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Thread: How bad are Ryobi 18 tools?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Beantown
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    2,831
    I'm a long time cordless Makita drill guy, but I got several Ryobi drills for next to nothing several years ago. Bought some batteries and they worked fine for a while until the batteries died. Bought a second set of batteries and again everything worked fine until those batteries died. In the same time period I was still on my first set of Makita batteries and decided to toss the Ryobi stuff as it wasn't worth replacing the batteries that often. Maybe the newer versions are better, but it's easier for me to stick with Makita as they just work.

    good luck,
    JeffD

  2. #17
    If i wanted a circ saw i would go with a brushless just cause everyone i used that wasnt brushless didnt last long.

    i have 4 ryobi impacts that are used daily and they have held up well in the past 2 yrs and are cheap enough for me to not overly worry about losing or breaking them.

    i do like the magnet at the base and wonder why not all other brands have that.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Williamston, MI
    Posts
    464
    I bought a 12v Ryobi drill to keep at my mother's house so I would have a drill on site for odd jobs. The NiCad batteries wouldn't hold a charge between visits (charged and removed from charger) and failed completely within two years. I don't know how well the newer lithium batteries work, but the 18v Lithium battery in a Ryobi weed wacker that my wife bought (against my advice) failed within a year. To make matters worse, Ryobi stopped supporting the 18v tool when they switched to 20v.

    I have a set of 12v Milwaukee tools that I'm very happy with and bought them because I already had the 12v Milwaukee ProPex expander tool. The drill and impact tool aren't as powerful as my older 18v DeWalt XRP NiCads, but they're much lighter and recharge very quickly. They also hold a charge well except when left in the truck when the temperature drops below zero. I've also used a friend's 18v. Milwaukee set and am impressed with the performance.

    If I were you, I'd spend the extra and go with something heavier duty like the Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita or Ridgid. Any one of these brands will last a long time.
    Last edited by Roy Turbett; 07-02-2018 at 8:20 PM.

  4. #19
    You only spend the money once. I think Makita is more Reliable than Milwaukee right now. But Milwaukee has a huge selection of tools. Ryobi is home owner stuff.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    9,447
    Quote Originally Posted by Leo Graywacz View Post
    You only spend the money once.
    If that were only true. For a serious user, you kinda have to approach cordless tools like computers, you know you will replace them. The cordless tools of 10 years ago are several generations behind today's tools.

    The funny thing about Ryobi 18v to me is I have had excellent luck with them. I bought a big set 10 years ago on Black Friday as beaters and loaners and all of them especially the drill and impact driver have been abused, the drill took a dip in the lake and the impact multiple dives off ladders. They all still work and now I use Li batteries in them. They are not as high quality or as powerful as my Bosch, Festool and DeWalt tools that I consider my mainstays but I just can't kill them and I honestly consider them a better value unless you make a living with them.

    If I were buying today from scratch and didn't want to jump in the super high end like Hilti I think I would pick Milwaukee 18 and or 12v. The selection is enormous and I doubt a non-tradesman will see any longevity issues before they switch platforms in a few years. Me personally I have DeWalt 20v and Bosch 12v simply because I liked specific tools in the lines as well as I got good deals on them. While I have been known to turn up my nose to tools Ryobi 18v has earned my respect, the fact I (nor the people I loan them to) have killed them AND they made their Lithium Ion batteries backward compatible keep them around and beckon me to use them instead of my "better" tools on occasion even when I don't plan to abuse them.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  6. #21
    The one thing about Makita is their battery platforms have stayed pretty stable. Tools I bought quite a while ago still work with the batteries they put out today.

    I find Ryobi to be larger and noisier than their equivalents in other brands. Makita did have issues with their batteries crapping out earlier than they should. Now they have the batteries with the LED power level indicator, and the batteries seem to work very well.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    Quote Originally Posted by Leo Graywacz View Post
    The one thing about Makita is their battery platforms have stayed pretty stable. Tools I bought quite a while ago still work with the batteries they put out today.

    I find Ryobi to be larger and noisier than their equivalents in other brands. Makita did have issues with their batteries crapping out earlier than they should. Now they have the batteries with the LED power level indicator, and the batteries seem to work very well.
    Don't get me wrong I like Makita and they are always in the running in my tool buying fetish olympics but they always seem to place silver or bronze, usually for some highly personal reason.

    I should add for a furniture builder for the shop I think the combination of the Bosch 12v Flexi-click drill/driver and the 12v brushless impact might be a near perfect combination.

    s-l300.jpg

    That 5 in one tool is amazingly flexible for a woodworker.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  8. #23
    I have the little 10.8v Makita's and they are great inside of cabinets. And all tools have their pluses and minuses. I don't have anything near the full range of their tools. The drills I find I like a lot. I got the 6" circular saw and it was a dog. The 7 1/4" 2 battery saw is a workhorse. I really like the mini impact and drill driver. It's what I use the most. I recently got their Sub compact brushless drill and I'm pretty pleased with it. I needed something that would stay in the shop and have a chuck with the same size as my other drills because I've made several jigs that have drill bits of certain lengths for the jigs to work without modification.

    I picked up a Milwaukee Rocket Light, 2 5Ah batteries and then their fan to keep me cool on the job site. It's the first time I've strayed from Makita in years.

  9. #24
    I love the Ryobi 18v system! And one of these days I will buy a tool.

    Right now, I have an LED shop light, an LED flashlight, another set of smaller LED lights, a Devour sweeper, a project vac, a tire pump, and a fan. All powered by four batteries that I bought on sale at great prices. It's a fantastic system!

    Not a tool there anywhere, but I'm sure I'll get something at some point. (I have two 12v drills and a 12v driver that predate the Ryobis.)

    One reason why I like Ryobi is that if you need anything, all you have to do is visit Home Depot.

  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Roy Turbett View Post
    ...I don't know how well the newer lithium batteries work, but the 18v Lithium battery in a Ryobi weed wacker that my wife bought (against my advice) failed within a year. To make matters worse, Ryobi stopped supporting the 18v tool when they switched to 20v....
    Do you mean 40v? They do have a 40v garden tool line that is not compatible (for obvious reasons) with the 18v batteries or tools, but ALL of the Ryobi 18v tools are compatible with each other and any Ryobi 18v battery old or new, lithium or ni-cad, it's one of their main selling points of the 18v ONE+ line.

    Whoever told you the 18v is not supported anymore just wanted to take your money for a new tool.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Williamston, MI
    Posts
    464
    Bryan - Thanks for the information. My wife bought the weed wacker at Home Depot and a salesman told her she couldn't get a replacement battery. Could be the salesman didn't know what he was talking about and you're right about him being the same guy that sold her a new one. I couldn't complain too much because the only reason she bought one in the first place is because I was too lazy to fire up my nice Stihl gas trimmer that she can't get started! Nevertheless, the 12v Ryobi batteries and 18v Ryobi battery didn't hold up. I'm not certain about the voltage on the new one and it very well could be 40v.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    River Falls WI
    Posts
    490
    The same parent company owns Ridgid, Ryobi and Milwaukee now. Ridgid I have an old Nicad 12 volt, replaced batteries once they still work. Not sure if I can do it again, the repair place is gone now 7 Corners. I have other Ridgid tools, they all have tail though. I started with a M18 combo kit Milwaukee, maybe 2008 with compact batteries. Those 2 batteries have finally gone to heaven after 7 years. Started getting the XC batteries on Black Friday, then picked up a close out M18 Hammer Drill, Brushed version and it is a beast. Finally had to order the handle for it. I also have a large group of M12 tools, I tend to buy when on discount. So far all my batteries are still goingThe deal with the M18 kits is the charger does both M18 & M12. I have been considering the Ryobi for lights and other odd tools. They make a stick Vac for the home, that looks interesting now. I spend too much on the Red, but will keep buying either M18 or M12. Dan

  13. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Wade Lippman View Post
    I have a set of 15 year old Dewalt nicad 12v tools. The batteries die about 1 per year, and I have 4 left, so I can keep going for a while.
    The drills and impact drivers work okay, but the circular saw is pathetic.
    I am looking to upgrade, and get some tools that weren't available 15 years ago.

    If I want to stay with 12v, that means Makita or Milwaukee, but they are both so expensive. (dewalt and bosch have a very limited selection)

    I see that HD has a Ryobi 18 drill, driver, circular saw and recip saw for $150. Heck of a buy. How bad are they?

    I also see that Lowes occasionally has PC really cheap. How bad are they?
    The old Dewalt 12V tools of yesteryear are absolutely pitiful compared to the new 20V system they have now, which tools are very competitively priced, either in the home stores or on amazon.

    The Milwaukee 12V and 18V Fuel tools are also very impressive.

    No experience with the Makita cordless, although I have a lot of their corded tools, and they are mostly top notch.

    I've been disappointed by what Ryobi is putting out now, compared to what they were 20+ years ago. I don't know what happened to them.
    Last edited by Doug Dawson; 07-04-2018 at 11:09 AM.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
    Posts
    1,417
    I've had the Ryobi 18v system for about 10-12 years. 2 drills, 2 impacts, circular saw, grinder, weed wacker, hedge trimmer, sawzall, 2 sanders, 2 flashlights, hammer drill, leaf blower, jigsaw, 5 Li batteries, 4 chargers. (yes, I drank the cool aide ) I use them almost every day in the shop. Have not had 1 of them quit on me. Several of the old batteries died, but since buying the Li's I've had no problems.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
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    1,417
    oh - and 2 hand vacs, a shop va and the stapler
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

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