Ryobi vs. Craftsman Drill/Driver Home Use

[hancock1701]

Hi guys,

My dad will redo the garage soon. He only has a cordless drill from Harbor Freight. I want to buy him a cordless impact driver, and I kinda want to start investing into one power tool line for long term use. I currently have a Craftsman Impact Wrench with one battery. Therefore, I looked into the Craftsman line and there's this kit that seems to fit my purpose well, and is compatible with my current Craftsman battery. On the other hand, I've also heard good things about Ryobi (for home use), and they have so many tools for possible future expandability. Prices are comparable. So what are your suggestions/opinions?

Thanks,

 

[Carves]

I dunno how good your craftsman stuff is,

... but stuff branded ryobi down here - seems to get worse every year.

Bought a metal drop saw, coupla grinders and a "heavy duty" hammer drill a coupla years back. I thought they may last as long as the previous ryobi tools I had been happy with.

Locking mechanism for the drill chuck snapped off the first time I went to use it.

Saw and grinders constantly spewed out that tibetan yak fat or whatever they use for grease ... until I did something about it.

 

[67King]

Every Ryobi power tool I have bought has crapped out on me. Every. Single. One.

If you are after long term expansion, it is really hard to beat Milwaukee. If you aren't as concerned about that, then the Ridgid deal posted in another thread is pretty good: http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo....homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-V...0SB/205336140/

My older Craftsman stuff was pretty solid. Seems newer stuff is less so. I've had Ridgid stuff for quite a while, and it has been very durable; however, the drill's chuck is not that good. It is out of round, which seems to be a bit common from what I've read.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I believe most of the Ryobi and Craftsman power tools are coming from the same source. Neither is very expensive and neither has a reputation for putting up with hard use/abuse. Probably a good buy for homeowners, though.

They change the cases and colors and make sure the batteries aren't interchangeable.

If you're happy with your C3 Craftsman, and you're limiting your choices to Ryobi and Craftsman, the battery compatibility factor could be the tiebreaker.

 

[Frank Dukes]

buy fuel get free tool promo at HD is what id be looking at if i needed tools right now.
hell id rather have m12 fuel stuff which is also get free tool promo than the one you linked.
m18
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hardware/N-5yc1vZc1xyZ7Zzv?NCNI-5

m12
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Featured...rketing-_-affiliate-_-featured-_-img_2c-_-alp

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

I currently have a Craftsman Impact Wrench with one battery. Therefore, I looked into the Craftsman line

No offense, but this logic does not compute to me.

Personally I'd pick Ryobi over Craftsman but, eh, wouldn't really like having a Ryobi either. Makita over Ryobi. Bosch over anything else for drills. Wouldn't even consider a Craftsman. Would accept one for free but that's the only possible way you're getting a modern Craftsman tool in my hands.

 

[SJR033]

I bought the blue Ryobi set when I bought my house 5 years ago. It has held up fine. No complaints except for the NI-cad batteries. Needing new batteries, I decided to switch to the Craftsman C3 series. No complaints yet, (only been 3 months). Long story short..They are made by the same parent company. Either should be fine for home use. Pricing is close, but the Craftsman stuff does go on sale and teamed with reward points, made me go to CM.

 

[67King]

IProbably a good buy for homeowners, though.

Don't want to be argumentative, but my experience with Ryobi has been as a homeowner. I found they lacked the durability for even moderate use as a homeowner. That said, my wife has gone out and bought a Ryobi Li-ion drill for stuff like running anchors into drywall for hanging pictures, rather than mess with my stuff, which tends to be dirtier than anything she wants to leave on the carpet. It has worked for that purpose

 

[zhaddock]

I have a lot of the Craftsman C3 tools (Drill, Hammer Drill, Impact, Finish Nailer, Vacuum, Flashlight, Radio, Trim Saw, jig saw). I would call myself a heavy home user. With all the projects I have done to my home and those of friends and family these tools have probably two to two and a half full home builds on them. I have never had any problems with any of the tools. I have six Nicad's and, all the tools/batteries have been stored in an unheated shed for 5+ years with no battery issues. I would and will buy more of the C3 tools in a heartbeat once the need arises. My father is on the other end of the spectrum with Ryobi. We have compaired them side by side and the neon green ryobi tools are identical to the C3's except for the batteries not being interchangeable.

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

You know, it boggles my mind that they still sell NiCd. What a piece of **** battery technology that was. Wouldn't wish NiCd upon my worst enemy.

 

[archirelic]

Guess I'm the odd-man out. I've got many of Ryobi's cordless products and all have been working wonderfully and have held up fine for what I throw at them. I use them not only at home, but also in a professional capacity.

Here's a rundown of the cordless Ryobi products I own...all of them the green versions:

angle grinder
reciprocating saw
circular saw
impact driver
drill driver
brad nailer
narrow crown stapler
jobplus multi tool

One thing I did was research the Ryobi line before committing to this line-up. There are variations amongst their offerings and you've got to know which one to purchase to maximize bang for your buck as well as not wind up with a severely under-powered paperweight.

Take for example:

RYOBI P236

is light years above:

RYOBI P881

In the most simplest of terms...take a look at the design on the handle btwn the two versions...if you stick with the Ryobi tools that have the same green design on the handle as the first one linked to, you'll be getting a quality product and not their lower tier products.

 

[finn]

I still have a couple of ancient NiCad Craftsman drills that I keep around for utility work. They still work fine after something like 18 years. A plus is that the local battery store rebuilds the NiCad battery packs for $25, but can't do Li ion packs.

I wouldn't be afraid of either brand for the intended use. Also consider a homeowner grade Skill (made by Bosch).

My latest cordless acquisitions have been Dealt, Skill, Milwaukee, and Bosch. I will probably standardize on Bosch.

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

Lithium ion battery packs can also be rebuilt. Plenty of videos on Youtube. It is a bit more dangerous, though, so make sure not to short the cells out (though just a few seconds won't kill them) or puncture them with anything.

 

[406Rich]

My craftsman 19.2 drill is 20 years old (approx), first set of battery's lasted ten years, the new ones not quite as long, need to rebuild them so it's nice to see this thread thanks guys....!

 

[Brians VWss]

Craftsman user here. Mainly moderate auto, fab and home use. It started 10 years ago with the 4 piece combo 1/2 drill, sawsall, circular saw and light. Within the last 5 years I have added the 1/4 impact driver, which is awesome and used when I bought it, 1/2 impact another awesome tool.
Then I picked up the weed wacker and blower they work perfect it is nice to just put a battery in it to get a job done without pulling out cords. I started off with the nicad where the performance was good enough. Now I have the li ion what a world of differance. It really makes a differance on the weed wacker, blower and impacts. Next on my list is the 4 in grinder, ratchet and the 3/8 impact

 

[ddawg16]

Arch and Duck.....not alone....I too am a Ryobi fan. I think it's the best cordless tool for the $$.

My two drills are about 10 years old. They built a 2-story garage and the 2-story addition to my house.

I have the following...

2 Regular cordless drills (1/2 chuck)...2 speed and variable. I use the dog **** out of them
1 Right Angle Drill
1 Sawzall (I use the dog **** out of it as well) My only complaint, I wish it didn't have the safety switch.
5 1/4" Circular saw
2 Lights
1 Vacuum

That same battery also works in my cordless weed eater.

As for those NiCad batteries....I got about on average 1000 cycles out of them which is about average for NiCads. Unless you leave them unused for weeks at a time or charging all the time. The Li seems to be much better.

Corded
3/8" drill
Compound Miter Saw
Table Saw
Plunge router
Hand Planner

I don't think you are going to find a brand of tools that has more tools that use the same battery.

Great bang for the buck.

and I'm starting to see a lot of them out in the field. A contractor and afford to hand a cordless drill to each one of his guys to keep in their bag instead of 1-2 for everyone to share. One guy told me "They don't walk off nearly as often"...referring to the tools

 

[uncletater]

I use Ryobi also and have never had a problem. I think they are great tools for the money.

 

[exmaxima1]

I bought the blue Ryobi set when I bought my house 5 years ago. It has held up fine. No complaints except for the NI-cad batteries. Needing new batteries, I decided to switch to the Craftsman C3 series. No complaints yet, (only been 3 months). Long story short..They are made by the same parent company...

Same parent company (TTI) also makes Milwaukee and AEG. And Ridgid. They know how to make stuff, but Ryobi, Ridgid, and CM are built to much lesser price points.

 

[stioc]

My Bosch PS21 1/4" driver just died (batteries still work great after 3 years). My first and last Bosch tool...sadly because I actually liked the size, weight and the ergonomics but my 15year old Craftsman 9v drill still turns at least even if the batteries won't hold the charge.

I'm probably going to move to the C3 system since I already have the 1/2" impact driver, it just makes sense to stick with with one battery type. I was really wanting to move to the pro-grade stuff (Dewalt, Millwakee, Makita) since I consider myself a semi-pro but they change the entire line every few years making all the tools obsolete vs. Craftsman has been keeping the C3 line even with the changing battery technology which I like.

 

[peteco]

The big question is will Craftsman keep the same battery design or change it. I had 4 successive Craftsman drills from the 80's through 2007. When the batteries on a drill died they had change the battery design and the ones for my old drill were more expensive than buying a new drill with batteries. I got tired of that and started getting Ridgid cordless because they have kept the same battery mount. Ryobi does this also. The same company makes Ridgid and Ryobi and I think they also make the Craftsman. So maybe they will keep the same battery design. I would get the Ryobi if I were you.

 

[Katodog]

I have Ryobi tools that are 13 years old and they run just as strong as they did when I bought them. I used them to heavy-duty work on machinery and building maintenance, and never had a tool fail. I wouldn't own as much Ryobi as I do if it were a **** brand...


Ryobi Family Portrait 02 by Edward Durbin, on Flickr


I recently bought the cordless angle grinder and their 10" drill press, no issues with those tools or any other Ryobi tool. The only tool that failed was the older "blue" leaf blower, and the only reason why that failed was the plastic flywheel. If it were metal the blower would probably still be running today.


Many tools hang within easy reach, and I use most of my Ryobi stuff almost every day


Garage 052 by Edward Durbin, on Flickr

 

[fivespdcat]

If the choice is Ryobi vs Craftsman, I would go Ryobi. They seem pretty dedicated to battery consistency and new tools. On the flip side I don't really see that much benefit to them to me as a homeowner. For most of my stuff I'm already corded such as circular saws, miter, recip, jig etc. So I know I won't change those and I find the drill and impact to be woefully inadequate when working. That's why I have m18 stuff that is not really too much more. If they cost too much I would step down to the Bosch 12v or milwaukee m12 for impact and drills as they are pretty close in output with a lot lower weight.

 

[stioc]

Ryobi and Craftsman are made by the same company, Craftsman batteries get one additional cell hence the 19.2v. Bosch and Skil are made by one company too.

That's an impressive collection there Katodog, care to share which cordless tools are worth buying and which aren't? For me I mainly use drill/driver and the 1/2" impact.

 

[Katodog]

They're all decent, I don't have any issues with any of the tools. There's no good or bad, it depends on what you want to do.

 

[SweetD]

Ryobi and Craftsman are made by the same company, Craftsman batteries get one additional cell hence the 19.2v. Bosch and Skil are made by one company too.

Correct. Techtronics Industries (TTI) makes the products for Ryobi (Home Depot) and Craftsman (Sears).

RIGID is the "professional line" from TTI (for Home Depot).

TTI also makes Milwaukee power tools.

DeWalt is a competitor.

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

I'm heavily invested in the M12 and M18 lines from Milwaukee, but wouldn't hesitate to purchase a Ryobi or Ridgid tool if I was starting over. Like Milwaukee, Ryobi has quite the range of tools and has kept the same batteries for what seems like an eternity. Obviously the battery technology has improved, but they're all compatible.

Craftsman seems to change their batteries more often than I buy new underwear. I also don't see Craftsman sticking around much longer with the current state of Sears. Ryobi isn't going anywhere anytime soon!

 

[Ponchoguy]

I believe most of the Ryobi and Craftsman power tools are coming from the same source. Neither is very expensive and neither has a reputation for putting up with hard use/abuse. Probably a good buy for homeowners, though.

They change the cases and colors and make sure the batteries aren't interchangeable.

If you're happy with your C3 Craftsman, and you're limiting your choices to Ryobi and Craftsman, the battery compatibility factor could be the tiebreaker.

Yes, "315" model prefix product or "973" is Ryobi made for Sears. Years ago, the 315 stuff was excellent and American made. Ryobi is owned by TTI NA (Techtronic or something like that).

 

[Zapp Branigan]

My ten year old C3 craftsman stuff has held up very well and are better built than the current C3 stuff I bought last year. It still seems decent enough for home use, but it's not what it was a decade ago. They just feel cheaper. I wouldn't worry too much about the batteries though, C3 is pretty standard, they have been around a long time and aren't going anywhere. You have the choice of NiCad, or upgrading to Li-Ion too.

 

[sgrammel]

In my experience Ryobi is ****

 

[stioc]

Well once I picked up the 1/2" impact wrench and the included NiCAD battery I ended up with a bunch of C3 stuff:

- 3 LiOn batteries
- 1 NiCad
- 1/2" impact
- 3/8" drill with the nicer chuck
- 3/8" drill with the so-so chuck (one with the Red band on the "gearbox")
- 1/4" impact driver (my most used tool it seems)
- Sawzall
- 5 1/2" Circular saw
- Light with the incandescent bulb (spot pattern)
- Light with the florescent bulb (flood pattern)

Some of these things I haven't used much as they're recent additions but I've been happy with most of them. The 1/2" impact has its good days and bad -when I have to fire up the good ole air impact but for quick rotating of tires it's fine. I think if I upgraded to the higher amp LiOn battery it'll have no issues with zipping off most bolts.

Every now and again I think about other accessories but either I don't need them, or they have poor reviews or they'll be redundant. The $150 brad nailer is nice but my $19 HF one does an OK job even if I have to fire up the 25gal compressor for it. The tire inflator seems handy but I have 4 or 5 different types of tire inflators (12v variety including the onboard MV50 in my 4x4). The AM/FM radio sounds nice but my iphone gets me by OK without one. I wish they brought back the small polishing buffer but again I have the PC orbital...

Any other cordless accessories you guys love?

 

[Fender1325]

I have a craftsman C3 set (drill/impact). Not the biggest fan of the drill - it occassionally doesnt clamp well on the drill bit. The impact is solid though. I really like makita best and Ive thought to myself - as soon as these craftsman **** out I'll get the Makita. Well, Im still waiting.... ;-)

 

[coleman10]

I had the same delimma a few months ago. Went with the Craftsman. Glad I did. The six tool kit was a great price and the content is perfect for a homeowner. I don't need 500 add-on tools, so going with Milwaikee to get a battery powered tubing cutter or popcorn popper doesn't interest me. With the exception of a few more add-ons than what I already have, I think I have pretty much what I'll use most often. Sears keeps throwing points my way and I keep a watch on the prices so I can normally get a good deal. Picked up the shop-vac for a whopping 90 cents last month. Hard to beat. Plus, my Craftsman tools are not a horrible, putrid green. I will say that I had to replace the chuck on the drill with a better one. Smooth sailing after that.

As of today, I have the the drill/driver, 1/4" impact, circular saw, multi-tool, new model LED work light, reciprocating saw, inflator, shop vac, brad gun, cut-out/spiral saw.

 

[stioc]

^ I'm of the same opinion, green, yellow, red - power ranger colors don't appeal to me as the simple/classic gray/black but that's really such a personal taste thing and I've been called boring many times before

How do you like the inflator and which chuck did you replace your's with?

 

[coleman10]

^ I'm of the same opinion, green, yellow, red - power ranger colors don't appeal to me as the simple/classic gray/black but that's really such a personal taste thing and I've been called boring many times before

How do you like the inflator and which chuck did you replace your's with?

Yeah, I was okay with the old, Ryobi blue. I had (still have) a blue, 18v Ryobi drill. No issues. Much more bulky than the newer C3 stuff. The dayglow green was a huge turnoff for me. I haven't used the old drill since I got the Craftsman gear.

I like the inflator. It's very convenient, especially for bike tires that I need to get up to 120 psi. I've only had it for a week and it's worked really well so far. There is a two pound difference between what the inflator reads and another pressure gauge I have. Not a big deal. Assuming the other one is right, I'll just put two more pounds in make up the difference.

Below is a link for the chuck I put on my drill. It's a huge improvement over what the drill came with.

Jacobs 31048 6000-Series 1/2-Inch Soft Grip Sleeve Keyless Drill Chuck
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WEIJFW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[dodge610]

Craftsman C3 all the way had my collection for while and they have never let me down. Still livin the ni-cad life for now but wanna step up to the xcp life. When the ni cads finally give up the ghost.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

I too, use Ryobi.

1/2" drill chuck won't hold a 1/16" drill bit. Neither will corded Craftsman 1/2" drill. I need to find a 3/8" drive, I guess.

1/4" impact works well. Used for building stage platform, boxes, misc. use.

1/2" drive impact is ok for some things. I break lug nuts loose with breaker bar, then spin them off with this. I've used it to break suspension bolts loose.

Reciprocating saw works well - needed another battery to finish.

Angle grinder works well, though constant heavy use drains the battery fast.

Chainsaw, I got for 8$ at Goodwill. It is light duty only.

The 'problem' I have with them, is that if you watch the sales, you can usually get a drill and impact driver with 2 batteries for the same price as two batteries...

 

[coleman10]

1/2" drill chuck won't hold a 1/16" drill bit. Neither will corded Craftsman 1/2" drill. I need to find a 3/8" drive, I guess.

Really? My stock Craftsman chuck holds a 1/16" bit. I would think the Ryobi wouldn't have an issue, either.

Well, hancock1701, as you can see, this whole thread boils down to whether you like gray tools or green tools. Take your pick and chances are you'll be satisfied either way.

 

[dodge610]

^ this just had a 1/16 bit in my C3 a few weeks ago held tite. does noy tti make craftsman and ryobi should hold unless there is a problem.

 

[lightning02]

id pass on those 2 and get Ridgid for drill/driver

you can get there newest brushless model combo for like $190 with the sale HD is having now.

 

[Brownsfan]

Craftsman C3 user here. I use mine daily. We'll the drill and 1/4 impact. As well as the fluorescent light. All 3 see daily use with no issues. Also have the 3/8 and 1/2 impacts. They don't see the frequent use but when needed they have been great. Excellent value. The Sears Black Friday ad has 2 li-ion batteries for 49.99. If you need some extra batteries this is a good deal