It is a fun day when we get a tool that tests out better then what the box says. This was the case with the Ridgid R92008 12V Drill/Driver and to sweeten the deal they threw in a cool LED light too! With a heavy duty feel, lithium ion batteries, and a pretty compact size, there is a lot to like about this new drill from Ridgid.
In the box came the Ridgid R92008 Drill Driver, R82920 1 watt LED Flashlight, R86049 Charger, two R86048 12V batteries and a zippered nylon cloth carry case. The carrying case is the typical fare for these types of tools with elastic straps and Velcro holding straps to keep all the parts in their place. We think that most folks who get this drill will not leave it in the case for long once they start using it.
Build Quality
The Ridgid R92008 drill body is made of orange plastic with large patches of over molded rubber black grip areas. The front of the drill housing is metal and so is the 18 setting torque ring. The squatty looking keyless clutch is actually shorter in length then many 1/4″ chucks but still has jaws that will fit 3/8″ bits. The overall size is pretty compact as it measures in at just over six and a half inches long. The drill has a speed switch on the top that allows you to switch from High to Low and the motor is variable speed which is controlled by the trigger. The battery fits into the base of the drill handle and actually acts as part of the grip. There is a LED work light built into the chuck base that helps illuminate the bit when working in dark areas. This drill is a little on the heavy side compared to some of the other compact drill/drivers we have seen, but the overall build quality and added weight make this drill feel quite rugged.
The included R82920 LED flashlight is made in a similar fashion to the drill. The on and off switching collar is metal and the single LED light uses a full 1 Watt of power which means this light shines pretty darn bright. The claim from Ridgid is that the flashlight will run continuously for 11 hours on a fresh charge.
The R86049 Charger will give your weak batteries new life in just 30 minuets. There are LED indication lights on the front panel of the charger that will help you evaluate your batteries should you have any trouble with them. The charger has mounting points on the back side of it that will allow you to mount it on a wall. We like the idea of wall mounting chargers to keep open that prime bench and shelf space.
Testing and Use
Testing is where the fun began for us with the Ridgid R92008 drill/driver. To start off, we did the speed test using our laser tachometer. The average readings for High and Low speeds were 1567 and 322 RPM respectively. Both of these test results are above the specified 1,300 and 320 RPM as indicated on the packaging. For the torque testing, we used an electronic torque meter and our average maximum developed torque was 276 in-lb. This is a full 36 in-lb (over 15 percent) higher than what the packaging stated at 240 in-lb. As far as the noise test, this tool comes in pretty quiet, reading only 71 db SPL on low and 73 dB SPL on high with our standard 3 ft measurement distance.
For real world use, we figured we would see how many 1-1/2″ coarse thread sheet rock screws we could install on a fresh battery charge. The screws were being driven though 1/2″ drywall and then in to yellow pine 2×4 studs. We were able to install 106 screws before the drill gave out. It is interesting to note that there is not much warning when the battery is going to die. Pretty much we sent in screw number 106 and it would not even turn on to put in screw number 107. What we liked is that there was very constant power right up until the very last screw, not like some other drills we have used where the battery discharge is noticed before the battery was actually dead. We also used the drill with a 3/4″ spade bit and had no trouble blasting through about ten 2x4s so that we could run our Romex wiring.
Conclusion
The bottom line with the Ridgid R92008 drill/driver is that it has big drill features packed into a little drill body! With plenty of power to handle many common tasks and a really beefy build quality, this drill does more than we expected. Combine this with the three year warranty that includes the batteries and the cool little flashlight they threw in and you have a pretty good deal on your hands. For our performance rating we gave this drill a 9/10 because it really performs better than what the box said and better than we expected. As for our value rating we gave it a 9/10 because for the bang for you buck, you will be hard pressed to find a better combination of features and performance for the price.
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