Ryobi Hi-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery 3 pack $99.

[leehljp]

This is the Lithium Hi Capacity, NOT the High Capacity"+" But it is a 3 pack for $99.00

The "+" has the battery charge gauge on it. This is the "black" (or dark gray) model.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-18-Volt-ONE-High-Capacity-Lithium-Ion-Battery-3-Pack-P185/206349844

ONLINE purchase ONLY, from what I can tell.

[atgcpaul]

How many different green Ryobi lithium batteries are there? I think I have the regular 18V Ryobi. Just two more after that? These High Capacity and High Capacity +?

[leehljp]

4.
In Lithium-Ion 18V they have two sizes physically, a large and a smaller. They both have the same "footprint" but one is about 2 inches thick at the base and the other is just over 1 inch thick.

And in the two physical sizes they offer 2 versions: A regular version ( Lithium Ion, and a Lithium Ion + (plus). The Plus supposedly has some advanced circuitry along with an LED indicator of the charge, which can be checked at any time.

[radhak]

How is Ryobi's performance in the drill/driver area?

I see them on display at HD all the time, and have been wondering how they measure up against the Ridgid, the Dewalt and the Porter Cables. Price-wise they don't seem to be much less than the others.

[atgcpaul]

I have one of the $49 Ryobi drill/driver from last year's sale. It doesn't have a light like my Makita does which is very helpful. The two hand chuck is annoying because the one section doesn't offer much of a handhold so it's hard to really tighten down on the bit. The Makita has a nice one handed chuck. The Makita is also more compact and lighter. I think the Ryobi has enough power but it still feels like a toy compared to the Makita.

[leehljp]

How is Ryobi's performance in the drill/driver area?

I see them on display at HD all the time, and have been wondering how they measure up against the Ridgid, the Dewalt and the Porter Cables. Price-wise they don't seem to be much less than the others.

I don't know how the comparisons are now, but I had a 14.4 volt Porter Cable drill driver purchased back in 2000. That thing had TORQ! I sprained my wrist the first time I used it with a socket to loosen a tight rusted bolt. I left it behind in Japan after the nicad batteries died and replacements were as much as a new PC. It is my understanding that the current PCs are not as "industrial" as the early days were. I bought a Ryobi drill driver (18v) and a Ryobi impact driver (18v) back around 2005. They had plenty of torq, but not nearly as much as the PC. But they had plenty of power for home use and anything I needed it for. I built a 9 x 12 storage shed that with stood close to 100 MPH constant typhoon wind for over two hours back in '07 or '08 in Japan. I used screws instead of nails and the only damage were some shingles.

The Ryobi IDs and DDs are very good tools and better than Skill and B&D by a good shot, IMO. The Ryobi tools with the Lithiumbatteries are distance runners compared to the nicad versions. And you can use the lithium batteries on the blue versions of Ryobi tools.

Ryobi has been updating their green line tools in the past year and they seem to be getting better, sturdier and stronger than the original versions, an unusual plan compared to many low and middle end tool companies today. The re-designs seem to be slightly more ergo dynamically designs and slightly more power along with the modifications. This is not from experience but from checking of specs on a few items.

[mpc]

My feeling jives with Hank's - that Ryobi's recent cordless tool lines are beefier than ever. I have their 18volt half-inch impact gun and love it - it's quite strong for a lot of car stuff. Too strong when tightening - but great for removing bolts/nuts/etc. Awesome for driving lag bolts. I rarely set up the air compressor and dig out my beefy air powered impact gun because I simply don't need to. Ryobi keeping their tools & batteries backwards compatible is very consumer friendly too. I have some Ridgid cordless stuff from their NiCad days... the new batteries won't work in those otherwise serviceable tools.

mpc

[TimTucker]

Some thoughts:

- The two part chuck on some of the newer Ryobi drills is a pain. There's a newer single hand version that may be improved, so if you look at sets, that would be something to look for.
- The 4AH lithium batteries are great
- If you don't need the batteries right away, Home Depot has a history of putting special purchase batteries on clearance within a few months. The trend is for them to come in around Christmas and Father's day, then go down to 50% off a month or two after. (Eventually they'll go down to 75% off, but they tend to be pretty scarce by then)
- If you need an extra drill / etc., it's worth checking out blinq.com -- they carry mostly open box / returns and bare tools are sometimes available pretty cheap.