What happened to Ridgid Labs? I'm pretty sure someone swapped out decaf for espresso, given what their team was producing. We're used to seeing Ridgid roll out a new tool in a general contractor's toolkit about once a year. nail? These are anyone's guesses.
So when we got our hands on the Ridgid Gen5X 5 tool kit a while back, we didn't expect to see more. Before you know it, we've got a Gen5X Random Orbital Sander, Brushless Nailer, and Stealth Force Oil Impulse Driver. Now we have another first for the men and women of Orange – the Ridgid Gen5X Compact Brushless Hammer Drill and Impact Driver. Clearly, the Ridgid Gen5X team members have some serious motives.
Check out our best hydraulic impact drivers and best impact drivers articles to see how the tools match up.
Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Compact Impact Drill Specifications
- Model: R86116K
- Power supply: 18V super lithium battery
- No-load speed: 0 – 550/0 – 2100 RPM
- Hammer Speed: 0 – 7,150/0 – 27,300 BPM
- Maximum Torque: 700 in-lbs
- Weight (bare): 3.14 lbs
- Weight (with 4.0 amp hour battery): 4.70 lbs
- Price: $94.85 (bare), $139.95 (kit)
main features
- 2-speed Ridgid Gen5X brushless motor
- Hex-Grip Rubber Overmolding
- Micro clutch with over 100 settings
- Die casting gearbox
- 3 Mode Selection – Drill, Screwdriver, Hammer Drill
Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Three-Speed Impact Driver Specifications
- Model: R86037
- Power supply: 18V super lithium battery
- Shank Compatibility: 1/4″ Hex
- No-load speed: 0 – 1100/0 – 2100/0 – 2750 RPM
- Maximum Torque: 500/1200/2250 in-lbs
- Weight (bare): 2.44 lbs
- Weight (with 4.0 amp hour battery): 4.00 lbs
main features
- Kit model: R9205
- Three-speed Ridgid Gen5X brushless motor
- Hex-Grip Rubber Overmolding
- Triple Beam LED
- One-handed quick drill loader
- Class-leading 2,250 inch-pounds of torque
- price:
Kit Features
- price:
- Warranty: Ridgid Lifetime Service Agreement
Performance Testing
Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Compact Hammer Drill
We tested Ridgid's brushless impact drill by drilling a 1/4″ hole, driving a 3/8″ x 3-1/2″ lag bolt, drilling with a 1″ spade bit, and using a 3″ hole saw Cut the hole. For complete details on setup, be sure to check out our best cordless drill article.
The Ridgid shines when drilling 1/4" holes, although it doesn't carry the highest torque. In fact, its drill bit is the lowest we tested (but really high for a compact model). The high speed of 2100 RPM leaves other participants in the dust.
When it comes to driving lag bolts, the compact impact drill is on the cusp of competing with 3 other drills with over 1000 inch-pounds of torque. It's only 1/100th of a second slower than a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hammer Drill – a beast that weighs 1200 inch pounds!
Times got tougher in the spade drill and hole saw tests, where the Gen5X finished 7th out of 8. For high-speed, low-pressure applications, the Ridgid Gen5X compact hammer drill will outperform more voluminous models on their price tags and spec sheets.
While it's no surprise that higher-stress tasks start to be limited to 700 inch-pounds of torque, keep in mind that's a lot of torque for a compact model. Most other bits in this class run between 350 – 600 in-pounds, but a few models do exceed 700 in-pounds.
The drill can also run for a long time thanks to the new brushless motor. As a compact hammer drill, it will be a high-performance product that can keep pace with any other model in its class.
- Speed under load: 3.6
- Torque: 3.1
- Feature Set: 4.3
- Weight: 3.7
- Footprint: 4.4
- Overall: 3.8 out of 5.0
Ridgid Gen5X Brushless Three-Speed Impact Driver
In preparation for testing a large batch of 18V impact drivers, warming up with Ridgid's new brushless impact driver gave me the opportunity to finish the application early. Sticking with the primary use of an impact driver on the job site, driving screws and driving lag bolts is obvious.
I recently had to lower my expectations for ride speed and noise when using Ridgid's Stealth Force Oil Pulse Driver. Luckily, I've also been dealing with some other influences that helped Kenny, so I'm back on my feet. As I expected, I had no problem driving 3-1/2" drywall screws into the stacked plywood. On average it took only 2.6 seconds.
The raw power of this impact driver makes it easy for screws to sink beyond surfaces. If you want the drive to be flush with your work surface, you may want to reduce the speed to 2 and spend more time doing it.
I used Milwaukee Titanium Red Helix Shockwave Bits to drill 1/4″ pilot holes before driving the 3/8″ x 3-1/2″ lag bolts. I drilled 20 holes and most of them were free from shock Mechanism of impact. This impact driver packs a lot of power.
Actuating the lag bolts wasn't much of a problem either, averaging 8.3 seconds. Just for fun, I wanted to see if I could drive 1/2″ x 5″ lag bolts into the same stacked plywood without the pilot holes. While it was a stressful test (and a slow one), the Ridgid Gen5X brushless impact driver just kept going, with no threat of giving up. Did I mention that this tool has a lot of features?
- Speed under load: 2.9
- Torque: 3.8
- Feature Set: 4.5
- Weight: 3.5
- Floor area: 3.7
- Overall: 3.9 out of 5.0
in conclusion
The Ridgid Gen5X Brushless 2 Tool Kit is a great deal at $279. There are others with compact hammer drills on the field, but you won't find anything close to the power in an impact driver. 2,250 inch-pounds of torque is impressive, considering I haven't seen any other over 2,000.
I'm a fan of Ridgid's Hex-Grip overmolding in the grip section. The ergonomics of both tools are solid when it comes to grip and balance. They're not the lightest models on the market, but they're not bulky either.
Professionals who need a drill for high-speed work will find that this kit does just about everything you need. Pros who do a lot of drilling with a hole saw or auger may want to wait and see if Ridgid will announce a heavy-duty Gen5X brushless option to complement the compact model. Currently you can only get an impact driver as part of a kit. If you're looking for a 2 tool kit with a compact drill, get the Ridgid Gen5X brushless kit for a little less than the others but with a more powerful impact driver.