I don’t remember where I saw it (sorry if it was an email or comment I hadn’t responded to yet!), but someone somewhere recently asked whether it was worth buying Ridgid power tools because of their Lifetime Service Agreement, which – if you register your tools properly – means free batteries, parts, and service.
In my opinion, no. But Ridgid tools are often worth recommending, such as if you’re looking for good mid-level cordless power tools that can sometimes compete with the big pro brands while costing less.
Advertisement
Ridgid’s power tool lineup also has some nice innovations you won’t find elsewhere.
In my opinion, the Lifetime Service Agreement is just icing on the cake. Or maybe decorations on the frosting? It’s not something I would personally base a decision on.
I wouldn’t say the same thing about other brands, such as Snap-on. But for power tools, I would choose Ridgid for other reasons.
If push comes to shove, and I couldn’t decide between Ridgid and another competitive brand, maybe then the Lifetime Service Agreement would be enough to push me off the fence.
What do you think? And if you have taken advantage of the program (or tried to), what was your experience like?
Advertisement
Mark
I have been happy with Ridgid drills and the battery warranty did make the difference in my purchase. Note that if you buy separate extra batteries which are not part of a kit there is no lifetime warranty. Which makes no sense.
Arlen L Carpenter
I don’t know where you was told that if you buy separate barriers that there not warranted because they are I have done it many times do I’d be getting back on the phone and talking to a manager
John
I was told at the retailer there is not a LIFETIME warranty on replacement batteries, there was a limited time (forget what time frame) warranty on these accessories
Mike
He said no LSA… they come with the std 3 year warranty.
Friedrich
I am a HD Rental Repair Technician that handles LSA warranty repairs daily. Stand alone Ridgid batteries are never covered under LSA. If purchased in a kit with a charger and/or tool they are eligible. The packaging always indicates this. Hope this helps.
Jay
I know this is an old thread, but stand-alone batteries are now covered. I just got one registered a day ago.
Badbear0416
They were purchased in a kit with tools 2 batteries and a charger 3 complete kits tbh as 2 were gifts and had same issue when battery died
Friedrich
As an active repair tech for HD rental I can tell you that what the store is doing is wrong and the managers are just placating a disgruntled customer because they themselves know nothing of the process or warranty of said tool which is common company wide. Stand alone Ridgid batteries are NEVER eligible for LSA. Only batteries that come in a kit (charger, tool etc.) If you don’t see the big LSA seal on the packaging, it is not eligible.
Pablo aripez
Friedrich, nice to hear from someone who knows!
I bought a combo a couple of years ago. Batteries still work, but they have noticeably lost capacity to maybe 70-80%.
I was wondering, at what point of the deterioration does the LSA replace them?
Thank you.
Paul Cahoon
I used my first set of batteries probably far longer than I should have because I wondered the same thing. Upon calling the Ridgid battery replacement center, they sent out replacements without question.
Jeff
Not true! Not sure why all of you are posting on this when you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about I am the biggest fan of rigid there is I own every single tool they make and I have a warranty on all of my next generation tools signed up through the rigid website by putting the package number and receipt number on and they’re covered and they’re listed on my account I think you’re all crazzzzzzy!
Stuart
You are mistaken.
My TTI corporate contact explicitly said: “The new RIDGID benchtop and stationary tools in the link below are actually not manufactured by TTI, so they do not feature our LSA (Lifetime Service Agreement).”
And then Emerson, which owns the Ridgid brand, put me in contact with Delta, who manufactures the NEXT benchtop tools for Ridgid and Home Depot.
Dominic van Lievenoogen
Is this lifetime warranty based on production malfunctions ( like warranty normally is based on ) or does it also cover wear and tear?
Jon
Don’t be confused between Ridgid tools with “Full Lifetime Warranty”, and the “3 year limited warranty with LSA (lifetime service agreement)”.
Those are two different coverages completely. The first one says this on the Ridgid website: “This warranty lasts for the lifetime of the RIDGID tool. Warranty coverage ends when the product becomes unusable for reasons other than defects in workmanship or material.”
It also says: “Failures due to misuse, abuse or normal wear and tear are not covered by this warranty.”
However that is different than the 3 year warranty with LSA (lifetime service agreement). For the LSA the website says it will cover all wearable items including brushes, motors, chucks, switches, gears and even batteries. It still says it does NOT cover any malfunction, failure or defect resulting from misuse, abuse, neglect or alteration.
Also the reason you have to register the tool to get the service agreement is because they only cover the ORIGINAL buyer. If they just offered blanket coverage on all the tools it would be a lot more expensive and they probably couldn’t offer this program. Also you would be surprised how many people don’t actually register properly (less than 25% of buyers do), so this way they are covering far less tools.
Marvin McConoughey
Quote: “Also you would be surprised how many people don’t actually register properly (less than 25% of buyers do), so this way they are covering far less tools.” I am not surprised. I do register my Ridgid tools and it is the most bureaucratic, inflexible, complex, and downright disagreeable registration process that I have had to go through. It is rare to get through a registration process without having to resubmit. Sometimes a personal phone call is the only way that I can get a tool registration to take effect. There is more than a whiff of corporate dishonesty in how difficult Ridgid has made its registration process.
James Davis
The process for me, as far back as 2008 has been great. Some people say they can’t catch a break with it. My view is that if you are computer literate, focused on what you are doing, and patient, this process could not be simpler. This is not to belittle anyone, far from it! You need the serial of EACH PIECE or EACH KIT, and they mean batteries too. Carefully study your receipt THAT YOU MUST KEEP FOREVER! I love it!
Brian
Are you Kidding me??? I warranty my product no questions asked because I am proud of my work. I would never ask my customers to dot this I and cross that T, submit this AND submit that, then reject it and resubmit.
If you are confident in your quality just stand behind your product.
Collin A.
I just bought a table saw and all I had to do was enter the serial # and a code from the receipt along with my contact info. Took 5 minutes and I’ve already got confirmation back. This wasn’t cumbersome at all.
Bridgid
The code from the receipt doesn’t always work. I have registered items on two different occasions and one time was a breeze and the other was dreadful. If your receipt code doesn’t work, they require you to send in all of the documentation by certified mail.
Jim
Registration is easy. However, you have to pay the shipping to get it fixed. The cost of shipping a table saw is prohibitive.
brad.tittle
I just bought two more Ridgid Tools and attempted to register them. Both of them came back as requiring me to send the receipt. They couldn’t cross reference the items properly.
I lost one of the receipts. This begs for a conspiracy theory. As you pointed out, less than 25% of folks register properly. I have registered all of my products. Only 1 of the registrations seems to be in effect right now. If any bit of an issue exists, reject and demand a receipt. People like me are likely to never get around to fixing the problem. 25% becomes 10%, the program just got even cheaper.
puke
In my case, I’ve tried to register the ridgid multi-tool multiple times,.. Each time it comes back as not being able to cross reference. For THREE of these times,.. I took the tool back to H.D. and returned it and bought another one..new receipt plus new serial number should fix all..right,.. Hell no.,.. I told the H.D. manager exactly what happened. Just to humor them, I just sent ridgid my last receipt. If I hear nothing within 3 or 4 weeks,. I will return the tool once again. I’m really getting tired of this. The people at H.D. are always agreeable to me because I spend a LOT of money there.. So they will do what it takes to help me get a warranty.
STEVE
I’m with him. It’s terrible as far as the tools it self. I’m building a hunt blind in the filed an it’s terrible the amount of time you spend charging batteries for a few screws
Charles
I have almost all Ridgid tools and have only had to resubmit twice. It has to do with Home Depot’s uploading the recipt info at 2:00 am every night. (At least that is what it sounded like they said to me.) I have yet try out using the LSA my tools continue to function as they did when new. Both time I had to resubmit it was just a matter of scanning my receipt and then emailing it to them. It still worked out very easily
J.Johnson
Tired of dealing with the inability to get these tools registered properly.Battery exchange was the main reason for going with ridgid,it lmost always has something blocking the replacement,really the tools aren’t that good,if I can’t get the batteries replaced,(and this time I can’t)I’m going to Dewalt or Milwaukee
harry charles Butera
I registered the tools and batteries. No Problem. When the batteries died they were replaced although it took some effort. When the replacement batteries died I attempted to have them replaced but I was told that I did not register them. So Ridgid is saying that each time they replace a part you must register the replacement part. No place in the warrantee package specifies this.
While I’m on a rant, Why isn’t there a standard that requires all manufacturers to have the same interface on batteries of the same voltage. I own several brands of tools with the same voltage batteries. None of hem are compatible with another brand. Older batteries are discontinued on some brands (14.4 volt Ridgid) and you have no option but to throw out a good tool because you can’t get a battery!
Michael
Classic razor and blade business model. You don’t come back for new tools if you can use someone else’s battery.
DON BROWN
I now know why its a pain in the ass to work with these people. DON BROWN
Brad Black
I agree 100%!!! It takes forever to please Rigid 10 ways to sundown to get the registration completed to their satisfaction. I still buy Rigid tools, but I no longer register them because my time is more important to me than to have to deal with them. The tools work great. I have never needed to use their ridiculous warranty.
BogusLSA
The entire process is deceptive. In their video @ 0:39 https://youtu.be/dzf_9YiEAVk it says that “you can complete it all online” which isnt true. You have to send in a receipt which cant be done online. At 0:28 they say “Once all conditions are fulfilled processed and approved you are covered for life…” There is that caveat that mucks up the “all online in a FEW minutes”.
DECEPTIVE.
“Log into your personal account or, if you do not have one, create an account. Then click ‘Register New Product’. Include all qualifying RIDGID brand product information: complete model and serial numbers for each serialized piece of equipment, including batteries and chargers. If you don’t have access to the internet, enclose a letter with the following information: First name, last name, e-mail, date of birth, phone number, address, city, state, zip code, model number from package, and the model/serial number of all qualifying serialized tool(s), battery(s), and charger(s) if applicable. Then mail the online confirmation print out or the hand written letter with your original receipt (making a photo-copy of your receipt to keep for your records is recommended) to: RIDGID® Service Dept.:LSA, PO Box 1427, Anderson, SC 29622 for processing and approval. Certified Mail is recommended.”
The above deceptively breaks up the process to obscure the final step of mailing a receipt in. How it should be displayed:
“Log into your personal account or, if you do not have one, create an account. Then click ‘Register New Product’. Include all qualifying RIDGID brand product information: complete model and serial numbers for each serialized piece of equipment, including batteries and chargers.
Then mail the online confirmation print out with your original receipt (making a photo-copy of your receipt to keep for your records is recommended) to: RIDGID® Service Dept.:LSA, PO Box 1427, Anderson, SC 29622 for processing and approval. Certified Mail is recommended.
If you don’t have access to the internet, enclose a letter with the following information: First name, last name, e-mail, date of birth, phone number, address, city, state, zip code, model number from package, and the model/serial number of all qualifying serialized tool(s), battery(s), and charger(s) if applicable. Then mail the hand written letter with your original receipt (making a photo-copy of your receipt to keep for your records is recommended) to: RIDGID® Service Dept.:LSA, PO Box 1427, Anderson, SC 29622 for processing and approval. Certified Mail is recommended.”
By breaking smashing the 2 processes together they are hiding the mail in portion.
Heck even if you do mail it in and they dont input it there isnt much you can do besides check back daily for 8 WEEKS!
Very deceptive. One operator claimed they didnt send out emails while a 2nd claimed they did send out followup emails. They dont even know their own process.
Has anyone gotten a replacement?
Mike
Over the years I have had 6 batts replaced with no problems at all. A phone call and 2 days later i have a new batt in my mailbox. 2 times my drill went down for various reasons, was fixed and returned both times. Ridgid’s LSA is the best!
Greg Ballard
Mike Rigid
Great review I hope to have the same service if and when it arises It seems like batteries may be a problem. never had any luck with warranties myself.
doug foster
No Replacements tried twice for some other reason it was rejected I think for the Ridgid lifetime warranty service agreement is a scam no matter what it’s not going to be manufacturer defects it’s going to be misuse or other outside influence that caused the tool to stop working I don’t know anyone that’s got a tool replace yet
Danny Gleason
I have personally decided to never purchase another rigid product. I haven’t had to use their LSA program, but had an issue getting a product registered for the LSA program after purchasing from Home Depot following their process. With the way they handled this issue I can only assume how it will go when I actually tried to use the LSA. I looked around online and saw the same thing has happened to many people that purchased these products solely based on the LSA. I am not coming on here to tell the same story that many others have come here to tell about this company. I saw Ridgid on the better business bureau website with a lot of the similar complaints and Ridgid seems to respond to the complaints on there. So maybe file your complaints there and maybe your issues can be resolved and if nothing else it gets the issues out there for potential buyers to better understand what they can expect.
Here is the link to the better business:
https://www.bbb.org/us/oh/elyria/profile/hand-tools/ridgid-0312-28002165
Arlen L Carpenter
OK here’s the deal most of these commits are old and since then ridge has updated and changed in a good way the warranty process. I recently bought a lot of ridge tools about 2000.00 dollars worth and not at one time in many separate purchases. And I have had ZERO issues it takes less the 5 min. To register the items. Sometimes I get a confirmation right back. Sometimes it’s taken 24 hrs. But I have always gotten it back. Also I have used the warranty many times with no complaints. I know how to work on power tools so sometimes I would rather they just send me the part to fix it but everytime they have sent me a new tool within a few days. The thing I don’t understand is I always ask what do I do with the tool that’s broke they never won’t it back no matter what’s wrong with it. They tell me to keep it or drop it off at a home depot . So I just order and pay for a new part and fix the broken one and now I have another tool. I don’t get that but it is what it is . It makes no since but that’s been my experience with them. On the battires I tell them the set. Number they send a replacement once again they don’t want the old one.
Peter
Ridgid is still playing games. I bought some tools in June and created an account the next day. I registered the tools and received an email saying that the registration was received and LSA would granted when the sale was confirmed. In July I bought more tools and tried to sign into my account only to discover that the account was gone. Not using the wrong name or password, the account was simply deleted. Try making a claim when your account simply doesn’t exist.
Curtis
yes, this is happening! I bough a saw just over a year, now it stop working. When I bought back to HD they can not find my registration. Ridge is totally off my list!
Johnny
Can you tell me what are the qualifying reasons they might accept a claim… In order to receive a replacement tool or battery.. I mean must I tell them the tool or battery over heats easily or motor bearing have seized, for example..
Rick Sexton
Their old lsa sucked !!! Bought a new saw and tried several times to get it registered with no luck ,so know I have a saw that was purchased partly for the warranty that has no warranty and blade wabble,they got me once but never again!!!
Blake
I tried to register the table saw that I bought on black friday and I already misplaced the receipt which is required for registration. This to me is pretty annoying.
James
If you used a debit or credit card go to customer service they will print you another receipt.
Jon
You know how HD credit card machine asks if you want them to email you a receipt? Do it. You only have to enter your email address ONE TIME for the credit/debit card and from that point on, every time you make a purchase at HD using that credit/debit card, you can simply click the “EMAIL RECEIPT” button at checkout and you’ll be all set. HD will remember the email address for that credit/debit card.
Is it “Big Brother”-esq? Maybe. Are you entrusting HD with another piece of information about you? I guess so. But the convenience can’t be understated.
You can even use the HD app to look up in-store or online receipts. Personally, I love it.
Charles
I have an account set up with homedepot.com so all my purchases are available to me online. I also love how they email the receipt to me
John
Go back to the store they can print out a duplicate using the date and payment method.
Chris
I had my 18V NiCD Ridgid cordless set for a long time (8 years) Used the heck out of it, probably for a few things it shouldnt have even held up to, but I had zero problems with the tools.
The batteries started to lose runtime so I walked into the nearest HD tool rental area and inquired about new batteries. Had to bring the drill and charger (to verify serial number, I think?) and since the batteries were old they had to order them. 3 new batteries drop shipped to my house (I didnt have to leave the tools with them, just had to show them I had them)
When I first bought the kit it was fairly easy to register. Since then Ive heard everything from “almost impossible” to “easy as 1 2 3” in regards to actually getting the lifetime agreement. And it only applies to things purchased as a kit, so extra batteries purchased by themselves arent eligible.
But from my 1 experience, the LLSA worked quite well. The tools were great even by themselves, the lifetime agreement is what would push them over the edge if I was on the fence.
I personally sold off my Ridgid stuff and invested in Milwaukee when I wanted to go lithion. Ridgid makes great tools, but other brands have far more variety in their lineups.
Gregg
I’m just looking at replacing my 8 yr old Ridgid drill and driver set now. The batteries no longer charge. And now I’m running into the issue of possible mail problems 8 years ago. Ridgid is saying I only had the 3 year warranty, meaning the paper never got there or was incorrectly entered at the time. If I buy another, I’ll register online – that certainly eliminates the problem I’m having now. The tools have been great, so I just have to decide if I’m pissed off enough with today’s runaround to switch. Probably 8 years good performance will win.
fred
Lifetime warranties are OK and might be a deciding factor if you were trying to decide between 2 tools that you felt were pretty much a tossup in terms of quality, functionality, price etc. A lifetime warranty may be more of a marketing gimmick than a real benefit. I’d always try to buy a tool that I thought would provide good performance and service life rather than a so-so tool that had a lifetime warranty. Having a lifetime warranty is no consolation when a tool or battery fails in the middle of a job – and you need to run off to a store or worse wait on a replacement to arrive in the mail. For the Ridgid, brand we bought literally tons of their plumbing tools over the years – but very few Ridgid-branded corded tools and none of their cordless ones. Their Cordless tools looked OK – perhaps DIY slightly better quality – but for our LiIon platforms we decided to opt for offerings from Makita (18V) and Milwaukee (M12). Some of our early-on battery failures would probably not have been cured by Ridgid’s warranty policy – because we tended to buy batteries in bulk – to supplement what came in kits or didn’t come with bare tools.
Jerry
Brother in law used to use these at work, and liked the tools. However, for them, the lifetime warranty didn’t pan out, as they were told their tool had been discontinued, and parts weren’t available, so the warranty did them no good.
James C
I successfully got a new battery under the LSA a few years back and that was the one time I needed to use it.
Perceptions about these things are very interesting. As others have mentioned, I’ve heard a lot of negative experiences with the LSA. Because of that, in my mind, the LSA isn’t much of a draw for me because of the thought that it might not work out if I need it. And I think that even though it’s worked for me in the past! Perceptions (not necessarily reality) can be very influential.
Pablo aripez
That’s deep, man.
mgeorge
Actually, I ended up with a set of the 5 tool x4 kit over the summer. It was on clearance at Home Depot and I was looking at it on a slow day mid-morning. It was listed for $349. The store manager saw me and said $299 and it is yours. I replied: $279??? He said, “Done”.
I did register the tools w/o issue. You have to register each piece. I really did not need them but my weakness is I can’t pass up on a deal. They perform as well as my DeWalt 20v MAX impact/drill. I am glad someone here was able to verify that the lifetime service agreement worked.
Mike
Previously it wouldn’t have made much of a difference to me. The tools themselves would be discontinued before they wore out, making the warranty useless, and legitimate manufacturing defects would be covered by any standard warranty. The switch to lithium battery technology has changed my mind. Replacements easily cost WELL over $100 and they don’t degrade gracefully like NiCd ones do, instead just deciding to die unexpectedly one day. Since the batteries will keep getting produced long after individual tool models, thus keeping their warranty valid, the lifetime agreement is definitely worth something now.
Rik hayes
I have to say it was easy to register the tools. Yes, you have to register each one, battery, charger, tool, etc. If you are adverse to using a computerI believe it is worth it just for the batteries alone. The tools work great . I think there seems to be a bit of a bias out there toward the “big” name brands. I have used Ridgid for a long time and have had no issues at all. Saved some money too.
jp
I love RIDGID tools is worth it, I never had any bad issues about the tools and the LSA (lifetime service agreement )., Sometimes when I Need to replace any battery or take the tool to the shop to be fix it they fix it right away without any problem. But be aware about other brands like : THE WALT, MAKITA, RYOBI…ETC because when you go to the pawn shop you always gonna see this kind of brands why….? Because people pawn’em. Because is wasting lots of money buying batteries and they are very spensive. If your buy any power or battery tools make sure read the reviews about any specific tool then you can buy it with confidence that you got a very good tool, always check tools, ask questions compare price s because prices varying at diferents stores. And always go for RIDGID personally is the best tool and the second tools is Milwaukee but your have to spent yuour own money to buy batteries. thank you very much.sincerely. jp
Mitchell
I don’t think it is worth owning a rigid tool. Yes it’s nice to have a lifetime service agreement, but there are other brands that are better, such as: dewalt Milwaukee and makita. I own a rigid shop vac and recently the machine was making too much noise, think hearing protection. When I contacted the rigid service Dept. they said that the machine was fine and that’s normal. Obviously, the tool has a bad bearing, but at $80 odd dollars it’s not worth fighting over. So like any good DYI home repair guy would do I dropped the unit off at the Rigid Tool Cemetary (Home Depot parking lot on a busy weekend morning). I’m pretty sure someone picked up the free vacuum and gloated on their new find.
I went in and purchased a new vacuum when it went on sale.
NotASucker
Wow you got hosed, those are lifetime guaranteed should have fought them and they would have replaced it for you.
jp
Sorry men you do not know nothing about tools , dewalt is the worst tool I could buy it ., please do not mention that tool. But when you buy any RIDGID tool., that is the best tool you don’t have to fight with half world YES JUST DO IT- SEND IT BY MAIL AND IS ALL DONE. RIDGID has a very good reputation. I love it , I like it to use ridgid tools.forever and ever.
morgan
Good lord, are you trapped in a Hong Kong battery warehouse forced to shill for Ridgid in broken English until they allow you to go home?
Rik
sure hasn’t been my experience. Too bad for you,
Steven Lauren
Absolutely worth going with Ridgid for the lifetime warrantee. Bought their five piece power tool kits way back in 2004 and as long as you kept the receipt from when you purchased it they stood by all the items. I had a problem with a battery, which was replaced at no cost immediately. Also an internal part within the sawzall that broke about 3 yrs ago, and within a few days I had a new sawzall in my hands at no cost again. The drill and hammer drill, circular saw, sawzall, two batteries and dual battery charger was one hell of a good purchase and has proved to take over a decade of commercial usage. I believe the price was 400 for the entire package with a lifetime warranty, and still is working great.
Adam
I used the service for several of their 12v batteries, too many in my opinion. The service center said I may have had a bad tool that was causing the batteries to go bad, but when the tool was tested, I was told it was fine. So I did a final swap for new batteries, then sold it all. This was before registering online, but I had receipts and had depot service center (in tool rental locations) do the swap. I do think I just had bad luck with that set, but stayed away from ridgid for a while.
Now I am on the edge of getting the 18v hammer drill & circ saw that just dropped to $149 in store. Hard to beat
Jon
$149 for hammer drill and circ saw? Very nice deal. Online HD has it for $179. At $149 I am very tempted …
Jason
The problem I have seen is with the consistency of the LSA. Some people have a great experience others its a nightmare. The big problem is you have to go through the HD rental desk or an independent repair shop. I think for the cordless power tools if they moved to a mail in system for warranty claims it would be less of a hassle for everyone. The big stationary tools are another story.
adam
it is nice to go in store and swap the battery on the spot. that was a pleasant surprise. tools are shipped out if you bring them to HD, but saves on shipping. The biggest inconvenience is not having a tool
Jon
I’m a homeowner/weekend warrior-type. I’m not a professional or even a prosumer. I bought Ridgid because of the blend of quality, price and (wait for it …) lifetime warranty. I don’t use my Ridgid drill or impact driver very often, maybe once or twice a month. It gives me piece of mind that if the batteries begin to rot or the power tools themselves randomly fail, I’ll be covered no matter when it happens down the road.
The way I see it, everything electronic will eventually break down. To have protection against breakdowns is something I covet. I am coming from an oldish Ryobi ni-cad set. The batteries on that set (purchased 2007) are completely shot at this point. Even when they worked the batteries did not last very long. I couldn’t stand that I had to wait for my drill to charge all the time.
In my mind, Ridgid works for two types of consumers: the first, are like me and only use their power tools occasionally, so they want to make sure they are covered years from now when they may need those tools to perform; the second type are pros on a budget who are hard on their tools, and don’t want to constantly be purchasing new basic power tools because of drops or overheating. I could see Ridgid being a great 18v brand for young carpenters/contractors who may not handle their tools with the same care a more experienced contractor might.
REGISTRATION: I found registration of my Ridgid power tools to be a very simple process. With receipt in hand (or electronic receipt received via email) it is as easy as entering a few digits. Once the tools are registered online Ridgid provides a link to the manual for the tool, which may come in handy down the road.
Ridgid is strict about registering the product within 30 days, but that is a small restriction, in my opinion. Buy it, register that same day before you forget, and you’re all set. I mean, Ridgid has to have some sort of policy on lifetime registration so I can’t fault them for that.
ISSUES: I must admit that I have not yet taken advantage of the lifetime service. But that is because I have not had any issue with any of my Ridgid tools to date! I take that as a good thing. I have only been in the Ridgid 18v ecosystem for one year so I’m still a neophyte in that regard.
CONCLUSION: Ridgid won my business by building solid power tools at a fair price point with a lifetime warranty on tool and batteries (included batteries, of course). Being a new homeowner, the peace of mind that Ridgid’s warranty provides was the icing on the cake for me. I can’t say I haven’t been tempted by Milwaukee’s 18v lineup, but my Ridgid tools do everything I need them to do and without the worry about being gentle on them. I’m a satisfied Ridgid customer.
Jon
EDIT: Ridgid’s registration policy is 90 days from date of purchase, not 30 as I mistakenly stated above.
John
Why play games with registration? Either the tool is or is not warranted and it’s a “lifetime” warranty so why do they care when you bought it or need that documentation? If there is a valid serial number it should be covered end of story.
Premo
I use Ridgid tools, and their warranty is a marketing scam. I like the tools, but i will not jump through hoops to get what was promised. They want you to bring the whole kit that you purchased back to the store when you are trying to replace a battery.
I have three kits and 9 batteries, 3 chargers and they are all together. I am no up to trying to sort the original kit out. Check the battery out and give me a new one.
DO NOT BUY THESE TOOLS BECAUSE OF THE WARRANTY! Buy them because they are a good bang for the buck.
Lee
Do not take your kit to Home Depot for replacement of Batteries or Chargers, Call 1-877-655-5346. They can do Testing and Replacement over the phone.
Dennis Lane
the registration process is because the service agreement is for the lifetime of the original purchaser …. it does not transfer with the tool if you sell it off to someone else so the registration process is their way of having standing verification that the tool you are bringing in is the tool that you bought. That is why you have to enter the serial number for each item you have.
Jon
EDIT: I sent in my X4 drill/driver for repair as the fan blades in the drill have been shooting out shards of plastic lately. HD took it in for repair and said that it will likely be covered but they can’t guarantee it until they take it apart and look at the issue. In the interim, I had to pay a $20 inspection fee that will be refunded if the issue is covered by the warranty.
This will be my first experience using Ridgid’s warranty program, so I’ll update this post when more is known. They expect it to take “a few weeks” because the service technician is going on vacation for a week.
Sam
I think “inspection fees” are a rather shady business, and a precursor to something along the lines of, it has been fixed, but the fee is not refundable. Would be great to hear what the result is of this repair.
Grady
The warranty was the reason that swung my decision from Milwaukee to Ridgid a year ago. I’m a average DIYer . I have never had a problem. I hope that it is not like the life time warranty on my craftsman hand tools that I purchased 30 years ago, which is worthless today.
Jay
A long long time ago Craftsman had lifetime replacement on their 25′ tape measures. Our whole crew switched over to the Craftsman tapes. When the tapes went bad (usually they would fail to retract all the way) you just walked into Sears with the old busted tape and walk out with a bright shiny brand new one. After a few months we all switched back to Stanley tapes because we were getting tired of driving back and forth to Sears all the time. They just could not holdup to the riggers we framers subjected them to. The Sears tape would last for maybe 3-4 weeks while the Stanley’s would go for 6 months before needing to be replaced. Ever since then I totally ignore all warranty info on mission critical tools and just buy the best quality that I can afford.
Bruce
I inherited an old (NiCad) based Ridgid setup three years ago when I took my current job. I hated the drill, it was slower than the Dewalt I was used to and the batteries were crap. I actually have a local tool repair shop and took the drill and batteries to them. They looked up the warranty (to the company) and they had been properly registered. They replaced the motor in the drill and gave me replacement Li-Ion batteries for my worn out NiCads. Total bill: Free.
I then purchased a combo Hammer Drill/Impact Driver kit that came with two more batteries. The first week I blew up that Impact Driver. I think my Dewalt would have powered through but the Ridgid’s hammer mechanism was trashed. Back to the tool repair shop, new tool in my hand the very next day. Total Bill: Free
I’ve purchased two of the 4amp hour batteries as well, their warranty is only three years, which is longer than most Li-Ions will last in heavy usage.
I don’t think I would have picked Ridgid if I hadn’t inherited them with the job. The Dewalt is just a better rotating tool, but the LSA means they are a better deal if the performance is enough for your use.
I’ve also got the Recip saw and 4.5″ angle grinder. The angle grinder is flat out better than Dewalt’s, and the Recip as as good as if not slightly better than the Dewalt.
Premo
Bruce , you are a Ridgid corporate troll.
Stuart
No he’s not, I checked.
Lee
They should never have done that, it is actually a violation of the LSA.
The agreement is for a person, not a corporation.
I am a Corporate Troll.
Dan
My original drill batteries lasted 4 years. The replacement batteries under the LSA only last a few weeks. They must be the rejects they couldn’t sell as new. Not at all happy with the Rigid LSA.
John
Honestly the whole “complicated” game way to be “properly registered is a complete deterrent to Rigid. I’ve heard and seen some pretty nightmare experiences that has scared me off from that brand. I don’t understand how this registration process is so complicated and hard to validate. They know the serial number, you paid for it why do they need the original receipt? It’s a “lifetime” warranty so why should thrh care about purchase date it should always be inferred a tool with a valid serial number is covered period and not dependent on a “registration”. Are there really people sending knockoff fake Rigid products for service? That’s ridiculous. Either they are warranties or not, don’t trick the customer.
Butch1967
Agree. I got notice that they could not verify my Home Depot purchase. I correctly entered the information when I attempted to register for the LSA on line; either Ridgid or HD folks are incompetent at best or purposely making us jump through unnecessary hoops . I happen to think its not HD. This is leaving me an extremely bad taste for rigid tools; will avoid in future .
Marvin McConoughey
The registration process is needlessly picky and complicated. It can be done and I do it, but the time and bother involved are a significant irritant. In darker moments, I wonder if “lifetime” refers to how long it takes to get a tool registered. The registration site’s worst habit is not giving the person doing a registration an opportunity to correct any mistakes noted by the program. Instead, one is too speedily directed to mail in the necessary documentation, which is a hassle and involves postage costs. I respect Ridgid’s need for input accuracy. I don’t respect the Ridgid personnel who set up this ill-willed and unduly cumbersome process.
Randy Walden
I purchase a Rigid R4090 10″ wets saw from HD (online)three years ago. A that time I tried several times to sign up for the so-called lifetime warranty (which was part of the reason for purchasing the saw) but the incompetent people at the shipping department covered up the “Package Number” with an inventory sticker or something and when i tried to remove it to get the number it simply ripped the box. After attempting to email (through their website) to resolve the issue (no response) I just gave up!! Now I am in need of some replacement parts (guide rollers) for the table and Rigid informs me that the parts are no longer available and the equipment is not repairable!!! Seriously, a three year old saw is not repairable? What kind of company does that? Had I been able to register it would they have replaced the whole damn saw…not likely! I will never buy another Rigid tool and recommend anyone considering these guys products to go elsewhere!!
Toolpig
I couldn’t care less about their lifetime service agreement. I’d much rather buy tools I actually like that don’t need to be repaired so often. For a home owner they are fine. For someone who depends on the tool to make a living, no way unless it’s to just get you by until you can afford better. I can’t help but think of Tommy Boy when this comes up. “Yeah you can take a dump in a box and slap a guarantee on it…” I have bought Ridgid tools over the years, but I dislike them so much, I always end up taking them back to Home Depot or dumping them on Craigslist. I even bought the newest gen5X brushless combo and it wasn’t horrible overall but Neither tool could live up to its claims on torque so I took it back.
Casey
Look guys. Its almost 2016. Registering online is just NOT THAT HARD my peeps. Its harder to vote than to register. Its no harder than filling out a rebate form to send in. If you aren’t comfortable on a tablet or pc then I understand your gripes. If you don’t register then you just get the standard warranty like you would if you bought a Dewalt/Makita/Milwak. All these contractor brands make quality tools. Some brands have better options/ergos/etc…The batteries are the weakest point of these tools. The LSA makes a world of difference. I’ve taken two of my batteries in at separate times. The HD guys there fill out the forms and then I just wait for a brand new one in the mail. Just super easy. With the other brands I would have to send it into a warranty center. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I’ve just had good experiences with this. Makita and Dewalt Tools/Batteries are just delicate. I want my tools contractor tough. Not homeowner tough. No offense DIYers. Plus, its not like you have to pay extra for an extended warranty or something like that. You get it free of cost.
Happy Holidays
Rik hayrs
I couldn’t agree more! It’s not that hard
James Davis
Easy. Easy. Easy. Love my tools.
Mikeytee
I bought a Rigid Tile Saw just for the warranty. It was a pain in the butt to register it… on purpose I would imagine. It all went through. A few weeks later Inget an email stating it was invalid even though I sent all the correct info including the sales receipt number from Home Depot. They asked me to mail the receipt in. Of course 3 weeks later after I already thought I was good I threw the receipt away. I will NEVER buy another Rigid tool again in my life! They sell crap tools and put a lifetime guarantee on it to give some false sense of security and in the end, they just deny the registration. Avoid companies like this people. What was the old tommy boy quote? You can guarantee a piece of manure but in the end that is what you bought… A piece of manure! Or something like that 🙂
Randy Walden
I totally agree!! Had the same issues with the registration process as well as their customer service people just trying to find a replacement part!
I specifically stated that i did not care about the warranty..I needed to find a replacement part or this this was just junk…..their response…as quoted from Customer Service Tim: “Unfortunately if the part is NLA there is not a replacement part and the tool cannot be repaired.”
Even if I could have gotten it registered…it cannot be much a lifetime warranty if they cant even support a tool three years…NEVER buy another Rigid tool period..!!
Sam
I think the real questions are how much do they honor this agreement, how limited is it really, because ALL “Lifetime” anythings come with a LOT of legal small print and plenty of highly paid attorneys have gone over the text with a level of rigor.
In my mind service parts are most every piece of a tool, but by today’s standard most parts are not serviceable. So, definition of a “service part” is, I am sure, open to interpretation.
Reputation of a brand is what matters most in the end. I cannot say much bad about Ridgid tools, have a number of them and they are not bad. They make a lot of really good stuff, any my friends in the plumbing trade in particular swear by their hand tools and their various pipe tools, like threading machines and such.
It would be great to hear some stories how Ridgid actually replaced a part like a motor or something similar on a power tool under the LSA. That would give this argument about LSA strongly biasing a purchase decision some more weight.
Don Cuddy
I was suspicious of Ridgid’s warranty and remain so. I can report on having three batteries replaced under warranty about four years ago (of four batteries which came with an 18v drill and an 18v driver, purchased separately about four years previously). I had dutifully registered the tools on line and mailed in the duplicate receipt provided by Home Depot). Apart from having to drive about 70 miles (115 km) to the nearest “authorized service centre” to deliver the dead batteries and returning there to pick up the replacements, no problem. But recently when it came time to replace another three batteries, the only one Ridgid would replace was the one original not replaced four years ago. Apparently the replacement batteries have to be registered (within 90 days). Look for that little detail in the fine print! The “authorized service centre certainly did not advise me of this need, and in fact gave me no paperwork other than a receipt for the dead batteries.
I also have a Ridgid shop vac that has died — the motor gave out (flow-through design). Ridgid has discontinued this model (WD1850) and replacements motors are no longer available — so a large $200 (16 gal) vac and attachments will likely end up in landfill for the lack of a $40 replacement part that I could easily install myself. I plan to find my original receipt for this vac as my recollection is that it was also supposed to have a lifetime warranty (not “service agreement”).
And yet, my Ridgid tools have generally worked well. Certainly a step up from Dewalt. By the way, I am retired, but a fairly avid fixer/doer/hobbyist.
tim
I use alot of ridgid sanders as I like their compatability with pretty much any vac hose. Lifetime service agreement was just a plus but Ive had two small things repaired with it and will say its been worth it.
Sean
Personally i think the LSA has been detrimental to the brand. The newer equipment i have bought has been very agressive with the breaker protection, likely to reduce warranty/LSA claims. This makes them drastically less capable than competing products, or even Ridgids older equipment.
Registering is very hit or miss. I returned the new brushless drill/saw combo the other day because it failed online registration. Its easier to return and try again than mail in the forms. I’ve got a lot of Ridgid stuff, just short of 100 pieces according to the website (my father’s Ridgid stuff is registered under my name as well, thats why its so high)
My first stuff was the X2 lineup, which I bought at HD years ago for almost nothing, and all of those tools are running strong today except the batteries which i havent gotten around to replacing. Those tools have been to hell and back and still work fine, the newer stuff is really hit or miss, the early li-ion 2.0ah batteries all died early deaths, and my 9.6v screwdriver got orphaned. The new 12v stuff batteries cut off drilling 1/4 holes into 2x4s. The older versions of these tools could do more.
So to answer the question, i bought because of the LSA and low price, which back in the old days was worth it. Now that i am so committed, i cant really switch to another brand.
Jason
You should swap that drill or battery out. You either have a problem with the tool or the battery pack it should do 1/4 inch holes with ease. All the companies have aggressive overload protection now to help with warranty costs.
KL
There ARE a few comments here about actual tool replacement or service, but most seems to center around batteries. I’ve always wondered what they’d do if you sent in a 4.5 year old drill and sawzall (cordless) that had died. Honestly, I don’t know how Ridgid/Emerson can offer this without relying on most people not registering; their share of the power tool market relative to the Big 3 seems tiny.
I’ve personally experienced wonderful service from Milwaukee on both tools, batteries & even heated gear. No registration necessary, it’s just best to have your receipt for 5 years from date of purchase. Otherwise it’s 5 years from date of manufacture. Honestly, 5 years is plenty for me. After that I’ll repair myself or upgrade to the latest-greatest Gen 10 Fuel 😉
Pete
I have some Ridgid tools along with Milwaukee and Makita and Dewalt. If money was no issue I’d be Milwaukee all the way. Love Dewalt saws though. Bosch and Porter Cable Routers are industry standard for good reasons. A plmb buddy of mine told me Ridgid plmb tools are top of the line. From my experience it seems that Dewalt and Makita handheld tools are not quite as durable as I had hoped. I think they may be more geared to the DIY crowd. I had to replace too many Makita LXT batteries. I think that the electronics which also include the battery is the most important because they are all high performance tools anyways. This factor alone is what separates the brands unless you need something specific which puts you into another buying category.
Hp and torque are probably the most important. How it feels in the hand is also another factor. The batteries and charger and electronics is the point where all of these will fail the most. Which is why I’ve been very please with my Ridgid gear. I have a full X4 combo kit plus handheld router and a couple sanders. They have all been professionally used in the field and held up well.
Ridgid service through Home Depot has been more than satisfactory but I’ve only had to use them like four times. I have to keep receipts for all of my other tools and warranties anyways and also for taxes so its not hard for me to register them. I registered them online and then sent it the receipt. I don’t why this would make it so hard to others out there. I do admit that I tried registering with my iPhone and just wasn’t able to type accurately so I went to my computer to finish it. The process is very much like registering your products that you bought from BestBuy or Costco. I haven’t found it to be difficult like others have said. I think that the best part is that I can go to get service and warranty at my local HomeDepot (which there are many) and not a factory service center like Dewalt and Delta. There’s only like one or two service centers per major city. I’ve had to drive an hour (one way) just to get my Dewalt tablesaw serviced.
From my past experience I will continue to purchase Ridgid tools b/c of their overall value and lifetime warranty. Of course, until I win the lottery and replace everything with Festool. Happy Wood Working Fellas!
Adam
Here in Australia, TTI sells the cordless tools they make for Ridgid themselves under the AEG brand name. There’s no LSA, but registering gets you an extended warranty – 6 years on the tool, 3 on the battery – which if the longest on the market here. It help did sway me towards AEG when I was shopping for a 12v drill/impact set, though the bigger batteries (a 2 and 4ah unit when most similar kits came with two 1.5s) were probably more important.
Interestingly, while the consensus seems to be that Ridgid are midrange prosumer gear, here AEG is being positioned as a top tier tool with similar prices to the big four. The line up isn’t exactly the same, for example we’ve had a brushless option for a couple of years now, and 6ah batteries, but I can’t help but wonder if we’re getting screwed.
The website is http://www.aegpowertools.com.au if anyone’s interested.
Carey Huffman
I bought $3,000 worth of Rigid tools about six years ago, before the Internet sign up for the warranty. I mailed in everything and didn’t know you were supposed to get a return confirmation. It wasn’t until after the mail in period for the warranty had passed before I tried to register another Ridged tool I had purchased only to find detailed out none of my earlier tools had been registered. When I explained my dilemma to Ridged they did nothing. I offered xerox copies of all my registration materials and they still didn’t care. I was sorely disappointed. However, all of my tools still work great. So, good tools but horrible customer service.
Mike Harvey
I’ve been a fan of the Ridgid 18V line along with some of their other bench tools and TS3650 Tablesaw. I got my first set of Ridgid drills (18V) used off Craigslist for parts. Batteries were gone and when checking more into buying new batteries found out about the LSA. Bought a set on sale and knowing they would be covered for life sold me on betting more.. Now have a # of the 5 piece kits from the X4 series thru the GEN5 and now the new (2) of the new Brushless drill /cir saw kits.. I like it that a company atleast stand behind it’s product. I myself have not yet had to get anything replaced under the LSA.. But so many products seem to fail just weeks out of warrenty and the companies just say sorry. And even compared my Ridgid set again a Dewalt 20V drill and my ridgid runs rings around the dewalt..
James Davis
I registered two R9000K combo kits in may 2016, and it’s painless. I am covered as well as anyone could be. Same with my first Gen ridgid drill set. You must register each serial from the set. You must accurately input receipt info. It is straight forward…… AND THE TOOLS ARE SOLID AS A ROCK.
ken
Well my first attempt at registering a Ridgid compact router failed through the website method. They now require the original receipt to be mailed in to verify the purchase. The only reason I purchased the Ridgid tool over the alternatives was the supposed warranty. Customer service was unable to take care of the issue over the phone. So the tool is going back.
Stephen
Just called Ridgid for service. Batteries died on my 12vt light/drill combo. New batteries are supposed to be arriving in 7-days–No cost to me. Oh and they answered the phone right away!
Jim
I bought a Ridgid shop vac, worked great for ~9-months then the motor burnt out of it. I thought nothing of it as it has a lifetime warranty on it… wow I thought wrong! I took the shop vac into the local Home Depot they said you need to take it to this repair shop, I said “okay.” Took the shop vac to the repair shop, dropped it off. Talking to the repair guy he told me everything should be covered. Came back two-weeks later and was handed a bill for $129 for the repair. The shop owner told me the LSA didn’t apply because the vac was misused… how in the blue hell do you misuse a shop vac? I argued with him and told he he could keep the piece of junk and left the vac at the shop and left…
My brother bought a Ridgid 14002 band saw. Out of the box, totally unused, it was missing the lower tire and the upper blade guide (which Ridgid no longer makes) was snapped. We hadn’t even turned it on at this point. Contacted Ridgid, they said to take it back to the store, the store wouldn’t take it, they said he had to go through Ridgid. He went around like this 3 or 4 times, until he sad “screw it!” Bought a Jet upper blade guide they make for their band saws (which is a nice solid metal piece, not this cast pig-iron crap Ridgid uses), and some Urethane tires from e-bay. Put a 3/4 plywood base on it, balanced the rims, replaced the crappy belt, and the saw runs like heaven now.
I’m extremely disappointed with Ridgid and their BS LSA. I will never buy another Ridgid product and counsel everyone to stay away from them and their shady, shady, shady business practices!
Sam Zaydel
These are the kinds of stories that I think Ridgid is counting on being few and far between. Most of the agreements are written in such a way that they are almost not enforceable. They make profuse claims about protection against misuse, etc. Tool usage in most cases could be called misuse, because well, these are tools, they get beat-up, by design. So these long policies are written not to protect consumer but to make it as easy as possible for the company to say no sorry, this does not qualify under the LSA, or whatever other name they may give their warranty. Yet, on paper a LSA sounds really warm and fuzzy, and will attract people. It is like an insurance policy, it is great when you have it, but once you actually need to exercise it, you learn just how much of a pain in the ass it really is.
Clayton
Unfortunately, my experience has been that with the online registration,.. over half of my attempts end up in “fail” and they ask me to send my stuff in. My first experience with the LSA was with 2 drills and batteries,…they were the last 2 and had no box. H.D. assured me that they would be eligable for the LSA HOWEVER,…at the time, there was no way to get it without the original box because you needed the original UPC. I never ended up getting the warranty,..(should have returned the items to the store), but instead I now have 2 no good batteries. SINCE THEN, I end up returning about 50 percent of the ridgid tools I buy,..after my online registration says to send in the rcpt, etc., I’ll give each tool 3 tries, and after that I return it. I’m not ABOUT to send in a recept and then forget about it and not have the LSA. Let’s face it. The reason most of us buy ridgid is STRICTLY the LSA, it has nothing to do with ridgid being better than Milw. or DeW. etc.,
Ok, In about 1 week, after one more try on my multi-tool LSA ,.. I am going to return it. This is the THIRD multi-tool in about 6 weeks I’ve tried to register.
acreguy
I just bought a Ridgid product and filled out the warranty info by computer. It went through perfectly but I received an email from Ridgid saying they needed me to send the original Home Depot receipt by registered mail from Ontario, Canada to South Carolina. I phoned them to ask if I could just scan the invoice and email it. Their answer, “We are so busy on the phones that we don’t have time to do emails.”
Did they just defrost these idiots??!!! EVERYBODY DOES EMAIL TODAY!!! Screw them. I’m returning their product to Home Depot and recommend that the Home Depot supply chain guys revisit their policy of carrying products from Ridgid. More American bulls***, if you ask me!!!!!!
The lifetime warranty is not worth the hassles. Sounds like there are several escape clauses too. Utter crapola!!
Bridgid
My husband purchased Ridgid drill/driver combo for himself. When I tried to register for the LSA, I was advised to send in the UPC, receipt, etc. by certified mail. Apparently, the automated system couldn’t confirm my purchase with the Home Depot order number and that’s why I had to send it in. It was a big hassle, however, a couple weeks later I received confirmation that the LSA was processed and approved.
A few months after that, we purchased the same Ridgid drill/driver combo as a gift for my dad. I also completed the registration for his LSA. Although both purchases were made online, his LSA was instantly approved.
Between both sets, I’ve called in for two replacement batteries. Despite the irritation with the registration process, it has been a breeze. They don’t interrogate you. They ask you to put the battery on the charger, tell them how the lights blink and then they ship a new battery out to you.
The registration sucks, but the service for battery replacement is great. Just like any other agreement/warranty/insurance type of deal, they know only a certain percentage of the people will jump through all of the hoops. If they didn’t have a process to weed people out and your purchase was registered automatically before you left Home Depot, they wouldn’t offer the LSA because it would cost too much.
acreguy
Many thanks for sharing your story, Bridgid! Now that I have cooled down, I will follow your advice and go through the hoops.
My apologies to my American friends if I was out of line. I’ve been to your country several times and have never been disappointed in the people :)…then there’s good old Donny…but that’s for another day :).
Roger Wonsetler
I am terribly disappointed in Ridgid’s warranty, or at least with Home Depot and their help getting warranty help. I live in the Florida Keys and when I take ANYTHING from Ridgid back to have it warrantied, Home Depot in Key West or Marathon requires a $20.38 fee to look at the defective device ( battery or saw motor, etc) before they will send it to McDonough, Ga to have a “Home Depot” repair tech look at it and determine whether it is warrantied. When I was on the main land I simply took a battery back into Home Depot and they gave me a new one, NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Now that I have moved to the Keys, it’s not so easy. I just had the motor break off of a $1000.00 wet tile saw and after waiting TWO FULL MONTHS, I got it back and the “Home Depot” rep. sent it back…..still broken and implied that it had been dropped and that was the cause of the damage. I will never buy Home Depot or Ridgid again!
John
In my opinion, Ridgid is a marginal company employing bitter, troubled workers whose job it is to steal and deceive for the corporation and operate barely within the limits of law. Customers casting aside common sense for the empty promise of a warranty are their victims. I felt the corporate anger when using Ridgid tools, no pride of workmanship, no bond with the craftsman, and no sense of dignity. It’s all about the money, YOUR money. If that negativity fits you, Ridgid should be your tool supplier.
John
I bought a Drill/Saw/Flashlight combo kit from Home Depot in 2003 because it had a LIFETIME WARRANTY on all tools including LIFETIME BATTERIES. All was well until 2012 when I went to trade in my second set of batteries that were warrantied in 2008 when they wore out. They refused to warranty the second set of batteries because they had no record of it despite the fact that everything was handled through their authorized service center. After complaining that there was no written requirement for me to maintain any documentation of any kind other than my original sales receipt, I was badgered for 45 minutes on the phone by an acid-mouthed contemptuous woman who rescinded my warranty and essentially said I was a bad customer for complaining. She admitted that Ridgid had no detailed written warranty requirements for me to follow and that they were subject to change at any time. Ridgid essentially said that their LIFETIME WARRANTY is worthless and that they intentionally mislead customers, honoring warranties at random. Their integrity is zero. I gave away all my Ridgid brand items and will never, ever buy from them again or even use their tools. I don’t want to see their name so I avoid Home Depot as well, who, by the way, were not helpful in mediating my dispute. DON’T BUY ANYTHING RIDGID! Eventually, you’ll be sorry.
Craig
RIDGID tools are garbage. I am a lifelong Milwaukee tool user. They’re expensive, but they have a great track record with me. My router, sawzall and skilsaw are all Milwaukee. I was in the market for a multi-tool, wet-dry vac, and three drills, and got taken in by an HD rep, who told me that all RIDGID tools had Milwaukee guts. I did not know it at the time, but THIS WAS A LIE. At almost half the price, that sounded great. Fast forward 5 years, and two of my drills are stripped, two batteries refuse to recharge after only 2-3 charges, and the motor on my vac burned out. I’m an active DIYer, but I don’t use these tools to anywhere near the degree a pro would. They should easily last me 10-15 years each.
I had been filling out my registration cards and sending them to RIDGID as I made these purchases, but when I needed the company to stand behind their “lifetime guarantee,” they told me they did not have me on file and that they would NOT stand behind any of the tools I purchased. I asked how they could possibly have not managed to register even one of my tools, and they said “you probably just never registered.” I asked how I was supposed to verify whether they were doing their job, as I was doing mine. They could not tell me how a consumer could verify registration. Home Depot can tell RIDGID exactly when these were purchased (I’m in their database) and who purchased them. But RIDGID refuses to touch any one of my terrible, terrible tools.
It’s back to Milwaukee for me. RUN away from RIDGID. They are horribly incompetent, completely lacking in customer service, and their tools cannot withstand even the moderate use of a DIYer. Pathetic.
WingRider
Do not believe Rigid on the lifetime warranty. I bought a 12V Rigid set a number of years ago, the hook was a lifetime warranty that included the batteries. Sounded good, so I bought. At that time to register the warranty you had to fill out a form and mail it with your sales receipt (original) to Rigid. They entered it into their database. I did that. A few years later a battery died – so I applied for the warranty replacement, to find they did not know about me. How is that possible???? It seems Rigid put up a new, better warranty registration system but did not move the old registrations to the new system. I asked what could be done – answer was send in my 7 year old sales receipt, the one they made me send in to register the first time. Without that receipt they were very sorry, but no warranty. Who saves receipts for 7 years anyway? I will never buy another Rigid tool – they saved the price of a battery, and lost a lot more business.
Craig
One more thing. Ridgid could not be worse from a customer service perspective. The woman I spoke with was belligerent and rude, and immediately was assuming I was some crook out to get their company. I immediately demanded her manager, got more stonewalling and rudeness, and then hung up the phone and called Home Depot’s customer service, again asking for the manager. I let them know what a loyal customer I am, and how cheated I felt about being taken like this. First from a salesman who lied to me and told me, and next when I actually tried to make them stand behind their lifetime warranty.
It is as simple as this. If you have a lifetime warranty, and your company only sells at Home Depot, & HD has records of your purchase, then you should back up every single tool that comes in, regardless of registration cards or other nonsense. You either stand behind the tool or you don’t. Ridgid, quite frankly, has a track record of throwing up obstacles & loopholes to registration, rather than making it easier. The fact is, they would much rather make your registration difficult, or better yet, make it impossible for you to register at all. Anything to prevent them from having to actually stand behind a claim they seem incapable of fulfilling.
Ridgid gives HD a bad name, and they should reconsider their relationship.
John
Craig is right. The reputation of Home Depot is only as good or bad as the reputation of their important suppliers such as Ridgid. Lowes has consistently done a better job of customer satisfaction in my experience and has become my first choice when shopping for home improvement items. HD seems oblivious to the problems Ridgid creates for them.
M. Germain
Worked for the Home Depot for so many years and have Rigid tools
which were registered for the “Lifetime Warranty”.
I had an issue with one of the tools from the combo kit…
The Cordless Drill – began with a squealing and over-heated even
when not being used. It then began to smoke up a storm…
Took it into Home Depot and they said the “NEW POLICY”
is they now charge for diagnostic fees… STUPID…
LIFETIME WARRANTY COVERS PARTS, LABOR, AND BATTERIES…
I should not have to pay anything if everything is supposed to be covered…
Be careful about what you are told the warranties cover and what is in writing…
fortunately, I have everything in writing…
eric84405
The LSA tool registering process can definitely be a PITA and is hit or miss. For those who have never encountered a problem, you’re the lucky ones. I will continue to buy Ridgid as I have about 60 items already but their customer support is inconsistent at best. I’ve used the website registration with success and failure. They have changed the battery replacement process for the better and will now take the customer’s word for it and replace a bad battery vice the old process of making your bring in the entire kit, batteries and charger. I have had them claim to have not receive my registration in the mail and blame the USPS even after sending the documentation registered mail. I have been told in the past by customer service that it can take 12 weeks to update I tool purchase for LSA. I can’t help but think this is intentional and customer service hopes the customer simply gives up thereby forfeiting their LSA. Fortunately, I am I stubborn bastard and will stay the course as a matter of principle. I’ve never really had too many quality issues with the tools but have had numerous battery failures which is to be expected. If I depended on these tools everyday to make a living, I would probably look at something more durable as some tools are showing signs of wear but still get the job done.
Tom G
I purchased a Ridgid drill combination set last summer. I was going to buy a Dewalt drill which seemed comparable but the battery guarantee for life was the deciding factor. Right up front I wish to state I have no issue with the product. After a few months of normal household use it works and feels great. It is perfect for a do-it-yourself guy like myself. The warranty process, however, is another issue. After several frustrating attempts to register online I gave up. Ridgid make you jumps through hoops of fire just to register your tools. The process is so annoying I am convinced Ridgid has no intention of honoring the warranty. In summary do not purchase a Ridgid product base on their so-called lifetime battery replacement warranty. In my experience the tools are fine but the warranty appears to be a scam at best and outright fraud at worst.
ruban
LSA is a fake warranty.
They will deny the first mail, and a You will be asked for the original receipt repeatedly.
certified mail is not available in canada. Canadians Beware of this fact.
you can’t return your product after thirty days, They will send you a hand written reply saying that your receipt is missing around after 60 to 90 days.
They discourage as much as they can. LSA warranty is a Ridgid Scam.
This is my experience of their warranty.
John
Mediocre tools with a fake warranty. These Ridgid bozos hate their customers and represent the worst of America.
George Bomely
The only time their lifetime warranty process is at all easy and straightforward is when the tool is purchased AT Home Depot, in the original box, and with all information contained on the receipt. When ordering via Home Depot online, all bets are off, because there is no receipt to cross-reference and the box is a brown cardboard box that does NOT contain the “Package Number” they require for the online registration. Their process includes: Store SKU number; Internet number; Package number; model number and Serial Numbers. In different areas they ask for different numbers, and yes, it gets confusing and you end up looking at the online receipt, the box, the tools, under the bed, and behind the sofa to satisfy their endless requirement for various numbers. I have to admit, it does appear to be purposely complicated, inviting errors and frustration, discouraging buyers from registering, and allowing them another way to refuse to warrant the products. And these days, one time registering online should be totally sufficient. to expect buyers to save (and be able to retrieve) receipts and paperwork for 30, 40, 50 years is absurd. NO ONE ELSE I do business with has all of these stipulations and requirements. I’m frankly surprised they haven’t suffered a class-action lawsuit for putting all the roadblocks in place.
Don Cuddy
I should have read to the end of this forum before submitting my previous comment on my experience with Ridgid warranty service. Two points to add: 1. In Canada, HD does not handle Ridgid warranties — so one is required to go to an independent “Ridgid authorized service centre”. These can and do change. And, because HD does not actually have warranty responsibility, they can get away with telling you pretty much anything. 2. From what I have read, there is no point in me spending time looking for my receipt for my now dead shop vac — it was a display model and came without a box. I did ask and was told by the HD that it was covered by the warranty (and my recollection was “lifetime”). Did I say two points? — just getting started. What is the legal difference between a “life-time warranty” and a “life-time service agreement”? When I bought my tools, they were reportedly covered by a life-time warranty, and I have accompanying literature that supports this. Finally, why don’t cordless tool manufacturers just sell replacement batteries at a reasonable price? Why can I buy a (Dewalt) drill with two batteries for less than one replacement battery?
Tom Baune
Crap. That sums up the alleged rigid tool warranty. From the inept bungling HD repair centers to the pain in the ass gestapo warranty registration… It’s not worth it!
I just went thru the warranty replacement meat grinder for one of the batteries. The rude, nasty bitch on the phone would not take my original tool owner # but had to have the #’s off of every battery, tool and charger that I have ….WTF? I should have bought ryobi stuff to begin with and threw it away and replaced it with new ryobi. Would still have money left over from not buying this overpriced rigid junk. Half of the lifetime warranty tools that have failed and needed warranty work.
commercial contractor, retired.
Dave Bradshaw
Living In Canada and trying to get this Lifetime Warranty approved is just a joke. My example I purchased a 13 inch thickness Planer in Nov. 2017 and is now in service due to some unknown problem. Sending all documentation to the appropiape address resulted in frustration due to the mailing service in Canada we do not have Certified mail as requested by Rigid and Us Postal will not accept Registered mail, thus both times I had to send mail by a tracking number.
MR Rigid tools you had better revamp all your documentation that your staff has placed out for public viewing, maybe a piece on face book is needed to get things organized.
David M
Yeah, the way they handle this SLA is very slimy. Buyer beware.
I tried to register a sander the day I purchased it. It was obvious immediately that Ridgid is not concerned with making the process quick and easy. Which makes sense the way we know corporations commonly behave, right? The less people that get through the process, the more profit.
After successfully completing the annoying but acceptable registration process, I received an email that they need to review it and will send me an update. At this point, being as I made the purchase and entered all the right info, I assumed that I was done and the next email I get from them would say “Good to go!”.
Nope. As with other commentors, instead I received an ACTION REQUIRED email. Ridgid/HomeDepot informs me they “encountered an issue” and of course do not specify what it was.
The issue is that they intend to make it as hard as possible for their costumers to get a lifetime warranty so they can increase their profits. Bear in mind, Ridgid used to provide their costumers with a lifetime warranty by simply purchasing their tool, and many companies still do this. For example, I received a replacement on a gas grill cover last year. I received it by purchasing the thing and I used it by filling a quick and painless request.
tl;dr: the LSA is designed to be hard to get, and after you do get it, you are not guaranteed they won’t find some slippery way to get out of it. Avoid companies that behave slimy!
George
All of this awful feedback about the Ridgid warranty “scam” has changed my buying decisions. Not aware of the downsides, I have been purchasing Ridgid just for their stated “lifetime” warranty, thinking it was like Craftsman and SnapOn Tools.
Now that I realize it is anything but easy to “qualify” and anything but easy to apply their warranties when needed, I will instead begin buying tools based on their quality and performance, and not on the “lifetime” warranty.
John
Ridgid knows exactly what they are doing and if it isn’t criminal, it should be. Why do they hate their customers so much that they have this attitude and why does Home Depot enable their behavior? I have better ways to spend my time and money and won’t have anything to do with either of them.
Rudy Hamm
I tried getting warranty on a drill that I bought many years ago. Bought with life time warranty …………… getting the run around now. I am frustrated. I have already had a couple batteries replaced, now they are saying they do not have me registered.
Erich Herzog
I sent my cordless drill to a Ridgid authorized repair facility over a month ago and still haven’t gotten it back. I called last week and the business owner told me that he was too busy with other projects to get to it. Too bad for me I guess.
Brian D.
TIP TO REGISTER LSA! I’m not sure if it has been said, but a tip that I recently saw someone share in a review on HD’s website suggested buying online and picking up at the store for easier LSA registration – since the transaction is performed electronically, the purchase is cross referenced easier. HD typically has stock of Ridgid tools, so buying online then picking up at the store is quick and virtually no different than going to the store and buying.
George
The registration process has been greatly improved since I purchased my 1st tools in 2007. Back in 2007 I even got a little ID card with my LSA # on it mailed to me.
It’s still not perfect, but worth the 15 minutes to register. I just recently noticed that you can take a picture of your receipt and submit it online for verification if the HD verification doesn’t work. Yay, about time.
The warranty IS the reason I keep buying Ridgid tools.
I just replaced 2 18v nicad batteries from 2008, 10 minutes out of my life, $0 out of my pocket:
5 minute phone call, 2 batteries 3 days later.
Another 5 minute phone call to give them the new serial #’s of the new batteries so the new batteries are covered under LSA. Done.
The 2nd call is the important call. You have to make sure your new serial # gets registered or else it won’t be covered for life. I believe this has to do with the replacements being shipped from a 3rd party vendor, but not certain.
What do new batteries cost to buy? I don’t know and don’t care. I don’t have to buy them!
I’m just a weekend warrior, so some batteries/tools can not be used for extended periods. Nice to have the ability to get fresh batteries when needed. probably the best feature of the entire program.
The only other tool that needed to get fixed was a 18v finish nailer that had the plunger replaced because it was bent. Covered under LSA.
John
It won’t be long before Ridgid figures out that you’re costing them money and they’ll change the rules without telling you. Even if they do say something, they’ll lie about it. Then you’ll be like the rest of us. There are much better companies out there with way better products.
jim finnegan
I never could figure out how to get a picture uploaded in step #2 for upload.
Works with other sites, but poor home depot, with this run around setup they haven’t lower number of guys who use warranty, they become a laughing stock. HD …c’mon man that’s just awful!
Cruzpro
I am on the side that the LSA is a major scam. Purchased a Drill & Driver set, registered 3 days later, printed out the page where is stated my registration was under review and it could take 3 week. 5 weeks later, still no response, so I contact them and am told that they could not verify the receipt. I mail in everything that I had and wait again. Still no response. Calls to them over and over and all they can tell me is that it takes time. Guess what, 90 days pass, still no response and now they tell me it is too late. Not impressed, nor will Ridgid or Home Depot every see another dime of my money.
jim finnegan
I agree, they just bait and switch. Save money by making it so difficult.
“Don’t piss down my back and tell me its raining”…movie…..The Outlaw Jossie Wales
Wars
I just wanted to share my experience registering my newly bought Ridgid gen5x combo kit. I just went to the registration website, entered all the serial numbers, and by the next day, the registration was approved and completed.
It was an easy process.
Rusty Fenn
In my opinion the Ridgid TooL LSA is a scam. At big box stores, such as Home Depot, the sales people do not explain, or don’t know the warranty process. I can see why only 25% of the owners don’t register or incorrectly register their products. Very simply it’s a false and misleading advertising scam perpetrated by Ridgid, to get you to buy their cheaper drill rather than a DeWalt or Makita. They DONT want you to register you tool, because if you did they would go broke! They operate on the “breakage” which is factor into their financial. I know, I have seen it before many times.
The products seem to be week made, I may have bought them anyway without the deciet and minefield type registration process. They are hoping that you throw your receipt away!
Bad ethics.
BULL
HIGHLY AGREE. WASTE OF TIME SCAM! I DID REGISTER. TOOL HAS DIED MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY SAY THE KIDS AT HOME DEPOT ARE THE ONES THAT WILL/MUST FIX IT. THEY MADE IT WORSE, DID IT WRONG, AND IT WAS BACK IN THE SHOP FOR A COUPLE MORE WEEKS, AFTER TRYING TO USE IT FOR A COUPLE MINUTES! TWO YEARS LATER(NOW), IT DIED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE KID ADMITTED HE COULD NOT FIX IT. HE HAD TO SEND IT TO RIDGE TOOL THIS TIME. I’VE BEEN WITHOUT THAT TOOL FOR A MONTH, AGAIN, NOW! IF YOU BUY RIDGID, YOU MUST HAVE A BACKUP ANYWAY… I’M WAITING FOR THEM(RIDGE) TO COME BACK WITH SOME LAME-BUTT COMMENT, LIKE- THERE’S DUST IN THIS TOOL. THAT’S YOUR FAULT!
Stuart
Please refrain from writing in all-caps, it makes things so much harder to read.
R
I bought two ridgid products so far: an 18v cordless drill and a reciprocating saw. I always felt that they weren’t the “best” in terms of performance, (dewalt & milwaukee) but purchased them because of the lifetime service agreement. I just went through their catalog, and read the lsa more carefully. It’s a scam. They’re being misleading with the wording of the lifetime warranty. When I read, “Lifetime Service Agreement,” I think, “We will repair your equipment if anything goes wrong under normal wear and tear, for your lifetime.” They state specifically that the lsa does not cover: “Failures due to misuse, abuse, or normal wear and tear are not covered by this warranty.” What is covered under the lsa is: “Ridgid tools are warranted to be free of defects in workmanship and material.” That basically means that if you open up the box and there’s a chip in the plastic, that you can send it back. That’s not something special. You don’t need a lifetime warranty for that. This company has lost me as a customer for good.
George Kinney
I have been a loyal Ridgit tool buyer for the past seven years and have been happy with the quality of the tools.
Recently I needed to repair my compressor. Went to Home Depot but they needed three or four days to analyze what the problem. Then I went to the Ridgit Repair site for a repair source http://www.ridgid.com/us/en/service-centers-repair. The first two suggestions were out of business. Sent an inquiry to Ridgit regarding service, received an email response, see below.
Their suggestion that it takes 6 to 12 weeks to repair a compressor is unacceptable. It took them five days to respond to my original email request. Pretty poor customer service. Being without a tool for 6 to 12 weeks is unacceptable. Might as well buy a new tool, something other than Ridgit.
I was fortunate to find a service shop and was able to get my repairs done in one day or 6 hours.
RIDGID RESPONSE
SEP 28, 2018 | 09:42AM EST
Tim replied:
GEORGE
If the repair center decided to no longer perform warranty repairs or if they closed down and do not contact Ridgid to be removed, Ridgid would not know to do so. Repairs vary on the amount of work the repair centers have on hand. The repair centers work on first in first out basis. Depending on the workload, the repairs can take 6-12 weeks. Home Depot works on all brands and products sold in the store.
Best regards,
Tim
One World Technologies, Inc.
Best regards,
Michael Brown
***Warning – read the fine print*** The Full Lifetime Warranty is full of caveats and limitations. Bought a Rigid combo kit about 8 years ago and the drill performed well until recently when the chuck froze and would not release the bit holder. Took it to Home Depot under the Lifetime Warranty for repair and I ended having to pay total $59.00 ($18.95 diagnostic and $39.03 for repair – parts and labor). Home Depot wanted to charge me $99.00 until I complained that I could get a new drill for that much.
Troy
I recently took advantage of the lifetime warranty on a 10+ year old kit, had zero issues getting replacement batteries, I was actually surprised how easy it was. I called the number, provided the requested info,and received replacements within a week. I am more likely now than ever to be loyal to the brand after that excellence.
Ed
All my cordless tools were Ridgid. Most bought under the 3 months or so window, when they first came out, when they offered a NO FAULT lifetime warranty
Version one of the tools was crappy. They replaced and repaired (eventually) through a local authorized tool repair place
Eventually, they stopped repairing them, claiming didn’t have continuing paper trail. The tool repair place told them that they never bothered forwarding that paperwork to customers
Escalated the complaint to top of company. Asked to send copies of original receipts, etc, etc, anything I had
After I did so, they still refused to continue honoring their warranty, though acknowledged it was no fault of mine, and paper trail was lost between them and their authorized repair depot
Even after proving to them that I have 10s of thousands of dollars worth of Ridgid equipment (biggest sectional machine, with 300 feet of cable, smaller machine, stationary threader, jetters, pipe wrenches up to 48″, inspection camera, countless smaller stuff)
Still refused. Told them I was finished with them, and will no longer buy their products unless no alternative.
Went and invested in all Milwaukee cordless power tools, dumped the Ridgid garbage, and never looked back
Worst excuse of customer service ever
Angus B
Good luck.
Your new Milwaukee tools are built and warrantied by the same people as your old Rigid tools, TTI.
Rob Johnson
For inspection cameras you would best buy a Hathorn. Top notch engineering and good service. Good small company that cares. Ridgid is too big to care about the little guy.
Robin Johnson
I can say they have a way around there life time warranty i have a ridgid bs1400 band saw with a life time warranty the trunnions fell apart i couldn’t believe how brittle they were it
so i called rigid and they said they don’t make the part no more for it they told me to send the saw in and they would replace it i figured i would make sure and talk to someone else there because that thing is heavy and they said the same thing so i sent it in from home depot tool and rental they charged me $20 to ship it and said i would get the money back if they fixed it. I got a call that they won’t fix it that it is not a defect. The part has a heavy table on it and falls to pieces and they won’t stand behind it. I have a shop full of ridgid but never again will i buy A ridgid product.
JDawg70
Rigid’s LSA does not come with the tool purchase. Tools are covered by their respective limited term warranties ( 1yr, 2yr, etc.. ) The LSA comes from REGISTERING your personal info with Rigid then adding qualifying products as you purchase them, within a set time frame after each purchase (up to 90 days I believe). The requirement of registering is not hidden or dissuaded in any way. Its shouted from the roof tops anywhere the topic comes up both in user groups and official Rigid literature. I did. And a battery claim took 5 minutes on the phone while in my shop with it and impact driver at hand. A new is being shipped UPS to my door. My only instruction at that point are to call to add the new battery to my LSA list of tools. I can dispose of the old one at my discretion. All because I took 15 minutes back in Dec of 2016 to register myself and the combo kit for the LSA. Thank you Rigid.
jim finnegan
Took me a couple hours to get my stuff to register on their crappy site. Never could get past step #2 to upload pic of receipt. They dont want to warranty my tools, then I don’t want to buy theirs in future…just a time wasting scam.
JDawg70
Rigid’s LSA doesn’t come with the tools. The tools have limited term warranties (1-3yrs) The LSA is a benefit received by original purchasers that register with Rigid and add qualifying Rigid tools within a set time after the purchase (90 days I believe) The terms of the LSA are provided on their web page and in product literature. You do not have to register with LSA to have the product’s limited term warranty honored but you will need to keep your original receipt. If you feel Rigid is violating their own terms there is a arbitration clause. If you feel their terms are unreasonable or that you have no responsibility beyond having only a Rigid power tool in your possession that regardless of age or condition you demand an on the spot resolution that provides repair or replacement at no cost to you or else the brand is worthless, no problem. Just buy the brand that does give free power tool repairs and replacements to any anonymous person regardless of item age or condition. But first provide the name of that company, if one exists for power tools.
Ken L
I have a Rigid Power Drill Model R83015, IT DOES COME WITH A LIFE TIME WARRANTY and the batteries (2) and Charger came as a complete set and all have a Life Time Warranty. The issue now is they “Rigid” No longer make the 14.4Volt batteries they used and cannot provide these. You can find them on Amazon but not sure how old these are even though they say new. There is another replacement brand Hanaix 14.4V 3.0Ah Ni-MH Replacement, has good & so so reviews. Rigid customer service is NO help. I will only buy Dewalt now.
greg ballard
It looks good on paper but eligibility requirements can wear on one’s patients. You must send copy of model number a copy of receipt with date of purchase. When say send I mean send it you know snail mail then theres a glitch I encountered as well as many others.That being model numbers from orange store. dont always have documented Ridgid model no# and get declined with request for a valid model no# by the time your done mailing back and forth your 30 day registration period has expired. Other than that its a good warranty . Wait I forgot, to new tool or batteries you have to send the old one to Ridged for evaluation .
Fernando Aguilar
I had my 18v Ridgid battery give out after 3yrs of medium duty use. Called them and the had me put the battery on the charger and let them know which light came on. It took about 15, minutes to deal with them , and a new battery was going to be sent to me, I didn’t have to send it in. I don’t have many tools by them, just a impact/driver kit , but so far I was impressed by the treatment, I will buy more of their tools.
Chris
I registered my rigid set. It was a drill, an impact, battery, and a radio. Everything was registered and verified by the home depot receipt. The drill stopped working. Well, I went logged into my account to claim the “warranty”. Somehow the drill, impact, and batteries aren’t listed anymore. Just the radio. I clicked on the radio anyway and it wants me to verify the receipts again. I don’t have them. What was the point in registering them in the first place? It figures. The one that breaks ends up not being able to be serviced. All my other tools are registered on there. I dont get it. When I registered the set I had individually list everything that came in it. Each model number. Everything was accounted for when I logged out.
Michael
Chris I had reviewed a lot of these comments at the time I registered so I held onto the receipts after I scanned them in. I also printed PDF files of web pages showing everything I registered so I would have e-copies. I had enetered 8 different tools but they ended up being clustered under one primary tool. Make sure you don’t have sub-categories by clicking on one of the tools shown on your products page.
WEBSTER
Like most complaints above I bought numerous ridgid combo sets stand alone tools and batteries. When some batteries were replaced by HD long time ago new registration requires you to input serial numbers and receipts. No receipts are involved so you lost LIFE TIME WARRANTY when you get replaced batteries. Tried to explain this to ridgid got no where other than comment no warranty without receipt. My comment if RIDGID REPLACED BATTERIES UNDER WARRANTY THEN WHY IN HELL DO I HAVE TO REGISTER IT
Dave McGee
Ridgid Lifetime Warranty is a joke. I recently broke the handle on my miter saw. I had the saw lifetime warranty registered. I sent it back because Ridgid stopped making the part that broke . Thinking that they would replace my saw I sent it back through Home Depot. Home Depot called me and let me know that they denied my claim. I called Rigid and complained that since they stopped making the part that I needed that I wanted another saw. Their customer service rep told me that because I broke it and it wasn’t a mfg. defect that they would not warranty it. So now if I get the part welded back together and the motor burns up they won’t replace it. So much for the Lifetime warranty . I’ll never buy another Ridgid product again.
David Carrico
The company will not honor their warranty, it’s bogus ! I had my tool repaired under warranty early on using the “lifetime” warranty. No problem other than it took a while. I was satisfied. The next time I tried for repairs they told me I hadn’t registered properly so no warranty. OH REALLY?
Well they wouldn’t budge even when I explained there wasn’t a problem before???
I gave up and that’s what they want you to do. I DID REGISTER PROPERLY !
greg ballard
My experience with warranties is that there about as good as the product there meant to cover. Crappy product crappy warranty The problem is finding a tool thats not junk is a costly task. As for Ridgid as well as most other tools being sold today, they are not made for commercial use and barely make it for use around the house.
THIBERT
Same happened to me with battery exchange after rigid decided to fix up my account because of 3 seperate purchase and amalgamate them all under one account ended up screwing me now for any battery replacement for any of my newest collection of power tools. They told me to buy new set of tools to re registere…no thanks nothing wrong with barely used other power tools….except dead batteries now lol so ya they are rendered usless I guess now. Fine ill buy new tools eventually but it sure won’t be rigid especially for my young son starting out in the real world. He’s helped and seen me strictly with rigid and now will be looking at other brands also from this fiasco
John Peters
My 1\2″ impact that was barely used started giving me problems. Took it into the store and they charged me $20 even though it was warranty. Got the tool back and still did not work. Took it back again and they said they need to send it off to repair depot. I said ok. It was gone 3 months. I called the store multiple times . They said they would call me back. Never did. I then called the service depot. They could not find my impact but said they would call me back , guess what ,they never did. Called the local store again and complained to manager. They agreed to give me a new tool. Fine but no warranty. So They screwed me and now if the tool fails again I am SOL. Not happy with HD.
thomas
NO good in Hawaii. There are zero authorized service centers. So they expect you to pay to send the tool set to California for repair. I did get homedespot to replace 2 of my batteries after several trips and arguments.
THIBERT
well i have registered my 3 seperate rigid purchases over the years. My latest one the batteries died and when I went to get replacement rigid wouldn’t replace. Apparently the 3 seperate purchases went to 3 different accounts and someone at rigid decided to amalgamate all 3 into one account with the date of first purchase way back when. So now the newer batteries don’t jive with old account and receipt. Great so now I’m out 4 of the 6 batteries that are now dead and rigid juat expects me to buy new batteries which are no longer in a kit because I don’t need new tools as they are in excellent working order. No thanks looks like back to Dewalt or millwakee just because rigid screwed up my account and won’t honor. I always keep all receipts and make photocopies except this last purchase of course. It was a purchase on the whim while in city helping my mother do some major work on her house and I wasn’t driving 4 hrs each way to get my rigid tools to help her out. Cheaper and quicker to juat buy a new set of drills and give them to her anyways lol. Now the second set that was registered and got messed up by rigid upon amalgamation of account says its past the 90 days from purchase to re-register. No kidding as it was fine 6 yrs ago till rigid messed up my account lol. I had exchanged 2 batteries with this set already and now those are dead I can’t. Obviously that account was good before but not now. I’m hoping the one good battery and the other one thats draining quick from very first purchase didn’t get screwed up when its time to replace which looks like very soon. I’ve purchased mainly rigid tools even the plug in models like planners sanders saw etc and thought the world of this company till now. I was about to buy my son a whole set of rigid tools to get his life going as a young adult as he’s going to be in the market soon for his first set and that’s not a good start seeing what rigid did to a huge fan and lots of rigid tools in garage now that he’s seen for many years of me using. Now I have to steer him away from rigid after all these years with helping dad and his beloved collection of power tools.
Jim Kirkman
My experience in completing the Lifetime Service Agreement on my Ridgid cordless drill was unbelievably time-consuming and frustrating. Not worth the effort. The Ridgid personnel seemed incompetent, indifferent, or both–suggesting unethical or even illegal Ridgid company practices. A real disappointment.
Jim Kirkman
My experience in registering a Lifetime Service Agreement (LSA) on my Ridgid cordless drill was unbelievably time-consuming and frustrating. Not worth the effort.
John Taylor
Purchased 10″ table saw and 14″ band saw a few years ago with lifetime warranty and when i needed parts that broke because of poor quality cast the parts were discontiued.Then for interest sake i looked up other parts that were still ok but checked for availability and were discontinued.i looked up every possible website and even phoned and talked to an agent.How can they give a lifetime warranty when there are no replacement parts.I will not buy ridgid again not only for this reason but also for poor quality.
Dwight Nicholas
I have had nothing but great success with their LSA. So far they have replaced 2 drills, one impact driver and one charger plus numerous batteries with no problems.
The most amazing thing was a bushing broke on my power miter box, took it to home depot repair and about 3 days later I got a call from the service tech saying that particular model have been discontinued and parts were no longer available. I thought this would be their out but no THEY SENT ME A BRAND SAW to replace the old one (approx 6 years old). I was amazed, I don’t buy any other power tools because of my experience with the LSA
It has been great service. Just take the time to register them and you will have no problems.
Paul K Cahoon
I have registered literally dozens of tools with the LSA. Yes, I did have a little issue with a few but very worth it for the coverage. I’ve had several tools repaired with no issues. I’ve also had at least one charger and several batteries replaced, no questions asked. I even have a miter saw truck/stand that broke and HD replaced it in the store with a brand new one. I highly recommend.
Tom
Registering, or getting the LSA activated has not been the problem, on the other hand getting factory service has been a major problem. They keep the tool for months at a time without evaluating it or providing any status updates. I have not used Home Depot for factory repairs maybe that is something I should look into. No much information on that option is known or available.
Jeff
The problem I’ve had with Ridgid is not their willingness to fix an issue; it is with their ability to do so. I have a Ridgid table saw that is now just over one-year old, and the brushes went bad. They quickly accepted fault and said they would fix the problem; however, they have now had it for over 5 months and claim that replacement engines are backordered. They are as nice as can be when we talk with them, but their actual helpfulness is atrocious. I am currently buying additional tools, and I am not even considering Ridgid because of the problems I’m experiencing.
Tom
Your comments echo my exact situation. I’m nearing the end of my forth month as I wait for my finish nailer to be evaluated. I don’t yet have a repair status. Not sure I will be buying any more Ridgid tools based on this experience thus far.
Tom
I sent my pneumatic finish nailer to Ridgid for repairs the first week of Sep 2020. They acknowledged receipt of the tool 3 weeks later, even though tracking shows that it was received withing 3-days of shipping. They have yet to evaluate as of 31 Dec 2020 so it’s been sitting on shelf somewhere until someone gets to it.
I have inquired about the repair status, they sent a reply apology for the delay but nothing ever became of it. The time given in the email for evaluation has come and gone and still no repair status is given.
I’ve had to rent a replacement tool a few times to complete a few jobs. I’m a bit concerned about the reply with the “heavy volume of tools arriving for service”. Makes me wonder how good or reliable Ridgid tools really are. I’m not sure I will be buying another Ridgid tool solely on the LSA promise. So far it has proven useless for me, and a bit of a let down.
Ridgid reply email:
Upon checking, your tool/s are still waiting for evaluation. Our apologies for the delay. I have forwarded a request to our repair department regarding this matter.
Please note, however, because of the economic impact of COVID-19 and heavy volume of tools arriving for service, it may take 10-12 business days to get this tool/s on the bench.
Tom
I finally received my repaired tool on Jan 11, 2021. They fixed no more then required to get the tool working and totally ignored replacing worn out rubber parts as I requested on the service form. From the day I sent the tool to them and the day received the tool it took 114 days turn around.
Jeff
114 days is unacceptable. I know those of us who unknowingly placed ourselves into this situation can do nothing but roll over and take it, but we can make certain others are aware that Ridgid’s warranty isn’t all it is advertised to be; they’ve now had my table saw for about 6 months. As mentioned in another post, I was recently in the market for another set of power tools; I would love to have bought from Ridgid, but Ridgid’s complete lack of service proved to me that it was better to pay more for Milwaukee tools with a known warranty period than to pay less for a Ridgid tool hoping that they live up to their obligations. I will never buy from Ridgid again.
Tom
Wow six months is beyond ridiculous, and unacceptable. Maybe you should go the BBB route. Your situation warrants that. It is very obvious that they do not have replacement parts. I see from the BBB complaints that they actually reply to the complaints and arrive at a resolution to the posters satisfaction. I remember reading one complaint that the individual got a new replacement tool since they could not fix his original tool. Remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Niho
I bought a drill, impact and 2 1.5ah battery kit 3 years ago. signed up to the LSA and that even got a comformation that I am covered. now a battery is not charging any more. I login to my account and thet are removed the same thing happened to my dad, but luckly I made a screenshot of the LSA approval.
steve miller
I bought an 18v battery flashlight , reg. for lifetime warranty. and approved. when light became defective I contacted ridgid. no reply from them. contacted them the second time, no reply. Buyer beware of lifetime warrantys.
Keith
I bought a rigid power tool with lifetime warranty plastered all over the box. When I went to register it they told me I didn’t buy it from the right place.Beware Rigid sucks.I’ve been buying rigid power tools for the last 15 years and this will be the last one
Stuart
Where did you order the tools from? Here’s what their policy says:
Mantigonos
I recently purchased a RIGID jobsite table saw from Home Depot and registered for the LSA program. 2 weeks later, to the day, my product is now registered with the program.
I did not run into any of the issues I have read in these reviews and I was able to do everything on the website. I am guessing (just guessing) the reason people had to mail in their receipts was because they didn’t have a scanner to upload the receipt directly to the website.
The only issue I had was wondering if it was going to be an issue, simply because these reviews made me paranoid. But exactly 2 weeks later, my table saw was approved for registration by RIGID.
I will have to see how good this saw is built to know for sure if it’s worth the 5 minutes it took me to register it into the program. If it’s junk, I won’t buy another RIGID product even if they honor the agreement and fix/replace it a hundred times. It would cost me more money to wait for them to fix it and get it back to me than it would to go buy another table saw- so if it doesn’t hold up, NO agreement is worth it to me. I just want a quality product!
Mantigonos
For the record, I have only purchased one other RIGID tool, a power planer (corded), and I have had it for many years. It’s been dropped a few times and looks a bit beat up, but it still works as good as it did the day I bought it. Other than replacing the blades, it has held up great! I don’t know if the program even existed when I bought the thing almost 20 years ago. I hope this table saw lasts at least half as long.
Art Vander
The Ridgid Lifetime Warranty is bogus. Ridgid plays games with the terms of the warranty. I own more than 14 Ridgid batteries and more than a dozen Ridgid LIFETIME WARRANTY TOOLS. These tools and batteries were properly registered. Now Ridgid is limiting the number of claims you can make online. They now say that I must go to a service center . The closest service center is 48 miles from my home meaning a 100 mile round trip. This is unacceptable and should not be the rule. When you own more than 14 batteries like I do you will make claims. I am making legitimate claims and they should honor these legitimate claims without making me jump through hoops. I am filing a complaint with my State’s Consumer division and I will never buy Ridgid tools going forward. Ridgid is scamming customers by changing the terms of the agreement in mid stream.
Paul Cahoon
I have had a fairly decent experience with the Ridgid LSA. I do agree that the inconvenience of having to drive to a service center is something new and as an owner of quite a few tools as well I understand the issue you are referring to. But, on the other hand within the last couple of years I had to have some batteries replaced and had no issue at all with them. In fact they processed the order over the phone and shipped them directly to me. I do agree that I wish they had not changed it from the original process of dropping off a tool for repair at my local Home Depot store. I don’t have to drive quite as far as you do but it is still 20 to 25 miles to my nearest service center every time I need to have a repair made.
Ron Teunissen
I own a Rigid kit, purchased 15 years ago from a local Home
Depot. I registered the tools in the kit on line with the assistance of a customer service person on the phone. They did not asked for a mailed in receipt.
When my first battery went dead about 10 years ago they required me to take the battery to a service center which was 30 miles away. I real pain. The second battery died and that one had to be mailed in and a replacement arrived a few weeks latter. not as bad.
Then my hammer drill developed a bad trigger switch. I had to drop that off at a home depot. They had it for a few weeks. The part was no longer available, so they provided me a brand new hammer drill, no cost.
Last week one of the replacement batteries went bad. Instead of dealing with the online process, I called the warranty dept and after explaining the symptoms, (red and green lights both blinking on charger), they agreed to send another battery in the mail. Took 5 minutes. They did not ask for return of the bad battery. Overall, I am VERY happy and satisfied with the process, especially when my Milwaukee battery went bad and cost me $120 to replace.
In each case of replacement, I registered the replacement on line in a few minutes without any problems.
gary ogden
I just purchased a Ridgid compressor. Packaging displayed the lifetime warranty seal, large, on multiple surfaces, yet compressors don’t receive a life time warranty.
Directly misleading.