Jump to content

Why Ridgid (AEG)? Why Not?


fm2176

Recommended Posts

This is the same as the DeWalt and Milwaukee threads.  Though Ridgid seems much less popular in these forums, what made you choose to buy into the brand, or set you against the idea?

 

For me it was the Georgia heat.  I was sweating away in my truck while staying overnight with initial entry soldiers in the field, loving the space in the backseat but unwilling to let it idle all night for the AC, as my coworkers would do in their much newer vehicles.  All of the buzz around the forum and on other tool-related sites was about the upcoming release of the DeWalt fan.  It was late August, I saw the fan would be available in October, and I figured that enough was enough.  After seriously considering Ryobi, a Special Buy lured me into Orange.  Buy two bare tools, get a 2.0Ah starter kit free.  Two is better than one, right?  Plus they had a few 4.0Ah two-packs left over.  The next day I forked over some $220 and walked out with two fans, three batteries, and a charger.  Follow-up Special Buys netted the router, ROS, air compressor (bought for $150, returned and rebought for $50 a week later), and vacuum.  Follow-up clearance deals found me with a special edition 4-tool kit (mainly for the two additional 4.0Ah batteries) and belt sander.  The fans?  Well worth it, I used both Monday while replacing my brake booster and master cylinder in the searing heat.  Everything else?  Outstanding so far.  The LSA for everything?  Kicked back once for the belt sander, scanning and uploading the receipt saw it approved within a few days; the 4-tool kit took a couple of weeks to process but was approved without a problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Australia, AEG can only be bought from Bunnings. They're too expensive (priced higher than Dewalt and Makita) and their range is limited. I don't think there's many reasons to buy their line when the others are more available and at a lower price.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Jronman said:

I felt like Ridgid tools were a bit bulky and the selection of tools seemed small compared to other brands even though it may have had tools other brands don't have. 

 

The tools take a little getting used to since I'm used to DeWalt, primarily the light trigger on the grip of the impact and drill I picked up.  In a way, it's very nice, being able to activate the light without pulling the trigger, but it can get annoying if something bumps against the tool, and I can imagine it would kill a battery if the tool is tossed in a bag with the battery attached and the light turns on often.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/16/2018 at 7:48 AM, D W said:

In Australia, AEG can only be bought from Bunnings. They're too expensive (priced higher than Dewalt and Makita) and their range is limited. I don't think there's many reasons to buy their line when the others are more available and at a lower price.

 

I don't blame you...the tools I own are decent but I wouldn't put them quite in the top tier of brands.  They definitely aren't worth paying more than DeWalt and similar brands.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I own  damn near everything rigid makes.  I inherited my dads stuff when he retired.  A special buy on a 24v kit years ago got him started.  They were super tough and the warranty was good.  Fast forward 10 years or so, the 24v stuff is no longer available,  and the 18v stuff (what I call trinkets, fans, blowers, lights, etc) is good, but the stuff you use everyday (drills and impact) flat out suck anymore.  

 

Thus I'm keeping all the "trinkets" selling the drills, and rebuilding the 24v batteries.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Their range of tools is too narrow for my needs. They’ve got a few solid products and if I only needed the basics or was a contractor for whom multiple platforms isn’t necessarily such an extra hinderance I might feel completely different. Some of their products are extremely price/performance-competitive.

 

Edit: Same time, it seems there’s a lot of development overlap between them and Ryobi. Lots of tools that share lots of parts. It’s enough to make one wonder where Ridgid may be heading. In my case though that mostly meant there was little reason to consider Ridgid when Ryobi is so similar and has drastically more tools.

Edited by ToolBane
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

I bought into the modular tool boxes. Great deal at the holidays and are half the price of other waterproof systems. Worked great when I had an open pickup. I used them as stepstools and horses. Plus they are at HD. The milk crate box is underrated, big enough to hold paint pans and the like, plus it lets them dry out. 

 

I also bought a belt sander, only one in the store for sale. There's not much a competitive market here locally...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/16/2018 at 9:48 PM, D W said:

In Australia, AEG can only be bought from Bunnings. They're too expensive (priced higher than Dewalt and Makita) and their range is limited. I don't think there's many reasons to buy their line when the others are more available and at a lower price.

 

Totally agree. They have seem to have decent deals now+again and decent tools but as stated they charge WAY too much for what they are. The little cordless

compressor and belt sander are quite appealing but are $300 each skin -only. $320 for their Brushless 7 1/4” Circ Saw is a bit steep considering the FlexVolt is $290 and from time to time Is offered with a free battery (redemption). Their cordless trim router is the same price as the Makita as well. 

I understand they have to make a profit and what not but I have to agree that their price-point here in Australia makes them an unattractive option compared to Dewalt/Makita/Milwaukee and even Bosch (although their lineup is very limited IMO). 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I think a lot of people here in Australia bag AEG because it is only sold at Bunnings. I've heard that a Milwaukee rep said to someone that the AEG factory is directly opposite the Milwaukee factory in China and that some tools are very similar, being both owned by Techtronic Industries it may be true? I own tools from both brands and some of the newer AEG tools are worth the money you pay. They are quite powerful and I've dropped impact drivers from the roof directly onto concrete and they survived. I've ran the tools continuously for hours (literally) and never had any issues. I once cut out 1km of insulated steel duct work from a school roof space with a corded AEG recipro saw (in 1.5m lengths), it got hot to the point where I could feel it burning through my leather gloves and it kept running and running.

 

The best thing with AEG is the warranty, simply walk into Bunnings and walk out with a new replacement tool. I'm not sure if Rigid is the same overseas? I've had many issues with new tools (Bosch blue, Milwaukee, Stihl, Dewalt flexvolt and even my Metabo tools) and I was questioned about how I used the tool and also about the job I was doing every single time from other stores and on top of that, had to wait for repairs.

 

Hope this helped!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
On ‎6‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 12:23 PM, JeremyJ said:

I bought into the modular tool boxes. Great deal at the holidays and are half the price of other waterproof systems. Worked great when I had an open pickup. I used them as stepstools and horses. Plus they are at HD. The milk crate box is underrated, big enough to hold paint pans and the like, plus it lets them dry out. 

 

I also bought a belt sander, only one in the store for sale. There's not much a competitive market here locally...

 

I own three of the 3-piece stacks, four milk-crate style boxes, two newly acquired organizers, and a few miscellaneous medium and small boxes.  They are all great and if anything have held up better than my ToughSystem boxes so far.  The only issue I've had is with one or two of the open-top boxes warping slightly after resting at an odd angle for a while (they were haphazardly stored and fell). 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

I've been a contractor for over 20 years. I use cordless drills, saws, and impact drivers daily. Ridgid is without a doubt a full on contractor grade tool. Of course Ridgid has a few tools in their line that I wouldn't use if they were given to me, but every brand has a handful of lemon tools. I can not defend them in regards to having far less bare tools available in their lineup. But I have just about anything I could need with them. Most of the cordless tools that are not available with Ridgid, I find that many of them really shouldn't be cordless anyway. In my personal job trailer I have a minimum of 5 cordless drills, 5 cordless impact drivers, cordless impact wrench, 2 cordless 7&1/4 circular saws, 2 cordless reciprocating saws, 2 cordless angle grinders, cordless hand planer, cordless jigsaw, and their jobsite fan. The rest of the tools (corded) in my trailer are represented by most of the other brands so I do not only buy Ridgid. Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita all have very good cordless tools, but I would not trade my cordless Ridgid platform even if I could for free.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Member Statistics

    18,156
    Total Members
    6,555
    Most Online
    Ballen1114
    Newest Member
    Ballen1114
    Joined
×
×
  • Create New...