many ignore, block, run, and pretend that the cold hard truth doesn't exist
I once ticked off the big wigs at our home office. They came to my store bragging about having tape with the company name on it. I explained it is great, but the tape should work. They were what what do you mean, quiet irritated so I asked them to try it out. Well months later we had and sold tape that worked. Now they can be proud. Can't believe they didn't know this. To many yes people in the company
And with different wood grain clearly visible to the left of the knot only on the non rigid side. Go back and watch it again. You will see both saws are side by side till he hits the darker area.
I'm an industrial electrician and I use Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Ridgid everyday.. I like Rigids pipe cutting, fitting, threading tools.. I have alot of Ridgid tools including a compact bandsaw that I use and absolutely love.. it's so nice to have a great bandsaw that can do the job..
Love Ridgid tools -- best grips out there, sound good, great batteries. I bought nearly every one of their tools for the LSA -- use almost all of them regularly -- but have basically never needed it. With few exceptions they're high quality tools at a great price. Ridgid for 18V, Milwaukee for 12V. No regrets.
As a professional the Ridgid Miter box is not something I would ever buy. Took mine back, very inconsistent cuts even at 90 degrees. The cuts were all over the place. I have an old Ryobi that cuts 90 after 90 after 90 all day, dead on. Ridgid also does not offer the same selection that their sister Milwaukee does. So, at this point I am going over to Makitia. The quality is there, and they give you a great variety equal to Mil or better. I stayed with Ridgid for the last 8 years. Now, for a tool company to fall on their face with a poor miter box design, they are not competent, how did you let this happen?
@@hdvictoryford5329 What's a "Miter box"? Haven't used those in 30 years. Ridgid's new rebranded Delta miter saw definitely has some cut-consistency issues, hopefully they'll fix it because otherwise it's a great saw. I just got the 18V sliding miter and did some tests and it actually does quite well -- almost no lateral play at full extension -- very happy with it so far. Probably why they called it the "unicorn" for awhile while it was backordered. And yes, Milwaukee and Makita have wider lines, but they don't have an LSA and they're more expensive. If you need a wide line and have plenty of $$, go Milwaukee unless you're already invested in Makita. But if Ridgid carries the tools you need, and you have a budget, Ridgid's been a pretty great value. (No, I don't work for them.)
@@acecabezon What is a miter box. You got to be joking. That is how a carpenter learned. These new Miter saws are just updated versions of a miter box. And Junior I don't worry about semantics, my old Ryobi is dead on after being thrown around for over 20 years. And the original cost, 49.95. For what you have to pay for this by comparison, well just say they are pretty, and a real POS. And to say there is no lateral travel, well you must be a gentle soul, lol. In the real world these new saws have lateral travel with very little effort. If your engineers can't design a saw that eliminates lt, it should not be made. Come on the job with some real life experience and you will quickly see why many have 3-4-or even 5 of these on a job. They are over priced and under engineered. And to pay that kind of money! Build it right and I will. This design NO! And what tells me this, Over 50 years of building experience, Skippy!
I feel what is really holding Rigid back is the pure fact that TTI’s focus is on Milwaukee to be the dominant brand they are pushing for the pros. So Rigid EXCECS can get upset all they want but ultimately they answer to big brother TTI and TTI will always push Milwaukee to be the dominate tool/brand.
Emerson actually owns Ridgid and licenses the orange product line to TTI. Same situation with Ryobi. Which is why this whole video is very confusing. I'm pretty sure that, given the TTI licensing arrangement, none of these tools get made or engineered in that building....
You are my hero. I've expressed my concern with the brand...very recently on your videos. Because that's the platform I'm on and in the past year or so I personally see every power tool company looking like they are going forward where Ridgid seemed like it was stagnant or even going backwards. I hope they took what you said and used it as motivation.
I can tell you as an owner of some of the new ones that they are in some ways definitely going backwards. None of this stuff compares to the build quality or power of the octane tools. They have removed many features such as the light trigger frim the tools and are using inferior batteries compared to octane. Some of the newer tools do not have the octane tabs either and we are talking top models. I am angry at this change as I own a whole lot of their tools and batteries which the are obsoleting with crap to replace them with.
As far as most of these new offerings they've done a great job. The negative is the 4ah max output. The 3ah octane is a beast of a battery. They should have used 21700 cells on the 4ah max output. The hammer drill is way less powerful than the octane version, the biggest negative out of these new tools. The next bad was the octane high torque impact wrench vs the new high torque impact wrench. But I will say that the new 6ah max output and 8ah max output will be better batteries than the octane because of the 21700 cells. So at least an upgrade there. So it's only a few negatives. But the hammer drill was the biggest travesty out if this.
I feel like there's a great opportunity for a drinking game here. Every time he feels personally attacked, you gotta take a swig, and when he says "gaping holes" you gotta finish your drink!
That's right. To hell with Ridgid warranty when I can just buy another and drop the dead tool in the box and return it. We don't have time to wait for a repair
Nothing gets hotter than a rigid drill. Can’t even knock wire holes through more than fifteen studs before it starts cooking itself. Rigid is for handy men and home maintenance techs, they don’t last more than a year on a production site. And you can usually roast the whole set on a decent size deck. 😂
Octane impact wrenches are the bomb. The subcompact I can attest to it being pretty garbage, and considering the other two new tools I own I don't expect the new impacts to be much better. It is very sad considering Ryobi just released a fairly compact beast impact. The new Ridgid impacts that are coming look similar to it but for some reason I am just not that excited as I believe they are probably going to be weaker than the Ryobi which puts them way behind the Octanes. How the heck do you go backwards with nearly you whole lineup.
Hey Vince, I've seen a couple of your video's before and this one had me subscribe. I do a lot of research before I buy anything and knowing that a tool company can change with a new line-up is awesome. Buying a pc of crap is the last thing I wanna do. We don't know, what we don't know. The honesty is appreciated.
I used to be a Ridgid guy because of their lifetime warranty until I tried to use it. It took 6 weeks for HD to replace a orbital sander. Replacing batteries is always a fight. The hassle is just not worth the “lifetime “ warranty.
Same here had a vacuum go bad read the life time service agreement said send it in and we will determine if it's a warranty issue. Same with there sump pump. There warranty/service agreement is a joke.
I can say the same about dewalt. Drove 40 miles for their belt sander, got home it was dead. Went to walmart and picked up a skill to get the job done.
You nailed it brother! I switched to Ridgid tools and then began to think I made a mistake because everyone else was putting out new tools and Ridgid stopped cold turkey, it was to the point I thought I'd have to change brands, and yes his point was not directed at you, he was letting his people know to get busy, good to hear, thanks for the video great job
You're right. Because when it comes to one particular tool, the best one available is the one that was most recently released. Like the right angle drill for example, of course ridgids brand new brushless motor drill is gonna be better than the old brushed dewalt drill. Then dewalt will release a new right angle drill that will be better than the current ridgid. So in order for a tool company to have the best tools they have to constantly be updating them
Many guys in our shop bought ridgid tools and switched over to milwaukees before the ridgid ones hit their 1 year mark. Many said they wished they had bought red to start with. My position is this...battery, go red. Corded go yellow. Its been mostly a good recipe so far.
I agree completely. I’m in the green line but I started upgrading last Black Friday. Dewalt 12” sliding compound miter saw w stand (Lowes deal thank you Vince!). This year I’m looking for the Dewalt 10” table saw (w rolling stand) and going to get into the Milwaukee 18v line.
I have a Ridged vacuum I purchased at least 15 years ago and just replaced the filter this year. I used to take out the old filter and drop it on the driveway and let it crash on the asphalt about half dozen times to clean it. After 15 years the filter finally gave out and I had to purchase a new one, but I went with the double pack because it was a super bargain. I'm 72 years old and now I have to make it to 102 just to get a return on my investment.
These are the questions I wish you would have asked on camera: Do you read the comments from my subscribers? Do you realize how many Octane users are disappointed you discontinued the line in favor of smaller less powerful tools? Can we test on camera here in the showroom with older Octane tools with a 3Ah battery against the new models? Is it true the newer 6 and 8ah batteries will have 21700 cells and when will they become available? Ps: did the Dewalts used in the demos have the new Dewalt batteries?
As objectively sound and reasonable as that request would be outright; and I don't know because I'm a stooge by comparison, but I'd imagine when you're invited to a facility by a company, that company is in control of all the variables, not their guests. I don't think it'd be asinine to consider it's entirely possible that the inviting company requires NDAs to be signed and to review and approve all photographic pictures or video taken. For me, it comes down to who is chosen to talk, is it their dual-major marketing and MBA, or their value engineer who was responsible for choosing what materials go where, and why. I'd rather talk to someone about their issues with injection molding, than to someone who'd rather talk about their issues getting their products out the door, and cringeworthily try to sell them into your hand.
@@Keatononame13 that's why I appreciate torque test and project farm and other RU-vid channels that do comparison tests straight up with no b*******- is it actually a better tool? Do the actual results match your claims or not?
This is why the President of Rigid told them you weren’t a fan of their tools. Old Greek philosophy, which is some of the most sacred forms of wisdom and knowledge, says that the path to true wisdom, is to, “Know Thyself.” Ghandi, also said, “It is better to know a single flaw in yourself, than a thousand in another.” They were counting on you to point out where they were lacking. Once they knew where the constructive criticism was coming from, they would actually be able to make real changes to solve real problems. You cannot and I mean absolutely cannot make progress with “yes men.” The mustang wouldn’t be around today, if it wasn’t for the Camaro. Batman wouldn’t have been successful without the Joker. Superman would have been boring without Cryptonite. (The last one is arguable) My ultimate point being, he was counting on you for inspiration and guidance And you gave it to him. You single handedly were the catalyst of competition that Capitalism both needs to survive and thrives from.
I'll be honest. I've had their gen 5 brushless drill & driver for yrs without issues and absolutely put then through the ringer. If they took a shit I'd buy a new set same day without hesitation. Great battery life too. But a bit bulky with a 4.0ah. Can u confirm if they're produced in the same factory as milwaukee?
Ridged is fine for a homegamer, but if you're making a living with your tools, Ridged isn't the route to go. There are reasons that work trucks all over the country are stocked with Dewalt and Milwaukee.............They do the job.
I am an industrial mechanic. Our company just recently added small rental tools at a big box store to the things we service. The brand that literally fell completely out of favor with me as a result was....Makita. At least their concrete demolition tools and rotary hammers. They seem to focus more on weight reduction than reliability and their tools fail at a massive rate and are almost always throw aways when they do. They don't measure anywhere close to Hilti or even Bosch. I gave up on Dewalt tools years ago after having cordless drills and impacts fall apart on me, altho I still have an old corded 1/2 inch drive impact that kicks ass. The Ridgid tools I use every day have been pretty much bullet proof. If I worked in construction I would probably move up to Milwaukee, because I fell like they're better positioned for constant 8 hours days of continuous use. I place Ridgid above Dewalt and the newer Makitas, but below Milwaukee. It's a great brand for the kind of work I do.
I got into the ridgid lineup because of their octane line. A few months later ridgid drops octane. It’s hard for me to trust them. I switched over to Milwaukee. Thank god I wasn’t heavy invested yet. There is more politics in the power tools business than DC.
@@scottelia8723 before switching over to Milwaukee I was seriously considering ryobi HP+one. I can see how someone just getting into the trades today would pick ryobi over ridgid. If ridgid doesn’t change the game and start coming out with deals that are attractive to force people on their line, i can see a future where ryobi starts eating their lunch if it isn’t already happening.
@@scottelia8723 I just did that. Sold almost all my ridgid stuff I’ll just keep a couple around for a while probably (cordless vacuum and things like that). In Canada ridgid is terrible at supply and stocking produces especially new ones. We wait years. The Milwaukee stuff just feels more solid, is way smaller, seems better built and when on sale not that much more money. Also not tied to a single store to buy from.
@@jayhoughton558 I couldn’t agree more with you. Milwaukee is definitely smaller, lighter and way better built. Way more options and power is the same if not better. Ridgid should just drop their cordless line and focus on vacuums and plumbing tools how I always remember them. Ik emerson still makes the plumbing line but still. Milwaukee is king of tools. My dad owns dewalt and the drills are so bad the chucks don’t stay closed and the bits fall out. Now my dewalt top of the line impact driver has a collet issue. Not surprised tho. It’s super shitty.
I run Dewalt and Ryobi. I'm a handyman and my primary tools are Dewalt and tools that just make my life a little easier every once in awhile are generally ryobi. I think we all understand that it's really about the battery platform at this point, and not wanting to have to buy into that part. This was a great video and I hope Ridgid pushes the other brands with their offerings. But I doubt I'll be going orange any time soon. Thanks Vic
Been in the trades a long time. I’ve had fast tools and I’ve had long life reliable tools. In the end I prefer long life reliable tools. Most the guys I’ve worked with also prefer long life reliable tools over the high performance but short lifespan tools. Once a main tool goes down the down time kicks in until the replacement tool comes.
Well I mean when a main tool goes out on us we just run to Home Depot or a supply shop so it doesn’t shut us down but a little bit but I understand what you mean I’ve had my hammer outlive all the others workers because I got a stiletto and they got a cheap hammer.
When my Bosch 24 volt nicad set went bad I picked up a rigid set out of the pawn shop and brought it the batteries to Home Depot and they gave me for brand new batteries
My bro just went on about how he is all in on Ridgid now because they have lifetime warranties even on their batteries! That's pretty amazing but I still like DeWalt more
Tell bro to read the terms of the warranty and file all paperwork, you have to go online, preregister then mail in box labels and copies of the receipt, if not it's only 3 yrs.
Never had much luck with a lot of Ridgid's electric tools outside the shopvacs. Company I worked for bought 2 new Ridgid impacts, and both blew a grease seal after a few days of screwing down 1/8" cladding on a roof. Meanwhile my Dewalt impact kept chugging. Not as much torque but it never skipped a beat and made them buy me a new battery to keep using it on that job.
I honestly want to see Ridgid succeed, they just need to expand their product line along with perhaps introducing a 12 volt platform for subcompact tools and have specs that are comparable or better than the competition.
I was a Dewalt fan had the xp series drill, and hammer drill ,then I saw the drill bundle pack now I have the drill , a hammer drill , grinder and 2 1/28in impact wrench pistols as one for my truck and 1 for my garage.
Good job Vince 👏 Just getting in the front door of a company like that it a big accomplishment. Your channel has really come a long way. Thank you much !!!!! Vince !!! Very cool video.
I used them all over the last 30yrs in construction. I bought a Bosch impact and everytime I needed a new hammer drill, circular saw I went with Bosch. Durable, battery lasts longer and I bought the Bosch radio. 360degree sound, amazing base speaker. Everything Bosch makes has been above and beyond all the others for durability and power. Check it out for yourself.
Bosch, Hilti, and Makita are actually the only power tool companies that are still owned by the original company and still make their own tools. Every other brand is part of a financial conglomerate that owns other brands.
I've loved Ridgid for their warranty and battery policy. All of my "money maker" tools are Ridgid. I was deeply disheartened by the death of Octane. And I started courting other brands and ecosystems to take up the slack. I'm glad to see them taking on some direction and hopefully they'll fill out the missing parts of their tool ecosystem soon. I'm looking for a right angle impact ratchet for automotive work... their high torque and mid torque, as well as their lights are indispensable in what I do and I put a lot of hard miles on my tools and they keep kicking. Hopefully they take on your criticism and continue to advance.
As a professional the Ridgid Miter box is not something I would ever buy. Took mine back, very inconsistent cuts even at 90 degrees. The cuts were all over the place. I have an old Ryobi that cuts 90 after 90 after 90 all day, dead on. Ridgid also does not offer the same selection that their sister Milwaukee does. So, at this point I am going over to Makitia. The quality is there, and they give you a great variety equal to Mil or better. I stayed with Ridgid for the last 8 years. Now, for a tool company to fall on their face with a poor miter box design, they are not competent, how did you let this happen?
Gotta remember that rigid power tools are not the same as rigid hand tools. It’s just a platform to test tools and their effects on batteries to improve Milwaukee tools
Mmmmm.....the dewalt hangs up in the same spot. I've had a few Ridgid tools at different times. The only thing they had in common was I gave them away within a month after purchase.
Yeah, ya think it was the knot? It was completely obvious that knot was the diffence. Rigid had clear pine material and the dewalt had a nice dense knotty portion. Surprised Vince didn't call BS on that.
The lifetime warranty sold me too. And guess what else? Your gonna use it if you use and rely on those tools ever day. The sucky part is when you send the tool in and don't get it back until 3 months later. I have a multi tool that I had to send in again and I haven't heard from them in at least 4 months. Let me tell you this. I bought a rigid tool kit about 4 years ago. Ive had to get the motor replaced in the impact and the sawzall. The hammer drill is a joke. The keeper screw for the chuck sheared off running an auger bit. And like I said the multi tool was a separate purchase-motor replaced under warranty, but don't expect to get anything back in less than 3 months!! By that time you will have bought another tool that is more reliable!
@GravvyTrain : I've had my impact and drill for years. Not one problem. Never had to send it in or nothing. Sorry for your troubles but so far I've had no troubles with my tools, also have there vacuum, and leaf blower. Still no issues.
Holy Shit Batman! The true power of an influencer is real!! This man has a huge following and could really help, not break, but definitely help push Rigids line. Personally, i love Rigid and all their offerings. But I'm just one dude with 194 subscribers lol
This video got me hooked on your channel. I love your positive attitude and desire to teach others which benefits everyone. My boss had pulled me into his office awhile back and wondered why I wasn't as Gung-ho as when I first started working for the company. At the time my mind went blank but after thinking about it I can now answer the question. As time progressed at the company I noticed that my manager and co-workers were not very helpful. They didn't tell which basic tools I needed to buy and seldom was there any training provided. I don't work in construction but it doesn't matter what trade it is. People with knowledge should help their co-workers so everyone benefits. Jobs get done quicker with less re-work and that translates into a company saving money and making the business more successful. Instead of my manager looking down on me for not having a high skill level he should instead focus on improving my ability to the job right with the correct tools so that as time progresses I can pass on knowledge to the new guy and the next generation. God bless you for inspiring me to be a better employee.
As a commercial electrican iv used my ridgid octane impact sawzall and drill for 3 years now and it has out lasted all of my coworkers dewalts and a few milwakee impacks and i use them hard every day but i do own milwalkee tools as well and would say there better but other than that i have no issues with the ridgid tools
The thing is Milwaukee decided to FOCUS on Electricians and Plumbers. As an Electrician myself, I really did appreciate that a power tool company out there was interested in my power tools and constantly made their tool line more versatile and convenient to use at work. DeWalt has long been focused on Framers, Carpenters and Sheet rockers, hence why I don’t buy their tools, not that they are bad but they don’t suit my needs. Rigid’s problem was that they never knew who to tailor their products to, they seems to try to compete with everyone in all fronts and fall short because of that, the only tools I own from Rigid is the SDS and the Grinder, I can attest that they are good tools for what it’s worth. My first tool kit was Rigid, and eventually I switched to Milwaukee because they tailored their product line to Electricians, but I feel like Rigid’s Grinder is better than Milwaukees because of the third handle port in the middle, it makes it more confortable in certain situations, and their SDS is underrated, it may not be as powerful as Milwaukees and DeWalt’s, but it certainly isn’t far weaker either, and it’s more ergonomic than them, which for me already having Rigid batteries from my very first kit, it was a no brainer to choose those 2 tools over Milwaukee’s and DeWalt’s. Rigid is better than brands like Ryobi but those tools are usually used by workers who do finishing work, who don’t need extremely powerful tools, who need compact light weight tools, but Rigid tools have always been on the bulkier heavier side. Rigid needs to focus on 1-3 trades and focus their tool line to them to really get back in the game and out perform the competition.