Ryobi - Commercial Trades

[mobiledynamics]

Off topic, but how many in the -trades- are rocking Ryobi....

Anyhow, say a company flatbed the other day. Didn't even know Ryobi was more than just another -tti homers carried brand-. Matte Black Vinyl paint job, full on deck Neon Green Ryobi branding. 40v stickets, the works .etc. Anyhow, threw me for a curve ball as it's kinda like seeing a Black Decker Company Truck roll by

 

[Al Borland]

Until recently, our office bought Ryobi tools. Now they buy DeWalt.
Makes no sense to give the meatheads who destroy/lose/take home a $80 18v drill set a $300 20v drill set, but that's Carpet-Walker logic for ya.

 

[1982fxr]

I have Ryobi +1 cordless at home. They're ok.

I'd never have used them when I worked in construction or any other production environment. They're just not made for it.

 

[slackdaddy1]

I'm in the trades, I rely on my tools to feed the family,, I only use Milwaukee.
But I am in "home center stores" 2-4 times a day, everyday. Typically you see newly bought Ryobi being loaded into a Honda hatchback, just saying, it's not your established legal contractor buying them, but your "Side job Bob" buying Ryobi

 

[mobiledynamics]

LOL. I wonder with the Ryobi branded truck, in which target segment they were going after tho. Can't be resi ?

 

[Badgerstate]

Ryobi has certainly gotten better in recent years and they certainly are bordering on being a pro tool but as someone who has owned Ryobi, Craftsman, Milwaukee and DeWalt; Ryobi certainly isnt in the league of Milwaukee or DeWalt.
Theyre great tools for DIYers, homeowners and occasional users but they arent made to be used every day, in a professional setting.
People always talk about cost with Ryobi and that certainly used to be true but the price of Ryobi has been creeping up, especially with the newer brushless and HP stuff to where its really not much cheaper than anything Milwaukee or DeWalt anymore.
Infact, Id even go so far as to say that Craftsman is actually a much better value now than Ryobi is. I say that because you get a tool that is 90% as good as a DeWalt but costs 1/3 as much.

 

[xlowxyotax88x]

I have a drill and hex driver I use at work(auto tech/sheet metal) and they do decent, although I have a 12v makita drill and driver it blows away but they're smaller. I also have snap on 14.4 impacts, ratchets, and screw gun which are used far more often

 

[Pistolero]

I have Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi tools, I like the Ryobi line up for the consumer, Makita I like the way they develop lighter and powerful tools. Milwaukee, don't have that many of their tool, only have their ratchet, drill driver and small rotary tool, so I cant say anything. For Ryobi, the line up is good, but the newer brushless driver drill is coming close to the price of the Makita, dewalt, so don't know if its good.

 

[Kenstone1]

I was staring at the Ryobi 2 pack of 4AH Lithium batteries for $79 contemplating a purchase.
This guy with a red Milwaukee shirt walks up and asked if I needed "help".
So I asked him if these batteries would work in the old blue Ryobi tools, I was shocked by his endorsement of a competitors stuff.

I have a collection of those old blue tools because when the batteries puked I'd buy another tool that came with 2 batteries and charger for the price of 2 batteries alone.
Clever those marketers …

He must have noticed my confused look and confessed to representing Ryobi too.
He showed me a Milwaukee 4AH 2 batt pack that was $200!
So I bought those Ryobi batts and a compatible charger($39).

Gitty to use my new batt/charger I charged one up and jumped right into using a blue drill that I never thru away
That's when I remembered how much those chucks slipped, and what a PITA that was then and still is NOW.

That rep told me Ryobi issued those 2 batt packs for Christmas sales that never happened so they are still "on sale" for $79 until they are all gone.

FYI: I think the Ryobi batts the come with new tools are 1.5 AH, so there's that.
That's my Ryobi rant for now,

 

[Ign]

I was staring at the Ryobi 2 pack of 4AH Lithium batteries for $79 contemplating a purchase.
This guy with a red Milwaukee shirt walks up and asked if I needed "help".
So I asked him if these batteries would work in the old blue Ryobi tools, I was shocked by his endorsement of a competitors stuff.

I have a collection of those old blue tools because when the batteries puked I'd buy another tool that came with 2 batteries and charger for the price of 2 batteries alone.
Clever those marketers …

He must have noticed my confused look and confessed to representing Ryobi too.
He showed me a Milwaukee 4AH 2 batt pack that was $200!
So I bought those Ryobi batts and a compatible charger($39).
{snip}

Nobody in their right mind is paying that for a 4ah Milwaukee battery.

Milwaukee plays The Emporer's New Clothes game by keeping daily retail prices high so people think it's just "that good."

If you watch sales, deals, rebates and the second hand market you can outfit yourself with Milwaukee at a fraction of list prices. That said, I understand some people don't have the time or desire to shop the deals and sales.

Lone batteries seem to be the biggest rip-off. Walk into HD to buy a single Milwaukee battery with no active promo or sale and you might as well also swing by O'Reilly for a couple exorbitantly priced wiper blades and a headlight bulb. IOW....bend over

 

[sk farmer]

I'm in the trades, I rely on my tools to feed the family,, I only use Milwaukee.
But I am in "home center stores" 2-4 times a day, everyday. Typically you see newly bought Ryobi being loaded into a Honda hatchback, just saying, it's not your established legal contractor buying them, but your "Side job Bob" buying Ryobi

so if i understand this correctly. seeing ryobi tools on a job sight must mean they are unestablished or not legal.

i don't think i will ever understand the milwaukee is superior to everything attitude.

should we pass the hat for the family of guys with ryobi? they must not be getting fed.

oh yeah, guys with honda hatchbacks? i wouldn't trust them either.

 

[ddawg16]

I was staring at the Ryobi 2 pack of 4AH Lithium batteries for $79 contemplating a purchase.
This guy with a red Milwaukee shirt walks up and asked if I needed "help".
So I asked him if these batteries would work in the old blue Ryobi tools, I was shocked by his endorsement of a competitors stuff.

I have a collection of those old blue tools because when the batteries puked I'd buy another tool that came with 2 batteries and charger for the price of 2 batteries alone.
Clever those marketers …

He must have noticed my confused look and confessed to representing Ryobi too.
He showed me a Milwaukee 4AH 2 batt pack that was $200!
So I bought those Ryobi batts and a compatible charger($39).

Gitty to use my new batt/charger I charged one up and jumped right into using a blue drill that I never thru away
That's when I remembered how much those chucks slipped, and what a PITA that was then and still is NOW.

That rep told me Ryobi issued those 2 batt packs for Christmas sales that never happened so they are still "on sale" for $79 until they are all gone.

FYI: I think the Ryobi batts the come with new tools are 1.5 AH, so there's that.
That's my Ryobi rant for now,

$79? Maybe I should buy another set?

All my stuff is Ryobi....including my lawn tools...even my mower. The **** has worked well enough to build my garage and 2-story addition.

I have a contractor friend up the street who uses Ryobi....he says break just as well as a Mikita when dropped off the 2nd story....but don't 'walk off' as easy

 

[MadMechMaster]

I wish they would come out with something like a stage II kit. You know for someone who already has the drill, impact, flashlight, etc. Maybe recip, grinder, jigsaw, batteries and charger.

 

[Dan V.]

Come guys, don't you know that TTI is the parent company of Ryobi, Milwaukee, Rigid,AEG, and Hart power tools? Now, how much crossover is amongst the tool lines, IDK.

The reps wearing the Milwaukee shirts at HD are also there for Ryobi.

That $79- two battery deal was killer. I don't use the Ryobi stuff much anymore due to weight, but it will keep me in batteries for a few more years.

 

[PugetDude]

Picked up the 2-battery set at $79 this afternoon.
All my 18V stuff is Ryobi. I wanted the 4.0 batteries for the circular saw, angle grinder, and blower. The drills, sanders, and impact drivers seem to do OK on the smaller batteries.
All my 12V stuff is Milwaukee, so I also picked up the 6.0/2.0 combo pack they had on sale.

 

[Kenstone1]

Nobody in their right mind is paying that for a 4ah Milwaukee battery.

Milwaukee plays The Emporer's New Clothes game by keeping daily retail prices high so people think it's just "that good."

If you watch sales, deals, rebates and the second hand market you can outfit yourself with Milwaukee at a fraction of list prices. That said, I understand some people don't have the time or desire to shop the deals and sales.

Lone batteries seem to be the biggest rip-off. Walk into HD to buy a single Milwaukee battery with no active promo or sale and you might as well also swing by O'Reilly for a couple exorbitantly priced wiper blades and a headlight bulb. IOW....bend over

um, that $200 was for TWO 4AH milky batts, not one
It's not my life long quest to find the cheapest price on anything but will share any bargains I stumble on with everyone here.

 

[MarvinBerry]

I had a friend who was using Ryobi for low voltage installs day in & out... security cams, 70 volt etc until he quit the biz entirely.

There's also a theater I've worked at on occasion that's all Ryobi. Sure it's not a construction site but with touring musical acts coming through a few nights a week the stuff gets used. Pre covid anyway.

Couple 3 years ago I bought all new cordless & went Ryobi. Been more then fine for my basic needs and way outperforms old dewalt 12 volt which was no longer holding a charge. I mean, even when the yellow was new it wasn't as good.

 

[catron44]

They definitely get laughed at on the job sites I’ve been on but I’ve seen guys do excellent work using them. I’ve also seen guys do less than perfect work using Festool.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Al Borland]

They definitely get laughed at on the job sites I’ve been on but I’ve seen guys do excellent work using them. I’ve also seen guys do less than perfect work using Festool.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

The "Upside" to them being laughed at is they don't disappear as quickly as the DeWalts. And they explode the same as the DeWalts/Makitas/Milwaukees when dropped/thrown/run over. Just at a fraction of the cost.

 

[PugetDude]

They definitely get laughed at on the job sites I’ve been on but I’ve seen guys do excellent work using them.

Carpenters use SnapOn ?

 

[DeeDubz]

Im not in the trades but I used my tools almost daily when im home. Ive had ryobi for over 12 yrs no issues. Ive even bought a few refurbished tools that have been awesome. All of my friends have Milwaukee but they are over priced tools that mostly collect dust. My ryobi tools get used and abused. If they end up going kaboom i can afford to replace them.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I have a few Ryobi tools for home use, and they're just fine. I definitely wouldn't use them for a commercial trades job where they would take a lot of abuse.

I work facilities maintenance and I think they would hold up fine for what we do. Our shop just had Craftsman C3 cordless tools until a few years ago. Now we have some 18v Ridgid stuff, but the tool budget is so limited they would've been better off with Ryobi so we could've got a few more tools with it.

 

[Badgerstate]

I was staring at the Ryobi 2 pack of 4AH Lithium batteries for $79 contemplating a purchase.
This guy with a red Milwaukee shirt walks up and asked if I needed "help".
So I asked him if these batteries would work in the old blue Ryobi tools, I was shocked by his endorsement of a competitors stuff.

I have a collection of those old blue tools because when the batteries puked I'd buy another tool that came with 2 batteries and charger for the price of 2 batteries alone.
Clever those marketers …

He must have noticed my confused look and confessed to representing Ryobi too.
He showed me a Milwaukee 4AH 2 batt pack that was $200!
So I bought those Ryobi batts and a compatible charger($39).

Gitty to use my new batt/charger I charged one up and jumped right into using a blue drill that I never thru away
That's when I remembered how much those chucks slipped, and what a PITA that was then and still is NOW.

That rep told me Ryobi issued those 2 batt packs for Christmas sales that never happened so they are still "on sale" for $79 until they are all gone.

FYI: I think the Ryobi batts the come with new tools are 1.5 AH, so there's that.
That's my Ryobi rant for now,

Yup, one of the really great things about Ryobi is that the batteries work with the old blue tools and the new ones. Ryobi also claims that they will never change from the stem style battery.

 

[Farmall450]

Ryobi has certainly gotten better in recent years and they certainly are bordering on being a pro tool but as someone who has owned Ryobi, Craftsman, Milwaukee and DeWalt; Ryobi certainly isnt in the league of Milwaukee or DeWalt.
Theyre great tools for DIYers, homeowners and occasional users but they arent made to be used every day, in a professional setting.
People always talk about cost with Ryobi and that certainly used to be true but the price of Ryobi has been creeping up, especially with the newer brushless and HP stuff to where its really not much cheaper than anything Milwaukee or DeWalt anymore.
Infact, Id even go so far as to say that Craftsman is actually a much better value now than Ryobi is. I say that because you get a tool that is 90% as good as a DeWalt but costs 1/3 as much.

Yeah, you're better of with the premium (USA BL) Craftsman stuff than anything ryboi has and even better than the brushed/older DeWalt and Milwaukee stuff.

 

[American Locomotive]

I really like Ryobi for home stuff. Really can't beat the fact that you can use the same battery in a modern tool and the old blue tools from forever ago. But just because Milwaukee and Ryobi both come from TTI, doesn't mean they're the same tools with different colors.

What I've noticed is the Ryobi tools tend to be a lot less powerful, and tend to get sloppy/wear out a lot faster.

 

[Davefr]

So what specific areas differentiate Ryobi from Milwaukee for a given voltage platform?

I would guess that TTI would want motors, switches, chargers and battery cells commonly sourced for economies of scale. That leaves the plastic case and chuck. If someone dissected the two, what would be different inside?

 

[Kenstone1]

So what specific areas differentiate Ryobi from Milwaukee for a given voltage platform?

I would guess that TTI would want motors, switches, chargers and battery cells commonly sourced for economies of scale. That leaves the plastic case and chuck. If someone dissected the two, what would be different inside?

Different inside
I'm sure if you search Utube for a comparison you'd get a lot of vids to watch.

 

[Farmall450]

So what specific areas differentiate Ryobi from Milwaukee for a given voltage platform?

I would guess that TTI would want motors, switches, chargers and battery cells commonly sourced for economies of scale. That leaves the plastic case and chuck. If someone dissected the two, what would be different inside?

Yeah that's not quite how this works.

Otherwise every power tool in their lineup would be made to use the same motor, no? Many more considerations here.

 

[nadogail]

I have given away my last Royobi Cordless tool after the replacement batteries died, and I thanked to guy for taking it off my hands.

I have worn out a Makita cordless drill and my employer replaced it with a DeWalt, the DeWalt was replaced with another cordless Makita. I feel like I am a cordless Makita fan for life.

Cordless tools are convenient, but seem to lack the power of corded tools.

 

[danski0224]

Off topic, but how many in the -trades- are rocking Ryobi....

Anyhow, say a company flatbed the other day. Didn't even know Ryobi was more than just another -tti homers carried brand-. Matte Black Vinyl paint job, full on deck Neon Green Ryobi branding. 40v stickets, the works .etc. Anyhow, threw me for a curve ball as it's kinda like seeing a Black Decker Company Truck roll by

I haven't seen any Ryobi on the jobsite for a while. It used to be yellow tools, now it's red tools.

If I was an employer, I'd certainly give a suite of Ryobi tools a shot. That said, there are obvious holes in their lineup compared to say Red. A rotary hammer with dedicated dust collection is near the top of that list (haven't checked Ryobi offerings fully though).

Ryobi should fit the bill for the basics: impact driver (1/4" hex), drill, reciprocating saw and circular saw.

One big problem would be employees destroying the tools because they say Ryobi. This might actually be worse than providing a "name brand" at a significantly higher cost, only to see those tools destroyed because the tools are not their own, so IDGAF...

 

[Badgerstate]

Yeah, you're better of with the premium (USA BL) Craftsman stuff than anything ryboi has and even better than the brushed/older DeWalt and Milwaukee stuff.

I dont know about that. Look at some of the reviews that Craftsman power tools get on Lowes. Its pretty bad when almost every review says that the tool died in less than a year or had flaws from day 1. It seems like Craftsman has some serious issues with their batteries not lasting.

 

[brianh]

I have been using ryobi cordless for quite a while, more than ten years, daily use in the shop no issues, my original blue drill still going strong when I go to a job site if one disappears it is not a huge loss. I used to only have Makita but Ryobi came out with the universal battery platform way before any other manufacturer.

A lot of perceived performance is just brand loyalty.

 

[Farmall450]

I dont know about that. Look at some of the reviews that Craftsman power tools get on Lowes. Its pretty bad when almost every review says that the tool died in less than a year or had flaws from day 1. It seems like Craftsman has some serious issues with their batteries not lasting.

How many do you have?

I have quite a few bouncing around my work truck, and haven't had one battery issue...even today (-10).