Ridgid Drill Users

[Icer 16]

I am looking at getting a cordless drill to use with a ice auger this winter and am looking for advice on which drill to get.  I plan on getting a Ridgid brand drill because of their lifetime warranty on the drill and batteries.  I am debating between these two models....
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-1-2-in-Cordless-Compact-Drill-Driver-Kit-R86008K2/205896703
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-X4-18-Volt-1-2in-Hyper-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hammer-Drill-Driver-Kit-R8611502K/204465713

Let me know what you guys think of these two models and if any of you have experience with either one of these drills.

Thanks,
Icer

[Spider1]

I have the compact, it's a good drill and the hammer drill has even more torque. Both will do the job. Make sure you get the biggest batteries you can get. I didn't know better at the time and got the smaller 1.5 amp battery and it just won't hold up. Also remember, the lifetime warranty will only hold up on the battery you get with the drill. Not replacements. If you end up buying extra batteries they won't have the life time warranty. Also, the chucks on the ridgid drills are bears to get off. I couldn't get mine off at all and ended up making an adapter. Now clam makes a plate that you don't need to remove the chuck. Good deal.

Either drill will work, but get the best battery.

My Ridgid was reconditioned so it isn't covered under the lifetime warranty. When I finally fry it I'll be replacing it with a Milwaukee.

[Wheres Walleye]

I think you’ll find there are quite a few opinions and information on cordless drills on this site if you search, including a few that had some problems with the rigid drills, but it’s hard to argue with a lifetime warrantee. I’d go with the one you’ll get the most use out of year round.   I have a 6” auger and an older craftsman 19.2 cordless brushed drill. It doesn’t have near the torque of the newer drills but I’ve used it for quite a few years without any issues. Like Spider said, the biggest thing I have found is that batteries make a huge difference especially in the cold. Lithium ion batteries are the way to go and the higher the ah rating the longer it will last.  When you go to buy extra batteries get the 4 ah or higher if they make them for that drill. I usually carry two 4ah batteries when I'm on the ice.

[Shack man Shoney]

There are ALOT of quality drills on the market right now and the new brushless technology is simply amazing. I know lots of folks on here really get sold on the lifetime service agreement, and rightfully so since it is a somewhat expensive purchase that will have a lifespan. I would ask you to consider buying the best tool for the job instead of the best warranty as the warranty could leave you without your auger for quite some time during the ice fishing season due to repairs to the unit if they choose to repair instead of replace. I have been using the Milwaukee Fuel for the last 3 seasons and drilled thousands of holes with absolutely no problems. The next generation Milwaukee Fuel brushless drill is boasting almost twice the torque and a 9ah battery due out at the beginning of 2017. I do not plan to upgrade until my Fuel drill goes kaput, but when it does I'm will absolutely be looking at performance more than warranty.

[3300]

never get a compact drill! they use the smallest rated battery to move the product for the least amount of money.
the compact will only have 2 amp hour batteries and cut out twice as fast as the 4 amp hour and offer less torque also.

its no wonder spider wants out of his purchase. no warranty per say and under powered battey and drill.
buy the drill kit that has the highest amp hour and torque you can afford, because you only have to afford it one time unlike ANY other brand on the market.

both of your choices you are looking at are poor ones. they both have only 2 ah batteries. you need 4 ah for ice augers and i would not go over a 6" lazer. i tried an 8" for kicks, but i think it was in rough shape. it was not good either way.

the kit you choose will have lifetime batteries and parts and service. when you buy batteries on their own, they only have 3 years on them and NO LSA. same with recons. recons are used equipment.

if you only want their drill then this is what you want to buy. they give a really nice impact driver with it that costs 100$ by it self. it is their recently demoted series and is their x4 generation.
x4 hammer drill produces 650 in. lbs of torque
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-X4-18-Volt-Hyper-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Hammer-Drill-Driver-and-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-R9200/205141594

they offer their new gen 5x in a larger kit and you just missed out on it at 400$. its at full price now at 500$ i returned my x4 kit and gladly swaped it for the gen 5x kit and saved money.
the gen5x has the most torque over any other cordless people are using on augers right now, even more than the fuel thats mentioned in this topic.
GEN5X hammer drill produces 780 in. lbs. of torque
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-GEN5X-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Combo-Kit-5-Piece-R9652/205883898
the rest of the tools are the best i have ever used and i used a lot of tools including most of the other ridgid series. well worth the money!
the drill should become available on its own before too long.

Milwaukee M18 Fuel 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless 1/2 in. Hammer Drill/Driver
delivers up to 725 in. lbs. of torque
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-1-2-in-Hammer-Drill-Driver-XC-Battery-Kit-2604-22/203205419

the ridgid owners you may read having issues are using under powered batteries because they wanted to not spend what they needed to spend on their kit. they may also have crap for augers/blades, maybe even push down on them to cut. for kicks, i took one of my 12 volt non-hammer drills to the ice with a 4 inch auger. being life time warranty, nothing to loose since i have a few of them. it would cut if you kept some of the weight off the blades. being it uses only 2 amp hour batteries it was some what funny to watch as i expected. some people don't realize how important the battery is. its the fuel for the motor, plain and simple. more amp hours would be even better. 4 is all their is in ridgid at the moment. milwaukee, ryobi and ridgid have the same parent company so they play the market very well and make most of their money on ryobi and milwaukee, because of thier limited warranties. batteries do wear out. only 500 charges, but they also fade in their capacity to hold thier charge. its not like a light switch, being on or off. they fade until you get sick of its performance.

so buy right the first time. homedepot does give you 90 days to try the goods and return them if your not happy for any reason. they go by fast tho! if you buy ridgid, send in the LSA right away. you can still return the goods even if you register them. do the on-line form and leave the UPC sticker on the box.

i own two 12 volts, one 18 volt and one 24 volt ridgid drills. so far, i use only the 24 volt, but am looking forward to using the 18 volt on ice.

for the record, ridgid tools has never failed me for many years except for one of the 12 volt drill/motors i use mostly for wire wheels started acting up (probably my fault allowing rust particals/dust into the motor). they have replaced 2 sets of batteries on my 12 volts and 2 sets on my 24 volts (List Price:$260.36 each 24 volt battery), they have replaced parts that were not worn out yet, but wanted to because they can. it cost me nothing to have this done and will continue to cost me nothing.

being the strongest drill and the best warranty, i don't know how there can be a discussion about any thing else.

[moneypit2]

get the hammer all day long thats what i have and i love it

[Clear_Ice]

I have the top drill, the non-hammer drill. It has worked just fine for me all last season, and i fished 2-4 times a week all winter long. If the battery is kept warm,  i can get around 400 inches of ice drilled with a 2.0 amp hour battery. Has worked great for me this far, and i would recommend it to anyone!

[Icer 16]

Thank you for all the responses.  I used to work at a store that sold dewalt and Milwaukee tools which is the reason why I am leaning towards the ridged brand because I have seen how many batteries die out after warranty.  I am now leaning to either the 4x or 5x series with the 4ah batteries.  I have a few questions if anyone knows the answer too that would be great...

 Is there a time of year that Home Depot normally does a sale on Ridgid power tools?
What is the best way to know of sales on Ridgid Tools?
Does anyone know if they will be making a 5x drill kit with just the drill and 4ah batteries?

Thanks for all the help
Icer

[Spider1]

3300, couldn't help the purchase. the Mrs got it for me for Christmas. The drill itself is fine, plenty strong and never had a problem until the battery gets weak. With the 1.5 amp battery (which is the size the compact comes with) I was able to drill 20 holes through 12" of ice. When the ice grew to 20+ inches, I could only drill 4 holes and I had to finish the last one by hand. Like I said, once you have enough torque, it's all about the battery.

 Most of us are using drills that are designed for the average home owner hanging pictures and making book shelves. These homeowner drills aren't the best for the heavy drilling and harsh conditions we will be using them for on the ice. If you can afford and/or justify spending $500 for a drill to use as an ice auger, great. But many guys are wondering if the home owner version will do the job. It will, but it needs the better more expensive batteries. The 4 amp batteries are plenty expensive at around $100 a pop. At $100 for the drill, another couple hundred for batteries, the $70 for the plate, another $70 for the auger. heck, I'm almost up to a new ion   I think before I go and spend $550 for a drill, I would just get an ion and keep the Ridgid for hanging pictures and making bookshelves.

[3300]

i can maybe help some what on a few of those questions. also, i wanted to say that the hammer drill you first picked out is 650 inch pound of torque just like the 4x hammer drill, but only comes with 2ah batteries and the compact drill only comes with 535 in. lbs and 2 ah batteries.

the promos i see are around xmas and black friday. i like to see what they put together for sales. some times they just give an extra tool like they are right now to get rid of the 4x kits. so that leads to your next question about when might there be the 5x drill kit only. they will milk the masses for all they can and know the only way to get current is via the large kit. the large kit is super nice and well worth the costs, but you also just missed out on its grand opening" of 100$ off of that kit, so that won't be happening right away. so once they clear out the 4x drill kit, then you should see the 5x drill kit.

so its hard to say how many x4 drills they have to get rid of, but it would be ahard sell to put both drills out there at near the same cost. they'd never get rid of the old version. so thats the marketing you see right now.
if your inclined and for what it might be or not be worth, call a few homedepots and homedepot online to see if an employee might know and can give you a lead time.
maybe call ridgid too. more than likely you'll hear they don't tell us any thing, but its the only way to try to find out.

for right now, the 4x with the free 100$ impact is the least expensive, but not the best option if you can use the other tools like i can.  if you have an ebay account, you could off the tools you don't want to keep and keep the batteries and charger at least.
that breaks down to 100$ per tool and 80$ for 2 4ah batteries and charger. those batteries are on amazon for about 120$ each and only 3 year warranty, so really your buying the batteries and getting the tools for free and a small cost for the charger. depends on how you look at it.

gen5x are honestly the best tools i have ever owned and used and they keep improving them. i look forward to using them any chance i get to. its a great feeling to know they will last longer than myself! too bad the warranty if non-transferable.

might be worth the wait for black friday/xmas. right after xmas, your going to want to pick one tho for the ice thats surely on its way soon after, but theres no hurry to buy right now unless you want that free impact driver. when the x5 is on shevles it should be just under 300$. thats why i knew for all of the other tools and their costs to buy on their own, there kit is worth it even at full price. those extra tools would cost about another 400$ on their own.

spider i understand, a great deal you couldn't pass up. some thing for you to take adavntage of for now, is buy a 4ah battery for the ice season. make it your primary battery. keep it warm and the others and use the small ones if you have to to get your monies worth out of the kit. i think you'l like it much more. i use plastic shopping bags from menards and use 2 or 3 inside each other until some one starts selling a drill cover to keep water out like a gortex cover with water proof zippers in several sizes. some one could be cashing in big time, but they don't read these forums.

 if i was to buy a dedicated ice auger cordless battery operated head unit, it would be the ice gater hands down. i have seen them in action. if you go to icegaters web page, i think they have some you tube links to comapare theirs to ion. they are super fast and really do throw water up to your waist. you need a good pair of water proof boots to use it no doubt about it.

i use my tools a lot and have no need for a dedicated head unit for the ice i fish, that only gets to 25 inches. i do need an extention tho for my 6" lazer.

[Spider1]

sorry icer, posted at the same time.

You just gotta go to the website and see what's on sale. I just went there and noticed that the Milwaukee M18 fuel brushless hammer drill is on sale. 4.0 amp batteries, charger and case. $50 off for $249 through September. Good deal. They have the 5 amp kit for $299.

the only Ridgids they had only had the 2 amp batteries with the hammer drill and the 1.5 amp battery with the compact. neither were on sale.

You can go on their website and find what you are looking for and save it to your watch list, they will notify you if it goes on sale.

[river rat78]

sorry icer, posted at the same time.

You just gotta go to the website and see what's on sale. I just went there and noticed that the Milwaukee M18 fuel brushless hammer drill is on sale. 4.0 amp batteries, charger and case. $50 off for $249 through September. Good deal. They have the 5 amp kit for $299.

the only Ridgids they had only had the 2 amp batteries with the hammer drill and the 1.5 amp battery with the compact. neither were on sale.

You can go on their website and find what you are looking for and save it to your watch list, they will notify you if it goes on sale.

If you are talking about the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless 1/2 in. Hammer Drill/Driver XC Kit Model # 2704-22 for $299 the 5 amp batteries are not the only difference with that drill. This drill also offers 1,200 in. lbs. of peak torque. Don't think you need that much torque though. I used a buddys M18 Fuel that has 750lbs of torque with the clam plate and an 8" lazer. That was more than enough power to drill through the ice with ease. I use an 18V Rigid hammer/drill that has 535lbs of torque and can go through the ice pretty easy with a 5" auger. When I attach my 7" auger I have a little difficulty going through but that's probably due to me not being able to drill perfectly straight holes. Over the course of 3-4 years with this set-up I have burned up a battery.

[Spider1]

yeah, that's the one for $299. I agree, you really don't need that much torque. I don't have a problem with my little Ridgid compact, it has plenty of torque for drilling ice with a 6" auger. It's the batteries that matter. The fuel that is on sale with the 4.0 batteries has more than enough torque and at $249 for the drill and 2 4.0 amp batteries, it's only slightly more expensive than 2 batteries for my Ridgid would cost me! Plus I get a bit more torque out of it and I get to keep the Ridgid for the household stuff. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me to pick it up.

3300, I just watched that video of the ion vs the gator. I don't how much of it was acting but the gator definitely ate up the ice. I like the way the ion is put together and I ain't worrying about speed, that guy with the gator was making me tired just watching him. LOL! Either way, I got the clam plate so I'll probably either (as you suggested) pick up one battery and use the 1.5 as a backup... or I can take advantage of the sale and grab that Milwaukee and keep the Ridgid off the ice. I'll have to take a run  to HD and see what they got on the shelf.

[Shack man Shoney]

Too much torque??? I don't know if thats really possible when considering the fact that your drilling through ice, possibly in adverse conditions. I sure think a little extra torque could be very beneficial under certain conditions like if you decide to step up to a larger auger. Just my 2c worth.

[Spider1]

you have a point there about the auger size. I don't think the weather conditions will matter for the most part but a little more torque is a nice thing if you wanna drill an 8" hole instead of a 6". I couldn't see expecting a hand drill to handle a 10" hole. Personally speaking, if I felt the need to drill a lot of 10" holes I would get something with a lot more power than a hand drill rig. But an 8" hole would be nice. I bet the 725 in/lb torque fuel can do that. The 1200 in/lb one can probably handle it with ease.

[3300]

i didn't know of this new release (7/16/2015) when i was answering your question about ridgid drills.

so ridgid is NOT the strongest drill again. they must have released this soon after the new gen5x to corner that end of their market too.

the ridgid gen5x is 65 FOOT pound (780 INCH pounds)
the new fuel m-18 is 100 FOOT pounds (1200 INCH pounds) (PEAK) meaning up to. that would depend on factors not given on thier site like load and temps.

adding the word "peak" sounds off to me. the same thing about measuring two ways in other things like boat motors can be measured at the shaft while others are measured at the prop. and measuring watts from a transmitter can be peak or rms (average), same goes with sonar watts. normally peak can have a PTP or peak to peak measurment.
i know i will buy one and put it thru its paces and return it, to see if its a marketing ploy to use super high numbers and add a word not used in measureing the out-puts of drills before now. the added amp will for sure make it stronger so long as the motor can use it and it should. the extra amp would make ridgid stronger too, but not by nearly double. laws are vague about out put measurements. i remember when i was a teen and they sold those car stereo/equalizers that was about the size of a pack of cigs and rated for 300 watts for 30$. no law to protect the end user then either.
another gimmick of sorts is flashlight LED emitters. on paper specs is what is used to sell flashlights, not the actuall lumens from the reflector to a light meter. no law there either.

you can have too much torque. too much can break your bones. plenty of times drilling wood with basket saws and getting them caught would try to break your wrists. that last turn or so cutting ice with the auger getting caught or trying to just before it gets thru all of the way.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/press-releases/new-m18-fuel-drilling-and-driving-products-set-industry-benchmarkagain

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/system/m18-fuel

when your batteries wear out, and they do, they can be had for 130$ each or 200$ for a pair @ HD. if you get 5 years from them, that will cost 40$ a year in batteries to use the drill if nothing else wears out.
Manufacturer Warranty 5 Year on Tool, 3 Years on Batteries

makes you think about costs in power/portable augers. would be nice to have someone make a comparison table in say a 5 and 10 year run time between dedicated cordless/power head, gas and drills. like how much does 40$ in gas/oil get you a year or does it cost nearly that much to operate gas augers per season. 40$ a seaon in gas at 2.5$ a gal is 16 gallons minus the oil costs. seams like 16 gallons should drill lots of holes and for more than one year, maybe several.

also, the warranty problems (extra costs from manufactures refuseing to honor warranties and shipping), if any, during those times. i heard some thing about milwaukee counts the charges or some thing like that in their batteries when in for a replacement last year.

ridgid is still a one time purchase and NO OVER HEAD COSTS other than electric to charge the batteries like any other battery operated unit does.

[FISHFORPIKE]

LOL,  way too much info/computations for me.  Just buy what makes you happy.  What difference does the cost make?  Happiness is "priceless"

[step2jimi]

I got the 18 volt rigid 5 tool set last fall. Put the drill on one of the nills 8 inch aguers with the no adapter no drill plate attached right to the new nills drill adapter. I only ran out of battery once. 20 something holes through a foot of ice. Switched to the next battery and barely used any of it to finish a day. I couldn't be happier with the performance.

[Shack man Shoney]

i didn't know of this new release (7/16/2015) when i was answering your question about ridgid drills.

so ridgid is NOT the strongest drill again. they must have released this soon after the new gen5x to corner that end of their market too.

the ridgid gen5x is 65 FOOT pound (780 INCH pounds)
the new fuel m-18 is 100 FOOT pounds (1200 INCH pounds) (PEAK) meaning up to. that would depend on factors not given on thier site like load and temps.

adding the word "peak" sounds off to me. the same thing about measuring two ways in other things like boat motors can be measured at the shaft while others are measured at the prop. and measuring watts from a transmitter can be peak or rms (average), same goes with sonar watts. normally peak can have a PTP or peak to peak measurment.
i know i will buy one and put it thru its paces and return it, to see if its a marketing ploy to use super high numbers and add a word not used in measureing the out-puts of drills before now. the added amp will for sure make it stronger so long as the motor can use it and it should. the extra amp would make ridgid stronger too, but not by nearly double. laws are vague about out put measurements. i remember when i was a teen and they sold those car stereo/equalizers that was about the size of a pack of cigs and rated for 300 watts for 30$. no law to protect the end user then either.
another gimmick of sorts is flashlight LED emitters. on paper specs is what is used to sell flashlights, not the actuall lumens from the reflector to a light meter. no law there either.

you can have too much torque. too much can break your bones. plenty of times drilling wood with basket saws and getting them caught would try to break your wrists. that last turn or so cutting ice with the auger getting caught or trying to just before it gets thru all of the way.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/press-releases/new-m18-fuel-drilling-and-driving-products-set-industry-benchmarkagain

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/system/m18-fuel

when your batteries wear out, and they do, they can be had for 130$ each or 200$ for a pair @ HD. if you get 5 years from them, that will cost 40$ a year in batteries to use the drill if nothing else wears out.
Manufacturer Warranty 5 Year on Tool, 3 Years on Batteries

makes you think about costs in power/portable augers. would be nice to have someone make a comparison table in say a 5 and 10 year run time between dedicated cordless/power head, gas and drills. like how much does 40$ in gas/oil get you a year or does it cost nearly that much to operate gas augers per season. 40$ a seaon in gas at 2.5$ a gal is 16 gallons minus the oil costs. seams like 16 gallons should drill lots of holes and for more than one year, maybe several.

also, the warranty problems (extra costs from manufactures refuseing to honor warranties and shipping), if any, during those times. i heard some thing about milwaukee counts the charges or some thing like that in their batteries when in for a replacement last year.

ridgid is still a one time purchase and NO OVER HEAD COSTS other than electric to charge the batteries like any other battery operated unit does.

I read through the press release link you posted and couldn't find the word "peak" anywhere when referencing the torque of the next gen 2 Milwaukee Fuel. I would say if anyone is concerned about breaking bones with too much torque, just put it in a clam plate which gives you much better control anyway. I know Milwaukee advertised the gen 1 Fuel at 725 in/lbs... when in fact independent you tube tests showed it to be closer to 750 in/lbs. I was looking for a fantastic drill not a fantastic warranty..... a warranty won't drill a hole in the ice for you. Like Tommy Boy said "That guarantee on the box means you just bought a guaranteed piece of s##t!"

[3300]

I read through the press release link you posted and couldn't find the word "peak" anywhere when referencing the torque of the next gen 2 Milwaukee Fuel. I would say if anyone is concerned about breaking bones with too much torque, just put it in a clam plate which gives you much better control anyway. I know Milwaukee advertised the gen 1 Fuel at 725 in/lbs... when in fact independent you tube tests showed it to be closer to 750 in/lbs. I was looking for a fantastic drill not a fantastic warranty..... a warranty won't drill a hole in the ice for you. Like Tommy Boy said "That guarantee on the box means you just bought a guaranteed piece of s##t!"

looks like you are talking to me so heres some return info for ya

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-1-2-in-Hammer-Drill-Driver-XC-Kit-2704-22/206211755?keyword=2704-22%29

*****POWERSTATE brushless motor delivers 1,200 in. lbs. of peak torque and up to 2,000 RPM for faster drilling speeds*****

you tube tests are certified now? where did they get that certificate from? where did they get their meters calibrated from?

i stand behind companies who stand behind what they make 100%. always have, always will. no reason not to. if that means its a pile of crap to you, i don't understand your logic at all or tommy boy's.

i never said a warranty makes holes, you mentioned it for some odd reason, not sure why you think that way.

kind of difficult to plumb pipes with a clam plate when cutting large holes with large basket saws in a floor bay.

I do not plan to upgrade until my Fuel drill goes kaput, but when it does I'm will absolutely be looking at performance more than warranty.

like i said earlier, thank you for not worrying about how long the tools you spend money on lasts or the over head costs. keep up the good work, ridgid has the same parent company as milwaukee, so you keep them in the cash for sure with that mentality. wtg!

did you hear some one say ridgid is not a fantastic drill? they are a fantastic drill in case you didn't know.

the topic of this thread is "ridgid drill users". i mentioned the other brand as these are the top two drills to pick from. we all know your choice. we are here to help Icer 16 choose a model/kit from a brand he knows he wants and for great reasons.

[Shack man Shoney]

Hmmmm........ I'm sorry if I have made you cranky that's not my intention. Chris Farley was one of my favorite actors and Tommy boy is still one of my favorite movies.... therefore I quote it often.  You mentioned some stuff that I would like to clear up... 1) I use u tube as a resource, it is a lot of common folks that test stuff in ways that a common guy can easily understand, however I DO NOT believe absolutely every video on there. 2)If you stand behind companies who stand by what they make 100 percent, how can you EVER stand by Rigid. If I walk in and buy a rigid battery tomorrow it is not covered under the LSA.... no lifetime warranty right??? How is that standing by your product 100 percent??? 3)I buy tools based on performance and past experiences, (which is why I got rid of all my Dewalt cordless tools). And because of my "mentality" of buying high performance tools there is no doubt that technology passes through the parent company and because of my "mentality" now you get to have a 780in/lbs drill you can use on the ice as well... I guess at least I am able to sleep well at night knowing that I didn't overpay for my premium tools since I don't buy them from Home Depot...

[3300]

good morning!

wasn't cranky, just adding clarity to this thread. i like to help others when they ask for it.

okay, ridgid sells batteries on the side. one reason would be for some one has a used/recon peice (drill/saw/sander/ect). the lsa is not transferable as i mentioned earlier. the batteries do wear down. that someone didn't buy new, in a kit, so there is no lsa for him/her. if he/she buys the kit new, then yes there is. there should not be any reason to "need to buy batteries" being the kit has enough to keep you working while one is charging and they will be replaced for free forever. i don't see a need to buy one anyway, being i buy new kits so i have the lsa. what good is just one battery? the tool(s) however has lsa if bought individually new like i do to get the tools not included in the kit like a 1/2 impact driver to work on cars with no air tools needed any more. it great, i love it! makes my life SO much easier! the palm sander will be the next purchase for 69$.

homedepot isn't over priced. the gen5x kit was 100$ off for two months and sold for 400$. thats 900$ worth of tools, so not sure where you get your facts again, but thats okay too. it doesn't matter anymore. they are also getting rid of the drill version you have for 50$ off retail right now. thats not over priced either. homedepot lets you try any tools for 3 months and allows you to bring it back for any reason. no one else does that. thats an amazing deal too! no reason to not shop with them. yes, that includes milwaukee tools too. also, they are getting rid of thier old stock of the ridgid hammer drill by giving you an impact worth 100$ retail. so that means they are basically giving you 100$ off ridgid and 50$ off milwaukee's old top of line version drills.

i sleep great as well, eight hours solid every night. just got up and got my coffee to continue to this thread about ridgid tools and helping Icer 16. my first two paragraphs today should have helped him with more info if he didn't know from my other conversations. Icer 16 already made mention of how many milwaukee batteries he has personally seen needing to be replaced in the store he worked at and knows the value of a company who stands behind its products for more than a few years.

thanks for the reply. it makes for great conversation.

[Spider1]

I think icer made up his mind a long time ago. lmao!!! you guys need ice! 


 

[OldSailor]

They DO need to CHILL out and COOL it, or they'll get the thread locked!!!

[3300]

last i heard, he had it down to two models of the ridgid and was waiting for a sale.

i brought milwaukee back into the conversation because i misinformed him about the specs. so i wanted to fix that info not knowing about a new version just out. he might change his mind, you never know.

after reading their odd claim of being 100 foot pounds, i'll buy one of those (fuel version 2) to to play on the ice with it. no one says you can only pick one drill. then i'll have 5 drills, 4 being ridgid. if i don't like the thing, it goes back, simple as that. probably will go back anyway. my other tools work just fine.

ice would be okay too, but the mrs and myself still have kayaking plans for vacation. might go up north (cadillac MI area) to my buddies cabin for more kayaking/fishing.
so for now, open water works for me spider. atm, theres too much work and too much heat for boating. supposed to cool down some next week around the middle of the week.

[Shack man Shoney]

It's all good 3300 and I totally get what your saying... Your right all the drills and batteries have a lifespan and there is no doubt that the rigid has the best warranty around on their kits with the LSA. We all get money wrapped up in to this addiction. I feel most of us have been let down from time to time on ice fishing equipment that performs at a lower level than was expected at the point it was purchased. I can recall the first time when I was attempting this whole drill auger thing with a 18v dewalt cordless probably 15yrs ago and the nicad batteries would only do maybe 3-5 holes in 8" of ice and the colder it got the worse it worked!!!! I do need some ICE (and a new underwater camera as well!!!) Good luck with your purchase icer

[Icer 16]

Thanks for the help Guys I have decided on getting the Hammer drill and Impact set with the 4ah batteries.  I don't mean to downgrade Dewalt or Milwaukee but when you have sold as many as I have over two years you can see the occasional dud of a battery that comes in still under warranty and I see how many people want to get new batteries.  This is the main reason I want to get the lifetime warranty so I don't have to worry about the  batteries quitting on me.

Thanks again
Icer

[3300]

i would rush the lsa online form. takes a little over a week. you'll be assigned with a pin, the pin is all you need for batteries/service/parts after you get the #. i add to my smartphone as a contact.
just keep it dry! i use 3 menards bags inside one another. put the chuck into one handle, twist it a few times and then pull the bag over the body and bring the other handle of the bags down to aux handle and make a few more twists and then hook it to the aux handle.
wishing for a gortex drill bag/cover for a long time now. another one to keep the spare battery safe and dry.

heres the next item you'll want
http://www.fishusa.com/product/Ice-Master-Ice-Auger-Power-Drill-Conversion-Kit
its in stock on other sites like amazon. too bad sponsors can't keep popular items in stock for the off season and/or restock before its needed so people are ready when its time to use the stuff.

i had heard at one time HD charged 35$ deposit to have ridgid tools worked on, so i always go to the closet authorised service center in person. call them first when you want your new batteries afew years from now. they do not charge a deposit. the deposit from HD is to cover their costs to ship the tools out for evaluation/repairs/replacments and if you did some thing to void the warranty, then they keep those funds and apply it to the costs to repair the tool(s). they may be more strict about if things are to be voided or not than independant shops are.
not sure if its true, but i'd rather take to a repair shop any way and have my tools back that much faster. the shops don't charge any thing. the shop i used didn't ask any thing excpet whats wrong.

[Townie]

New Milwaukee Fuel w/ 1200# torque & 5.0 batteries is the new top dog-- very reasonable for $299; I paid the same for the Makita w/ 1009# torque and 4.0 batteries. The Ridgid x4  had far less torque and batteries for  $279 (last season price). Choice is obvious w/ $30 difference...

[frmboybuck]

Right now Northern tool has the new Milwaukee drill with 5 ah batteries for $279. Use code 243938 at check out to save $50 on orders over $250. Cost me $243 for the kit with tax. Only downfall is that it is on backorder right now