Ridgid? Grizzly? Both good? [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

Robert Reihsen

02-22-2006, 12:03 AM

Ken Fitzgerald

02-22-2006, 12:14 AM

Robert........Welcome to the Creek!

I have the Ridgid 13" planer and I have the Ridgid TS3650. I have been happy with both. From what I've learned from other members here, I'd probably consider Grizzly if I were buying today. I've heard a lot of complaints about customer service from Ridgid. I've occassionally heard complaints about customer service from Grizzly but...........Papa Bear himself is a member here. He seems to quickly get involved in issues our members have had with one of his company's products.

Again..........Welcome to the Creek!

Charlie Plesums

02-22-2006, 12:22 AM

I had a number of Ridgid tools, and participated on the Ridgid forum.

There was little support on the forum for the Ridgid bandsaw (lots of griping). On the other hand, I love my Grizzly G0555 14 inch bandsaw - bought it as an "upgrade" to a far more expensive Jet 14 inch.

The Ridgid 6 inch jointer was great. I have reservations if 6 inches is wide enough for any jointer, but the Ridgid jointer was solid and performed reliably. I was considering upgrading to an 8 inch Grizzly, but instead I jumped to a 16 inch unit.

I had a Delta lunch box planer, and after I got it, and used someone else's Ridgid, I wished I had gone for the Ridgid. I have not used the corresponding Grizzly planers, or the newer generation of lunchbox planers.

Hope that helps.

Vaughn McMillan

02-22-2006, 12:39 AM

First off, welcome to the Creek, Robert.

I have a Ridgid TS3650 table saw that I'm very happy with. That said, I've looked at the Ridgid 14" bandsaw, and don't think it's a well-equipped as the G0555. (I ended up buying the Shop Fox cousin to the G0555, partly because I could pick it up locally, and partly because it has a few upgraded features over the G0555.)

For 6" jointers, I have a Grizzly 6" that I've been real happy with, but I have a co-worker who bought the Ridgid 6" jointer about the same time, and he loves it.

On the planers, I can't help, since I've not used either the Orange or Green versions. My Snipemaster is gray. ;)

- Vaughn

Josh Goldsmith

02-22-2006, 12:51 AM

I was also in your situation a little while ago. I wanted a complete shop for the most part but i didn't have alot of money to spend. I looked into the ridgid tools and from what i heard from people was they liked them but i didn't hear anyone completly brag about them. So i looked into grizzly tools and i heard the complete opposite. Every where i asked i heard people saying how much they liked this and that. I would recommend grizzly over ridgid. If you are patient like i tried to be you can find some excellent tools for awesome prices. I checked www.craiglist.org (http://www.craiglist.org) every morning and evening. I found the grizzly G0555 14" bandsaw will the riser block, a whole bunch of new bandsaw blades, mobil base all for $350. That is what the ridgid costs and i got so much more. Then i checked ebay and found a 8" grizzly jointer almost new for $400. I recently got a 15" planer for $300. All where in great condition. So what ever whay you chose i recommend patience and buying used tools if you are on a budget. Even though it is really, really, really hard to be patient and look every where but when you score a great buy you feel 10 times better knowing you waited. Anyways best of luck!

Bart Leetch

02-22-2006, 1:05 AM

Dev Emch

02-22-2006, 1:17 AM

Hi
I just signed up a couple of days ago and have been searching for recommendations on either Grizzly or Ridgid tools on a 14" bandsaw (shopsmith replacement), 6" jointer, and 13" planer. Seems as if most magazine reviews I've been reading rate the Ridgid tools a "Best Value" award, but never a "Best Overall". I get the same idea about the Grizzly tools. Prices of both brands seem to give a lot of tool for the dollar. I haven't seen anything in any of the postings that would indicate that I should stay away from either brand. In fact, I seem to remember a "higher-up" from Grizzly answering a post.
I'm not looking for a lot of bells and whistles, just a solid machine that does what it's supposed to.
Any Ridgid or Grizzly guys out there with opinions?
Thanks
Bob

Well at least you have a chance to ask about this method of rating. I did not ask and got snookered. A few years back, they did a review of the dewalt biscuit joiner and gave it the Best Value award which silly me thought was the BEST OVERALL award. So I went out and bought the dewalt instead of buying the Lamello. Now I wish I had payed more attention to this review. I plan on buying the Lamello in the future but I could have used it for a few years and been completely happy. From what I have learned, Best Value means implicitly cheap and Best Overall means implicitly more expensive because its a better made machine and cost was not a major driver in the design.

Andy Pedler

02-22-2006, 1:23 AM

I was looking at the Ridgid planer recently as well. However, in Googling around the internet I found one site where someone claimed Ridgid was getting out of the WW'ing tool business. Now, I don't know the source and have no way to validate this claim, but it made me a little nervous nonetheless.

Can anyone speak to their intentions to continue producing and supporting these tools?

The reviews of the Ridgid planer that I read were almost entirely positive.

Dev Emch

02-22-2006, 1:28 AM

I have been very happy with my Grizzly tools & Delta tools & some of the older better quality Sears tools that I have. I have stayed away from Ridgid because of their affiliation with Home Depot to me this combination hasn't seem to work out to well. As well as some of the problems I've heard about with the manufacturing company the Ridgid chose to take over the manufacturing of their products. I just don't care for the overall situation.

For whats its worth. Rigid === Craftsman. Rigid was a plumbing tool company that was bought out by Emerson Electric who owns all sorts of things including Rosemont Industrial. Emerson was one of the last US based companies to OEM tools to sears under the craftsman name. Many companies held OEM craftsman contracts over the years including Parks Woodworking and Altas Press and Die. So the quality of a craftsman stationary tool depends greatly on which OEM contract it was manufactured under. When the Emerson contract expired, Sears did not renew. Instead, they outsourced all their tools to either Taiwan or China. Emerson not haveing a clue as to what to do worked out an agrement with Home Depot to sell the same basic tools but under a new name. Having access to the Rigid name and since the Rigid name was both macho and well recognized in the plumbing circles, Rigid was it. The orange and cream paint scheme came about from the affiliation with Home Depot. Since then, Rigid tools have moved much of their operation overseas as well and have enjoyed moderate success through the Home Depot distribution channels. I personally own one Rigid item..... a shop vac. It has been fair.

Robert Reihsen

02-22-2006, 1:36 AM

Robert Reihsen

02-22-2006, 1:47 AM

Hi Vaughn
I'm interested in what you think of your Shop Fox. There is a dealer about 3 blocks from me that stocks Shop Fox machinery. How do you like the bandsaw?

Brian Clevenger

02-22-2006, 3:16 AM

Okay, I'll jump in!

. I bought the Ridgid. I got in on a floor model at a great deal. I used it for a couple of months of some long days milling, and it worked great. I found a great deal on a used JET and decided to "upgrade". In all fairness, they are equal. If not for the color and the base, I'd think they were off the same boat. I kept both the JET and the Ridgid around for a month or so. Both machines were tuned and accurate. After about a month I decided it was time to sell one or the other. I got close to what I paid for the Ridgid, so I still have the JET.

If I were paying retail between the JET and the Ridgid; The Ridgid wins....hands down. It is almost the same machine at close to half the cost. As far as 6" jointers.... the Ridgid is as good as any.

__________________________________________________

Planers.... If the budget was hard set at $400, I'd consider the Ridgid. Any more than that, I'd get the Dewalt 735 or a 15" induction.

__________________________________________________ _

A contractor down the street has the Ridgid table saw. He works out of a garage and an enclosed trailer. The TS is very mobile and he can take the work on the go. The Ridgid is also one of the few left-tilt contractor saw out there. It seems to be a fair value, especially if you can get a "coupon".

However, I would say to check the used market on table saws. I got mine for a song, and others have done even better.

Vaughn McMillan

02-22-2006, 3:42 AM

Hi Vaughn
I'm interested in what you think of your Shop Fox. There is a dealer about 3 blocks from me that stocks Shop Fox machinery. How do you like the bandsaw?
I love it. :) I've had good success resawing material up to 11" thick, and it powers through anything I've thrown at it. A good blade is money well spent -- the factory blade was mediocre. I paid very slightly more for it than the Griz would have cost (including delivery, mobile base and riser block). The Shop Fox has cast iron wheels, which are supposedly better than cast aluminum due to the extra mass. (How much better, I can't say, since I've not used a 14" saw with aluminum wheels or comparison.) I do know the upper wheel will spin for two minutes with just a light push (and no blade on it). It's also got a rack and pinion adjustment for the upper guide, and the enclosed base cabinet is useful for storage.

I know I sound like a Shop Fox advertisement, but I really like the saw.

- Vaughn

Norman Hitt

02-22-2006, 3:42 AM

Well at least you have a chance to ask about this method of rating. I did not ask and got snookered. A few years back, they did a review of the dewalt biscuit joiner and gave it the Best Value award which silly me thought was the BEST OVERALL award. So I went out and bought the dewalt instead of buying the Lamello. Now I wish I had payed more attention to this review. I plan on buying the Lamello in the future but I could have used it for a few years and been completely happy. From what I have learned, Best Value means implicitly cheap and Best Overall means implicitly more expensive because its a better made machine and cost was not a major driver in the design.

.....what you thought was so bad about the Dewalt Biscuit Jointer? I've had one for several years, and it has performed flawlessly from the start, easy to set up, accurate, etc. Maybe I just got an exceptional one????????:confused:

scott spencer

02-22-2006, 7:14 AM

Hi Robert and welcome. Either one of these brands will likely serve you well. I don't think you'll glean from us that one brand is definitively better than the other. There are pros and cons to both brands, and each tool rates differently relative to another IMO. For example - Ridgid has local pick up and a longer warranty. IMO, the Griz table saws have a more substantial fence and miter gauge...the Ridgid comes with it's own mobile base. The Griz jointers offer an enclosed base and slightly longer table, plus more options in various models. I see no advantages with the Griz portable planer over the Ridgid or other proven machines at the price point. The Grizzly BS gets raves and includes more accessories...like a fence.

I think you'd be best off comparing features and differences, and buying what you like as opposed to comparing the passion level of opinions. Some people are more emotional than others and some express themselves better than others. Both of those traits are independent of a tool's suitability for you. I'd be more concerned about the fences, construction, bases, dimensions, warranty, miter gauges, etc., and get what you're most comfortable with.

Good luck with your decisions, and please give us an update sometime.

tod evans

02-22-2006, 7:29 AM

welcome robert! i don`t own either brand and don`t forsee owning anything made by either company.....02 tod

Darl Bundren

02-22-2006, 8:37 AM

Like others have noted here, both brands will probably serve you well. I puchased the Ridgid jointer and planer and have been very happy with both.

I am typically hesitant to purchase anything sight unseen, especially for tools priced at hundreds of dollars.

I went over to my closest Home Depot, and the "tool experts" there told me that they were unsure if they could even order the jointer (?!), largely in part because they appeared to be far too busy trying to figure out what to do with a cart of cordless drills to give me the time of day. So I called up the next closest HD, and the guys there told me that not only did they have a jointer set up for me to check out, but they also had four in stock in the overhead racks. When I went over there, two guys helped me track one down, a third fired up the forklift and loaded it for me, and I brought it home. If you decide to purchase from HD, you might find that some stores have better, more attentive employees.

Both the jointer and the planer strike me as being very user friendly--the manuals are good, what little assembly there was went smoothly, the hardware came labelled and blister packed. In use, the tools perform well, the designs are solid, the ergonomics good. One thing I like in particular about the planer is that it has preset stops for typical thicknesses--I can set the stop at 3/4" and be assured of consistent results without having to worry about getting the exact same thickness at a later date.

I suspect that the earlier allusion to Ridgid getting out of woodworking stems from closeouts on some of their tools a couple of years back when the brand shifted its manufacturing from Emerson to some foreign outfit called One World Technologies, or something like that.

Probably the final reason I bought the Ridgid products is that I got a HD credit card and did not have to pay on my purchases for 6 months or a year or something like that. That way I could satisfy my needs for the tools but not have to break the bank to buy them.

Good luck with your decision. I trust that you'll enjoy whichever tools you purchase.

Charles Harper

02-22-2006, 11:53 AM

I have one of each. I recently purchased the new Grizzly G0452 6" jointer and the Ridgid 13" planer. I live close enough to Bellingham that I went up and checked out Grizzly in person. I was very impressed with their stuff. There is nothing that can touch the G0452 at aything near the price, in my opinion. It works great, and it was easy to set up. The hardest part was getting my big old arm up the dust chute to attach a bolt that connects the bed to the built in mobile base. It makes nice smooth, clean, and more importantly, accurate cuts even in wenge, bloodwood, and madrone. It does have its limitations, though, as I can only make cuts 1/32 or less without bogging it down. Remember that I use very hard woods when evaluating this statement.
As for the planer, I am very happy with that, too. I considered the Ridgid and the Delta two speed, as they were the same price. But with the Ridgid you get the stand, a second set of blades and the dust chute, which makes it a better value. Cuts are excellent, especially when I remember to set the cutterhead lock:D . Again, light cuts are best, but it will take a 32nd off no problem on anything I have tried. I like the preset depth stop feature a lot. I planed some madrone to 1/4", and it measured from .248 to .255, which is plenty accurate for me. The finish is very smooth, but if you look at the boards in raking light you can see blade marks running across the grain. Of course I will be sanding or scraping so this is not an issue. I doubt I would need to start sanding with anything coarser than 150 or 180, maybe even 220.
I am using a Ridgid shop vacuum with both for DC. BTW, I love that vac, it is 10X better than my old Shop-Vac brand one. The day after Thanksgiving HD had the 5 HP, 12 gallon vac for $26, so I bought two, because I view vacs as disposable, but this thing has been great, and will suck the chrome off a bumper. It works excellent with the jointer, but the planer is a bit much for it, just because of the volume of chips. I will soon be upgrading to a proper DC because of this issue.
Now as far as the bandsaw goes, that is my next big tool purchase. To be honest, I don't really love any of the 14" models. I would love to have the 17" or 18" Grizzly, I was very impressed with them at the showroom. The 14" is a bit more practical for the hobbyist like me, though. The Grizzly 14" ultimate bs, G0555, is very nice, and stands up to any of the others I have seen in apparent quality, and the price is great, too. I will most likely end up getting one of those in a few months. If you are looking at the Ridgid I would look at the G0580 at $325. It looked very good, too, better than the Ridgid in my opinion.

Hope these comments help.

Dev Emch

02-22-2006, 1:04 PM

.....what you thought was so bad about the Dewalt Biscuit Jointer? I've had one for several years, and it has performed flawlessly from the start, easy to set up, accurate, etc. Maybe I just got an exceptional one????????:confused:

Mine works fine. That is beside the point. The point has to do with rating systems and magazine reviews. I followed the magazine in good faith only to find out that there are two catatorgies. It is entirely my fault and now I know better. I know better than to buy the stuff being pushed by the magazines and will not do it. The El-Cheapo importers forced the reviewers to go this direction because the el-cheapos cannot compete head to head with the top drawer stuff. That is simply my point.

Aaron Kline

02-22-2006, 1:21 PM

Hi and welcome to the Creek! I have the ridgid 13" planer and it works pretty good. My only complaint is chip removal. It bogs down a 2-1/2 shop vac and gets clogged. And keep sharp knives on it! It really helps it cut easier. I wouldn't hesitate to use it with 4" dust collection system. It's all around a good planer. Oh and use wax on the tables, it helps it feed easy. Good luck.

Joe Chritz

02-22-2006, 1:23 PM

I too have been happy with my Ridgid tools. I have the tablesaw, 6 in jointer and planer.

I used a couple a special deals going on and got the table saw and planer for under 800 bucks so I couldn't complain at all.

If I was purchasing new, knowing what I do now I would try to save some cash and go with a 15" 2 or 3 HP planer. I still use the Ridgid planer and it does well. Good in and outfeed and there is almost no snipe so my "need" to upgrade is just in width and of course power.

If in 1 HP is good 3 HP must be three times as good. :eek:

If the deal is good it should serve you well.

As far as the tablesaw I haven't seen anything in the price range at the time I bought it that close to what I got for the price. I haven't looked at any of the new offers in the last couple years though.

Joe

Lou Morrissette

02-22-2006, 2:09 PM

Bob,

Here's my .02. I've had the Ridgid 14" bandsaw for 4 years now and have had very good success with it. Granted it is an Emerson made saw. Today's Ridgid bandsaw is made in Taiwan by someone else, and I can't speak about that one.
I've owned the TS3650 table saw for a year now and can't say enough about how much I like it. For accuracy, finish, mobility and price, you can't beat it IMHO.
I have owned the Ridgid 13" planer for a little over a year now and I like it very much. I owned the 12" Delta prior to the Ridgid and there is no comparison. The Delta gave me problems with snipe realy bad and I felt it was underpowered. I agree that chip collection can be a problem with a 2 1/2" shop vac but with a 4" DC it works great.
I also have a Ridgid shop vac which I have attached to the 3650 TS, and that works great.
good luck in your search

Lou

Allen Bookout

02-22-2006, 4:11 PM

I only have one Ridgid tool and it is the 6" jointer. If you make sure that you get one with the tables totally coplanar it is a great product for the money. If the tables are right on grab it. I have had mine for a couple of years and am now going to sell it as I have a GO490. To bad that you do not live close to me as you could take mine and try it out for a couple of weeks before I sell it.

I have breifly looked at their bandsaws and just do not get a good feeling about them. I have a "Made in the USA" Delta 14' with a two hp motor and riser block and love it. With my prejudice in mind, see if you can find a used or reconditioned USA model Delta as I know that you would be happy with it and sould not cost you an arm and a leg. Redmond and Son in Atlanta sometimes has some good buys on used and reconditioned stuff but the shipping cost would kill you I think.

Do not know about either brand of planer. I have a Dewalt 735 and it has been very good. Toolking there in Colorado has some pretty good deals on reconditioned units from time to time. That is where I purchsed mine. It was reconditioned and could not tell it from new.

Allen

John Shuk

02-22-2006, 4:17 PM

I have a Ridgid jointer. It is excellent. Mine also has a lifetime warranty. That goes a long way with me. The Package and instructions are top notch. You can say what you want but alot of companies could take a lesson from Emerson regarding hardware packaging.

Michael Melo

02-22-2006, 5:16 PM

I have both the Ridgid planer and jointer use them professionally (although I don't use the jointer much for my business construction) I do use the planer often and they both have held up just fine. I also have the lifetime warranty and that gives me the warm fuzzies... Not sure if the service model is different in the US but in Canada if I have ever had an issue with a Ridgid product HD has taken care of it...

M

Jim Becker

02-22-2006, 5:25 PM

There are a number of Grizzly tools I would seriously consider if I hadn't gone the Euro machine route already. I would be much less likely to buy Ridgid, primarily due to my interest in larger, more capable machines...they just don't support that marketplace. That is obviously a very subjective statement that I cannot quantify in so many words... ;)

Jerry Bittner

02-23-2006, 9:39 AM

My experience with Grizzly consist only of 1/1/2HP DC.

Ridgid occupie smuch space in my workshop. Boought one of their 4 pack specials, have their table saw -- TS3650--, and a CSMS.

Have had expereince with both companies' customer service and found the Ridgid people more customer friendly. Grizzly for example when one of my remotes for the DC went bad under warranty, I called and they said sent it to them and they would check it out. If it were bad, they would replace it but if it was not, they would charge me. Did not make me too happy but as it turned it it was bad and they replaced it but in the interim I was out one remote.

Ridgid makes a good product no matter what anyone says and their lifetime warranty speaks well of the product. I have not had any problem with any of their products. As far as their association with Home Depot, to me that's a plus. I get better prices on my purchases from HD than from Lowes with far better customer service.

Pete Harbin

02-23-2006, 3:31 PM

Robert,

I have a whole stable full of Ridgid tools, and have only had one issue in the five or six years. I had to pull half the bandsaw apart when the tensioning mechanism was sticking, but it's working fine now. I've got the older Emerson versions of the bandsaw, planer and the original jointer (JP600) and I love working with all of them. From what I've heard, nobody has had any complaints about these tools even after the manufacturing was turned over to TTI. Emerson still provides the design specs for each tool. I'd say the only Ridgid purchase I regret might be the Radial Arm Saw. Not because it isn't a solid tool (no problems with it at all...actually stays very true) but because I rarely find myself using it. I've drooled over the TS3650 Tablesaw for over a year now (which has recieved Best Tool designations), but my older TS2424 runs like a champ, so I couldn't justify it in good faith with LOML. :rolleyes: If I do upgrade anytime soon, I'd probably look to go with a cabinet saw or a big bandsaw anyway.

I don't think the bandsaw or older model jointer (JP600) ever got Best Tool awards, but the planer was all the rave for a couple of years there until the two speed planers broke onto the scene, and was selected as a Best Tool by at least one of the rags.

I don't have any affiliation with Ridgid or Home Depot, and yes, I have made a sizable investment in Ridgid tools (19 tools total including vacs and handheld power tools) but my experience of the past five/six years has been all positive. I don't use them daily in a pro capacity, but they do all get regular use, and I haven't had to call on any repair services the whole time.

I'd buy the planer (and bench sander!) again in a heartbeat. Now that I'm taking on bigger things, if buying a jointer or bandsaw I'd be looking to go bigger, but for someone just building up a shop I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the jointer and bandsaw as well.

Hope this helps. I always like to hear from folks who have actually laid their hands on the tools.

I know what you're all thinking..."What? Pete likes Ridgid tools?" :D :D

Pete

Clint Malone

02-23-2006, 9:29 PM

I had just about all the ridgid tools because when they switched from gray to orange, they put them on super sale at home depot (read $150 for the jointer, $175 for the bandsaw, $150 for the planer) so I jumped on those and they were my first version of all three tools. They are ok tools, and comparable to most of the other tools in their respective ranges. I have since upgraded to a a PM planer, Grizzly 8" jointer and Grizzly 21" bandsaw and the only one I still have is the 14" bandsaw, and that may or may not go depending on how bad it is to reset the guides and such when I change bandsaw blades on the biggun. For starter tools, they are great. If you are in it for the long haul, and only want to buy once, set your sites a little higher.

I personally believe in buying starter tools. It makes you learn to use the tools and know what features are important to you in your more advanced level of tools. Some people argue that it wastes money and they are probably right.

Anyway, I think you will be happy with either the Ridgid or the Grizzly. They both make decent stuff that does what it is supposed to.