Ryobi battery tools

[chuck172]

I've been having a hard time with ryobi tools. I just bought a new 18volt charger and it died on me the second time I used it. I just bought the Xenon spotlight P716. It crapped out within the first 10 minutes of use.
I've had no problem returning these items, but I'm wondering if the new ryobi tools are just chineese junk! Should I even waste my time trying to get a set of Ryobi 18 volt tools that are reliable or move on to dewalt, or a different brand? I do have a brand new set of the best ryobi batteries that I'd like to make use of.

 

[s219]

Uh oh, I don't like to hear that. I have 5-6 of the 18V tools, two chargers, and 4 Li-Ion batteries that have done well for many years. I mainly accumulated the tools because it was cheaper to buy the multi-tool kits than batteries when I was upgrading my very old 18V drill to Li-Ion batteries, and then again when I wanted more batteries. So now I have three drills, a sawzall, saber saw, and impact. All get heavy, abusive use, and have been great; I use the Ryobi tools exclusively down on my pier and boat so I worry less about dropping them into the water. Had the impact and a drill in holsters on my belt when building my boathouse roof, and the impact probably drove a few thousand screws on that project alone. Also have a Milwaukee drill and impact that get heavy use but in less risky work, since they were a lot more expensive.

I don't know if any of the other budget brands would be much better. My perception has been that they are all more or less the same until you spend a lot more and step up to the higher-cost stuff. So I have been glad that the Ryobi stuff has done well at the lower price point.

Some people have good luck with Dewalt, but I will tell you we used Black&Decker and Dewalt many years ago when I worked construction, and they were great. Dewalt used to be the higher-end brand for B&D, though some of the tools were only available in one brand or another. I have a B&D metal chop saw from the early 80s that is outstanding, and you just can't get a saw like that from any brand anymore. Anyhow, at some point in the late 80s or early 90s, both B&D and Dewalt got cheapened down quite a bit. B&D became cheap consumer grade, and Dewalt took over the high-end homeowner and construction grade. Not all Dewalt stuff is good anymore; it used to be a no brainer that it was better grade, but no longer. Milwaukee still caters to the high end, and their battery tools are worth it if you can swallow the higher cost. Some people have had good luck with Rigid at a middle price point. Craftsman is a total crap shoot at any price point.

 

[k0ua]

I have had good luck with the Ryobi, 18v LiOn batteries and tools and chargers. No failures on any of them.

 

[Gunny]

I've been using Ryobi for several years, right now I've got about 12 or 13 of the 18V tools. I did leave a charger out in a light rain and it toasted on me, but other than that, I've not had any problems with their stuff

 

[chuck172]

Well I'm not giving up on Ryobi yet. Could be just bad luck on my part. I'll be returning the defective spotlight to homedepot today and getting a replacement.

 

[Paul Thornton]

I have been happy with mine. I too have found it less expensive to buy tool sets than batteries.

 

[Ken]

I have used all almost lower priced brands of battery packs and came to decision that the battery's come from same supplier.
And wish that there was a adapter to be able switch battery to use. The example of working on roof and needing a screw driver 18 volt and only have some other brand that is charged.
My Ryobi screw driver has out lasted a dozen battery's and have several other tools on shelf only need the battery's some no longer available.
Taking a battery apart seems when 1 of the pack goes bad all will soon not charge to full amount even after replacing the week battery. Ridged says life time replacement think this although higher priced will soon become the best buy.

Today have 2 chargers and 6 low to dead battery's. so can use faster than recharge time.
ken

 

[2LaneCruzer]

At one time I had a Ryobi planer and a Ryobi drill. The trigger on the drill crapped out after a couple years of moderate use, but I was able to fix it myself. A couple years later the batter charger quit. I replaced it with a DeWalt and it's been super. The planer started giving me problems and I replaced it with a DeWalt. As for B&D, and Skil, I have always considered them second rate. I do, however, have a B&D angle grinder that I bought at an estate sale; it was made in the 1950's sometime, and it is very high quality. My band saw and table saw are Delta, and they are fine. I have a Haitachi sliding compound miter saw that is excellent.

 

[check]

The old Ryobi NiCad Batteries are crap. All of mine are dead. The new lithium ion ones, however, are pretty good. The only problem is, when the rundown they turn off like a light switch. Which is not good if you are outside in the dark and using one to power a Flashlight. One second the flashlight is on, snd the next second it's off. So, I always carry a spare little flashlight, in case I get stuck in the inky blackness when my lithium ion battery decides that it's done.

 

[Mendonsy]

I have about a half dozen Ryobi tools, both Ni-Cd and Li batteries. Some of the older (5-6 yr) Ni-Cd batteries are getting weak so I will eventually replace them with Li batteries but other than that I have not had any problems with them.

 

[California]

Ryobi 18V tools are a big step up from Harbor Freight in the homeowner/DIY end of the market. That's all I need for my farm repairs application. Like most posters in this thread, it was cheaper to buy sets than individual tools.

I like the impact driver and the baby circular saw in particular. 5.5" carbide-tip blades for the baby saw are available at HF.

One caution: the jig saw with the laser-aimer killed an expensive new li-ion battery because the laser stays on when the saw isn't running. I must have bumped the laser switch when I jumbled several tools into a storage cabinet. That was an expensive lesson. I now remove the battery from that tool when not in use.

I discovered the red Homelite 18v tools are the same as Ryobi. Homelite brand must be an orphan now; the hedge trimmers etc appear in Goodwill but I've never seen Homelite charging accessories. I have two Homelite hedge trimmers and I think some other Homelite 18v stuff, that cost under $5 each from thrift stores. Ebay can be another source for these at low cost if the seller doesn't realize that Ryobi batteries fit them.

The era for Ni-Cads has passed. Ryobi's Li-Ion batteries are lighter, more powerful, fit all their older tools, and don't need replacement as soon. Well worth the price difference.

I've never had a Ryobi tool fail. (aside from batteries). Even the couple of flea market $5 drills that smell of burned insulation, they run fine. But the old style keyless chuck (separate collar on the chuck for tightening) is a nuisance; the present series is easier to use.

Its handy to have an old drill for a pilot hole, another for the final hole, and the impact driver, all used in turn for bolting something down. Recently I used still another drill with a plug drill bit, when I needed to countersink bolt heads into timbers. zap zap zap zap done, move to the next one.

 

[Raspy]

I really like my Ryobi tools and I've been using them for years. At one point, though I gave up on them completely because of the junk Ni-cab batteries. Then they came out with the Lithium bats and all is well.

Other manufacturers like Makita changed the tools when they changed to lithium batteries and immediately made all the older tools worthless. I just threw away a whole set of Makita tools because the batteries were shot and the new batteries don't fit. But Ryobi kept the same battery shape and the new bats work in the old tools. Only buy tools with lithium batteries!

Ryobi tools are low price and can be had for even better prices on sale. I use mine a lot and I'm very happy with them.

I even use my little Ryobi impact driver when rotating tires on the truck. It won't get them to full torque but it snugs them up and is so fast and easy.

 

[gwstang]

I purchased a new Ryobi hedge trimmer with the 40V battery and that thing is a trimming monster. Goes and goes for a long time and will chew up a 1" limb like a chihuahua eating dinner. :laughing:
I would like to find some more of their tools that will use this battery?