Ive been beating on a Ridgid 18v 1/4 impact for years now, and it never disappoints. I discovered quickly that thate 4.0amp battery is alot better than the stock 1.5amp batteries it came with. I went Ridgid because of their lifetime warranty... nowadays I would probably go Ryobi 18v due to the amount of accessories they offer and the cheaper prices. My father has the Ryobi set and they seem pretty decent. Before you hate, just remember that Ryobi, Mikata, Dewalt, Ridgid, Hercules, Chicago Electric, Bauer, and even Milwaukee are all built in china. So we are all trying to figure out which of the forced china labor drills are better than the other!!!
FYI i use the Ridgid 18v circular saw, drills, and saw-zall. All do a good job however recently my brushless 18v ridgid drill recently had the chuck crap out. I purchased that refurbished so maybe that had something to do with it.