For the Ryobi One+ tool fans, Home Depot has their annual “Buy two Batteries and charger, get a free tool” deal going on.

https://www.homedepot.com/coll...ons/Family-313983776

If you order online, they allow two sets. I was in store today and the register would only allow one, but just did multiple transactions.


Want a great deal on the tools but don’t need/want that many batteries? Buy the batteries and tool of choice, then immediately head over and return the tool. The way it rings out, it divide the $99 between the items.

Example:

I bought battery set ($99) and shop blower ($55). Receipt showed Battery kit at “Max refund value” of $63.66 and showed Shop blower at “Max refund value” of $35.34 for a total of $99. Shop blower price is $54.97

I spent $99 and returned the batteries for the $63.66 effectively getting the Shop blower for $35.34 (36% off regular price of $55)


The reverse works as well. If you need batteries but don’t need any tools, buy a set of batteries and THE MOST EXPENSIVE “free” tool available ($79) then return the tool.

Why get the most expensive free tool? Because they split the prices based on the relative prices. Buy the batteries with a $55 shop blower and the batteries are “worth” $63.66. Buy the batteries with a $79 tool and the batteries are “worth” $55.06 or almost half the current $99 price with charger and tote. Getting the most expensive took maximizes the refund, giving you the lowest battery price.


These are the 4Ah batteries with the push button charge indicator and the newer “compact” charger.



Don’t expect to get your Veteran’s discount too though, it won’t apply.

How is the quality of the Ryobi batteries and tools now? I had an older set that was pure garbage and the batteries didn't last that long at all.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
How is the quality of the Ryobi batteries and tools now? I had an older set that was pure garbage and the batteries didn't last that long at all.

They're pretty good for home use. I wouldn't show up with them on a job site and run them hard like Milwaukee, Dewalt or Makita but they're fine for the homeowner. Best thing about them is not having multiple tools for the same battery system.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
How is the quality of the Ryobi batteries and tools now? I had an older set that was pure garbage and the batteries didn't last that long at all.

I have found that the actual battery cells only come from a FEW manufacturers. The top five or so are all at the same level, but there are cheap cells out there.

The big difference between the actual tool batteries is the charging technology. The charging is what keeps the actual battery alive for longer duration and life.

Milwaukee, Bosch, Dewalt, Hilti are all tops in that regard.

Ridgid and Makita are middle/ upper, and everything else is intermediate/ homeowner.

Ave has taken apart a number of tools, and found that even Milwaukee, Dewalt and Hilti interchange the actual cells from Sanyo, Panasonic, Hitachi, and Samsung, and found that how they are charged and the electronics on how they are discharged has a far greater effect on longevity.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
How is the quality of the Ryobi batteries and tools now? I had an older set that was pure garbage and the batteries didn't last that long at all.

I am assuming you are talking about when the system had a blue and orange color scheme? Those batteries were crap (NiCad).

They use Lithium now and I have had no problems.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
They're pretty good for home use. I wouldn't show up with them on a job site and run them hard like Milwaukee, Dewalt or Makita but they're fine for the homeowner. Best thing about them is not having multiple tools for the same battery system.

Agree they are great for home use, I don’t have any experience with them other brands listed so can’t compare.

They are starting to beef them up and offer models with brushless motors and such. The common. Battery is a huge plus for me and coupled with the variety of tools I find it all very handy at a fair price with good reliability.

3-year warranty on most of the tools as well.

Ughhh. I love Ryobi and have been using their products for years. Their batteries are great and long lasting. Even recommending Ryobi here on the Forum from time to time.

But, in my attempt to go China free..my last purchase of Ryobi, a transfer pump, clearly marked on the box 'made in China'

How the hell can we ever get back to Made in the U.S.A.

I agree with 911Boss. They are great homeowner tools. I have a lot of their tools and batteries and I'm pleased with the performance of both. I have 4 of the newer 4.0 Ah batteries and they are outstanding.

Jim

Cool! I've been wanting another of the fans for my shop. And more batteries is always more better.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
How is the quality of the Ryobi batteries and tools now? I had an older set that was pure garbage and the batteries didn't last that long at all.

Personally, I've always regarded Ryobi as being in about the same class as Black & Decker, Harbor Freight, and the no-name Chinese brands.

But many users here of their products seem happy with them, so who am I to gainsay them?

I would put the quality up there with Dewalt. I have used my Ryobi tools in the electrical/telecom trade for over a decade and have only burned up the switch on 1 drill. Several of my tools where bought as far back as 2005 and still going today.

The NiCad batteries seemed to go pretty quick, but since I upgraded to the lithiums they seem to be working quite well.

I just broke in my Ryobi cordless impact driver two weeks ago and it busted off my lug nuts like an industrial air tool. It was way better than my DeWalt. I hope it lasts a while because I love it.

quote:

Originally posted by am94pm:
I would put the quality up there with Dewalt. I have used my Ryobi tools in the electrical/telecom trade for over a decade and have only burned up the switch on 1 drill. Several of my tools where bought as far back as 2005 and still going today.

The NiCad batteries seemed to go pretty quick, but since I upgraded to the lithiums they seem to be working quite well.

Ryobi is a good homeowner quality tool, but in the trades I work in (Commercial-Industrial electrical/HVAC repair), Ryobi would never hold up. That’s why you only see Milwaukee and Dewalt on job sites with a few Makita’s mixed in here and there.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
How is the quality of the Ryobi batteries and tools now? I had an older set that was pure garbage and the batteries didn't last that long at all.

I am assuming you are talking about when the system had a blue and orange color scheme? Those batteries were crap (NiCad).

They use Lithium now and I have had no problems.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
They're pretty good for home use. I wouldn't show up with them on a job site and run them hard like Milwaukee, Dewalt or Makita but they're fine for the homeowner. Best thing about them is not having multiple tools for the same battery system.

Agree they are great for home use, I don’t have any experience with them other brands listed so can’t compare.

They are starting to beef them up and offer models with brushless motors and such. The common. Battery is a huge plus for me and coupled with the variety of tools I find it all very handy at a fair price with good reliability.

3-year warranty on most of the tools as well.

I had the original set with the drill,small circular saw,dust buster and something I can't remember. The tools were great but the batteries didn't last at all. Glad to hear they are making them better.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Ryobi is a good homeowner quality tool, but in the trades I work in (Commercial-Industrial electrical/HVAC repair), Ryobi would never hold up. That’s why you only see Milwaukee and Dewalt on job sites with a few Makita’s mixed in here and there.

Being home-owners that have had more than a few contractors on-site for various repairs and enhancements: I have never seen a single Ryobi tool used. The "lowest-end" I've ever seen has been DeWalt and Ridgid. Everything else has been Milwaukee, Makita, Porter Cable, Bosch, or Hitachi/Metabo/Metabo HPT. So that's what I buy.

Would Ryobi and some of the others suffice for my use? Yeah, probably. But I'm a bit of a tool junkie. I simply appreciate good tools. So I buy the same tools the pros use, mostly.

Same goes for my lawn and yard maintenance tools.

The exception is much of my hand tools, such as wrenches and the like. There I go for Craftsman, Kobalt, and so-on. I'd like to have Snap-On and Matco, but cannot justify the expense.

Thanks for the heads up. Just bought Dad’s b-day present and got myself something.

I bought a large Ryobi One+ set with my first home 20 years ago. The original NiCad batteries were crap but the grest news is they kept the same form factor for Lithium Ion. I’m still able to use my Y2K power tools and the tools I’ve accumulated over the years. Also, adding 2 new batteries, new charger, and one additional tool every year is great. For example:

many weekends I have a pilot bit in my Y2K drill and Phillip’s head in my year or two old drill. I’m not having to swap out bits or batteries for an entire project.

this week, I drilled through 3/16” steel with my 1/2” newer green drill (I think it was my 2019 purchase on same/similar deal) and used my old blue impact driver to anchor it to concrete. It’s not light duty work and both worked fine, but if I did it for a living would probably buy something heavier duty.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

DeWalt isn’t a low end tool. 15 years ago they were inferior to Milwaukee but not anymore. That’s why my company has switched over to DeWalt. And I’m talking hundreds and hundreds of tools. Some of DeWalt’s tools being made in US is a bonus.

Anyone tried the pole saw? I'm wondering how fine of branches it will cut through. I have some small ornamental trees about 10-12' tall that I have to use a manual pole pruner with the rope to trim.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
DeWalt isn’t a low end tool.

Well, I put "lowest-end" in quotes for a reason. In some ways it's a subjective assessment.

I'll tell you this, though: I recently had need of an angle grinder. My first purchase was a Metabo. It was really nice, but not suitable for my needs because the side-handles come out at a slight forward angle. So I took it back and picked up a DeWalt. (Only angle grinder I could find locally where the side handles came out at right angles to the tool body.)

Night-and-day difference. The Metabo had operated much more smoothly, quietly, and vibration-freely.

Admittedly: The DeWalt also cost about half as much.

Similar experience with my neighbour's DeWalt framing nailer vs. my Metabo HPT framing nailer. His nailer worked "ok," but mine drives the same nails noticeably more reliably and consistently. My experience with the two framing nailers matches what I read in reviews of the tools.

I've got, now, three DeWalt tools. They suffice for the jobs for which they're intended. (Actually, the quarter-sheet palm sander I regard as a pretty good tool.)

Even better... The battery pack this year includes 4 amp hour batteries, as opposed to the 3 amp hour batteries in prior years.

I'll be snagging another battery set. Now to decide which free tool... I'm thinking either a random orbit sander, or the quasi-pressure washer (it's not 1000s of PSI like a true pressure washer, but seems decent enough for washing off the outside of siding and gutters or hosing down the car).

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
They're pretty good for home use. I wouldn't show up with them on a job site and run them hard like Milwaukee, Dewalt or Makita

Especially with these free tools.

Ryobi has a few different "tiers" of tools that all use the same batteries. Their upper tier tools are brushless, and really quite good. Not quite commercial contractor grade, but getting there. But the lower tier ones (like the ones they're giving away with these battery sets) are noticeably cheaper, brushed, and geared towards occasional homeowner use, a task for which they work very well.


The Ryobi 18V tool that has most impressed me so far is their upper tier straight shaft brushless string trimmer. That thing's a beast! Best string trimmer I've ever used, by far.

I bought my first Ryobi back in, and I had to think about this, 2004. This was back when they were blue and had NiCad batteries.

All the batteries are gone, replaced by Li-Ion, but I still have every single tool and have added to the set over the years.

Drill, Hammer Drill, Circular Saw, Jig Saw, Reciprocating Saw, Mouse Sander, Orbital Sander, Router, Dust Buster, multiple shop lights, small fan, Misting Fan, and the latest purchase, their Pool Vacuum. I have 7 Li-Ion batteries and a 6 station charger.

I used almost every one of these tools over the COVID break to fix my privacy fence and build a new wooden deck.

For my use, they work great.