BT3K owners, other Ryobi tools?

[jpk]

I have a BT3K that I've had for almost two decades. In that time I've become very fond of Ryobi's power tools. A little over ten years ago I bought a 18v kit that included a drill, circular saw, recip saw, vacuum, light, charger and a couple of ni cads. I used the tools a lot and beat the crap out of them and they still run like a champ but have been relegated to backup because, I have since bought a lot of their green 18v Lith tools and they are awesome. Much more powerful than the older blue tools. Ever since buying my BT3K I have just really liked Ryobi for their innovation, durability and price. Any others here users as well?

[poolhound]

I have one of the 18v kits. the drill driver and impact driver are in constant use. The reciprocating saw is the next biggest user. I do use the small circular saw and jigsaw but they are unfortunately woefully under powered and dont make very clean cuts so they only get used for very rough cuts or when I cant run a power cord.

I also have the DP121L drill press which I have been pretty happy with although last week the digital speed display went out :-(

[LCHIEN]

I only have five Ryobi tools - the BT3000 which I think was a clever innovative idea, and the more conventional BD4600 belt/disc sander, and a 6" grinder, again pretty conventional. I also have an oscillating spindle sander by Ryobi. And a 16 inch VS scroll saw, model SC163, I think.

The BT3000 was my first Ryobi, in late 1999. It had already been out for what, about 6 or 7 years?


Ryobi made a lot of tools for Craftsman, if you have a Craftsman router it was likely made by Ryobi as were a number of the CMS and the BT3 clone saws. I think the Craftsman C3 19.2V tool system line is also made by Ryobi, I have three or four of those tools.

[cwsmith]

I bought my BT3100-1 in 2005 when they were being clearanced by HD. I had been contemplating buying it for some time, especially after discovering this forum. I went back and forth for quite awhile; but that is something I do with almost every serious purchase.

The BT was my first table saw, and few years later I purchased BTS21 portable for remodel work at the other house. I still have both and can't imagine what I'll do when and if my BT3K ever gets beyond being serviceable.

But to other tools... seems like Ryobi has always been in my tool arsenal, even if labeled as "Craftsman". In the late 60's we bought our first home and with it my first power tools: Craftsman 3/8 VS drill, belt sander, sabre saw, and a small router... all were made by Ryobi and I still have them all today, still working perfectly.

In 2003 when I retired, a new HD opened in our town and that first Christmas they had a 20%-off sale. Between my wife's influence and my wanting to get into woodworking I bought several Ryobi tools including their 9" bandsaw, 18" scroll saw, router table combo, and an ROS. Since then I've added their 'clutch driver', 3-base router combo, 'Corner Cat' sander, jig (sabre) saw, and even an angle grinder. A few years ago, I added a couple of tools from their 4-V line.

(Edit: Forgot to mention that I also have the Ryobi BD4600 Belt/Disc bench-top sander, and their 8-inch grinder, as well as their Rotary Tool, vacuum laser level, and their Biscuit Joiner.)

Other than the little 4-V drill/driver, the only other cordless tools that I own are Ridgid: 9-V pivot driver, 14.4-V drill and impact drivers, and the 18-V impact drill and circular saw. (I also have a couple of Ridgid 12-V tools but they are total crap!)

I really do like the Ryobi tools, all of them have held up very well and I have had not a single problem with any of them. Even my really old Ryobi-made Craftsman tools are still going strong. The only problem that I've ever had with Ryobi has been with that 3-base router combo I bought back around 2005. The motor housing swelled (enlarged diameter) causing it to be almost unuseable in either of the fixed bases. They sent me a new houseing but that was out-sized right out of the box. Just poor selection of materials or something. But, I still have it and in the plunge-base is works really nice.

Ryobi's service and support has been exceptional in my opinion. The only negative I find is that they seem to walk away from their designs too often. The BT being a good example, the 4-V Lithium "Tek 4" line being the latest that I'm aware of. While I understand the BT-series was around for quite some time, tool like the Tek-4 didn't apear to be here all that long, and in the case of the 3-base router model, it was barely on the market a year. (Perhaps it was easier to abandon it, than fix the swollen housing problem.)

Whatever the case, I am a Ryobi fan.

CWS

[JoeyGee]

Another one with the 18v drill and driver. I also have the 12" DP, which I love. I see most of my tools as replaceable with better options if they break (including my BT3100) but I will repair that DP as much as possible when needed. I like it that much.

[leehljp]

I too have several Ryobi "green" tools. I started with a Makita cordless drill in the early 90's but got irritated with the short battery life and high expense. I moved up in power to the 19.2 Porter Cable drill/driver (when it was more industrial) in 2000. That thing had some POWER. Then I got into the Ryobi Blue and moved over to the green, starting with the impact driver and drill driver.

My favorite and most used Ryobi tool is the Ryobi LED light:

http://www.amazon.com/Ryobi-P720-Power-20-Watt-Tool-Only/dp/B00R7G1UGI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1456597257&sr=8-3&keywords=ryobi+18v+LED+light

I have two minor problems with it: 1. The switch is in a spot so that when I am carrying it by the lip handle, my knuckles turn it on accidentally, and when it is aimed into my face - blindness!
Problem #2: Sometimes tooo bright in closed in spots. I have never said that about a light before.

Pros: Can be used either with a battery or 120v cord. (LOML likes it too. When she does puzzles, she likes to get it and aim it at the ceiling for room filling non glare lighting.)

For me - I used to look for and buy more industrial quality products such as what Porter Cable used to be, Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt and a couple of others, but the Ryobi 18V lithium series is more than enough power for me and the quality is well above average than other consumer brands.

[LinuxRandal]

I've had mixed luck with them, personally.
The BT3 series has been a great saw. Ryobi, produces a variable speed drill with a clutch, that is corded, that I tend to keep with the Kreg jig, that I like.
I picked up a 12v green, Ryobi Impact driver a few years ago, and the first battery was dead in the package. I went to Home Depot, since they are supposed to be the exclusive dealer, and they didn't carry the 12volt impact, and one battery was as much as I paid for the tool with two. The second battery that came with it, lasted exactly three years of very light use (maybe 10 times).
Someone else loaned me their reciprocating saw, when I was too far away to use my corded one, and it had a bad battery that wouldn't charge (ended up using a tree saw).
Not sure if they made the Craftsman one that I was given years ago, but that was definitely junk.

I have moved more away from the BT to tracksaw type components (nieces and nephews, I trust more with their hands way above the blade on the power switch), and expect to sell the saw when Bosch finally comes out with their Reaxx line (planed on my Christmas present, but it never came out). I think they are like any tool company, some good, some bad, and sometimes there are some lemon's. I think I just attract their lemon's.

[Black walnut]

I Have the BT3K, which started it all for me with Ryobi. I also have a cordless screwdriver that has an as far as I can tell non-replaceable battery long since expired, the 18v drill driver and flashlight, AP10 benchtop planer, and 8"benchtop drill press. All for the most part have proved to be durable, accurate and good value.

[Bill in Buena Park]

My tablesaw is the Sears BT3 (Ryobi), my drill press is the Ryobi 12in, my planer is the AP1301 Ryobi, my small bandsaw is the BS1001SV Ryobi, and my entire set of cordless tools is from the Sears C-3 line (I have almost every one), all Ryobi. My Craftsman routers - not sure if they're Ryobi or Bosch (who made some of the more recent ones). I am extremely satisfied with all of the Ryobi tools I have - no problems, all work great. The others tools are primarily HF ("gems"), no complaint there either.

[Turaj]

Started with BT3000 back in 1999 (have 2 now), added their small Biscuit Joiner (now that's an oldie), oscillating spindle sander and 18v cordless set (mix of old and new green ones). I also have Ryobi lathe (I am not much of a turner) that was given to me for free. They are definitely good value and fit my needs!

[twistsol]

My first, but not my oldest Ryobi tool was a BT3000 in 1997 it burned up cutting miles of grooves with a dado blade and was replace with a 3100 mid project.

Over the years I've added the following

• R175 quarter inch router (my first router ever) which I still have
• DE1320R, a 1970's big drill from my dad's tools (pictured below)
• 2 bt3100's both have been sold
• Biscuit joiner - sold and replaced with domino
• A cordless drill that died in a horrifying fall from 30 ft above a concrete patio.
• BD4600 disc/belt sander. This is a well built tool and will never leave my shop
• String timmer for the yard,
• Battery powered snow blower my daughter keeps in her car in Duluth.

All have served well over the years with only a few minor replacement parts.

[woodturner]

Any others here users as well?

I think my first Ryobi was the 10" stationary RAS, purchased around 1985 or so. Added an RE600 router not long after, IIRC, the mini lathe, and a sander. Grinder was a bit later, but somehow missed out on the BT3X closeouts and got my first maybe six years ago. Added a couple of the Sears variant when they closed those out.

The RAS was perhaps the best value - it was the only RAS in the price range with machined ways, so it was accurate and did not burn. The Craftsman (Emerson) was the only one close in price at twice the price of the Ryobi, but was such a poor design it was unusable for woodworking.

[bigstick509]

My collection of Ryobi started with the BT3100 and includes a full set of 18V one plus tools. When I used to work with tools to make a living the choice was always name brand and tool specific. But as a light duty hobbyist Ryobi has served me well.

[JimD]

I have a BT3100, I also got a direct drive Ryobi table saw when I got married, I have a radial arm saw (recalled but still working fine so I will keep it), a R-500 router (I'm using the motor only in my router table) and a bunch of 18V (two drills, jigsaw, reciprocating saw, circular saw, light, impact driver, and brad nailer). I started with the blue Ni-Cd Ryobis and then my son got me a couple of the lithium ion batteries which really made the saws a lot more useful. I lost one drill and broke another so they got replaced by the green ones. Brad nailer has put up a lot of trim for me. This weekend it cased doorway and did some base and crown. I used it almost exclusively last year to trim out about 800 ft2 we had added to the house. My pneumatic tools work fine but it's really nice not to have to drag out a compressor.

[gerti]

I had a sawzilla once with two BT3100s, which I have passed on since due to lack of shop time and space. Ryobi sander and biscuit cutter, both retired (not worth passing on). Many 18V tools which I love and use frequently, latest addition was the brad nailer which is great just like JimD said. Use the drill/drivers, impact driver and string trimmer all the time, great tools. Even the hedge trimmer comes in handy on occasion. Even the older blue tools work great with the new batteries.

Got some of the 4V lithium tools, mostly use the LED flashlight which is great, and the headphones (leaving the battery out to safe weight).

Recently I added some of their new 40V tools: brushless chain saw (fabulous), sweeper (useless), jet fan blower (great for both leaves and dry snow, sometimes also used instead of broom in the garage), snow blower (actually useable, though the shoot deflector likes to pop off occasionally).