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Are you planning to buy some power tools, hand tools, or outdoor power equipment, but just don’t know what products to go for? Choosing good power tools can definitely be hard, especially when you are forced to pick just one from so many brands.
Today, we are here to try to help you narrow down your choices by reviewing one fairly popular brand, Ridgid. Let’s take a closer look at it to see whether it’s the right one for you.
Long Story Short…
Ridgid
Ridgid is an American power tool brand offering a wide variety of products and dating back all the way to 1923.
The Ridge Tool Company was founded in 1923 in Ridgeville, Ohio, USA, thus making it just under 100 years old at this point. It then relocated to Elyria, Ohio. Let’s keep in mind that Ridgid is the brand name under which the Ridge Tool Company sells its products.
While the Ridgid brand is technically a part of the Ridge Tool Company, it is important to note that in 1966, the Ridge Tool Company was sold to Emerson Electric, which is a massive parent company that also owns many other brands, both in and outside the world of power tools.
The Ridge Tool Company, although it does produce power tools and hand tools now, first started out with a heavy focus on the plumbing industry, with the vast majority of tools being designed for work with pipes. In fact, this is the brand that invented and made popular the first modern pipe wrench.
At this time, Ridgid produces power tools for personal and professional use, products for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning trade, and for construction as well. Although the focus was originally on plumbing, at this time, Ridgid produces well over 300 different types of power tools, both corded and cordless.
Ridgid is not a huge company, especially when compared to some of the other big players out there, but it still holds its own. At this time, Ridgid brings in roughly 400 million dollars on a yearly basis, with around 1,500 employees worldwide. In terms of its size, Ridgid ranks 7th.
Ridgid Tool Quality Overview
Here, we are coming to the most important section of this Ridgid review – looking at how good the products actually are.
Well, for the most part, people agree that Ridgid tools are fairly high in quality. Although the company is small, it does seem to focus on producing products that are built to last for quite some time.
What really seems to stand out about Ridgid products is that they are, well, rigid, pun totally intended. Jokes aside, the fact of the matter is that Ridgid tools are well known for being durable and long-lasting. They are generally built with very high-quality components, they have a great level of impact resistance, they aren’t easily affected by dirt, dust, or moisture, and they usually have good internal components too.
In other words, Ridgid tools are the kinds of products that could be used on a relatively high paced jobsite. Now, what does need to be said is that although Ridgid tools are very tough, you do have to take care when using them, particularly for really big jobs. Some Ridgid products may not have the power needed to perform on fast-paced jobsites that require heavy-duty tools. They are good tools, but maybe just not for heavy-duty use.
However, people do seem to agree that Ridgid tools are also very functional, they work well, they are comfortable and ergonomic, and they don’t even cost that much either. In fact, this is one of the things that people are surprised by the most, how affordable Ridgid products are, even though they are so high in quality.
Manufacturing
What is even more surprising about Ridgid products, seeing as they are so high in quality, is that the vast majority of products, if not all of them, are made in China.
Emerson Electric makes most of its products in China, and in fact, another Chinese giant, Techtronic Industries, produces many of Ridgid’s tools, and yes, they are also produced in China.
Warranty
Many of the tools produced by Ridgid are covered by full lifetime warranties, with some being covered by limited lifetime warranties. Some are covered by lifetime service agreements, and others come with three-year limited warranties.
When it comes down to it, Ridgid actually offers very good warranties on its products. The exact duration and extent depends on the product you choose, though. As such, make sure to confirm the details before punching in your credit card number.
Ridgid Product Portfolio Overview
What is important to note about Ridgid is that it does have a pretty good selection of products across the board. Although the selection may not be as diverse as with some of the larger competitors out there, it’s still not too bad at all.
Ridgid does produce a variety of products including corded and cordless power tools, bench and stationary tools, and much more.
Let’s take a look at some of the largest product categories offered by this brand. Keep in mind that one thing that Ridgid does not produce is outdoor lawn and garden equipment.
Plumbing and Electrician Tools
As we have mentioned, The Ridge Tool Company originally started out by making only plumbing tools, things like pipe wrenches. To this day, this brand does still focus heavily on these sorts of tools.
Simply put, if you are a plumber or electrician, and you need tools for your trade, then this brand will probably have what you need, particularly on the plumbing side of things. This brand produces all sorts of products designed to work with wiring, tubing, piping, and more.
Corded and Cordless Power Tools
Ridgid does have a decent selection of power tools across the board. Now, unlike many other brands out there, Ridgid does not really have one of these special battery systems where you can use one battery for dozens of tools.
Yes, Ridgid does sell some cordless power tools, but the selection of corded tools, stationary tools, and corded benchtop tools is better.
You will also find that this brand produces a variety of pneumatic tools and compressors too.
Hand Tools
One category of tools that Ridgid does excel in is the category of hand tools.
Ridgid produces a wide variety of vises, anvils, levels, saws, shovels, pliers, hammers, screwdrivers, prying tools, and more. If you just need some basic yet high-quality hand tools, Ridgid is a good brand to consider.
Other
Ridgid does also produce some other things including various diagnostics and locating tools for the plumbing, electrician, and construction trades, many kinds of drain cleaning tools, many different wet and dry vacuums, and more.
Is Ridgid a Good Brand?
All in all, we would say that Ridgid is a perfectly fine tool brand to go with. As you can see, this brand produces a decent assortment of fairly high-quality tools that come in at reasonable prices. Although the selection may not be quite as diverse as with some of the larger brands out there, it’s still not too bad.
Moreover, if you are a plumber or electrician who needs tools for your trade, then Ridgid is definitely a go-to brand.
No, it may not have the biggest selection of power tools, and it doesn’t have any outdoor tools, but if you need hand tools, electrician tools, or plumbing tools, it’s the brand to choose.
How Does Ridgid Compare with Other Brands?
If you are not convinced Ridgid is the right brand for you, make sure to also read my detailed comparison putting it side by side with other popular brands:
- Craftsman
- DeWalt
- Kobalt
- Makita
- Milwaukee
- Porter-Cable
- Ryobi
Summary
At the end of the day, Ridgid is definitely a brand that we would recommend checking out, particularly if you are a plumber or electrician.
With high-quality tools, good warranties, and good prices, Ridgid is a top competitor no doubt.
