Ryobi 18 Volt lithium ion tool set

jonnymac44

jonnymac44

Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
7,680
Just wondering what everybody's thoughts are on the newer line of 18 volt lithium ion battery powered tools from Ryobi?

My old cordless drill was wayyyy outdated. It was a Skil with about 6.9 volts or something like that, bought about 20 years ago.:o Since I'm in the process of doing some remodeling, I decided it was time to upgrade some tools since I'm not the type who likes to borrow from friends.

Anyway, I researched the new line from Ryobi, and reviews seemed pretty solid. I was looking at the 4 piece set that comes with a drill, a sawzall, a circular saw and a work light, with a charger, two batteries, and a tool bag. My only gripe was that I wanted an impact driver as well but they don't make a set with that included. I happened to find a rebate coupon at Ryobi.com for a free impact driver with purchase of the combo set though, and then when I went to Home Depot today, I saw the price on the set had been lowered to $229 from $269, so I went for it and ended up getting all the tools I wanted with the impact driver included for only $229 after the rebate, which I think is a great deal considering the cost of tools.

First impressions are pretty darn good. This set feels really rugged and well built and has tons of power for cordless tools, and the new lithium batteries are definitely lighter with a good charge life. The circular saw cut through a bunch of plywood this afternoon as good as any corded model I've had, and the impact driver has tons of torque!! I'd definitely recommend this line for anybody who wants some good quality tools for medium duty who doesn't want to pay the much higher price tag for the upper end lines from brands like Rigid, Dewalt, or Milwaukee. This set is definitely worth the price tag:thumbup:

DSCN1094.jpg
 
Glad you like your new tools. I would always recommend an impact driver over a drill for driving screws, it's 10000x better. Not a whole lot of people know about them though.

My gripe with my Ryobi tools, is that the chuck on the drill is NOT centered. It causes walking and chatter worse than it could be.

Otherwise it's not a bad set.
 
65535 said:
Glad you like your new tools. I would always recommend an impact driver over a drill for driving screws, it's 10000x better. Not a whole lot of people know about them though.

My gripe with my Ryobi tools, is that the chuck on the drill is NOT centered. It causes walking and chatter worse than it could be.

Otherwise it's not a bad set.
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Definitely need an impact driver. I found out just how useful they were a while back and now can't see how I lasted so long without one. They've got TONS more torque than a standard drill and work wonders when trying to drive really long screws.:thumbup:

I'll have to see how the chuck on this new Ryobi performs. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, so hopefully it's alright. Is yours also from the new line, or is one of the older blue models?
 
It's a blue model. It's not so bad that you can't do any homeowner work with it. It'll do anything you'd need it to, but for drilling into aluminum plate and such, it's not the best drill.

Impact drivers are the best.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCX4230-Cordless-Hammerdrill-Technology/dp/B000XUK598

That's kinda my dream driver set. Maybe I can convince someone that loves me I need them enough, and they would make my set building sooooooooo much easier at the theater.
 
65535 said:
It's a blue model. It's not so bad that you can't do any homeowner work with it. It'll do anything you'd need it to, but for drilling into aluminum plate and such, it's not the best drill.

Impact drivers are the best.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCX4230-Cordless-Hammerdrill-Technology/dp/B000XUK598

That's kinda my dream driver set. Maybe I can convince someone that loves me I need them enough, and they would make my set building sooooooooo much easier at the theater.
Click to expand...

Set building? My good friend Greg is a union stagehand in San Francisco. He does a lot of set building too, and his tool collection makes me jealous!:D

BTW, that Dewalt set looks killer, but I just can't justify the price tag for the amount of use it would get. Wait a second, I pay that much for knives that never get used.........that's different though, right?
 
65535 said:
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCX4230-Cordless-Hammerdrill-Technology/dp/B000XUK598

That's kinda my dream driver set. Maybe I can convince someone that loves me I need them enough, and they would make my set building sooooooooo much easier at the theater.
Click to expand...

I'm getting that set for Christmas....gave it to my wife to wrap up for me. $422.35 from Toolup, and free shipping, no sales tax if you are in an exempt state:

http://www.toolup.com/dewalt/DCK275L.html

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Ryobi stuff is just fine for the average homeowner using it on occasion. The lithium stuff is better than their older sets, that's for sure. Ryobi won't stand up to hard use day after day, but that probably will not be an issue for you at all.

When I worked construction, we used DeWalt exclusively. Outside of the crazy expensive Hilti, they were the most powerful and reliable at the time.

These days, I usually pick up Rigid brand stuff since they have a lifetime warranty on the tools AND batteries, which is awesome. Their stuff compares very favorably to DeWalt, Bosch, and the other nice brands. Plus, Home Depot usually has better deals in Ridgid sets around this time of the year. Beyond their cordless tools, I have the Ridgid compound sliding miter saw and portable table saw, both of which are fantastic for the price.

I actually picked up a brand new Ridgid 18V lithium drill at the Home Depot clearance center in Austell, GA for $37. I still kick myself for not buying 10 instead of 1. I went back the next day and the two pallets of them that were there were all gone. :(
 
storl said:
Ryobi stuff is just fine for the average homeowner using it on occasion. The lithium stuff is better than their older sets, that's for sure. Ryobi won't stand up to hard use day after day, but that probably will not be an issue for you at all.

When I worked construction, we used DeWalt exclusively. Outside of the crazy expensive Hilti, they were the most powerful and reliable at the time.

These days, I usually pick up Rigid brand stuff since they have a lifetime warranty on the tools AND batteries, which is awesome. Their stuff compares very favorably to DeWalt, Bosch, and the other nice brands. Plus, Home Depot usually has better deals in Ridgid sets around this time of the year. Beyond their cordless tools, I have the Ridgid compound sliding miter saw and portable table saw, both of which are fantastic for the price.

I actually picked up a brand new Ridgid 18V lithium drill at the Home Depot clearance center in Austell, GA for $37. I still kick myself for not buying 10 instead of 1. I went back the next day and the two pallets of them that were there were all gone. :(
Click to expand...

I would have loved to get that deal on a Rigid.:thumbup: I looked at the Rigid sets before buying the Ryobi, but the holidays are here, business has been slow, and I've got to pay for the actualy remodel, not just the tools, so I couldn't bring myself to spend the extra cash right now. Besides, like you said, the set I got will probably be just fine for my applications. I'm not out hanging sheetrock every day or anything;)
 
Ryobi is fine for pretty much any homeowner work.

IMO Dewalt XRP drills and impact drivers just can't be beat yet. The chuck on that drill I linked looks tougher than most drill presses these days.

Glad to see you guys know that Impact Drivers are the bees knees in screw driving. It's amazing how many people don't know about them.
 
If you decide to add to your set, don't get the nail driver. It stinks.

If you think you need one, let me know and I'll send you mine to change your mind.
 
they have a cool line of accessories that use the rechargeable battery system; like a digital camera and motion sensors...cool stuff
 
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