When Keyana Sapp, 31, went shopping for a new backpack, the brands he remembered as a kid were just not the same.
He researched the companies, from North Face to JanSport and Eastpak, and soon realized they were all owned by the VF Corporation after a wave of acquisitions in the 2000s. After a Reddit post he made about his discovery picked up traction, he started looking at other types of consumer goods – cookware, shoes, tools, clothing.
“It seems like that was a story that just repeated in every industry,” Sapp told the Guardian.
My grandpa used to only use Ridgid hand tools for plumbing. That’s about all I know about them lol.
But yeah, Ridgid is great for a homeowner or hobbyist, but doesn’t quite stand up to something like Milwaukee for a pro.
I would not put it in the avoid list. Ridgid is perfectly fine, they have a huge selection, they’re powerful enough, and they warranty is killer. They’re about all I buy for cordless tools, but I’m also just a DIY homeowner and not a contractor. But I’ve also not tried their new Nuke like which is supposed to be “pro grade”.
I just wish they’d put a rack and pinion fence on their table saw before I buy one. When I upgrade from my 15 year old ryobi, it’ll probably be dewalt unless Ridgid upgrades that fence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techtronic_Industries
The reason they’re not as good as Milwaukee is because they’re made by the same company, and they want the Milwaukee brand to mean “better tool”
They’ll purposely avoid making the Rigid or Ryobi tools too good so people have to buy the Milwaukee stuff.
I try to buy mostly Makita, cause they’re high quality, and not built by a conglomerate.