Over a year ago I wrote about how Ridgid’s X4 18V drill/driver has a strange fix over me. At first it was just the looks, but after testing it out in person the X4 driver’s user-friendly features won me over for good.
Our friends over at Tools in Action reviewed several other Ridgid X4 tools, and their assessment of the line mirrors my own feelings about the drill.
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“X5” Trademark Application
A fan of the 18V X4 drill/driver and Ridgid in general, I keep an eye out for any relevant news. It just so happens that a couple of months ago TTI filed a trademark application (USPTO serial# 85779419) for X5 branding. There is no definitive indication that this mark is intended for Ridgid-branded tools, but it’s a reasonable presumption given the logical link between X4 and X5.
International Class 007: Power tools, namely, drills, impact drivers, circular saws, reciprocating saws, kits consisting primarily of one or more power tools, namely, consisting of one or more power drills, impact drivers, circular saws, reciprocating saws, and also containing specially designed battery packs and battery chargers.
International Class 009: Batteries and battery chargers.
International Class 011: Flashlights and LED work lights.
Great, Ridgid is working on a new line of 18V cordless tools! Or at least that’s what the X5 trademark application suggests.
Prediction: Brushless and higher capacity battery packs! The X4 series of tools is highly regarded, and in my opinion without much room for competitive improvement. Perhaps the X5 series will be based on brushless drills and drivers, larger higher performing saws, and higher capacity battery packs.
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If or when the tools will be released is anyone’s best guess. I say if because there is no concrete evidence yet, but it is unlikely that TTI would seek to trademark the X5 branding without intending to use it in the near future.
Trademark Troubles: It appears that Bosch previously trademarked X5L, which is part of why the US patent office refused TTI’s original trademark application. The patent office’s recent letter to TTI describes how their could be confusion between TTI/Ridgid’s desired X5 branding for power tools and Bosch’s X5L branding for drill bits.
Other pre-exiting trademarks for batteries and chargers, and also LED worklights, are further complicating things for TTI’s legal team.
Reminder: TTI designs and manufacturers power tools for Ridgid, and is also the parent company of Milwaukee Tools. Milwaukee recently came out with brushless drills and drivers and higher capacity (2.0Ah and 4.0Ah) 18V battery packs. It is mainly with this in mind that I believe the X5 line (or whatever it will eventually be called) is being developed around brushless and higher-performing tools.
Note: The above image is of the very awesome X4 drill/driver. No images of X5 products are known to exist yet.
jeff_williams
Or XCP. http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4009:ovmj5l.3.4
Stuart
The XCP line is manufactured by TTI for Craftsman, starting with the heavy duty drill/driver introduced last Fall.
It is possible that TTI will eventually transfer the XCP trademark to Sears/Craftsman as Black & Decker did with the Bolt-On registration.
I don’t think there will be a strong connection between X5 and XCP product deployments.
jeff_williams
Forgive my oversight, we never get any Craftsman stuff in. I didn’t know TTI did any development for them. Thanks for the info.
mnoswad1
I’m waiting for someone to do a TTI drill comparison. I’d like to see the internals and see if they use some of the same components, trigger, motors, and or battery cells.
I can’t imagine that a company like TTI would not cross pollinate the development and manufacturing among several brand names. Kinda like the difference between ford/lincoln/mercury. No real differences (esp in the 80/90’s) but with different trim and marketing.
Jason
The only problem with rigid cordless is for some reason they will not release a full line of cordless tools with their battery platform.
cody
Stuart AEG power tools has just released a brushless hammer drill (BSB18BLI-402C), brushless impact driver (BSS18CB0), and a brushless grinder (BEWS18BL-125x-0. AeG tools is the European version on ridgid tools so when ridgid releases their brushless tools it should be identical to the AEG brushless models that have just been released.
Stuart
Thanks for the tip! It’s not definite that those new AEG products will be available in the USA under Ridgid branding. If I recall correctly, the AEG BSB18B brushless hammer drill was announced/available about a year ago, but still hasn’t made it to the USA under the Ridgid label.
cody
AeG also just released a 12 volt sds rotary hammer drill model BBH12. And a 18 volt sds rotary hammer drill model BBH18. These AeG sds drills should be identical to the ridgid models when they are released. Please don’t mention me in the tool article. Thank you.