Wandering through HD today for some paint, had to go through the tool crib. There is a Ryobi 18v impact driver on display for $69 or so. Looks decent, very similar to my 4-YO Makita 12v. Then I see the price tag … battery and charger sold separately. Now who the heck would buy a cordless tool without a battery and charger? And I didn’t see any on the shelf.
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
I saw the impact driver, drill, charger, and one or two batteries for $95. Pretty darn tempting, even if it is Ryobi..
PS- it was not in the tool area, it was with the other holiday specials.
Adventures in Home Building
An online journal covering the preparation and construction of our new home.
Edited 12/16/2006 10:28 pm by jhausch
I try to stay away from ryobi from experiance.
I always see display tools for sale cheap sans battery & charger. Its amazing how much those tools dont cost. I guess the cost is all in the battery.
You're missing the point of the Ryobi 18+ system. Unlike buying tools in expensive kits, you only buy exactly what you need -- a modular system.
For instance, if I go to Office Depot to buy a blue Sharpie, I have to buy a pack with a red, black and blue Shapie. I don't need the black nor the red, just the blue. Same with the tool kits. You don't need the drill and the free flashlight, just the impact. If you only need one battery, you only have to buy one. You have a choice of chargers: either household 120v AC or auto 12v DC.
~Peter
Buy 17 and get 3 free.
I can understand not selling the charger, but wouldn't you want one battery for every tool? I nothing else, at least you get a fresh battery.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Ive got ryobi 18 volt tools I have three newish batteries ,two older don't hold a lot of charge batteries and three chargers . so I can have two tools working with batteries and one battery getting charged since I already own the other tools , and the three chargers and three battery's the impact driver without the battery would be a handy addition
at two pack of new batteries is 39.00 I have had good luck with the ryobi 14 and now 18 volt lots of bang for the buck
...had to go through the tool crib...
Had to....or decided to? LOL
I buzz through even if I'm only stopping for lightbulbs.
Happy
Holidays
you have to at least pass through it...
I have found recently though HD does not have many tools I do not all ready own & want...
does not have many tools I do not all ready own
Evidently you have been there too often. Does DW know of your sickness?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
yeah, but I leave her alone with her make up and clothes...
Not saying I own every tool in HD, just that I own the ones I want..... the one's I want now are usually more expensive and speacialized
my ex wife bought me a ryobi kit a few years back.i thought at the time it was a cruel attack on my sensibilities.then my 200$ de walt died on the job.out came the ryobi.surprisingly i have used this stuff daily with out incident(2 years plus) istill dont think i would buy new but if its free ill take three.jokes on you kyna loae chardog ha!
I like a good quality tool as much as the next guy but I have never had problem with the Ryobi cordless line, especially the 18V. I have used all the other brands and if I had to do it again, I would still buy ryobi. It has enough power to get the job done and if you need more, then go back to the truck and get the corded milwaukee. And the cordless ryobi sawzall works good if you remove that anoying safety.
The imact driver work pretty good too, we use it for cabinet installs, it is a litter smaller to get in the tight spaces and it will drive 3" cabinet screws in no time at all, no pilot holes. BRRRRRRRRRRT. Done
The car charger is very conveniet too. always a fresh battery.
Just my opinion.
I have a Ryobi 18v tool kit as a back up. Most of the tools work OK (though heavy and with poor ergonomics)...just throw out the cheesy little worthless vacuum. The flashlight works as well as any other ; ). The run time on their circ. saw & little miter saw is way too short to be worthwhile.I have enough Ryobi batteries to make picking up the impact driver a good idea. I have a Makita 18v Li-Ion impact driver and would love to have a second one for my assistant...just can't spend $$$ on a stand alone Makita tool and don't want/need another entire combo kit.
I dunno about where you are, but I have SEARCHED high an low for the Mak Hybred drill/hammer/impact...Mak says it is back ordered till FEB 07..I mighta coulda got one in Nov. for 379.00....yeoww thats a spicy meataball.
Have you found/heard different?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
I would go for a whole combo kit before I would drop that kinda dough on one cordless tool.I prefer a seperate drill and impact...too lazy to switch bits. For your work I might favor the Makita 18v Li-Ion kit plus a Bosch Litheon 10.8 pocket driver. The more you have to climb up and down the more the lighter Li stuff seems perfect...except for the $$$.Heck, I mostly stay on the ground and I still try to loose weight every year (as far as tools are concerned). Ti hammers, plastic speed squares, air compressor less than 20#'s, etc.
i use the dewalt 6 in 1 driver bit... and i buy square driver screws... this saves soo much time since I dont have to pre drill. lately I have felt physically exhausted and have considered purchasing new tools since they are lighter. the new makita compact 18v ion is nice as is their 7 1/4 inch miter. the dewalt 706 is simply a killer at the end of the day...that bosch 10.8v looks nice but it doesnt have a clip.
I use self-tapping square-drive and torx screws, when I can...still drive lots of pilot holes though. I do use mostly quick change bits (both drill and driver).I set up two cordless drills and an impact driver on most jobs, but use plenty of different bits.I would also like a 7-1/4 miter saw (I use a 10" Hitachi SCMS most of the time--on a wheeled stand). Make it light or put it on wheels!
I have the Bosch LI , T handle, it sux.
So if I am up a ladder, I drill a 1/8th hole for a rivet, then a 5/32 hammer drill for tha downspout hanger, then a tapcon with a phillips head, then another rivet to hold that...then a nother strap with a tap con....
You saying one drill is not tyhe answer? I carry two, one Mak impact for rivet holes, and driving screws, and one 18v DW hammer for drilling brick....I want that hybred..really , really want it. My tool bags weight almost 1/2 my body weight.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Sounds like the hybrid Mak would be nice for you. You do lots of bit changing...can't always have a different drill for every bit (though it sometimes seems like I do : )
oh ya the new makita impact drivers are filled with (oil... i think) so the noise isn't as loud...not here in the states yet...
anyone use that new little bosch Ive seen advertised yet? im jonesing for one of those
View Image Official Jeff Buck Memorial Tagline "
I have the little Bosch drill - driver and it is great ($129.00)HD kit with two batteries and a charger. Battery charges real fast and lasts a long time
also has lots of power.
I also have the Ryobi impact driver and a few other Ryobi tools. I have a Dewalt impact driver which cost about four times as much but I like the Ryobi better.
Also, just a word of caution....I would avoid the 18V Ryobi chop saw. When this first came out I thought that would be a fun tool to have. Well, if you have a fresh battery it's ok but once the battery starts to run low, the rpm on the saw also starts to drop and instead of cutting the wood, it graps the wood. I was cutting a small piece of trim in a hurry and it grabed it and pulled my finger towards the blade. Thank god for my "spidey" reflexes and was able to save my finger. The chop saw went to the dumpster ASAP.
So as it stands....
18V drill:good
Impact dirver: Good
Sawz all: Ok
Saw: Ok
Radio: wish it had AM
Vacuum: not so good
Flash light: I like it but be carefull with the bulbs.
Edited 12/17/2006 10:28 pm ET by Mrwoody
I just got the radio a couple of weeks ago. First thing I managed to do is leave it in the rain overnight! Shook out the water the next morning, popped in a battery, worked just fine. No worse reception than any other radio, maybe even better.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I WAS torn between two impact + drill kits: Bosch for $239 and Menards, Ryobi for $95 at HD. From what I've read here and my personal experience with a couple of other Ryobi tools, I think I'll go Ryobi. . . .
http://jhausch.blogspot.comAdventures in Home BuildingAn online journal covering the preparation and construction of our new home.
the Ryobi 18 volt fan is the best one out there ....they have a new 18v wet/dry vac thats supposed to be pretty good the chainsaw is a real joke
20 years ago, Ryobi came out with their AP-10 portable planar. It was a nice tool and generated a zillion copycats.
But since then, I've not had a single decent ryobi tool. I won't even bother looking at them anymore.
At that price, it does get tempting though. I paid something like $300 for my Panasonic impact driver. It's interesting too that we're now seeing some off brand cordless stuff that is cheaper than dirt, practically. I was walking thru a Menards recently and they were selling a 4 piece combo cordless set for about $69 --- the brand was something called "Superior."If we're starting to see these kind of prices for ryobi and the off-brands, that argues the cost of the manufacturing technology for cordless tools is coming down. Yet I haven't seen any real price reduction among the main line brands. Is that the way you see it?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Just ask the CEOs if they be taking the pay cut.
If we're starting to see these kind of prices for ryobi and the off-brands, that argues the cost of the manufacturing technology for cordless tools is coming down. Yet I haven't seen any real price reduction among the main line brands.
When you buy a "brand name" - whether it's Ryobi, Porter-Cable, Bosch, or something else - you are paying something for the name.
The differences between tools are design and materials. If you buy a "clone" tool, you may be getting exactly the same tool, made on the same manufacturing line, just without the brand name. This is fairly common with Chinese tools.
However, you may also get a clone made by a "copycat" company. It may look the same, but the materials may not be the same quality. For example, they may use plastic gears instead of metal gears. Interestingly enough, fairly often they fix some issues with the original tools. For example, I went through three of the Makita hammer drills in less than a year. Bought a Harbor Freight clone for about $20 and it has been working well for 3 years.
The problem is that you can't always tell which you are getting. So while it is "safer" to buy the brand name, often you will do OK with the off brand or clone.
With battery tools, there are additional issues of environmental regulations. In some cases, the clone tools have to pay lower tariffs, etc. because of differing environmental regulations in different countries, based in part on where the business is registered. So a US registered company such as Emerson (Bosch, Skil, etc) may have to pay more environmental fees than a China based manufacturer that is selling from China to Harbor Freight's buyers.
Finally, the manufacturing cost is a small part of the selling price. For example, consider a Bosch corded drill that retails for $49 at Home Depot. The materials cost on that drill is around $8, labor around $3, fancy box around $12, shipping around $10, and advertising around $12, leaving around $3 profit for the retailer. These numbers are estimates, based on "rules of thumb" in the industry, but it gives a good sense of where the money goes. A manufacturer who wants to sell for less can simplify the box and reduce the cost 20% - but fancy boxes sell products, plain brown boxes don't.
It's a complicated issue, with many factors that aren't obvious to the consumer.
Thanks for the fine summary.......But when I a see four piece cordless set going for $70, that implied to me there had been some major (and cheaper) shift in the whole manufacturing technolgoy behind cordless tools. And the price differential we are seeing between these off brands and the mainline brands, it seemed to me, could not be wholly explained only by cheaper parts/materials, paying for the "brand name", etc.Whadda you think?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I had the AP10 and it was good. They currently sell a portable table saw on a wheeled stand that is a good deal, and pretty well designed. Other than that I agree with you.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Agreed. I have the AH-115 planer / jointer...20 some yrs old, the bearings finally crapped out after miles of wood..but only in the planer head, the jointer is fine, so I bought a new planer, and took off the belt to the planer cutter head. Same origainal brushes on the motor.
I had the first 12v drill ( blue) that they made, it lasted (with batts) for over 6 yrs of constant use..I also have a router ( 600?) that is still going strong..it too is about 20yrs old.
They made some good tools in the day, I dunno about the new stuff. Tiawan and China are NOT the same as to manufacturing quality.
Most import woodworking machinery was produced at Elephant Mach. in Tiawan, whether it touted a name of JET, Grizzly, or PennState, or General..they sold the casting molds from Delta to Elephant when the tolerances were no longer up to snuf for the American castings..hence the slop in them tools. But all in all, there are some pearls in the mix.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
That impact driver ROCKS. Not only does it drive well, it's very durable too. I'm Mr. Numblefingers, and I drop that dang thing just about every time I pick it up - onto concrete usually. Just reseat the battery, change the tip if it broke or bent, and I'm good to go. Granted, the 18v NiCad pack sucks to work overhead with, and one battery pack doesn't last all day of continous driving.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
My favorite new tool is the Ryobi orbital jigsaw. I cut lots of outlet boxes into old plaster, and the orbital function cuts a *much* cleaner hole. Also, it seems that the blades last longer, too.
Because of the package deals, I ended up with 2 of the dust-buster vacuums, which I don't find particularly useful. Also, I wish that the chucks on the cordless drills could hold the bits a little tighter. Overall, however, I'm very satisfied with the quality of these tools, especially considering the price.
I've walked by that impact driver a couple of times - might not be able to resist it the next time.
Bob
Edited 12/17/2006 8:47 pm ET by bobguindon