Ridgid has announced a new line of 18V SubCompact cordless power tools, with a focus on i) lightweight design, ii) heavyweight performance, and iii) brushless motor technology.
Ridgid says they designed this all-new line of 18V SubCompact cordless power tools to meet jobsite demands, and with tools of previously unattainable size.
Users will experience tools with up to 30% less weight, allowing them to get more done with less fatigue.
The compact design decreases the tool size by up to 35%, allowing users to work in tight spaces.
The brushless motor delivers the power, performance, and runtime Ridgid users demand with increased durability.
These are Ridgid’s most compact 18V cordless tools ever, and with heavyweight performance they say punches above its weight class.
What all this means is that Ridgid has come out with new super-compact 18V power tools, and with an aim to keep them small but powerful.
The new line will launch with the following tools:
- Ridgid R9780K Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit
- Ridgid R8701K Drill Kit
- Ridgid R8723 Impact Driver
- Ridgid R87207B Impact Wrench (Bare Tool)
- Ridgid R87547B 3″ Multi-Material Saw (Bare Tool)
- Compact Charger
- Updated 2.0Ah Battery
The new cordless power tool family is officially expected to launch in May 2020. At the time of this posting, the drill and impact driver combo kit, impact wrench, and multi-material saw are available for purchasing online.
As with other Ridgid cordless power tools, the new 18V SubCompact line will be available exclusively at Home Depot.
Ridgid 18V SubCompact Brushless Drill (R8701K)
The new Ridgid 18V SubCompact cordless drill/driver is said to be 30% more compact and 30% lighter in weight, presumably compared to their next-most compact drill/driver.
I reviewed a purchased copy of Ridgid’s 18V brushless cordless drill some time back, and not to mince words, it blew my mind how much power it was capable of delivering at its price point. With this new 18V SubCompact cordless drill, it looks like Ridgid dialed back the power a little but also the size and weight, creating a highly competitive compact offering.
- 1/2″ chuck
- Max Torque: 400 in.-lbs.
- 0-450 / 0-1,750 RPM (no-load speed)
- 6.17″ length
- All metal gears
- 24 positing clutch ring
- LED worklight
- Interchangeable belt hook and bit holder
The R8701K kit comes with the drill, a belt clip, bit clip, (2) 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and tool bag.
Price: $149
Ridgid 18V SubCompact Brushless Impact Driver (R8723)
At this time, it looks like the new Ridgid 18V SubCompact impact driver will only be available as part of the 2pc combo kit, but this could change down the road.
- 1/4″ quick-release hex chuck
- 4.67″ length
- 1,800 in-lbs max torque
- 0-2,900 RPM (no load speed)
- 0-4,200 IPM
- 35% More Compact
- 30% Lighter Weight
While you don’t get multiple speed or torque settings, you do get a teeny tiny impact driver head that can fit into tight spaces. The new SubCompact impact driver is said to be 35% more compact and 30% lighter in weight.
The new compact brushless impact driver looks pleasantly diminutive compared to their brushless Octane impact driver.
Ridgid 18V SubCompact Brushless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit (R9780K)
To start things off, there will be a 2pc SubCompact drill and impact driver combo kit. The new cordless drill will also be available separately.
The R9780K kit comes with the R8701 drill, R8723 impact driver, (2) 2.0Ah batteries, charger, belt clips, bit clips, and a tool bag.
Price: $199
Ridgid 18V SubCompact Brushless 3/8″ Impact Wrench (R87207B)
This new Ridgid 18V SubCompact brushless impact wrench is sure to be popular. In addition to its small size, it does have 3 speed settings, plus an auto-tightening mode,
- 3/8″ drive with friction ring
- 4.31″ length
- 200 ft-lbs (2400 in-lbs) max fastening torque
- 225 ft-lbs (2700 in-lbs) max breakaway torque
- 3 speed settings + 1 special mode
- Low: 0-850 RPM (no-load)
- Medium: 0-2,000 RPM (no-load)
- High: 0-2,800 RPM (no-load)
- Auto-tightening mode: 0-2,800 RPM
- 0-3,800 IPM
- LED worklight
- All metal gears
- 25% More Compact
- 20% Lighter Weight
- Brushless motor
The speed and mode selection controls are at the rear of the handle.
The new impact wrench will be available as a bare tool, R87207B.
Price: $139 for the bare tool
Ridgid 18V SubCompact Brushless 3″ Multi-Material Saw (R87547B)
The new Ridgid R87547B 18V SubCompact multi-material saw will feature a 3″ cutting wheel size, and can cut through various types of construction and project materials, such as aluminum, PVC, tile, and drywall.
- 3″ cutting wheel diameter
- 7/16″ arbor size
- 0-19,000 RPM
- Variable speed trigger
- Forward/reverse switch
- Designed for one-handed use
- Brushless motor
- Adjustable wire guide
The saw comes with a removable wire guide for setting cutting depth.
It comes with 3 cutting wheels:
- Metal wheel (for cutting metal and stainless materials)
- Diamond tile wheel
- Carbide abrasive wheel (for cutting drywall, plastic, fiber cement materials)
Price: $99
Ridgid 18V SubCompact
There’s a brand new smaller-sized charger, which looks to match up nicely to the compact nature of the new tools.
Ridgid 18V 2.0Ah Battery
All of these new tools are compatible with all of Ridgid’s 18V Li-ion cordless power tool batteries, but there is also a new 2.0Ah battery that appears to have been redesigned with a shorter and flatter front section.
Discussion
I like the look of the new Ridgid 18V SubCompact cordless power tools, as they appear to be smaller in size without being tiny, and without compromising on power.
For example, 400 in-lbs for a compact brushless drill/driver seems about right for most of the types of applications you would expect to use a mid-level drill for.
I think the new drill, impact driver, and impact wrench might be nicely positioned as compact light and medium duty offerings.
I gave away my Ridgid 18V brushless high-torque drill/driver a couple of months ago, and with great reluctance. It was a powerful drill and capable of plowing through larger holes than any comparably-priced drills could handle, and it did so quite speedily too. But, that drill was a bit larger and heavier than what I like to use for the smaller and more delicate work I tend to work on much more often. I own a different premium drill for heavier duty tasks, complementing a compact 18V drill and 12V Max drill and drivers.
For me, these tools look to fill a hole in Ridgid’s lineup.
While the drill simply looks compact to me, which isn’t a bad thing as it would likely have to sacrifice power to shed any more size or weight, the impact driver and impact wrench look downright tiny.
Makita’s 18V SubCompact 3/8″ impact wrench is 5-5/8″ long. Their 18V SubCompact 1/2″ impact wrench is a tad bit longer t 5-15/16″ long. The new Ridgid 18V SubCompact impact wrench is 4.31 (less than 4-3/8″) in length. That’s just nuts, and for 200 ft lbs (2400 in-lbs) max fastening torque (this spec is sourced from the online user manual).
Milwaukee’s M12 3/8″ stubby impact wrench measures 4.8″ in length and delivers 250 ft-lbs of breakaway torque. I can’t find specs for its fastening torque, and comparing a SubCompact 18V tool to a 12V tool can confuse things really quickly, but right now I’m just amazed that Ridgid could manage designing their new impact to be a 1/2″ shorter.
So, we have a new compact Ridgid brushless drill/driver, a surprisingly compact impact driver, and an incredibly compact new 3/8″ impact wrench, plus a one-handed 3″ multi-material-cutting saw. The kits are bundled with a smaller charger and what looks to be a redesigned 2Ah battery.
It looks like Ridgid and TTI North America pulled out all the stops in developing these new tools. As excited I am about what we’re seeing, I also can’t wait to see what else they have in mind for this new 18V SubCompact Brushless cordless power tools family.
I am also loving the momentum of this class of tools right now. Compact, SubCompact, Xtreme SubCompact, Atomic… smaller and lighter tools that aren’t puny when it comes to power, speed, and features? Yes please, can we get some more?
