Warranties are a huge concern for many people who invest in power tools — not just what will be covered, but also for how long.
As you can imagine, there is absolutely no “standard” when it comes to warranties, and most manufacturers do not even use an “across-the-board” approach when it comes to their own lineups. So, in many cases if you buy a cordless tool and a corded tool from the same brand, your warranty may be completely different. Not only is this confusing, but it is also hard to keep track of.
One of the most complete and comprehensive warranties out there is the Ridgid L.S.A. — Lifetime Service Agreement. All Ridgid power tools (including batteries and chargers when included in a kit) are covered not for the life of the tool — but for your lifetime! When properly registered within 90 days of purchase, you are covered with Free Parts, Free Batteries, and Free Service — FOR LIFE.
In my opinion, performance aside, this is the single best feature that any Ridgid power tool has. For a DIYer, Homeowner, or Professional…..the initial cost of purchase is always something to consider, but you also need to think down the line “how much will this cost to maintain?”. In the current market (which will only increase in price over time), a 4.0ah battery for example will cost roughly $99 to buy/replace. As good as today’s battery technology is, they will not last forever — and realistically you will get 3-5 years before they will die on you. Then you are talking about dropping another $99 (or more) for a replacement down the road.
However, if you had a registered Ridgid combo kit, and the battery dies, they will replace it with a brand new one for free! 6 weeks after purchase — or 6 years after purchase! At which time (meaning once you get the replacement), the only thing you have to do is add the new battery to your account to continue coverage! It is basically a tool insurance policy without premiums or deductibles.
You would think that this would make Ridgid tools more expensive than any other brand, but it doesn’t. They are priced above homeowner-grade tools, but under premium brands — in the pro-sumer/contractor grade of tools. Surprisingly the performance is not matching the price —- especially with the Gen5X lineup. We have tested many tools in Ridgid’s 18v line, and the new Gen5X tools consistently outperform the competition (including premium brands) at a fraction of the cost.
If you are looking for a company that will stand behind the products, they sell for the long term — check out Ridgid.