heard alot about this line of tools on the radio lately and checked them out when i was at bunnings today. thinking about buying a drill and maybe an impact gun. anybody here use these tools? wanting to know how good they are and what the battery life is like. most cordless tools I buy I end up binning because the batterys pack up after 12 months?
ryanm2,
Sep 28, 7:34am
they are ok for DIY type stuff, certainly not trade quality tools.
whqqsh,
Sep 28, 7:38am
I won't buy another Ryobi POS. I did have a cordless drill & it lasted about half the time of my Bosch at work & was more gutless during that time (both budget & about same price). I was doing up our bathroom & got a mains power jigsaw that was on promo special, it lasted long enough to cut the holes for the toilet & handbasin wastes & a bit of trim around the doors then went up in smoke.
gunhand,
Sep 28, 7:39am
I think it really depends on type of usage they will get. If you require all day every day hard work then no. Go or a tool more suited to that, and a higher price. However if you require DIY or slightly above then by all means buy them. Also get the higher amp battery available for them now. I have several Ryobi cordless items as well as corded and they have been very good for what I need them for. I do have the rattle gun as well. It will remove wheel nuts quite well. It puts them back on quite tight as well. Couldn't get much more from wheel brace when I checked them. Ive used mine to undo a nut I couldn't move with extension bar and feet used as brace and pulling like hell. Actually that surprised me as I didn't expect it from that tool. They are NOT full on workshop tools, if ya get what I mean. Battery life is fine, again if you don't want a days use. But get a spare and Bobs ya drill. So, for price, yep. Oh, Ive had mine all over two years easy and nothins gone wrong or up in smoke lol.
bigfatmat1,
Sep 28, 7:39am
I use the drill, impact 1/2 inch, and impact driver for trade use. The small baterries 1.3ah do not last long between charges when under high load of deep holes through steel or the 1/2 inch impact last a while in the small impact driver. i have two 5ah batteries i upgrade to
2sheddies,
Sep 28, 7:50am
I think with the cheapies, it's the luck of the draw to an extent. I don't use cordless stuff anymore, as I believe unless you're using it day in, day out it's not worth it. Everytime I went to use something, the battery was flat. but anyway I have an Ozito corded impact drill that replaced a burnt out Makita. only cost $40 at Bunnings and the things a bloody beast lol! Heaps of grunt, a nice long lead and handy with keyless 13mm chuck. I've got 4 other good drills, and always grab that one first. thrashed the crap outta it and it keeps going! I've had good experience with Ryobi corded stuff too so far.
Sorry OP, I'm wandering off topic a bit.
j_fung9007,
Sep 28, 8:08am
The AEG range are getting up there, good value for money, they are the B grade of Milwaukees, made from the same factory.
Seen quite a few of them on construction sites now, I got a set too. Previously had Milwaukee tools, a bit more expensive but I reckon they are ok.
I will definitely stick around with AEG tools.
clark20,
Sep 28, 9:30am
We use them at work , the batteries are still going well after years of abuse. I had a Makita Drill but purchased a 18V Ryobi li-ion rattle gun and it is excellent. I always crack the wheel nuts first and torque finish at the end by really handy, a good time saver. Get the good batteries and keep them charged.
klrider,
Sep 28, 7:30pm
I have had my drill, sabor etc set for five years and collected others over years. Been through three doer uppers and plenty of other home use, original batteries still going but purchased more recently because they are now more powerful, they are great, much improved on Ryobi gear from years gone by, I would say they are high end home use, but I know tradies that also use them.
kenw1,
Sep 28, 7:37pm
We all use Ryobi 18V drills here, with the big battery pack they are an excellent tool, but I find them a bit heavy to handle.
The battery packs last well.
But, they do have a no quibble 2 year exchange period, so why worry.
But if I am doing a whole building of steel cladding then I use a mains powered tec screw tool.
3tomany,
Sep 28, 8:23pm
I have a dewalt but bought a Ryobi for the house, WOW it is good I never use the dewalt on the farm any more as the battery life of the 4 AH battery just makes even big tasks easy. { I still use the dewalt for drilling strainer posts even thought the Ryobi has the grunt } Have also bought torches got a little one for the house and a spotlight for the farm and battery life is huge and when it does go flat very quick to charge. next on the list is an angle grinder.
goose16,
Sep 28, 8:39pm
I have had a number of Ryobi failures and would never buy again. A little extra spent on better quality is a good investment.
socram,
Apr 17, 1:20am
As a total amateur, for 40 years I used B & D tools and still have the metal bodied mains drill I bought reconditioned - 40 years ago!
I have recently purchased the Ryobi + one cordless drill and my only negative comment is that as I have a duff left hand, there is not enough grip on the chuck for me to properly tighten it. Although it is grooved, the shape doesn't work for me. Battery life seems OK for DiY use.
As all three of my older B & D drills eventually had the batteries die, they aren't interchangeable, so my guess is that having pushed the + concept, it means they are less likely to change the battery, making everyone's tools obsolete at a stroke.
Canon compact cameras don't seem to be able to sort out batteries at all. We have now bought six since 2004 for various family members over the years and every single one has a different battery.
The Ryobi system makes a lot of sense to me, but time will tell whether or not it becomes the market leader and to do that, quality and longevity has got to be acceptable.
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