All in on Ryobi cordless tools?

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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    All in on Ryobi cordless tools?

    I just sold my Makita drill/driver/flashlight kit and when I get back to the US, I want to replace them. I REALLY liked my Makitas--13 years of good use and no problems.

    I'm thinking about going all in on Ryobi. Their tools are definitely priced right and they have what I think will make for a nice setup for everything cordless--drill, impact driver, router, multitool, brad nailer, maybe more. I didn't like my Ryobi cordless drill I bought--bulky and had no keyless chuck--but that seems to have been rectified in the past 4 years. I plan to do some Black Friday shopping from my computer and have it delivered to my parents house just in time for us to be back before Christmas.

    So for occasional use, what say you?
  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    #2
    I have about 15 Ryobi cordless tools. And 7 of the large batteries. I use the drill and brushless impact driver the most, at least weekly.

    I don't like the jig saw as a "jigsaw" but it has been very helpful. I am used to the Bosch jigsaw and it is much better. However, the cordless has proved its worth in tight spots and mobility. I take it with me regularly when I go to any of my 3 daughters homes in other states. There is a brushless version available now that I wish I had, but was not available when I got mine.

    I have the 7 1/4 inch cordless circular saw and it is great. I have a tad bit of difficulty in holding the safety switch and then the on/off trigger switch. But it cuts good and has good power with the larger battery.

    The 18V high pressure inflator/tire pump (P737)has been invaluable. Love it and it pumps fairly fast.

    Cut-Off Angle grinder: a little awkward as it is a tad long but it is excellent at 2 to 3 minute jobs, and not having to handle cords for a 2 to 3 minute job.

    I have the 16 gauge nail gun and the crown stapler - both deliver far beyond my expectations of what I thought cordless could do. The first year of these, they had moderate reviews, but after that first year, they started getting great reviews.

    I also have the 3/8 inch crown stapler which I used a few months ago to re-upholster 8 chairs for our church. EXCELLENT tool. It sure is nice to pull the trigger and it just works - rather than having to squeeze the handles while holding the staple gun down on the old manual type.

    I bought the 18V 12 inch chain saw and it delivers beyond my expectations. It is great at cutting limbs and trimming those limbs too big for a lopper. When I am going to be out near woods, or in rural areas, I take it with me and look for some bowl turning limbs. Excellent for trimming a 12 inch tree trunk of limbs and even cutting trunks off.

    I recently bought the hot melt glue gun and I had two other corded glue guns. I don't use the corded anymore. Glue guns that you can take to the place that needs it rather than taking objects to the corded gun - That makes all the difference. The gun heats up in about 2 minutes.

    I bought 2 Hybrid battery/cord 10 inch Fans. (P3320) Great fans and runs full speed for about 6 hours on the larger batteries. I gave one to a daughter who used it often on her dogs on the back porch.

    LIGHTS:
    P751 - hybrid - battery/cord, LOML loves this one and uses it when she does puzzles; aims it at the ceiling and the reflection back down lights up the puzzle just right. It is BRIGHT.
    P717 - Battery only, GREAT SPOTLIGHT. I take it with me in my car everywhere I go, and then in the house by my bed at night in case the electricity goes out - 3 to 4 times a year for 30 minutes to an hours or so.

    I also have the 18V Recip saw (P516) and have not used it nearly as much as I thought I would.

    I have the 18V P401 Corner Cat finish sander. very good light sanding and corner sander. I used it when making a set of bunk beds for my daughter 3 years ago. Excellent in getting into corners and between decorative spindles. Not having a cord made it MUCH more convenient with all the twists I needed to do.

    One tool I do NOT have is the right angle drill P241. I bought a Hitachi when I was overseas (in 2008) and it has the lithium battery. It is not as powerful as the 18V Ryobi but it gets into tight places like nothing else. I don't use it regularly but when building something, particularly with drawers, it is handy. If I did not have my Hitachi, I would be getting this one. My Hitatchi has the 6 sided lock bit and is both an impact driver and drill. The Ryobi is drill only. If you don't know if you need a right angle drill/driver, you probably don't. But if you always wished you could get into cramped spaces to drill or screw a screw in - you need it!

    ONE CAVEAT: if you have a choice of brushless or regular, get brushless if possible. There seems to be a bit more power and longer run times on the same batteries.

    Where I have noticed the overall advantage of cordless tools: many projects require us to use this tool or that tool for about 5 minutes or so and then done with it. These 5 minutes now and 5 minutes a few hours later, the cordless tools save time in hooking up cords and less tripping and less tools pulled off of a table due to 10 - 12 cords around, OR if safety conscious, saves the time of hooking and unhooking cords a dozen+ times a day.

    AND sticking with one brand, the batteries are interchangeable plus you can buy the "Tool Only" and save money.
    Last edited by leehljp; 11-13-2019, 03:17 PM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

    Comment

    • cwsmith
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2005
      • 2737
      • NY Southern Tier, USA.
      • BT3100-1

      #3
      I own several Ryobi (and Ryobi-made) corded tools and I've been happy with all of them and have never has a failure. However, the only cordless Ryobi tools I own are the Li-Ion 4-Volt series they discontinued a few years ago. I found that annoying.

      All cordless tool batteries fail after a period and I've taken note that the batteries often cost almost as much as the tool (at least back in 2005 when I bought my first cordless). For that reason alone, I purchase "Ridgid". Made by the same company, though slightly more expensive. Registered for their "Limited Lifetime Service Agreement" the batteries are guaranteed for life. This past spring I just had four batteries replaced for free on tools that I bought in 2005. Two of them were 14.4 Volt, which I'm not sure are even available today for purchase.

      Again, nothing wrong with Ryobi, as I have several "corded" tools and they are great,

      CWS
      Think it Through Before You Do!

      Comment

      • leehljp
        Just me
        • Dec 2002
        • 8429
        • Tunica, MS
        • BT3000/3100

        #4
        "All cordless tool batteries fail after a period"

        On the old type of batteries, I agree, but the Lithium are out of this world for me. The Hitachi right angle impact driver that I bought in Japan in 2008, that little 12V battery is still going strong. I have 3 or 4 of the Ryobi 4amh batteries that are almost 9 years old and there is no discernible shortness of use that I have noticed. It could be the charger as it electronically controls, charges and cuts off when it decides it is time. I have left batteries in them a week at a time before taking them out, and they run like new. One thing I noticed, if I leave them in for a couple of days or longer, they don't feel warm when I take them out - which tells me the charger automatically cuts off when full.

        They are high priced, but Ryobi does offer two for one sale a couple of times a year, effectively making them half priced.
        Hank Lee

        Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

        Comment

        • LCHIEN
          Internet Fact Checker
          • Dec 2002
          • 20913
          • Katy, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 vintage 1999

          #5
          I've also found that Lithium batteries are a joy to use.
          Fortunately I owned Craftsman C3 tools which allowed upgrading to Li-Ion 19.2V packs and have a charger that accepts both NiMH, NiCad and Li-Ion.

          The Li-ion batteries hold a charge a Long time. Before I used to always find my batteries discharged when I wanted to use them. Because I used them sporadically.
          Loring in Katy, TX USA
          If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
          BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

          Comment

          • Jim Frye
            Veteran Member
            • Dec 2002
            • 1051
            • Maumee, OH, USA.
            • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

            #6
            I have about two dozen One+ 18 volt cordless tools. Some date to the middle '90s (the old blue/yellow tools). The impact driver and 1/2" drill get used the most. I also use the circular saw with an aftermarket carbide blade a lot for framing and sheet goods breakdown. I used to have 6 of the NiCad packs and had them all rebuilt once. Then the LiOn packs came out and when the NiCads died, they were recycled and I switched over to the HyperGreen packs. I have five various different amperage sizes of these. I just replaced an old B&D corded hedge trimmer with a One+ trimmer and also picked up a One+ pump to use as a sump pump backup. I have the tools hanging from a I-beam in the shop by the Ryobi tool hangers they used to sell. The picture shows some of them hanging from magnetic plates stuck on a furnace duct in the old shop. The new shop has more storage space so the ones not pictured now hang with these. The ones not pictured were little used, but now that they are more readily accessible, they get used more.
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            Last edited by Jim Frye; 11-14-2019, 07:59 PM.
            Jim Frye
            The Nut in the Cellar.
            ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

            Comment

            • atgcpaul
              Veteran Member
              • Aug 2003
              • 4055
              • Maryland
              • Grizzly 1023SLX

              #7
              Originally posted by Jim Frye
              I have about two dozen One+ 18 volt cordless tools. Some date to the middle '90s (the old blue/yellow tools).
              I would like to see Ryobi return to that old color scheme. Their neon yellow tools remind me of the Constructicons from the 80's Transformers cartoon series which in my head are just toys.

              Lots of good endorsements for Ryobi, though. I guess now I just wait for Black Friday to come around.

              Comment

              • leehljp
                Just me
                • Dec 2002
                • 8429
                • Tunica, MS
                • BT3000/3100

                #8
                Originally posted by atgcpaul

                I would like to see Ryobi return to that old color scheme. Their neon yellow tools remind me of the Constructicons from the 80's Transformers cartoon series which in my head are just toys.

                Lots of good endorsements for Ryobi, though. I guess now I just wait for Black Friday to come around.
                For your information, look at the bold in this post from 2 years ago:
                Not about the DeWalt tool, but the color: Just after the time we got back from Japan in December of 2010, our storage house which my dad had built (to be used as a fair sized play house) was attacked with termites. The floor joists and frame were built with pressure treated 2x8. However the sub flooring and top layer were not
                Hank Lee

                Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                Comment

                • Carlos
                  Veteran Member
                  • Jan 2004
                  • 1893
                  • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                  #9
                  I just posted this on another forum: Speaking of batteries, has anyone fully killed any Lipos yet? My 12v batteries are from 2012 and the 20s are 2013-14. They all seem fine still. I leave them in the garage, and don't strictly worry about their charge state other than putting them on the charger if they are down one bar or more. I just avoid the obvious no-no of charging them while they are still near full.

                  I went with DeWalt at the time based on feedback from my friends in the trades. Today, if I were starting over, I'm 90% sure I'd go with Kobalt. There's a lot to like about them, and the support.

                  Comment

                  • LCHIEN
                    Internet Fact Checker
                    • Dec 2002
                    • 20913
                    • Katy, TX, USA.
                    • BT3000 vintage 1999

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Carlos
                    I just posted this on another forum: Speaking of batteries, has anyone fully killed any Lipos yet? My 12v batteries are from 2012 and the 20s are 2013-14. They all seem fine still. I leave them in the garage, and don't strictly worry about their charge state other than putting them on the charger if they are down one bar or more. I just avoid the obvious no-no of charging them while they are still near full.

                    ...
                    LiPos (Lithium polymer) and Lithium ion is not the same thing.

                    Most tool batteries and cell phones are Lithium ion.
                    Did you really mean LiPo?

                    LiPo are more costly and lighter in weight - they are popular for drones and flying craft because of the light weight.
                    Last edited by LCHIEN; 11-19-2019, 05:04 PM.
                    Loring in Katy, TX USA
                    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                    Comment

                    • Carlos
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jan 2004
                      • 1893
                      • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                      #11
                      I've never looked at my tool batteries to know if they are Lipo. So they might not be. I have a ton of Lipos for RCs and other uses. Either way, the point was that these tool batteries seems to be lasting forever and I wonder if others have seen the same.

                      Comment


                      • atgcpaul
                        atgcpaul commented
                        Editing a comment
                        The Makitas I just sold were 13 years old. Power-wise, they felt as solid as the day I got them, but I don't think that power was lasting as long as when they were new.
                    • LCHIEN
                      Internet Fact Checker
                      • Dec 2002
                      • 20913
                      • Katy, TX, USA.
                      • BT3000 vintage 1999

                      #12
                      Almost certainly your RC (airplane) batteries are going to be LiPo. And equally certainly your power tool, you cell phone and your EV wil have Lithiium Ion batteries.

                      Lithium-Ion Battery
                      Lithium-Ion Batteries began their development in 1912. However, they did not become popular until they were adopted by Sony in 1991. Lithium Ion Batteries have high energy-densities and cost less than lithium-polymer batteries. In addition, they do not require priming when first used and have a low self-discharge. However, lithium-ion batteries do suffer from aging – even when not in use.

                      Lithium Polymer Battery
                      Lithium-polymer batteries can be dated back to the 1970’s. Their first design included a dry solid polymer electrolyte that resembled a plastic film. Therefore, this type of battery can result in credit card thin designs while still holding relatively good battery life. In addition, lithium-polymer batteries are very lightweight and have improved safety. However, these batteries will cost more to manufacture and have a worse energy density than lithium-ion batteries.

                      Is One Better than the Other?
                      Both lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries have their pros and cons. Typically, the advantages of a lithium-ion is their high power density, lack of what’s called the memory effect (when batteries become harder to charge over time), and their significantly lower cost than lithium-polymer. In the words of Wired, “Lithium-ion batteries are incredibly efficient. They stuff freakish amounts of energy in a tiny package.” But, as anyone might have seen with the recent saga of a certain cellphone brand being banned from flights, lithium-ion batteries are inherently unstable, suffer from aging, and are potentially dangerous. If the barrier that separates the positive and negative electrode is ever breached, the chemical reaction can cause combustion (fire). As Li-ion batteries have become more popular in consumer electronics, businesses have tried to lower costs by cutting corners. While quality batteries are perfectly safe, you should always be careful when buying no-name brands.

                      Lithium-polymer batteries, on the other hand, are generally robust and flexible, especially when it comes to the size and shape of their build. They are also lightweight, have an extremely low profile, and have a lower chance of suffering from leaking electrolyte. But lithium-polymer batteries aren’t perfect either: they are significantly more costly to manufacture, and they do not they have the same energy density (amount of power that can be stored) nor lifespan as a lithium-ion.

                      Last edited by LCHIEN; 11-19-2019, 10:11 PM.
                      Loring in Katy, TX USA
                      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                      Comment

                      • Carlos
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jan 2004
                        • 1893
                        • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                        #13
                        I'm completely familiar with the different chemistries, and have many dozens of batteries in various chemistries, LiFePO4 too. The point was asking others about their longevity. Last night I was chatting with a friend who builds roadway communications and management systems. He said they kill batteries all the time, but their people abuse them heavily. I never hear of home users killing them.

                        Oh, my cell phone is definitely lithium-ion, my laptop is Lipo.

                        Comment

                        • leehljp
                          Just me
                          • Dec 2002
                          • 8429
                          • Tunica, MS
                          • BT3000/3100

                          #14
                          Originally posted by Carlos
                          I'm completely familiar with the different chemistries, and have many dozens of batteries in various chemistries, LiFePO4 too. The point was asking others about their longevity. Last night I was chatting with a friend who builds roadway communications and management systems. He said they kill batteries all the time, but their people abuse them heavily. I never hear of home users killing them.

                          Oh, my cell phone is definitely lithium-ion, my laptop is Lipo.
                          I would be willing to bet that the workers do not buy their own battery powered tools, but rather they are company owned. People I know that buy tools for their employees see a much higher tool breakage and destruction than when employees are required to provide their own tools!
                          Hank Lee

                          Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                          Comment

                          • Carlos
                            Veteran Member
                            • Jan 2004
                            • 1893
                            • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                            #15
                            Definitely company owned. And the company has determined that the time spent babying tools costs more than the repairs and replacements. Another reason they switched to nearly all DeWalt; break less, and cost less to fix. So within reason, workers can treat the tools like crap.

                            Comment

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