When it comes to all sorts of tools – whether corded, cordless, or mechanic’s – or outdoor lawn and garden equipment, chances are that one of the first things you will do is look for the best brand for your needs.
While there are more than a dozen popular ones, two that pop-up often in comparison with each other are Ridgid and DeWalt.
In this article, I’ll help you decide which one of the two is the better option for you.
A Brief History of Ridgid and DeWalt
To start off, Ridgid is a fairly old brand, one which is owned by the Ridge Tool Company. This company was founded in 1923 in North Ridgeville, Ohio, and has since moved to Elyria, Ohio, USA. In 1966, the brand as well as the parent company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emerson Electric, a massive Fortune 500 company based in Missouri, USA.
Ridgid does make a very wide variety of tools, ones geared towards construction, plumbing, HVAC systems, and pipe fitting especially. At this time, one of the brand’s flagship product lines is its innovative and distinctive line of pipe wrenches.
Moreover, Ridgid makes well over 300 different types of tools. Ridgid power tools are made mostly by a company called TTI, with wet and dry vacs being made by the parent company, Emerson Electric. At this time Ridgid is still quite a small company, with well under 300 employees and an estimated annual revenue of roughly 46 million dollars.
Ridgid
On the other hand, we have DeWalt, an American company with a worldwide presence. This company was first founded by Raymond DeWalt, who also happens to be the inventor of the radial arm saw, in 1923. In 1947 the company was re-incorporated as DeWalt Inc.
A company called American Machine & Foundry Co. Inc. acquired DeWalt in1949 with the brand then being sold to Stanley Black & Decker in 1960. At this time, Stanley Black & Decker is still DeWalt’s owner.
DeWalt is often seen as the high-end brand of Stanley Black & Decker, with their tools being geared more towards professional use. At this time, DeWalt manufactures well over 200 different types of power tools, thousands of accessories, and hundreds of contractor’s hand tools.
What is interesting to note is that DeWalt was the first brand to introduce a hybrid battery pack for cordless tools to the market.
As of this year, DeWalt itself has over 13,000 employees with hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
DeWalt
Ridgid vs. DeWalt: Which Offers Better Quality?
Alright, so in terms of quality, let’s start with Ridgid.
Now, it is a little hard to find a lot of information on where Ridgid tools are made. Even though, as mentioned before, Ridgid is owned by Emerson Electric, TTI actually makes the vast majority of the power tools which are sold under the Ridgid name.
From what we can tell, virtually all Ridgid tools are made in China.
Many would say that this is a bad thing because outsourcing production to the Global South is often associated with decreased product quality. However, Ridgid tools actually receive a lot of praise from people around the world.
For the most part, users are very happy with their Ridgid tools, particularly their cordless tools. Now, people are not overly pleased with the selection available, but the quality does seem to be more than acceptable.
Ridgid tools are geared partially towards professional use, but their power tools specifically, tend to be more for light-duty use. People agree that while Ridgid tools often don’t have the best specs or the fanciest features, they are durable, convenient, and reasonably priced too.
On the other hand, we have DeWalt, which is of course a much larger company with more manufacturing power. In terms of where DeWalt tools are made, this company has various production facilities around the world, including locations in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, China, Italy, the UK, and the Czech Republic.
In the USA specifically, production facilities are located in Connecticut, Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and in a few other states too. So, while some DeWalt tools are made in the Global South, a good majority of them are made in the Global North, in production facilities with high standards, particularly those in the USA and Europe.
Yes, DeWalt tools do tend to be on the more expensive side of things, but you get what you pay for, and most people agree that DeWalt tools are top of the line. The reason why DeWalt tools cost as much as they do is because they are geared towards heavy-duty professional use.
So, which brand name you go with really depends on what your needs are. If you want high-quality tools and are willing to spend a good deal of cash, DeWalt is the way to go, but if you want more basic tools and don’t want to spend as much money, then Ridgid is the better brand for you.
Which Offers a Better Warranty?
Many of Ridgid’s tools are covered by full lifetime warranties, some are covered by limited lifetime warranties, some are covered by lifetime service agreements, and others come with three-year limited warranties. Across the board, the company does offer good warranties.
On the other hand, we have DeWalt, which also offers some stellar warranties to its customers. First off, all tools are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Next, some mechanic’s tools are covered by a full lifetime warranty while others are covered by limited lifetime warranties. Many power tools come with three-year limited warranties, and many hand tools also come with a seven-year limited liability warranty.
The bottom line is that while both Ridgid and DeWalt do offer great warranties on various products, DeWalt does appear to have the better ones overall. If you are looking for tools that have maximum warranty coverage for as long as possible, DeWalt is probably your best bet.
Ridgid vs. DeWalt: Which Has a Better Product Portfolio?
In terms of the overall product portfolio, it does appear as though DeWalt has more tools for sale in general. Now, the areas where Ridgid excels in terms of the product selection is in HVAC systems and plumbing tools. Ridgid does also offer a better selection of wet/dry vacs.
However, other than that, DeWalt does appear to have a better overall product portfolio. Among others, the company offers a better selection of corded tools, cordless tools, construction tools, gear, equipment, accessories, lawn and garden equipment, as well as lumber-related tools.
Which Brand Offers a Better Selection of Drills?
When it comes down to it, DeWalt does have a way better selection of drills than Ridgid.
Through ample research, we have found no more than 10 drills available from Ridgid, and this goes for both corded and cordless models. On the other hand, the much larger DeWalt offers – between corded, cordless, and pneumatic drills – around 80 options.
Which Brand Offers a Better Selection of Planers?
The same thing can be said for planers as for drills and other power tools. While Ridgid does make pretty decent tools in terms of quality, the selection just is not that great.
Through our research, we have found a total of two planers made by Ridgid. On the other hand, the DeWalt website currently has eight planers available to choose from.
Which Brand Offers a Better Selection of Miter and Table Saws?
Yes, the trend is going to continue here as well, as Ridgid has a total of three table saws to choose from, compared to seven table saws offered by DeWalt.
In terms of miter saws, Ridgid offers its customers a total of five to choose from compared to DeWalt’s 14.
Which of the Two Brands Should You Choose?
When it comes down to it, both DeWalt and Ridgid are fine brands to purchase tools from.
Now, DeWalt is the clear winner in terms of tool quality, overall selection, and warranties. However, the brand is more geared more towards professional use and is quite expensive.
If you are looking for more basic tools for light-duty use, and you don’t want to pay too much for them, then Ridgid is probably the better brand for you.
Summary
The bottom line here is that whatever brand you choose to go with, make sure to do some research on specific tools first. Compare main aspects like durability, functionality, selection, warranty, and overall price.
If you follow these tips and pay attention to what you are buying, you should not have any problems choosing the right tools for your needs.
How Do Ridgid and DeWalt Compare with Other Brands?
See how Ridgid compares with: Craftsman | Kobalt | Makita | Milwaukee | Porter-Cable | Ryobi
See how DeWalt compares with: Black & Decker | Bosch | Craftsman | Dremel | Festool | Hilti | Husky | Kobalt | Makita | Metabo HPT | Milwaukee | Porter-Cable | Ryobi | Skil | Stanley | Worx