Who do you think would have been the first brand to come out with a cordless air compressor? If your guess was Ridgid – you’re right!
Ridgid has come out with an 18V cordless brushless 1 gallon air compressor. What’s more is that this compressor is available now, and you can order it online for delivery next week.
This oil-less compressor uses a brushless motor that can be run off either one or two 18V batteries.
Ridgid claims the compressor can drive up to 1200 brad nails with two 5Ah batteries and that it is powerful enough to drive 2.5″ nails flush into the toughest materials.
The compressor can deliver up to 1.4 SCFM at 40 PSI and 1 SCFM at 90 PSI. With a 77 dBA (outdoor) rating, it seems like it can do it pretty quietly too.
It’s compact, with base measurements of 11 -1/2″ x 11-1/2″, and it is 16″ tall. The Home Depot specs table says it weighs 19 lbs. Ridgid also provides a hose wrap strap on top of the compressor for keeping your air hose coiled and neat.
The compressor can provide a maximum of 120 PSI. Pressure at the single outlet is adjusted by a regulator knob that can be locked after you dial in the correct pressure.
Ridgid backs the R0230 cordless air compressor with a 3-year warranty. The bare compressor without batteries will run you $199. It doesn’t look like there’s a kit with batteries and a charger available yet.
- 120 PSI Max
- 1.4 SCFM at 40 PSI
- 1.0 SCFM at 90 PSI
- 1-gallon air tank
- Powered by one or two 18V Li-ion battery packs
The compressor doesn’t seem to be available in stores, but you can order it online. You can either have it shipped to a local store for free or directly to your door for about $10. If Home Depot’s shipping estimates hold, it looks like you could get your hands on this compressor by next week.
Price: $199 (bare tool)
Buy Now (via Home Depot)
First Thoughts
I gave up my little portable compressor many years ago when I bought my 20 gallon oil-lubricated compressor for the garage. The little pancake compressor was just too loud and heavy to be useful. When I need to use my air guns in places where I don’t have air plumbed, I’ll usually fill up a little 5 gallon tank and carry that around. The downside is that I can only get about 30 shots before I have to return to the compressor for a refill.
I can see a little light cordless compressor like this new Ridgid being a great supplement to a larger compressor, either in a workshop or at a jobsite. You can still have your large compressor and run lines to where you need them, but with the cordless compressor, maybe you don’t need to run as many or carry extra hoses to make long runs.
1200 brad nails per two 5Ah batteries doesn’t sound like all that much. It seems to me that if you attached those 5Ah batteries to a cordless nail gun you should get 4x that amount of nails. Still, it gives you the ability to run your favorite air nailer on a short hose. Of course the advantage of air nailers, especially trim nailers, is that the guns are small and light.
Notice Ridgid says brad nails. So this compressor is clearly aimed at people like trim carpenters, and not framers or roofers.
