Ridgid recently announced an expansion of its GEN5X line with the Ridgid Gen5X 18V Hybrid Forced Air Propane Heater. Powered by any Ridgid 18V battery or a regular extension cord, the heater can warm up to 1,350 square feet of space and produces up to 60,000 BTU. It features a brushless motor, electronic ignition, and Ridgid’s 3-Year Limited Warranty.
Ridgid claims that you can get up to 7 hours of runtime out of a single 5.0 amp hour battery. Since a propane tank can last up to 12 hours (a standard 20-pound tank), you would need to cycle two batteries to get through an entire work day.
Our Take
Even though Ridgid Gen5X 18V Hybrid Forced Air Propane Heater is coming out with the spring warm up well underway (it was a pretty mild winter for just about all of us anyway), there are still some cool mornings left for much of the country. While at first glance, the uninitiated space heater user may be tempted to think that the battery is what is providing the heat, it’s anything but.
The battery is mainly used to move the fan to circulate the heat generated by ignited propane. A 5.0 amp hour battery will get you roughly 7 hours of circulated heat, but moving to Ridgid’s upcoming 9.0 amp hour pack will help you last through a full day. That will also pretty well match up with the 12-hour runtime of a 20-pound propane tank at the 30,000 BTU end of the scale. Certainly expect less from your tank at the maximum 60,000 BTUs.
Ridgid made the smart move by going with hybrid power technology, so you can plug the unit into any 120V AC source with an extension cord to alleviate the battery limitation altogether.
The big question with any kind of propane heater is not the BTU rating, but how much space that rating will effectively heat. For the Ridgid R860424B, that’s going to be about 1350 square feet.
As with any heater using that presents a possible ignition source, be sure to place it carefully to avoid an accidental fire and keep the area around it clear throughout the work day.
Ridgid Gen5X 18V Hybrid Forced Air Propane Heater Features
- Hybrid Technology allows you to power the heater fan with any Ridgid 18V battery or extension cord
- High Heat Output with a Variable Power Dial allowing you to adjust between 30,000 and 60,000 BTU to keep warm on any jobsite
- Up to 7 hours of continuous runtime using a Ridgid 5Ah Hyper Lithium Battery (not included) and up to 12 hours of propane runtime using a standard 20 lb. tank on low heat output (tank not included)
- Brushless Motor Technology delivers more runtime, power, and gives longer motor life
- Electric Ignition allows you to easily start up the unit
- Quiet Fan Operation keeps the heater noise to a minimum
- UL Certified with Overheat Protection to ensure safety on the jobsite and prevent overheating
- Warranty: 3-Year Limited Warranty
Ridgid Gen5X 18V Hybrid Forced Air Propane Heater Specifications
- Model Number: Ridgid R860424B
- Heat Rating (BTU/hour): 30,000-60,000
- Area Heated (sq. ft.): 1350
- Fuel Rate (Gal/Hour): 0.30
- Run Time: 7 Hours (w/ 5Ah Battery)
- Certification: 4-UL Certified
- Price: $129 at The Home Depot
