Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Having used cordless drivers for many years now -- I have evolved from the old Makitas of 30 years ago -- to Dewalt and Milwaukees.

All good drivers/drills -- and they are getting better all of the time with the newer battery technology -- and rugged tools for DIY or Jobbers.

Weak link in the DWs and Milwaukees has been the batteries.  For me, a pair of 12 or 18s generally last around 4/5 years of steady use.

So my Dewalts are getting weak, and one will not hold a charge at all.  Priced them out -- they are $119 a pair.

So recently I have been using some of the Ridgid corded tools -- along with the small 12V drivers.

Reason: IMO, they are comparable to a Dewalt or Milwaukee -- but the warranty is second to none.

Lifetime Service Agreement that covers all repairs, parts, labor, replacement if necessary -- AND free batteries, for life.

So I am trying to find the best Ridgid 1/2" drill at HD -- considering features and money.

Settled on a set containing a 1/2" hammer/driver/drill combo with the newer Hyper Lithium Ion 2.0 ah batteries.

Plus, it also came with a 2000 pounds of torque impact driver.

This is only an online item that you kind of have to look for.

Special pricing of $169, and I got a $20 off deal for something called Pro Days -- so, $149 + tax.

If you are retired or active military -- you get another 10% off just by showing your card.

Only hitch is, you need to make sure and register the product for the warranty to be valid -- keep your records and receipt, plus the registration info.

Free shipping to your door.

The 2.0 ah batteries last about twice as long as the 1.5s per charge.

This drill has 780 pounds of torque -- more than the new brushless model -- that sells for $110 more.

I think this will be a good value.

Check the specs -- you will be surprised.

Best,

Fred

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9624/206349868

That's a sweet deal Fred - I wish I'd heard of them before buying a new set of Ryobi power tools. No complaints but the idea of free replacement batteries (& spare) for life sounds good.

That is a really good deal Fred. Seems as though when you need new batteries its almost cheaper to replace with a new drill. Free batteries, its a no brainer. I have a few rigid tools and really like them.
Thanks for the info.
.......................Lou

There was an 18 volt drill/driver for $99 with 2 batteries with the same guarantee that I wish I'd seen when I was in the market.

Don't worry, Mark --

You will be in the market when your batteries die -- the big thing is to get the 2.0 ah lithium ions.

You can go to 4.0 ah -- but they are heavy, and primarily for a guy needing to screw 700-800 screws without switching out batteries.

I have needed that a couple of times -- but with 2 batteries in the 2.0 range instead of 1.5 -- the switch out is nothing -- since the batteries recharge to fresh in 15 minutes.

HD pushes the 1.5 really hard in their advertising -- since most do not know the difference -- and the price point is cheaper for promotions.

Just got to search the back pages of the websites for what works the best for you.

They do have the $99 special right now for 1 drill with 1.5 ah batteries.

Best,

Fred

Sounds like a great deal, I'm wondering if the chuck will remain snug after a few weeks of usage.

I've tried all mentioned above, mine have not made it to 5 years, but I do use them a lot.
Only one its still going, my DeWalt 36v drill.
The best drill that I can remember using was my Makita 12v, I used it for light work.
I purchased another after a few years and the quality wasn't the same.

Thanks for your research Fred, I'm in need of a set and I will give it a try.
The only RidGid tool I use is a wet/dry vacuum, it has been doing a good job for over 3 years now, even though my helper doesn't clean the filter as often as he should.

Sal

Thanks Fred... great post. Can't beat that offer.

I started out with Makita - way back then the boss would say "go get you Makita", meaning cordless.  Switched to DeWalt for a few years and then went all in with Makita when the LI battery tools came out.  Being able to interchange batteries between tools meant sticking with one brand.

Funny thing is some Makitas are made in Japan while the majority made in China. The first releases were usually Japanese made and the more esoteric as well (rt. angle impact driver). Guess which ones work better, last longer, are more precise, and are more expensive?

Steve

Right, Sal --

I did not need a hammer drill, since I have a HD 1/2" Ridgid in corded for that.  Plus it has the keyed jacobs chuck.  Great for concrete, brick, or any tough material -- provided you have the right speed selected, and a quality bit.  I have drilled multiple 3/8" drain holes through 9" of concrete.  The low end torque is hard to hold onto -- you need a head start.

But was looking for something Heavy Duty at a good value -- and I do not have to use the hammer due to the selector switch.

But it may come in handy once in awhile -- we will see.  It gets here in a couple of days.

Best,

Fred

Fred: How do you apply your military status when you can only by on line?

Joe 

Joe, you can have it shipped to the store and have them give you the extra discount when you pick it up.

I got it on line and they gave me the discount for my military service.

Joe

I ditched batteries for real driling long ago. I don't like dealing with batteries if I don't have to. I have a Dewalt 3/8 and 1/2 matching set and they do everything for me.
Ron

UPS up here has been great --

Even if there has been sometimes up to 10" of fresh snow -- the driver backs 1/5th of a mile up our dirt road.

We had a driver named Dominic for about 15 years -- now we have a fellow named Dave -- great service and convenience.

Drill drivers arrived right on time -- ordered 5 days ago.

Without using them yet, seem impressive.

Metal chucks, not plastic.

Squeeze grip switch to light 360 leds around chuck, well balanced, 2 speeds on drill, 3 on impact, battery light gauge built into batteries, selector on drill -- for drill, screw, or hammer -- on both sides.

We will see how they operate over a few weeks.

Best,

Fred

Great looking set Fred!.

Looks like they have cut down the weight on their tools quite a bit from previous years. A positive.

The impact driver looks nice. I would say in the last 10 years on the job site the impact driver took over as the tool of choice for driving all types of screws from framing to finish. Feathering the trigger will let you drive the screw a click at a time for precise work. And... they rarely cam out.

Thanks for the look!

Steve

Drill weighs 4.75 lbs with battery -- impact weighs 3.75 with battery, Steve...

Do not know how that compares to my Dewalts --

Seems balanced and manageable.

Batteries are a little lighter, I think.

Best,

Fred