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Thread: Ridgid? Grizzly? Both good?

  1. #16
    welcome robert! i don`t own either brand and don`t forsee owning anything made by either company.....02 tod
    TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN; I ACCEPT FULL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY POSTS ON THIS FORUM, ALL POSTS ARE MADE IN GOOD FAITH CONTAINING FACTUAL INFORMATION AS I KNOW IT.

  2. #17
    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.

  3. #18
    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 . 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.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Anywhere it snows....
    Posts
    1,458
    Quote Originally Posted by Norman Hitt
    .....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????????
    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.
    Had the dog not stopped to go to the bathroom, he would have caught the rabbit.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Eastern PA
    Posts
    180
    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.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Mt. Pleasant, MI
    Posts
    2,924
    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.

    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
    JC Custom WoodWorks

    For best results, try not to do anything stupid.

    "So this is how liberty dies...with thunderous applause." - Padmé Amidala "Star Wars III: The Revenge of the Sith"

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Cape Cod, Ma
    Posts
    762
    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
    Procrastination.......

    Maybe I'll think about that tomorrow

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Southwest Florida
    Posts
    1,482
    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
    Last edited by Allen Bookout; 02-22-2006 at 4:18 PM.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Putnam County, NY
    Posts
    3,086
    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.
    I could cry for the time I've wasted, but thats a waste of time and tears.

  10. #25

    They do the job in a pro shop

    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

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    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...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Jacksonville, NC
    Posts
    195

    Ridgid Vs Grizzly

    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.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM USA
    Posts
    518
    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. 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?"

    Pete
    "Last year we couldn't win at home. This year we can't win on the road.
    My failure as a coach is that I can't think of any other place to play."
    - Harry Neale, Vancouver Canucks

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    41
    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.

  15. #30
    Hello and welcome Robert!

    I have the Ridgid 2412 TS and the Ridgid Jointer JP0610, the 2412 been a good saw no complaints or problems with it. The jointer is great a friend of mine has a Jet 6" jointer he said the Ridgid was quieter and had less vibrations than his jet.
    I also own a Grizzly go555 Band saw I bought this because of the reviews and the Ridgid was only a 3/4hp motor, the Grizzly is 1hp. I'm very pleased with the bandsaw it gets a lot of use.
    Hope this helps

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