Shopsmith Forums

dusty wrote:

Ed in Tampa wrote:Price wise you may want to check Ryobi. While I have no personal experience with their nail guns their guns receive very positive reviews. They are priced with and without battery and chargers so once you have their battery platform you can get many tools at very reasonable prices.

What most people don't mention is that the same company the owns Milwaukee also owns Ridgid Tools, and Ryobi.

Does that mean they are all of equal quality for the price?

I do not think they are equal in quality but in many cases I think they are equal in capabilities. Ryobi is aimed at the DIYer but many trades use them. Ridgid is aimed at serious hobbiest, and Milwaukee is aimed at the pro.
Ryobi has kept it battery platform to be interchangeable to all its tools. I own Ryobi outdoor products in the 40 volt range and love them! I own one 18 volt tool the Ryobi cordless sprayer, again I love it.

Ridgid is an excellent tool and offers life time care even for its batteries. I have a few Ridgid tools and consider them lifetime tools. I have never made a life time claim but I have many friends that exercised it on batteries and they say the process was totally painless. However the owner had to register the new batteries.

Milwaukee are high dollar tools and in my opinion superior to Dewalt. I believe ergonomics of Milwaukee tools are superior to Ryobi, or Ridgid and would be a reason for me to buy them over Ridgid or Ryobi.

What really surprises me is that more people do not purchase Ridgid tools in light of their lifetime support. Buy a ridgid cordless drill, cordless nail, driver, cordless whatever and you will never have to buy another battery.
In the light of cordless battery costs how can anyone not view that as a deal maker?

Ed in Tampa wrote: I do not think they are equal in quality but in many cases I think they are equal in capabilities. Ryobi is aimed at the DIYer but many trades use them. Ridgid is aimed at serious hobbiest, and Milwaukee is aimed at the pro.
Ryobi has kept it battery platform to be interchangeable to all its tools. I own Ryobi outdoor products in the 40 volt range and love them! I own one 18 volt tool the Ryobi cordless sprayer, again I love it.

Ridgid is an excellent tool and offers life time care even for its batteries. I have a few Ridgid tools and consider them lifetime tools. I have never made a life time claim but I have many friends that exercised it on batteries and they say the process was totally painless. However the owner had to register the new batteries.

Milwaukee are high dollar tools and in my opinion superior to Dewalt. I believe ergonomics of Milwaukee tools are superior to Ryobi, or Ridgid and would be a reason for me to buy them over Ridgid or Ryobi.

What really surprises me is that more people do not purchase Ridgid tools in light of their lifetime support. Buy a ridgid cordless drill, cordless nail, driver, cordless whatever and you will never have to buy another battery.
In the light of cordless battery costs how can anyone not view that as a deal maker?

Ed,

Good info and I like your assessment. I didn't know about the deal with the batteries and replacements on Ridgid. I have never owned Ridgid, but they look well built to me. Comment I wanted to make is that most of the contractors (different trades) in this area all carry Ridgid, so that makes more sense to me now knowing about this lifetime support; that and how affordable they are.

I have a Ridgid 12 drill and like it. I have had at least 3 batteries replace free. They would not hold a charge. I use it more for adjusting the band clamps when I make rings for segmented turnings.

I ca not imagine doing the RV renovation without a pin nailer and a staplè gun. I readily recommeñd DeWalt. Mine are pneumati, the downside.

Thank you all for the responses. Lots of information that I can use. Really appreciate it.