Ridgid has quietly introduced a number of new additions to their cordless power tool line over the last few months, and has several more on the way, including three new batteries for their growing 18V platform.
According to a press release, the Ridgid 18V Hyper Octane Lithium Ion line will provide users “more power, runtime and innovation.”
These batteries offer more runtime than standard [1.5Ah] lithium-ion (3Ah = 2x more runtime, 6Ah = 4x more runtime and 9Ah = 8x more runtime). These batteries also have the ability to connect with RIDGID Octane
Tools to provide the end user with maximized performance more power in high demand applications. And with Bluetooth Technology you can now work smarter on the job site with over 15 push notifications, security features, and battery status features.
Tools to provide the end user with maximized performance more power in high demand applications. And with Bluetooth Technology you can now work smarter on the job site with over 15 push notifications, security features, and battery status features.Features
- Can deliver more power (when paired with any Ridgid Octane cordless power tools)
- Increased runtime over “standard” li-ion batteries
- Bluetooth-enabled
- Over 15 different push notifications
- Security features, such as lock-out
- Battery status features
Regarding runtime, Ridgid says that the 3Ah, 6Ah, and 9Ah batteries will last 2x, 4x, and 8x longer, respectively, when tested on a Ridgid hammer drill.
The Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone app can notify you about battery charge status, such as if it’s fully charged, when it’s running low, or if maintenance is needed. Security features include the ability to lock out a battery pack, track it, or set it to be disabled when it is taken out of range of the smart device.
A battery status feature reports on the estimated charging time, and total hours used.
The 6Ah battery (AC8400806) is currently available online for $129, and should be available at local Home Depot stores next month, along with the 3Ah (AC840088) and 9Ah (AC8400809) versions, which will have suggested retail prices of $89 and $169, respectively.
Home Depot is currently offering a two-pack of the 6Ah batteries for $159 with free delivery.
All of them will come with Ridgid’s standard three-year limited warranty but bare batteries, as always, are not eligible for the Lifetime Service Agreement.
Buy Now(6Ah Battery via Home Depot)
Buy Now(6Ah 2-pack via Home Depot)
First Thoughts
More power is always a good thing. A few weeks back, I went out and grabbed Ridgid’s 18V router and palm sander as well as their 18V “starter” kit with a charger and 2.0 Ah battery that was woefully underpowered for either tool. (Both, by the way, went back to the store after the router motor froze while trying to shave off about 1/16th of an inch of 1/4-inch plywood with a flush trim bit).
So for those tools, I probably could have benefited from using a higher powered battery pack, such as this one. The downside, of course, is bigger batteries on smaller tools make for some awkward size and weight, but it’s a trade-off each user has to weigh on his or her own.
As for the bluetooth features, they all sound nice. Tracking total hours used could be helpful for maintaining the life of your batteries, and lockouts are always a bonus if you have a problem with people using your tools when you’re not around.
But if I’m using a drill, driver, or saw, and the battery is going low, sending a notification to my phone doesn’t sound very helpful.
I could maybe see the low-charge notification being useful with tools such as the Ridgid Hybrid LED wobble light, the Ridgid brushless air compressor, cordless fan, and other such tools which are not handheld during use.
To remind you, the new Ridgid 18V 6Ah battery is going to be similar in size to the 5Ah battery, which is larger than the 4Ah battery presently available. We have not seen the 3Ah battery yet, but it will presumably be larger than the compact 2Ah battery. The 9Ah, with 50% more battery cells than the 6Ah pack, will be proportionally taller.
