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Wow. Ryobi. Who would have known?

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
I bought a cheapo Ryobi powered (18v) caulk gun 3 years ago when I did my driveway. I've probably used 500 tubes of caulk in it minimum. Today I bought a Ryobi 18v flashlight because it was on sale at Home Depot for 8 bucks. Both of the old batteries charged right up and seem to hold a great charge! :clap: Damn, what a pleasant surprise!!

Anyone else have any Ryobi cordless tools? I have thousands worth of DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee and Ridgid. Still, for the price and knowing I'm going to be working in the mud, should I buy me a cheapo (less than 180 delivered) complete set of the new Lithium Ion Ryobi tools?
 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
I'm glad to hear that your batteries have lasted well !

I like my 18 v Ryobi drill and flashlight. Don't know how long they will last but at $89 as opposed to Makita's $200+... if they only last half as long, I'm ahead.
The variety of reasonably priced tools to go on the batteries is great !!
 

TOMLESCOEQUIP

Just Plinkin Away the $$
I have several complete sets of the ryobi cordless tools........They're great for the price.........I wore out the chuck on my 18 volt drill to where it won't hold the smaller bits without slipping, but the motor & gears just won't die. Still use that one for the hex screwdriver bits. Had to get some replacement batteries over the years but that's it.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I have about at least a half dozen different Ryobi 18v tools and love them. I don't use mine to the extent that others may use theirs but I've had only 1 battery failure in the last 3 years. I've got a drill, a drill/driver, stapler/finish nailer, vaccuum, radio, 1 gallon sprayer, and light duty sawsall from Ryobi all running off the same 18v batteries. I also have a flashlight but don't think I've actually ever used it!

The sprayer has gotten a lot of use, more than I anticipated, the drills get used all the time, the other tools are used occasionally but I've been impressed with the price/quality on all of them. All have performed as well or better than I expected.
 

Tractors4u

Active member
Site Supporter
I have the recip saw, circular saw, drill, flash light, chain saw and leaf blower. The chain saw usually stays in the back of my Polaris Ranger for trimming the occasional limb on the trail. I found the leaf blower new in the box at an outlet store for $15. For the cost of the Ryobi, you can't beat it.
 

TOMLESCOEQUIP

Just Plinkin Away the $$
I have about at least a half dozen different Ryobi 18v tools and love them. I don't use mine to the extent that others may use theirs but I've had only 1 battery failure in the last 3 years. I've got a drill, a drill/driver, stapler/finish nailer, vaccuum, radio, 1 gallon sprayer, and light duty sawsall from Ryobi all running off the same 18v batteries. I also have a flashlight but don't think I've actually ever used it!

The sprayer has gotten a lot of use, more than I anticipated, the drills get used all the time, the other tools are used occasionally but I've been impressed with the price/quality on all of them. All have performed as well or better than I expected.

My cordless ryobi sawzall is the best tree pruner ever ! We use 3 of the flashlights almost constantly every evening while night fishing on our trips to Canada. The cordless vacs really suck ! (not well either ! ) I even have one of their 18 volt power miter saws........Thought I needed it !
 

California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
I was just using the Ryobi 18V chainsaw on Saturday.

It is ideal for my specialized application, breaking up big rotted-out, fallen apple tree limbs and treetrunks into a few 8 ft chunks I can then get up close to with loader forks. I carry it nose down in a 5 gallon bucket hanging off the back of the loader's bucket. This little saw is a lot more convenient than maintaining a gas saw, to do maybe 50 quick cuts in an afternoon of getting trees and fallen limbs to the burn pile.

I have found I need to charge my two batteries just before going out, and I'm usually well into the second one by the time I finish. I'm thinking of getting a new Li-ion battery for its longer life but at $80 I'll wait until I find these insufficient.

The 18v drill works as expected. Consumer Reports said it was one of the lesser-torque drills they tested but it seems equal to most any 3/8 corded drill I would be using otherwise. The keyless chuck is nice.

The reciprocating saw is good for pruning, too, on smaller limbs where I used to use a bow saw. It is even more convenient than the chainsaw since there is no chain oil.

The vacuum in the combo kit seems wimpy and I haven't found a need for the flashlight, but it looks good.

I also bought a used Homelite hedge trimmer with charger on ebay. Homelite/Ryobi 18 volt are the same thing, in fact the chargers are identical. This is great for hedge and similar light work, but my similar B&D corded hedge trimmer seems a little stronger when it gets down to cutting small limbs. Aside from the hedge trimmer I think there are a couple more tools that only came out under the Homelite trademark.

The charger can be run from a little 150 watt cigarette-lighter inverter for the ultimate in portability. I bought a lighter receptacle to put on the tractor but I haven't gotten around to installing it.

I thought I read that the new Li-ion battery could be charged from the older Nicad battery charger - does anybody know about this?
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
I thought I read that the new Li-ion battery could be charged from the older Nicad battery charger - does anybody know about this?

I know it does work the other way around, but I'm not sure on what you've said. This spring I have waaaaaay too many outdoor projects where I'll use cordless power tools and I'm concerned about getting mud in the gears etc. of a $500 36v DeWalt saw, driver etc. and the same goes for the Bosch and Milwaukee 28v. I need to put in about 400 yards of french drains to dry up a wet area that never dries out until late summer due to natural springs (I put in about an acre and an half lake over the worst part, but I didn't want to put in the time or expense for a 3 or 4 acre lake!). I need to put in a beach next to the dock on the lake. I need to replace the 5/4 decking on the dock with the new composite material. I've sealed it every single year and, after 10 years, it's about shot. I won't need to make any cuts on the main part because I intentionally made the dock 16' wide, but I'll need to make plenty of cuts on the 15' walkway going out to it. I am also going to use my excavator to pull all the rip-rap out of one end of the lake, pour a 24"X24" footer, and lay in a stone wall with top caps on it for a nice finished look. That's going to take a lot of digging and bracing over the 350 feet or so on that side of the lake.

That's just a start. Part of the French drains will go under the soccer field I built in our back yard so, with any luck, it will be available most all year. With that being the case, my wife wants me to put some sort of wheels on the goals to make them easier to move. Actually, unless it's really muddy, I can just put the front roller gauge wheels on the out front mower on my Grassshopper mowers against the goals and easily push them around. They are not the new aluminum goals and they probably weigh 1500 pounds each. Still, if it's mostly dry around them I see no need to modify them.

Again, I'm in my 'happy place' with the relatively cheapo Ryobi 18v tools. I expected that caulk gun and the two batteries I got with it to die years ago, but they keep on working! I'm itching to get a couple of the new, much smaller, lithium ion 18v batteries and the little chain saw. You wouldn't believe how many times I get slapped in the face mowing each week during the summer!
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
I currently own the following Ryobi 18v tools: (2) flashlights, (1) recip saw, (2) 5-1/4" circular saws, (2) 3/8" drills, (1) right angle drill, (1) mini vac that was a POS so it got tossed, (1) jig saw and (1) rotary cutter. For those tools I have 7 batteries and three chargers. I have only retired (2) batteries because they would no longer take a charge (NiCad batteries). In corded tools I have a belt sander, a corner sander, a portable table saw, a power miter box, a table top drill press and a table top band saw. I use these tools in my contracting business and they have served me well. In the six years I have had them, I have yet to have to retire a single tool other than that vacuum POS. They are both reliable and durable.
 

Tractors4u

Active member
Site Supporter
I thought I read that the new Li-ion battery could be charged from the older Nicad battery charger - does anybody know about this?

You better double check before you try it. I mess around with radio control trucks and lithium lithium polymer batteries are the rage now. They take a special charger. I don't know how much difference there is between Li-po and Li-ion, but I know if you use the wrong charger the batteries can catch on fire. I ruined a $90 battery by charging it on a new charger that was obviously on the wrong setting. It was supposed to self detect the battery type. Instead of shutting off after a complete charge it continued trickle charging the battery. The battery swole up and broke open the hard plastic casing. The internal packets keep the battery material intact. I got lucky.
 
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