It sounds like you have a bad battery pack, you should be able to exchange it for another one at HD.

I have used Ridgid drills for years and only have 1 battery pack out of about 9 or 10 that has gone bad.

 

All of mine are toast. New one I bought today only lasted 20 min before needing recharge that takes over an hour. I'm so done with rigid. Amazon Chinese knockoffs are better than rigid as a matter of fact I have a Amazon battery for rigid. This one lasts all day while rigid own brand name dead 20 min. All rigid batteries are junk

 

The weird thing is...

I have another Ridgid cordless drill that is like some kind of engineering miracle. It's one of the little ones, battery is about the size of an egg, but goes for hours! The bigger screwdriver, has a way bigger battery, but runs out after about three strips of screws! Useless!!

 

They suck!! I have had many ridgid batteries, and while none have gone bad, they all never really hold much of a charge. I know what you mean about the charger too. If the battery is warm when you put it on, it wont start charging until it cools completely. I have seen this take up to two hours before. Sometimes the dewalt will refuse to charge when hot too. If you pull it out, wait a minute, and put it back in, it starts up fine. The only ridgid cordless I still use regularly is the 18v jigsaw.

 

The more you pay for your tools the better the batt tech will be. You can buy cheap 3000mah hours cells and expensive cells. This is the problem with ridgid as they use cheap battery tech and they are also underpowered for the type of tool so they do get to hot to quick. A lot of the new chargers have a built in colling system that blows air around the cells to cool them before chargeing and it can make a big difference. Chargeing a hot cell will only make it get even hotter as it cant accept the current your trying to push into it.

 

My 29 knock off Amazon battery that fits my rigid tools last all day while rigid batteries last 20 f ing minutes and they charge $100 for their junk battery. They robbing their customers and use their reputation for corded tools to steal from public useing that reputation to push this landfill junk they sell

 

Yeah, I have craploads of ridgid tools and batts... I also have a fridge in the trailer and we put the batteries in the freezer when they are hot. I have a number of bad ridgid batteries that I need to take apart and combine into a few working ones.
I have a new 18V makita LXT kit for ME and I like it way better. As we grow I will buy more for the trailer but for now they have the ridgids.

 

Same my 8 yr old Makita batteries with smaller amh last all day while rigid twice the size last 20 min. Bringing all my cordless rigid to pawn shop hopefully they don't have any experience using rigid cordless tools. I'm going to see if I can use it towards credit for Makita,metabo or Milwaukee

 

If you have what I think you have, you simply have the Senco/Rigid collated screw gun.

I can't imagine anybody using that for decks.

 

What CAN you imagine someone using it for?

I was just thinking myself that maybe this is a tool designed more for sheetrock work?

 

I was just thinking myself that maybe this is a tool designed more for sheetrock work?

That's the only thing we use that thing for.

Notice any similarities?:whistling

 

yup the batteries go fast. then try to find some one close buy that will give you a new one. one of the 2 batteries lasted about 1 month....if even that. maybe we shouldnt have waited so long to get a new one and just took the drill back to HD

 

Does Ridgid make anything that is top shelf?

I always have considered them as HO tools. Am I wrong?

 

Come to find out, you may be correct indeed!

I've always like Yellow and Black !

 

Just what I have thought many times...

At first, it seemed pretty cool, and maybe I was just imagining things about the battery flaking out so fast. Then had an employee using it who kept telling me it was a piece of ----. Thought maybe he was just not liking doing decking. Now it's become all too clear that I should have returned this thing months ago.... Live and learn I guess!

 

Actually, I don't know? Are Ridgid tool considered non-trade tools? I've just liked them because of the great warranty they offer.

 

What's the one on the left? Very similar indeed. Black and Decker? Mattel?

 

I switched from Dewalt to Ridgid, and prefer the Ridgid, one reason was because the batteries on the Dewalt would not keep a charge, the Ridgid batteries last longer and will hold a chrage longer, also they charge in 20 minutes and have a lifetime service policy, that includes batteries.

 

Yes, an almost worthless lifetime service policy...when your batteries crap out you have to send them in and wait 4-6 weeks for replacements, if they even decide to send them to you. It is just a marketing gimick they don't stand behind.
That kind of turn around does not work in my business. I'm done with Ridgid and their b.s. lifetime warranty.

 

This might not be the right time or place, but I've had battery problems with every cordless I've owned....I'd rather get a corded drill and mess with the cords if I'm doing anything repetive.

I have an 18V dewalt and a 14.4 makita.....I prefer my makita combined with a corded keyless $45 drill.

I haven't heard any worse about rigid than I have milwaukee, dewalt, makita or porter Cable. They all fail after time and abuse. I need a new cordless, but since I stpped using cordless for everything...I'm not sure I do.

I would only ever buy a 14.4 if it wasn't for the 1/2" chuck....

 

I don't buy into the "fail" mentality of cordless batteries.

They have a clearly defined life stated by the manufacturer. I now own about 30 18 vt dewalt cordless batteries and they have all done about what the manufacturer said they would in regard to how many charges you are going to get with them before they are die and need to be replaced or repaired.

 

I will second that on the dewalt batteries. We have used them for over ten years and they go after about 18 months generally. We have started buying the new Nano lithiums and they seem to hold up pretty well. Haven't had one die yet and we put the first ones in use about 18 months ago. They seem to have more power when they are fully charged than the XRP Nicads do.

 

All the lithium type of battery's should hold up a lot better than the ni-cd Battery's ever did. Dewalt took a long time to get their butts in gear and bring out the new cells. They missed the ni-mh band wagon and needed to get back into the latest battery tech to keep with the other brands and now they use Lithium cells the battery's should last a lot longer than the ni-cd counterparts. No memory, longer life, more charge cycles and lighter battery's. Just be careful when they are dropped as lithium cells are knock to be pretty brittle compared to ni-cd and ni-mh and can exploded if abused.

 

Cali: Here is your real answer. Ridgid is not the level of tools you need for decking etc.
http://www.toolbarn.com/power-tools/auto-feed-screw-guns/auto-feed-screwgun-kits.html

 

piss, i like my ridgid drills pretty well, but i use them like i would a cheap date. They are the least respected tools in my collection, but the most used. They get the job done but aint much to look at any more. I get free bateriaes, but it's a pain to drive to HD from where i live, Hour away., so i try to keep the with me incase i go by there. You just have to have enough batteries to keep up with the tool and charge requirments. If your running decking down all day you need 2 chargers and 4 to 6 batteries. then they keep up fine and have all the power you need. You have to work around that charger tho. Rotate, rotate rotate those batteries on the charger when theyre done.

 

I am an engineer and have designed Li battery packs. I know both the tool and battery that you are discussing. (1) the tool you are using is not designed to drive decking screws(yes they will fit). The heavy torque heats both the motor and the battery. Hot batteries will not charge well, that is why the charger wants to cool them first. The hotter the battery chemistry is, the more internal leakage(electrical leakage not gunk).

Putting the battery pack in the freezer is not a good idea. This creates a large temperature gradient between the middle of the battery pack and the outer parts. The expansion/contraction of the the rapid thermal cycle and cause cracks which will reduce the overall energy that can be stored.

remember Li battery packs have serious electronics inside them(not like Ni-Cad which is just a battery). So cracks, or even a completely failed cell will not be obvious-- it will present either as a RED light on the charger or a shortened battery use time. There is no voltage indication because the electronic pump circuits will hide that.

If you intend to overload the tool, then the price you pay is the need for multiple battery backs.

 

If you intend to overload the tool, then the price you pay is the need for multiple battery backs.

There's something to be said for, "using the right tool for the right job".

 

It has been stated before but, TTi, a Chinese company, owns Milwaukee, Ryobi, Dirt Devil, and the Ridgid Electric Tool (name license).

Lifetime warranties are a joke on virtually any product. No manufacturer or craftsman would offer a lifetime warranty on products. When they do it is highly limited and more often than not a ploy to make you feel comfortable with a purchase.

 

I have the Ridgid 7'' tile saw. I think its great.

 

The Ridgid lifetime service agreement is not a warranty! A warranty protects you, the consumer from defects in material and workmanship which under normal use should present itself fairly quickly after purchase. Ridgid offers a 3yr warranty on the battery packs....Period! If in this time frame the batteries crap out, you get new ones..
3yrs is pretty generous in my books.
The lifetime service agreement is intended to kick in after this 3yr term when warranty is expired. Ridgid says they will service your registered tools and batteries for as long as you keep sending them in. Included in this service is the replacement of broken and/or worn out parts (ie batteries) including things which by nature must wear out over time under normal use. This would be the same as buying tires for the car and the dealer agreeing to replace them over and over again when they go bald under normal use, effectively giving you tires forever for free.
Think about it! Ridgid will replace a 5 yr old battery pack that you have overheated or killed trying to get that last screw in, that you have overexerted by driving screws using the Hi drill setting cause it's faster, that you have dropped countless times, put in the freezer to speed things up.......... etc. If you can show me proof of ANY other tool maker that does this (FOR FREE as there is no cost to register for the service agreement) then you have earned the right to the whining and moaning I'm seeing in this thread. Until then use the tools as intended, charge as soon as performance drops, keep them out of the freezer, let the onboard electronics/protection do it's job, don't believe everything your employees tell you about how they love and care for your tools they never spent a dime on when you're not looking, and your Ridgid batteries will be just fine.

 

I got four eighteen volt ridged li batteries. They are no good, it's not just you. I can do more on two Milwaukee m18 batteries then the ridged 18s

 

What size r the ridgid (amp hrs) vs the milwaukee (amp hrs)?