BT3K owners, other Ryobi tools?

[Cochese]

I started out with the One+ lineup, first with a pair of NiCds and then the Lithiums. There's some stuff that I don't use anymore (the POS circular saw), some I use all the time. I am transitioning off of the drills, for no particular reason. Perhaps it would be more accurate to state I'm transitioning off the impact, as I was using that for absolutely everything. Bought a pair of 12v Bosch drivers to keep the impact for stuff that requires the grunt work. I have the 21829, which you might have read I'll be upgrading from soon. I chose not to buy the Ryobi 12v because it uses an internal battery, and I don't want to have to deal with any more leads.

I have defended Ryobi in the past from people who are too ignorant to have tried them before dismissing them, but these days I just don't care about what people think.

[cwsmith]

I have defended Ryobi in the past from people who are too ignorant to have tried them before dismissing them, but these days I just don't care about what people think.

I had posted a photo of my old Craftsman RAS (I think on the Ridgid forum) a couple of years ago, and in the photo background there were a couple of Ryobi tools. One of the guys posted something to the effect that I obviously didn't care much about tools as I bought "Ryobi". Don't remember his exact words, but obviously an attempt to 'put down' my choices.

That kind of thing occurs on occasion. I can only contribute it to 'tool snobbery'.

CWS

[Cochese]

I had posted a photo of my old Craftsman RAS (I think on the Ridgid forum) a couple of years ago, and in the photo background there were a couple of Ryobi tools. One of the guys posted something to the effect that I obviously didn't care much about tools as I bought "Ryobi". Don't remember his exact words, but obviously an attempt to 'put down' my choices.

That kind of thing occurs on occasion. I can only contribute it to 'tool snobbery'.

CWS

Unfortunately on some forums, it's a hobby. I've quit a few because it went unchecked. It seems like no matter what someone chooses, someone is always there to criticize what label or color it is.

[dbhost]

Well I don't recall most of the model numbers anymore, and honestly I am too lazy to want to look them up right now. They are the older Blue housing models I can tell you that... And I am pretty sure I am going to leave stuff out, but my Ryobi collection includes.

BT3100
Ryobi 4.8-Amp Variable-Speed Jigsaw
Corded clutch driver / drill
recip saw
quarter sheet sander
"Corner Cat" detail sander
Buffer
13" Lunchbox planer (AP1301)
8" Bench Grinder
Biscuit joiner
2 @ Speed Load Plus 17 piece Ti coated quick change drill bit set.

I used to have one of the Grey body 1/4" collet routers from back before Home Depot was the sole outlet for them. I think I bought it at Sears in like 1999 or something like that. Sold it to a friend of mine along with a router table and a 1/4" bit set to raise funds to pay for my jointer.

[Cochese]

Oh yeah, I did have that AP1300 planer. That was a good little thing. Ended up selling it for what I paid for it, minus a new set of blades and some cosmetic stuff I fixed from the old owner.

[Two Much]

We have two Robin table saws. Two Ryobi sanders, Riobi, surface bench planer,
Three Drills and a Sawzall.
I think we like Ryobi.

[sailor55330]

I don't have near as many as some here, but here's what I have (along with some likes/dislikes)

BT3001---Honestly, I hated it. I could never get it aligned even after rebuilding the SMT. In fairness it was used, so that may have been a factor. It now sits in the corner gathering dust--anyone wanna buy it? I have almost every accessory (wide rails, miter slots, router insert, miter gauge clamp)

6" Belt Sander---heavy, it's been a good unit, no complaints

12" DP. I like 99% of it. It has never bogged and I love the ease of changing speeds. The table tightening mechanism is a little annoying. The table twists depending on how much you tighten/loosen it causing non-perpendicular holes, but this is really a minor issue. I wish it could slow down a bit more as using a circle cutter at 500rpm can be a little nerve wracking if the clamp fails--DAMHIKT

a set of 4 counter sink bits---They work, but they became dull extremely quickly.

All in all, Ryobi seems to make decent tools for the price point and as long as you remember that, you probably won't be dissapointed. Decent for the hobbyist.

[tfischer]

The BT3K is the only Ryobi tool I use regularly, now that I retired my Ryobi 1" CMS a few weeks ago. I also have a Ryobi "Sawzall" as well as a finishing sander, but nether gets a ton of use (especially the sander, since I have a Ridgid OSS which is much nicer).

I've had mixed luck with them. Ryobi seems to cheap out on parts such as switches. There have been numerous threads here about the BT3 switch problems... fortunately mine's been ok so far. But the switch on my sander is really flaky, and the switch on my old CMS sometimes sticks on... incredibly scary and potentially dangerous.

I do agree that Ryobi has some cool innovations, but for that I've always loved Ridgid tools, which are just a little more expensive but still obtainable and built by the same parent company. My Ridgid oscillating belt/spindle sander is one of the coolest tools I own, and I use it far more than I expected. I also have a Ridgid jointer and the OSS I mentioned above, and both are really well thought out.

Seems like the Ridgid stationary tools and even many of the handheld tools are going away, which makes me sad.

[billwmeyer]

I don't know where to begin. I started with the BT 3000, and I have had c,Vic it for years. I have never had to adjust it. It was good right out of the box and is still dead on. I have the 18 volt combo kit, Times 2, the miter saw, the planer, the router and table kit, and a random orbit sander. I have had good luck with the small circular saw. The only time I had a problem with it was solved by a new blade. The items that I have had problems with is the 18 volt vacuum, it sucks because it doesn't suck, and the random orbit sander only vibrates a little bit. I need to take it apart and see what's up. The planer, miter saw, the BT3, the 18 volt sander and flashlights I love. I would have bought the drill press if my local store would have had a display to look at and compare to Harbor Freight. If you take the Ryobi and the Central Electric out of my shop, I would no longer have a shop.

[JimD]

I forgot, I also have a Ryobi AP-10 planner - the original lunchbox planner. I got it for $100 from a guy at church. He had a newer DeWalt. It barely worked but the only issue was VERY dull blades. I bought new ones too but once I sharpened the old ones it worked so well I am still using them. It is on my flip top stand with a Jet hollow chisel mortiser. So my "big tool" count is the BT3100, radial arm, and planner. Plus the 13.3 amp plunge router and a bunch of 18V. I have quite a few DeWalt tools too but if you count the cordless Ryobi would be my biggest brand. Not because I was trying to buy mostly from them. But they often offer a good value. And I am always looking for that.

[Pappy]

I have my original BT-3000 as well as a second one in storage that was a display saw I bought when the 3100 came out.

During the old Cummins Tool shows I picked up several of the old blue 18V tools and eventually moved to the 18V green tools. In addition to the 4 piece set I have added a impact driver and caulk gun.

I also have a spindle sander and drum sander.

The only Ryobi tool I didn't like was the detail sander.

[Carpenter96]

I had a BT300 15Ac for around 15 years and I just sold it last year for Around what I originally paid) as I got a great deal on a Delta, solid Cast iron top series 2000 saw. It was a great saw Before I got that saw I already had and still have a Ryobi RE 600 router and have since purchased another for $50, the original is still running strong. It is my go to router, the weight does not bother me. I also have the blue 18V drill and impact driver, I have recently added some of the Lithium Ion batteries and dual chemistry charger. the mew batteries are much lighter which my wife really likes. I am a believer in good tools no matter who makes them or what colour they are. You don't always have to spend a fortune to get good tools.

Regards Bob

[Shane]

I have only had my BT3100 about a year, but I started maybe 20 years ago with a box set of six 18v tools. I now have 31 of them, from woodworking to landscaping tools, even a couple that were never sold in the US. They're all the blue ones. I haven't heard anything positive about the newer green ones, so I don't have any plans to get any of them... well, except the 6 battery charging station. i had to get that to move up to lithium ion batteries.

[leehljp]

I have only had my BT3100 about a year, but I started maybe 20 years ago with a box set of six 18v tools. I now have 31 of them, from woodworking to landscaping tools, even a couple that were never sold in the US. They're all the blue ones. I haven't heard anything positive about the newer green ones, so I don't have any plans to get any of them... well, except the 6 battery charging station. i had to get that to move up to lithium ion batteries.

I got a few blue tools including the circular saw back around 2005 or so. I used the impact driver and the drill considerably. I was overseas in Japan for most of the time but purchased the tools on the USA side because they were available here and cheaper than Ryobi tools over there. The batteries were the pits. 2 year at best for me. The circular saw - I gave up on it after using it 5 or 6 times. A new freshly charged battery would rip about one sheet of 3/4 plywood length wise only once per battery with a new/sharp blade. I bought a green one two years ago and it runs circles around the blue one. The green impact driver is more powerful than the blue one. I have given my blue tools to my 2 son-in-laws. One SIL got rid of the blue tools I gave him and bought green ones in replacement.

I have two 18V (green) hammers - 16 guage and 18guage stapler. Those things are powerful and drive two to three stacks of nails/staples before needing a fresh battery. I also love the cree light. Powerful, BRIGHT and lasts an hour and a half at full brightness. LOML keeps it despite its size.

I find the opposite as you on the power of the green over the blue. I wouldn't go back to blue. Ryobi is continuing to upgrade many of their tools and they are getting more powerful with each model iteration. I have 10 Green ones, the most used are the two hammers, cree light, impact driver and drill driver. I keep the circular saw in my car and when I am at home depot and need a few boards that won't fit in the car, I saw them in the parking lot to make them fit. Done that 3 times in the past year. I have used the sawzall a few times and it is handy to use without needing a cord. The jigsaw came in handy a couple of times but I am too used to my Bosch. I often take my battery tools with me to my daughters homes to help out on a weekend. Not the most powerful tools but good for short term usage.

[Shane]

That's good information. I have never had power issues with any of mine. I did notice that the lithium batteries made them work like completely different tools, with respect to longevity in use. This is especially obvious with the drills and circular saws. As you said, my saws would barely rip a sheet of plywood on one charge. I have used mine for complete projects, ripping multiple full length sheets with one lithium battery.

The comments I have most often seen about the green tools don't relate to power or functionality, but rather durability. The general concensus is that they're not very durable. Then again, compared to the higher end tools like Dewalt or Milwaukee, the Ryobi tools, regardless of generation, probably aren't expected to be the toughest. I have no complaints with mine, as I feel like I got my money's worth out of them. But if one did fail, I would do everything I could to replace it with a blue one. Of course that could be OCD as much as legitimate reasoning. One green tool in a cabinet full of blue tools might drive me nuts.

BTW, that's a great trick, keeping the saw in the car. I should get a spare to keep in mine for that purpose.