I searched but didn't see any posts on how these scrubbers hold up long term. I need a decent solution to clean the hull on my boats in salt water on a monthly basis from May to October. I’m currently using a manual brush which works, but I end up missing a lot of the growth with back and forth passes only in one direction. I’ve seen a couple videos of people using the Ryobi power scrubber on the hulls of boats in the water. Ryobi seems to be the only game in town on this product. There is a Craftsman scrubber at Ace, but it isn’t advertised as waterproof. I’m hesitant to enter another battery platform, and I don’t know if this tool will actually last in the environment. There is a promo at Home Depot where I can get the tool and batteries for $179. I would certainly buy the 3 year extended warranty on the tool for $18 since the likelihood of a salt water life killing it is high. Does anyone have long term experience abusing this tool?
Ryobi telescoping power scrubber for boat
- Thread starter BroncoAZ
- Start date
bwringer
Well-known member
I settled on Ryobi a while back precisely because they have such a huge range of weird tools, many of which are on the shelf at any Home Despot.
I've abused the hell out of a couple dozen other Ryobi tools and been very satisfied; their newer stuff is not the janky **** of ten or twenty years ago.
I have no direct experience with this one, but it seems to be well sealed, which is my main concern. Although salt water always seems to find a way anyway, I'd get the warranty and give 'er a rip.
Once you own some Ryobi, https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/ is worth knowing about as the snot yellow infestation spreads; you can score some great discounts on blems, seconds, etc.
In your case, it may be easiest to get the warranty from HD so you can exchange at the store easier. I will say that make sure you read the terms of the warranty carefully and do exactly what you are required to do (register, sign up, etc.) and preserve your unwrinkled paper receipt in a sealed, climate controlled vault.
Any time I've tried to get warranty service for anything at Home Depot, suddenly the store manager is revealed as a moonlighting Harvard lawyer, the green eye shade goes on, and they find a semicolon on page 47 of the contract I didn't know existed that means my busted **** stays busted. Hopefully the paid warranty is a little better in this respect.
I've abused the hell out of a couple dozen other Ryobi tools and been very satisfied; their newer stuff is not the janky **** of ten or twenty years ago.
I have no direct experience with this one, but it seems to be well sealed, which is my main concern. Although salt water always seems to find a way anyway, I'd get the warranty and give 'er a rip.
Once you own some Ryobi, https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/ is worth knowing about as the snot yellow infestation spreads; you can score some great discounts on blems, seconds, etc.
In your case, it may be easiest to get the warranty from HD so you can exchange at the store easier. I will say that make sure you read the terms of the warranty carefully and do exactly what you are required to do (register, sign up, etc.) and preserve your unwrinkled paper receipt in a sealed, climate controlled vault.
Any time I've tried to get warranty service for anything at Home Depot, suddenly the store manager is revealed as a moonlighting Harvard lawyer, the green eye shade goes on, and they find a semicolon on page 47 of the contract I didn't know existed that means my busted **** stays busted. Hopefully the paid warranty is a little better in this respect.
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I had a ryoble pool vac, works great, never leaked, they do make some one off stuff so it's not bad to have their batteries.
I’ve got a large collection of Milwaukee tools. Ryobi does offer a lot of interesting options for weird stuff at a lower price point. I’m guessing a Milwaukee power scrubber would be $229 instead of $99.
They make the brushes in 7”, 9”, and 11”. I’m thinking the 11” might put too much load on the tool and cause problems.
They make the brushes in 7”, 9”, and 11”. I’m thinking the 11” might put too much load on the tool and cause problems.
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Beerhippie
Well-known member
My father had a very effective set of tools for cleaning the hull: his sons.
My dad had that, but I don’t have any of those. My wife is a good boat cleaner, but her arms are too short to do the bottom.
I’m chartering the boat this year, so I’m doing much more in depth cleanings multiple times per week. I’m thinking this power scrubber would also work well on the deck and topside.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
We had sailboats, so complete immersion was the rule.
I may be the only person who ever got hypothermic while swimming in Kehi Lagoon, Honolulu. Even 85 degree F water gets cold after two hours of hard work underwater with a barnacle scraper. I was even wearing my Farmer Johns. I was unable to make my hands work to climb the boarding ladder and my father had to drop the bosun's chair off the end of the boom to get me on deck.
MichaelP
Well-known member
I handled the Ryobi PCL1701 model scrubber in Home Depot (the model with soap and water hose connections), and it's uncomfortably heavy even without hose connected. The 9" and even 11" brushes look too small for a any boat larger than 18'-20'. I'm not even talking about house siding or deck.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
That Ryobi would be perfect for cleaning the tile on my pool's water fall.
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Beerhippie
Well-known member
You have a waterfall pool in your boat?
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
My "yacht", not my "boat".
Beerhippie
Well-known member
When I was in EnZed, I was surprised to learn that a yacht there meant a sailboat--any sailboat.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
The only maintenance nightmare worst than owing a pool, would likely be a boat with a pool.