ryobi tek4 li-ion set initial impressions

[Matt Stiegler]

This is one of the wacky deals at HD now (see deals forum), I got it as an impulse buy when I picked up a 12" MW SCMS for $300. The set is $49, it includes the following 4v li-ion items:
- screwdriver
- earmuffs/headphones
- snips
- flashlight
- charger for cellphones, ipods, etc.

Just got it today and haven't used it yet, but so far I'm pleasantly surprised. Sorry that this is a lame review, I just wanted to put up something quick to help folks decide whether this set is worth getting during the HD blowout.

The headphones alone are for sale right now at HD for $70. They are surprisingly comfortable and seem like nice quality. Even without turning them on, they've already replaced my $20 amazon specials. Any utility from sound and noise cancelling would be a plus.

Who needs battery powered snips? Their youtube video shows using them to open plastic packaging. Whatever. Seems destined to join my 18v chainsaw in the "items I got in a set that I can't quite bring myself to throw away but will never, ever use" bin. Am I missing some usefulness?

The driver seems usable. Comfortable, small enough to fit in my front jeans pocket. I have an 18v Ryobi drill I actually like just fine, and this one seems like it will be useful for household (not shop) use. Time will tell. For now all I can say is it has enough juice to drive a 1 1/4" spax screw into doug fir without a pilot hole, but only barely. It has a little LED light that turns on when running. Package claims it will drive 55 1.25" #8s into white pine at low speed on a single charge. Don't throw out your shop drill just yet.

Judge for yourself whether a battery powered cellphone charger is something you will ever use. I don't mind having it.

The flashlight seems sturdy and bright.

Bottom line, at this point I'm feeling pretty clever to have gotten this set for only $50. If it makes my wife any less peeved about my getting the SCMS, it was money well spent.

[Josh Reet]

As I already have a Makita 12v compact driver and drill set, a couple LED flashlights and a set of "worktunes" hearing protectors, I couldn't justify the tek4 set for myself. But for someone who doesn't have that stiff, $49 is a steal.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Seems like HD is closing out their black friday specials and discontinued tools. I even saw some stocking stuffer items 75% off like a coastal swiss army knife pair.

I went to two home depots today and they were loaded with Tek4 packs but they weren't marking them down. I tried on the headphones and they are pretty comfortable and i wonder if the noise canceling will help drown out my J/P + DC noise. If so, i'm buying a set for 50. :)

One HD did have the Milwaukee SCMS for just $299. If you're local it's the one on El Toro, in Laguna Woods, CA.

[Craig McCormick]

I bought the noise cancelling headphones for a job about 6 months ago. I had to wear them for 6 hours straight while running a gas pressure washer in a basement. They were great. The noise canceling and comfort were both very good.

I bought the set yesterday to have a second pair of headphones for home. The driver will work out well for the jobs we often get with hundreds of small screws to remove. I used the flashlight last night and it is a winner so far.

[Rob Wright]

I bought the kit yesterday on seeing the posts in the Deals and Discounts forum. My impressions so far-

The headphones are great - I could only be happier if the actually had a radio built in. comfortable and the NRR seems better than the Moldex that hang on the hook in my shop. I went out last night and turned on the dust collector, the dewalt 735 planer (loud as all get out!) and the radio. I was actually able to hear some of the radio while cutting most of the planer/DC noise out. They are now my goto hearing protection

Drill - tried to drive some fine thread pocket hole screws in southern yellow pine - VERY SLOOOOOW. This will be OK for driving a screw or two, but like the OP said - keep your other drill. Will be good for around the house stuff. The one thing I really like is that the ball detent bits are just pushedinto the chuck - no need to pull back on the chuck with one hand while pushing the bit in. You remove the bit the standard way of pulling back on the chuck and pulling the bit out with the other had. When I first picked up the drill - I thought that the chuck was broken since I couldn't pull back on the sleeve - only I find out now that that is not need to load the bit - overall a nice feature!

Flashlight is very bright and quality.

Extra "charger" - I like this feature - it will be used for my cell phone, GPS and IPOD for recharges when I don't have a car power outlet. A nice thing to have IMHO

The clippers - they will be used once a year to open those darn blister packs that are impossible to open, and when I normally open them I always am afraid that I may slip and cut a finger off - IMHO that type of packaging should be banned!

for $50 - not a bad deal overall and I am happy with it.

[Josh Reet]

As I already have a Makita 12v compact driver and drill set, a couple LED flashlights and a set of "worktunes" hearing protectors, I couldn't justify the tek4 set for myself. But for someone who doesn't have that stiff, $49 is a steal.

Despite my quote above, I ended up buying the set after a thread regarding machine safety when using "music" playing hearing protection. It scared me a little bit when guys mentioned that they had almost had an accident after not realizing a machine was still on:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1312952

So I figured the tek4 active hearing protection would let me play the radio in the shop rather than use my "worktunes" set and still let me hear the saws. Which it does. Plus, I had a lowes "project starter" $10 off $50 coupon. So the whole thing was $40 and tax for me.

So here's my quick review:

Hearing protection: Seems to do just what I want it to. Box claims 24 hrs of continuous operation. We will see how battery life is in the real world I suppose.

Drill/Driver: Sadly, I probably won't use this very much as I have a nice makita 12v set that is just as compact. Spins pretty slow at 200/600 rpm. But I'm sure it would be handy for a "kitchen drawer" type of driver.

Scissors: I laughed at these things when I saw them. But after testing them on a couple of those stupid "blister packs" that everything is sold in these days, I'm sold. I'll probably end up using these all the time. And if not me, I'm sure the wife will be stealing them all the time.

Flashlight: Bright, but I probably won't use it a lot just because I already have flashlights around the shop. On/off switch should have been a button and not the rotating ring which seems a little too easy to turn on/off by accident.

Battery thing: I can't imagine ever using this for anything. But whatever, I guess it's there if I need it.

Misc: Batteries charge decently fast, but nothing to write home about. Drill and scissors have little lanyards to keep the battery "door" caps connected to the tool, the rest of the items do not. A shame as it is pretty easy to mis-thread or drop the little things.

[herb fellows]

I agree, the cutter is pretty cool. I haven't figured out the headphones yet, they give you about a half dozen attachments, so I guess something there will work.
As far as the recharge time goes, they say it's 5 hours, and the charger only does 1 battery a a time.
Way over the top for a lithium battery.
They do sell a 2 battery charger for about $30 that claims 36 minute charge time. It charges 2 batteries in series, so a total of about 72 mins for 2, or 36 mins for 1.
I guess if you're going to find yourself using this a lot, and you got it for $40-50, it might be worth it.

[Josh Reet]

As far as the recharge time goes, they say it's 5 hours, and the charger only does 1 battery a a time.
Way over the top for a lithium battery.

Ouch!

My batteries must have come partially charged, because it didn't take 5 hours. I agree that's over the top for a lithium.

But I don't see myself using these like I do my 18V cordless tools. So I doubt that I'll be too worried about it with two batteries in the pack.

[herb fellows]

This is one of the wacky deals at HD now (see deals forum), I got it as an impulse buy when I picked up a 12" MW SCMS for $300. The set is $49, it includes the following 4v li-ion items:
- screwdriver
- earmuffs/headphones
- snips
- flashlight
- charger for cellphones, ipods, etc.

Just got it today and haven't used it yet, but so far I'm pleasantly surprised. Sorry that this is a lame review, I just wanted to put up something quick to help folks decide whether this set is worth getting during the HD blowout.

The headphones alone are for sale right now at HD for $70. They are surprisingly comfortable and seem like nice quality. Even without turning them on, they've already replaced my $20 amazon specials. Any utility from sound and noise cancelling would be a plus.

Who needs battery powered snips? Their youtube video shows using them to open plastic packaging. Whatever. Seems destined to join my 18v chainsaw in the "items I got in a set that I can't quite bring myself to throw away but will never, ever use" bin. Am I missing some usefulness?

The driver seems usable. Comfortable, small enough to fit in my front jeans pocket. I have an 18v Ryobi drill I actually like just fine, and this one seems like it will be useful for household (not shop) use. Time will tell. For now all I can say is it has enough juice to drive a 1 1/4" spax screw into doug fir without a pilot hole, but only barely. It has a little LED light that turns on when running. Package claims it will drive 55 1.25" #8s into white pine at low speed on a single charge. Don't throw out your shop drill just yet.

Judge for yourself whether a battery powered cellphone charger is something you will ever use. I don't mind having it.

The flashlight seems sturdy and bright.

Bottom line, at this point I'm feeling pretty clever to have gotten this set for only $50. If it makes my wife any less peeved about my getting the SCMS, it was money well spent.
Give her the battery powered snips! After she opens just one of those (*)$#&**^% packages with it, you will be in her good graces for at least a month!