California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,948
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
Ryobi 18V tools are a big step up from Harbor Freight in the homeowner/DIY end of the market. That's all I need for my farm repairs application. Like most posters in this thread, it was cheaper to buy sets than individual tools.
I like the impact driver and the baby circular saw in particular. 5.5" carbide-tip blades for the baby saw are available at HF.
One caution: the jig saw with the laser-aimer killed an expensive new li-ion battery because the laser stays on when the saw isn't running. I must have bumped the laser switch when I jumbled several tools into a storage cabinet. That was an expensive lesson. I now remove the battery from that tool when not in use.
I discovered the red Homelite 18v tools are the same as Ryobi. Homelite brand must be an orphan now; the hedge trimmers etc appear in Goodwill but I've never seen Homelite charging accessories. I have two Homelite hedge trimmers and I think some other Homelite 18v stuff, that cost under $5 each from thrift stores. Ebay can be another source for these at low cost if the seller doesn't realize that Ryobi batteries fit them.
The era for Ni-Cads has passed. Ryobi's Li-Ion batteries are lighter, more powerful, fit all their older tools, and don't need replacement as soon. Well worth the price difference.
I've never had a Ryobi tool fail. (aside from batteries). Even the couple of flea market $5 drills that smell of burned insulation, they run fine. But the old style keyless chuck (separate collar on the chuck for tightening) is a nuisance; the present series is easier to use.
Its handy to have an old drill for a pilot hole, another for the final hole, and the impact driver, all used in turn for bolting something down. Recently I used still another drill with a plug drill bit, when I needed to countersink bolt heads into timbers. zap zap zap zap done, move to the next one.
I like the impact driver and the baby circular saw in particular. 5.5" carbide-tip blades for the baby saw are available at HF.
One caution: the jig saw with the laser-aimer killed an expensive new li-ion battery because the laser stays on when the saw isn't running. I must have bumped the laser switch when I jumbled several tools into a storage cabinet. That was an expensive lesson. I now remove the battery from that tool when not in use.
I discovered the red Homelite 18v tools are the same as Ryobi. Homelite brand must be an orphan now; the hedge trimmers etc appear in Goodwill but I've never seen Homelite charging accessories. I have two Homelite hedge trimmers and I think some other Homelite 18v stuff, that cost under $5 each from thrift stores. Ebay can be another source for these at low cost if the seller doesn't realize that Ryobi batteries fit them.
The era for Ni-Cads has passed. Ryobi's Li-Ion batteries are lighter, more powerful, fit all their older tools, and don't need replacement as soon. Well worth the price difference.
I've never had a Ryobi tool fail. (aside from batteries). Even the couple of flea market $5 drills that smell of burned insulation, they run fine. But the old style keyless chuck (separate collar on the chuck for tightening) is a nuisance; the present series is easier to use.
Its handy to have an old drill for a pilot hole, another for the final hole, and the impact driver, all used in turn for bolting something down. Recently I used still another drill with a plug drill bit, when I needed to countersink bolt heads into timbers. zap zap zap zap done, move to the next one.
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