If you’ve been hanging around Pro Tool Reviews much, you know we have several reasons to love Ridgid cordless power tools. First, the tools tend to be a great value that comes with Pro-level performance. And often, they’ll come out with class-leading tools, so they’re not just an entry-level brand. Finally, that Lifetime Service Agreement now includes replacement batteries for life. So what do we feel are the best cordless Ridgid power tools for Pros? Read on!
Our list takes into account some core tools, but also tools we simply find irresistible for anyone already on the Ridgid power tools 18V battery platform.
Best Cordless Ridgid Hammer Drill
Ridgid R86115K 18V Brushless Hammer Drill w/Max Output Battery
Despite being rated with less power, the Ridgid 18V Brushless Hammer Drill showed faster times against its Octane counterpart and moved Ridgid significantly higher up our charts. Octane’s higher torque may still be a better option if you’re constantly up against really tough tasks. But for most of us, the new models offer the convenience of a more compact design without giving up any performance.
The Ridgid R86115K 18V Brushless Hammer Drill runs $199 as a kit with 4.0Ah Max Output battery, charger, and soft case. The bare tool runs about $139.
Best Cordless Ridgid Impact Driver
Ridgid R862311 18V Brushless Impact Driver Review
If the design team’s goal was to make the Ridgid 18V Brushless Impact Driver, faster, lighter, and more compact than the Octane model, they succeeded in a big way! Even more, our results show Ridgid moving up in the performance rankings and overtaking some big names along the way.
You can pick up the Ridgid R862311 as a bare tool for $129 at The Home Depot. The Ridgid R9780 combo kit includes both the brushless hammer drill and impact driver with a pair of 2.0Ah Max Output batteries for $179.
Best Cordless Ridgid Tool for Woodworking
Ridgid 18V Brushless Compact Router
Ridgid has been pushing the boundaries of where cordless tools are going in several categories. The Ridgid R860443B compact router features a brushless motor and is built on the foundation of their popular corded model.
Ridgid took their time-tested design and gave it an Octane boost. Once you get used to the pull-out power switch and opposite side placements for the speed and micro-adjustment dials, it’s perfectly capable of replacing your corded trim router.
Side-by-side with the other cordless routers that are available, the Ridgid Octane 18V cordless compact router isn’t as strong as the top contenders. It shows on dadoes, dovetails, and other higher-demand cuts. It’s not underpowered in that it can’t do the job, though. Just plan on taking a little more time to do it. You can pick up this tool for just $129 at the Home Depot.
Best Cordless Ridgid Tool for Light Concrete Work
Ridgid 18V 1″ SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer
The heavy hitters may have cornered the market on cordless rotary hammers, but don’t count Ridgid out. These cordless models tend to be expensive and they’re still trying to move up to corded performance—but they’ve mainly fallen short. While you could spend as much as $800 jumping onto another platform, Ridgid’s cordless rotary hammer still boasts a 1-inch capacity for $309.
For the mason, the Ridgid R86711B SDS-Plus rotary hammer is a punch list workaholic. No one wants to drag out the big boy to make one or two holes on a project you’re just about to wrap up. Slap a battery in and finish it up without running an extension cord. Or, use it to bust up a bathroom’s worth of tile.
It’s also invaluable to the general contractor. You get better performance than a hammer drill when you need to make larger holes in concrete. There’s no doubt bigger hammers are the best bet for floor tile, but no one I know wants to hold that kind of weight when working on vertical material during demo.
Best Ridgid Power Tool for Refinishing
Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Belt Sander
The Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Belt Sander is a solid supplementary tool. If you plan to do some refinishing work, this belt sander gives you cordless freedom. With plenty of power in its brushless motor, we found we could remove material at a solid rate. Runtime remains the limiting factor, of course. Our own real-world sanding tests netted around 13 minutes and 40 seconds of continuous runtime.
The sander has a variable speed dial to run at speeds between 400 and 940 FPM and surprisingly good dust collection. A three-position pommel gives you some adjustment in your hand position. The belt is easily removable and there’s a tracking knob to help you adjust the belt closer to or further from an adjacent part of the workpiece.
This is another tool that’s great for one-off and punch list work for the carpenter, or for the general contractor to keep on hand for those times when a belt sander will save time over other options.
The belt sander is available for $129 as a bare tool or as a kit with a 2.0Ah compact battery for $188. It’s a no-brainer to get the kit version.
Best Ridgid Cordless Miter Saw
Ridgid 18V 7-1/4″ Cordless Miter Saw
The Ridgid 18V 7-1/4 Inch Brushless Miter Saw is a well-designed, compact, fast, light, and easily portable saw for trim and punch list work. It will save you a bunch of time, hassle, and money as long as you’re not trying to build the world with it.
That the saw takes an easy-to-find 7-1/4 inch saw blade is a big plus. It’s not your workhorse but it certainly has its place on the jobsite for punch lists. I certainly recommend it and the current $379 price tag makes it a steal for this cordless class. Just because of the nature of the work a miter saw is asked to perform, we’d like to see it kitted with a second battery.
Best Ridgid Cordless Shop Vacuum
Ridgid 18V Cordless Shop Vacuum
The Ridgid 18V cordless shop vac really impressed us with its wet/dry capability and capacity. You get 9-gallons of storage and 82CFM of suction. This tool behaves more like a mid-range corded model than what we expect from cordless vacuums. It can also run off just a single Ridgid 18V battery but includes two spots for doubling the runtime.
Best of all, the price is just $99 for the bare tool and it includes a Ridgid lifetime warranty!
Best (Corded) Ridgid Tool for Finish Nailing
Ridgid 6-gallon Pancake Compressor
We wanted to include the Ridgid 1-gallon cordless compressor, but it seems to be discontinued everywhere. That’s a bummer. That tool really solved a problem when you needed to do some quick finish nailing without the need for dragging a power cord.
Still, the 150 PSI Ridgid 6-gallon pancake compressor bears mentioning—even if you do have to plug it into a wall! It easily drives a pair of finish nailers at once time. The oil-free pump should deliver reliable, maintenance-free performance. Ridgid also backs it with a 3-year warranty. We simply love the form factor of this compressor and how quietly it works indoors—primarily due to how much air it stores for finish work.
In the event you need to use this compressor with higher-capacity pneumatic nailers, it puts out up to 2.6 SCFM at 90 PSI when needed. You can pick up the Ridgid 6-gallon compressor for just $129.
Conclusion
Those are our picks for the best Ridgid cordless power tools. . While every trade is different, we wanted to make sure our top picks showed up on this list. I’m sure we left at least one of your favorites off—so be sure to leave a comment below with your favorite(s). You can also sound off on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
