BrazosDog02 said:

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When the tools get to be 5+ years old, I am curious how the warranties compare. My Milwaukee warranty experiences are less than stellar. I own a f--- ton of their Fuel line, 12 and 18 volt. My impact wrench would have cost 150 to repair...or I could buy a new one for 200. So I did. It was a pain in the ass to wait for Milwaukee to 'evaluate' the tool for repair. I just bought a new one and ended up talking the store manager into a free XC 8.0 battery using some 'deal' I found somewhere. I got my money's worth but it was a pain in the ass.

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We purchased Rigid tools when they were first released since we were gutting and remodeling a house. Over time we owned just about everything.

9 years later, we purchased another house to remodel. At this point we quickly started having tool and battery failures. Our Home Depot replaced every single item without any issue. Batteries were handled quickly. Some tools replaced on the spot; others sent away for a few weeks then replaced. We had duplicates of the most used items like drills and handheld circular saw so when one drill was out of commission we skated by.

So I agree that having a competent Home Depot employee who actually gives a **** is key; so that made it possible for us to be Happy Ridgid customers.

Edit: all items have to be mailed to Ridgid where they used to swap them in the store. So if you have lots of duplicate tools you are ok to get by.

rilloaggie said:

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Yeah, despite the marketing material that makes it seem simple, the Home Depot stores I visited have no clue how to handle a Rigid warranty. I went to an actual tool repair place and it was a piece of cake dealing with them. My old drill stopped working due to the trigger. They couldn't fix the 11yo rigid drill I had so Rigid sent me a new one, complete with 2 more batteries and a charger. Place I took mine to was Empire Tools in NW Houston.

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Must be new HD employees. The HD return policy is clear: 90 days return to the store. After 90 days, simply contact the manufacturer.

And register your tool.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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From Harbor Freight any good ????

Long story short I need to DIY brake work on my DD. We all know how dangerous this is.

Why am I angry...because evidently in VA, state inspection process includes measurement of brake pads. And this Goodyear dealer thought they were going to make some money off me.

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I picked up a HF impact for my wife and kids to carry in their vehicles.

I was surprised that when i tested it for grins that it broke loose my 2500's lug nuts at 150 ft lbs without even flinching.


This is the smal 1/4 impact driver with a 2ah pack.

Just got it last week so can't speak to the longevity.

JamesPShelley said:

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rilloaggie said:

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Yeah, despite the marketing material that makes it seem simple, the Home Depot stores I visited have no clue how to handle a Rigid warranty. I went to an actual tool repair place and it was a piece of cake dealing with them. My old drill stopped working due to the trigger. They couldn't fix the 11yo rigid drill I had so Rigid sent me a new one, complete with 2 more batteries and a charger. Place I took mine to was Empire Tools in NW Houston.

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Must be new HD employees. The HD return policy is clear: 90 days return to the store. After 90 days, simply contact the manufacturer.

And register your tool.

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This is a big bonus. If it doesn't meet your expectations, you can return it. I believe there are a couple other brands that offer the 90 day return.


Ridgid tools may not be the best, but the warranty and battery replacement will pay for the tools. We have replaced every NiCad battery at least once- the lithium battery are more reliable and durable, not to mention lighter.

Yes other brands have 3-5 year warranties and battery replacement, but I am running some 20 year old tools. I had Makita and Craftsman cordless tools prior to getting the Ridgid stuff. Those other brands, at that time omly had a 90 day to one year warranty, so I was replacing the batteries every year or two, and they were nowhere as affordable as the ones you get today.

Mr. Dubi said:

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JamesPShelley said:

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rilloaggie said:

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Yeah, despite the marketing material that makes it seem simple, the Home Depot stores I visited have no clue how to handle a Rigid warranty. I went to an actual tool repair place and it was a piece of cake dealing with them. My old drill stopped working due to the trigger. They couldn't fix the 11yo rigid drill I had so Rigid sent me a new one, complete with 2 more batteries and a charger. Place I took mine to was Empire Tools in NW Houston.

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Must be new HD employees. The HD return policy is clear: 90 days return to the store. After 90 days, simply contact the manufacturer.

And register your tool.

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This is a big bonus. If it doesn't meet your expectations, you can return it. I believe there are a couple other brands that offer the 90 day return.


Ridgid tools may not be the best, but the warranty and battery replacement will pay for the tools. We have replaced every NiCad battery at least once- the lithium battery are more reliable and durable, not to mention lighter.

Yes other brands have 3-5 year warranties and battery replacement, but I am running some 20 year old tools. I had Makita and Craftsman cordless tools prior to getting the Ridgid stuff. Those other brands, at that time omly had a 90 day to one year warranty, so I was replacing the batteries every year or two, and they were nowhere as affordable as the ones you get today.

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X2. I abuse mine daily

Update,

Went ahead and bought a 20 gallon compressor and 1/2" impact wrench from HF. Slapped on some Wagner OEx pads both front and back. Looks like original pads for 155,000 miles on ES350. All 7 pads were still good but passenger side rear outside pad was pretty thin. It was time.

Passed inspection at an independent shop attached to a convenience store!

Glad I don't need an alignment with a brake job...

I'm having to buy tools because all my tools are back in CA.

Quote:

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Glad I don't need an alignment with a brake job...

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We all were praying that you didn't need an alignment / tires also!

I like pneumatic because I get to pretend I'm in a NASCAR pit crew. Sometimes when I'm down I'll just hook it up and squeeze the trigger a bit for a little therapy.

HF 1/2" impact and a big ole American made Saylor-Beall compressor.

drumboy said:

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If you have a compressor the HF air impacts are cheap and fine for BJs.

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I've owned or worked with air compressors and impacts for over 50 years.

How did I miss this?