Ryobi tools offered at any home product store are throw away short term/short life tools for me that I refuse to buy. Same with kawasaki, the new Porter cable line and a few others including Sears.
Even if not used daily or regularly, the interals and mechanisms are low cost and are not even of a middle quality tool.
I have a few co-workers that are using Hitachis with relay good results and this is in professional daily use.
Heck, I'd even buy the white body (home user) Makitias over Ryobis. The big cahllenge for that Ryobi is the huge cantilever battery, Most 12v tools these days use teh compact cylinder stacker batteriess fully recessed in teh handle allowing for a far more compact handle with the same life of teh clunky ones. Better ergonomics and easier to use in tighter spaces.
I always try to buy on closeout or mega sale Bosch, DeWalt, Milwaukee, makita and the like. Little more up front but they usualy last a long time and batteries are always availabe.
On the flip side an old employer I had went to Harbor Freight and bought 2 cases (48) of 14v or 12v drill drivers from Harbor Freight for the floor guys too poor to buy their own and for temp. workers.
Two years later most were still cranking but the batteries often were shot (avg'd out to 2 drivers per 1 battery at the end). They drilled like **** in the beginning. They held a charge like **** in the end. But folks still loved and used them until one by one they were replaced by Makita's bought in bulk and then replaced as each HF drill went dead.
In the end about 12 to 15 of the 48 drills survived and they were given away to shop employees who went ape **** happy. Me, on the other hand, they were a ************* drill. No way.
If you go Ryobi, buy used on craigslist. Pennies on the dollar for an already cheap tool.
