Ridgid R86009K Review

The R86009K tied with the Porter-Cable PCCK607LB and ahead of the Ryobi P252. Both the Porter-Cable and the Ridgid are about the same in terms of battery performance and convenience features. The Ridgid did a little better than the PCCK607LB in our drilling tests, but the Porter-Cable slightly outperformed it when it came to driving. The Ridgid outperformed the Ryobi in all of our metrics with the exception of driving, in which they tied. However, the Ridgid is the most expensive of these three products, having a list price that is a bit higher than the Porter-Cable and significantly higher than the Ryobi.

Performance Comparison

To rate and compare cordless drills, we first had to decide which ones were worth including. We did this by reading tons and tons of other user review and comparing manufacturer specifications, then bought the most promising tools to test out for ourselves. We scored their performance to a wide array of different tests, grouped into four weighted testing metrics. Keep reading to see how the Ridgid R86009K stacked up against the rest of its peers when it came to drilling, driving, convenience, and battery life.

Drilling

Starting off, we got to work testing and scoring the drilling performance of each cordless drill, which is worth 35% of the total score for each tool. We scored the drilling power of the R86009K by seeing how quickly and easily it can drill through a 16 gauge steel sheet with both a ¼" and ½" twist drill. Additionally, we also rated its performance by using it to drill into a solid door with a 5" hole saw and drilling through some 2x12s with a 1" spade or paddle bit. The R86009K did very well, earning an 8 out of 10.

This tool did quite well with the 5" hole saw, drilling into the door the full depth of the saw in about 35 seconds. The R86009K did this relatively easily, only struggling a small amount more than the top-tier drills.

However, it didn't fare quite as well with the 1" spade bit. We found that the Ridgid kept stalling and stopping in its higher gear, forcing us to shift to the lower one.

The R86009K's performance did rebound in the steel drilling tests, punching through the metal sheet with hardly any difficulty at all. It drilled the ¼" hole quickly and easily in about 1.5 seconds, matching the performance of the top drills. However, we did hear a slight screech and sign of a struggle right as it punched through.

Driving

Similar to the prior metric, our driving metric also constitutes 35% of the final score for the R86009K. For this rating metric, we scored this drill's performance at driving both #9 wood screws and a hulking ½" lag bolt. This tool again did very well, though not quite as good as it did when it came to drilling, earning a 7 out of 10.

The R86009K got off to a good start with the 3" long, #9 wood screws. It drove dozens of these screws into two stacked 2x12s exceptionally fast and usually sets the countersunk screw heads flush with the surface of the wood without issue. However, it doesn't quite have the power to drive them in further in a controlled way if you stop and start again — like if you accidentally left the screw a tiny bit proud of the surface on the first attempt. It will drive them in further from a standstill, but it will usually end up overdriving as you have to squeeze the trigger pretty far.

The R86009K definitely struggled a bit more with the 5" long, ½" diameter lag screw, which is a considerably harder test. However, the Ridgid did eventually drive this screw to its full depth, connecting a 2x4 to a 4x4. We drilled an appropriate pilot hole for this screw, then did our best at driving it all the way in with the R86009K. It made it most of the way without any issue but did stall out towards the end and required a bit of persuasion to fully drive it in.

Included Battery

Next, we moved on to rating and comparing the battery performance of the Ridgid, which is responsible for 20% of its overall score. It did fairly well, earning a 6 out of 10 for its performance in our battery life and recharge tests. In addition, we also awarded some extra points if one or two batteries are included.

To rate and score battery life and the effective runtime of each drill, we used each tool to drive in 16 screws (#9, 3" long) and drill three holes with the 1" diameter paddle bit, then repeated this until a fully charged battery was completely depleted. The top drills made it through over 10 sets of this, while the R86009K made it through just under 6.5 before dying.

Its 1.5 Ah battery did earn some points for charging on the faster side, taking around 53 minutes with the included battery charger. This drill also included two batteries, allowing you to keep extra on the charger so you aren't ever caught with a dead battery.

Convenience

For our final group of tests, responsible for the residual 10% of the total score, we compared all the different features and helpful functions these tools have to increase your productivity and make them easier and more convenient to use. The R86009K has plenty of these, earning it a 7 out of 10.

The chuck on this drill can hold up to ½" shank. The Ridgid has two different operating gear ratios, but it is a bit on the heavier side, weighing in just shy of 4 pounds. This drill also has a belt clip.

The R86009K's integrated work light is quite good, providing more than enough illuminations to see what you are doing when working in a dark place. The lights stay on for about 10 seconds after activation and the Ridgid even has a dedicated button just to turn the light on.

This drill also has a charge status indicator right on the battery and it is super easy to install or remove a battery. They slide in and out with hardly any resistance and the locking tabs are very easy to engage or disengage.

Value

Unfortunately, the R86009K isn't a great value, pairing a decent performance with a premium list price.

Conclusion