All in on Ryobi cordless tools?

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #16
    Company owned tools, such as wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers etc. also tend to be “lost” quite often as well. Some are out right stolen, others are left in attics, inside walls, etc. I’ve picked up quite a few sets of wrenches at one particular illegal turn around spot on a busy divided 4 lane highway where 4-5 nearby large truck/equipment test drive their repair vehicles and turn around and go back to the shop. These tools were left under the hood, running boards and where ever the mechanic last left it! This place was quite a honey hole for me! No doubt some of these tools were the property of the mechanic because they were Snap On, but most were Napa and other local suppliers for the companies. Battery powered tools aren’t the only type company provided tool that is abused.

    Comment

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

      #17
      Ah Company Owned!! I have a Hilti 9.6 volt drill driver kit that I dug out of the trash at work (that big computer company with the striped logo). The Customer Engineers had been told to pitch them as the NiCad batteries had worn out. The kit was the drill, charger, two batteries, and a fitted case. Took the batteries to Battery Wholesale (local battery company) and had them rebuilt for $25 each. Wonderful small tool for light weight work. and it still works some 15 years later. I also picked up an aluminum hand truck with a 200 pound capacity out of the dumpster. At one time, we were delivering computers on pallets with 3/4" hardwood plywood ramps. The pallets and the ramps were throwaways. The pallets were junk, but the ramps were outstanding pieces of wood. I announced a $5 bounty for any ramps the CEs brought me. Yes, I'm shameless.
      Last edited by Jim Frye; 11-21-2019, 07:50 PM.
      Jim Frye
      The Nut in the Cellar.
      ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

      Comment

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

        #18
        Getting back to "Cordless" tools, I had two quick projects, one for 1 hour and one for 4 hours (2 hours Sat, 2 hours Sunday).

        On the first, I made a 3 ft high, 26 inch wide pantry shelf from single a 1x 8 x 16ft hard pine board, but ripped to 6 inches. I cut the board down with the Ryobi 18V 7 1/4 in circular saw. Then smoothed the ends on the Bt3000 and cut dados for the three shelves and a cross brace on the bottom back. I used cordless drill to drill pilot holes, cordless impact driver for the screws. After putting it together, I used my Ridgid Corded trim router on the edges. And the Ryobi 18V "cat" sander. A coat of wax and it went into the pantry against a wall that used to hold mops and brooms, that LOML rarely uses anymore. (I did it to have a place to put all of my coffees and get them out of a cabinet where some has a tendency to hide!) Since I had the measurements in my mind, it did not take but about 1 hour from pulling the board out to finish. Because the saw was hooked up, my router center had all the router stuff in ONE place, it was easy.
        18V cordless tools Used:
        • "cat" sander
        • Impact driver
        • Drill driver,
        • 7 1/4 circular saw

        Project # 2:
        Yesterday and this (Sunday) afternoon, I needed to do some adjustments on my old tractor butane tank that was my grill smoker I made about 47 years ago. The tank was a 22 inch round by 32 long - on-tractor tank. I made a stand and turned the barrel vertical. This puts the grill top at about 16 inches above the fire, The fire is about 3 inches above the bottom. With the fire about 16 inches from the grill top, it makes for great smoking in a 180° - 200° range, and higher of course, if needed.

        ON this, I used my cordless drill, impact driver, cordless angle grinder, and changed the cordless grinder out with a wire cup for cleaning the grill top and inside the smoke laden inside walls. I also used the jigsaw with a metal blade to cut some smooth rebar for bracing. Inside the smoker, I added a layer of High Temp fiber blanket 1 inch thick (3/4 when finally installed) and then added a sheet of steel around the inside to press and hold the fiber insulation against the inside of the tank. I tried it late this afternoon with the outside temperature in the mid 40s and it got the temp up quick. Adjusting the temp and holding was been easy. I still have some add ons to do later for more precise temp control so that I can set it and forget it.

        This has been a great smoker, but it took much longer in cold weather due to all steel and no insulation. SO I added insulation and sealed the insulation it to keep the insulation away from food. And with Thanksgiving coming up, I need it for the turkey. BTW, this grill weighs in at about 400 lbs. and is not easy to move. (no wheels, maybe later.)

        (I have a Vision Grill and it is easy to use but I can't get the strong blacked smoke flavor that I used to get on my home made smoker. The vision grill is very much americanized, IMO, unlike the green egg. The vision grill has the fire about 6 to 7 inches from the fire - too close. A grate heat deflector does not work as well as I would like because the fire is still too close and cooking is quicker. I cannot get the vision grill to hold a fire consistently below 200° and makes for slower, longer cooking times. I was disappointed with the vision grill because I had a "green egg" overseas, only they were orange over there. It cooked well for both grill and smoking, used little charcoal. Those too (and the green egg) have the fire farther away from the meat. )

        18V Ryobi Cordless Tools used:
        Angle grinder
        Jig saw
        Impact driver,
        Drill

        The point in all of this was: I took a brief notice this afternoon - that when I needed a tool, I did not have to go hunting for extension cords, extra outlets, or hooking and unhooking cords, or tangled cords. And I took the tools to the work. It was a pleasant observation! And the tools and batteries were up to the task.

        Cordless tools with the Lithium batteries are here to stay IMO, and increase the efficiency for sure.
        Last edited by leehljp; 11-24-2019, 08:39 PM.
        Hank Lee

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

        Comment

        • capncarl
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 3564
          • Leesburg Georgia USA
          • SawStop CTS

          #19
          I will have to a admit that when I take battery tools to the site in the yard I only have to use several 5 gallon buckets rather than my yellow wagon full of buckets of tools and cords. Several hundred feet of cord take as much bucket room as the tools. It seems that before the job is finished I still have every tool I own piled out in the yard through.

          Comment

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

            #20
            I was considering some cheap off-brand batteries. This guy's test shows that it's a terrible choice:



            Bottom line: The well-used branded battery ran 34% longer than the cheap brand new battery. Minutes per dollar is better with the cheap battery, but I size my batteries to the need and my desire for mobility. So you're basically getting the run time of a 3a pack from something that's as big and heavy as the 5a pack. Lousy choice.

            Comment

            • capncarl
              Veteran Member
              • Jan 2007
              • 3564
              • Leesburg Georgia USA
              • SawStop CTS

              #21
              How much run time per dollar of investment do you get for the larger, higher amp hour battery?

              Comment

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

                #22
                It depends on the tool. I've never calculated it because the weight and size are a much higher priority when we're talking about a 6-10 year battery.

                Comment

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

                  #23
                  I haven't calculated it either. I have six 4AhRyobi batteries and 1 of those cheap off brand batteries that is supposed to be 5Ah. The cheap one does not last nearly as long as the regulars.

                  The regular Ryobi Li batteries I rarely rarely run out on a charge. If I did decking or something that I used one tool for a whole day, I'm sure it would show up. But half a day of building or fixing something with two or three or 4 tools, I don't usually run out. I always keep the extra batteries charged and usually in other tools that I might need. I do swap them out on occasion if the ID or DD batteries drain out.

                  From a purely subjective observational point of view: I have 2 of the smaller light weight Ryobi 18v batteries. I rarely use them unless I have the others (larger) in the charger. I do NOT use them on the circular saw or larger tools. With the Lithiums, they don't seem to run down. The tool speed drops for a few seconds and then it is suddenly OFF. For that reason, I only use the smaller ones on the Drill Driver or Impact Driver while their 4Ah batteries are in charge and the other batteries are in other tools being used.

                  The smaller 2Ah don't have enough juice to run heavier tools very much. The only tool I use the 2Ah batteries in consistently is the cat-corner sander.
                  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.

                    #24
                    I think one reason my batteries are still going well is that I very rarely run them down. Lithium batteries would like to be recharged when only 30% or so has been consumed. If I see one bar down on a 20v tool, and can, I charge it. I have run them down a few times in the circular saw, vacuum, shop blower, and grinder. The stuff that takes a lot of power and runs continuously. I have three 5aH, two 2aH, and three 12v batteries. So rarely is a job too big to be able to keep them charged. I have two chargers in one garage and another in the other garage, so no excuses.

                    On the other side of life cycle, I leave them in the garage all the time even when it's 110 out there. I'll even charge them when it's hot.

                    Comment

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

                      #25
                      Oh, man, this is frustrating. Not a single combo kit with just the right mix of tools I want.

                      Comment

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

                        #26
                        Originally posted by atgcpaul
                        Oh, man, this is frustrating. Not a single combo kit with just the right mix of tools I want.
                        You can order most any of the One+ tools alone. Some are even available in the store. I used to have a bunch of extra chargers back in the blue/yellow days because the only place to buy just the tools was at a repair center as a rebuilt. I now have two of the dual chemistry chargers and five of the Li batteries. One 1.5 Ahr.., two 4 Ahr., and two 6 Ahr. I bought the 6s as a dual pack on sale for $99 for the pack. I use the small battery to run the radio in the shop.
                        Jim Frye
                        The Nut in the Cellar.
                        ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

                        Comment

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

                          #27
                          I ended up getting a Ryobi combo kit that had the drill, impact driver, circular saw, nail gun, flashlight, and reciprocating saw. It comes with 2 2amp-hour batteries. I preferred the 3amp-hour batteries but that deal only came with one free tool, and if I added another one or two, I would have come to the same price but with less tools. I also rationalized that my old Makitas did fine with their 1.5amp-hour batteries.

                          I don't expect I'll need the recip saw for a while--I own a corded model (which is in storage or my Dad's house)--and where we'll live, I won't be doing any remodeling.

                          Comment

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

                            #28
                            Originally posted by atgcpaul
                            I ended up getting a Ryobi combo kit that had the drill, impact driver, circular saw, nail gun, flashlight, and reciprocating saw. It comes with 2 2amp-hour batteries. I preferred the 3amp-hour batteries but that deal only came with one free tool, and if I added another one or two, I would have come to the same price but with less tools. I also rationalized that my old Makitas did fine with their 1.5amp-hour batteries.

                            I don't expect I'll need the recip saw for a while--I own a corded model (which is in storage or my Dad's house)--and where we'll live, I won't be doing any remodeling.
                            Our next deployment is still unknown so we bought a house about 1 1/2 months ago. There aren't a ton of things to be done, but I have been busy. I've used everything in the kit except the flashlight. The flashlight is probably the most disappointing item in the kit. It doesn't seem bright at all and it's not even LED. The reciprocating saw is so-so. Even with good blades, it sometimes can't power through a cut.

                            The drill and impact driver have gotten a bunch of use. The drill did bog down when drilling through a 6x6 with a 1/2" spade bit and I had to switch to my corded drill, but I think most cordless drills would have had trouble with that. They are bigger and bulkier than my old Makitas and the built-in lights only come on when the trigger is pressed unlike the Makitas which will stay lit a few seconds longer--I miss that feature. Overall, they're OK.

                            I had to use the nail gun for a small project and while it is big for a brad nailer, not needing to lug around an air compressor is great. I'm looking for more opportunities to use it.

                            The circular saw is little but man is it handy. It might be my favorite thing in the whole kit. You aren't going to build a deck with it but it is so light and cuts well. The laser line is a nice feature and it fits just fine on my Kreg ripping jig.

                            I was working on a plumbing job and thought how nice a multitool would be to have. I have the $20 HF but it's in storage and the closest HF is over 30 minutes away while HD is just 10 minutes away. I ended up buying the Ryobi cordless multitool with the swapable head. It's a bit long once the battery is in, but I didn't have clearance issues for my project. It's a good tool.

                            I also needed to mortise in some pulls, etc, for a barn door I installed. I didn't feel like chiseling them out so I also bought the Ryobi cordless palm router. I have Grizzly corded palm routers (also in storage), but I treated myself. The router is solid and not top heavy despite how it looks. The height adjustment is so much better than on the Grizzlys (I only paid $25 for those, though), and the included lighted base is nice. I do wish it came with a straight edge guide. I wasn't hogging away a ton of material so it never bogged down, but being portable, it's so handy. Once I got the door back in place, I realized I needed to take another 1/4" of material away in the corner. I used the router in place. Two seconds later and done.

                            Like our last car, a Hyundai, Ryobi has come a long way from where it was. I think some of these tools could be purchased from Milwaukee or Dewalt for sometimes 2x the price, but like that Hyundai and these new Ryobis, they get me from Point A to B but with more money in my pocket and the ride wasn't that bad.

                            Comment

                            Working...