Ryobi Lithium Ion Tools Coming

[cellardoor]

I was browsing the Computer systems as I periodically do to see what new stuff we have coming in and I came across the new line of lithium ion tools from Ryobi. I only found 3 different skus and here they are. My store shows them arriving around the 22nd of Sept. I searched the web a little and haven't been able to find any pictures or even an acknowledgment from Ryobi of these tools.

Ryobi 4pc Kit $259

Ryobi One+ Li-ion upgrade kit $99

Ryobi Lithium Ion Drill Kit $149

Just a little FYI to anybody interested
Update: I found a picture of the Kit:

http://sitelife.woodmagazine.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/10/6007a016-d215-4dff-9ace-dc70ef290df4.Large.jpg

[onlycordless]

Thanks for the info.

The battery has always been the drawback to cordless tools. Now that the lower end of tools has lithium, I think most diyers will use RYOBI.

I am guessing they are 18volt since there is a ONE+ upgrade kit. Any info on amp/hr.?

[erngum]

Someone posted this in another forum:

http://community.woodmagazine.com/dgroups/persona.jsp?userId=4d3c9a99a4711a853a3a45b2c33c3d3 1&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=4d3c9a99a4711a853a3a45b2c33c3d31&plckPostId=Blog%3a4d3c9a99a4711a853a3a45b2c33c3d31 Post%3af6e17c22-846a-48c4-acd2-016ea1091e3d&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest

I have a few Ryobi tools and if I do upgrade, I think I'll buy the drill kit and get two batteries instead of just one with the upgrade kit. I really like the impact driver and also have a few of thier lawn/garden tools. 2.4 ah will be quite an improvement.

Ern

[Bob D.]

Man, that yellow color is as fugly as those lime green fire trucks, no way would I want one of those things. RIDGID orange is bad enough. I like my tools a little more subdued in color, just short of camo. :)

[Orange Apron]

So thats whats inside the "Hyper Green Box" www.hypergreenbox.com signs that I have been seeing around the store. I just dont care much for dayglow tools.

[Velosapien]

Hey they copied the puke green color already used by those cheapo Kawasaki tools (http://www.nextag.com/kawasaki-cordless-tools-reviews/search-html)

[Paladin2025]

I was browsing the Computer systems as I periodically do to see what new stuff we have coming in and I came across the new line of lithium ion tools from Ryobi. I only found 3 different skus and here they are. My store shows them arriving around the 22nd of Sept. I searched the web a little and haven't been able to find any pictures or even an acknowledgment from Ryobi of these tools.

Ryobi 4pc Kit $259

Ryobi One+ Li-ion upgrade kit $99

Ryobi Lithium Ion Drill Kit $149

Just a little FYI to anybody interested
Update: I found a picture of the Kit:

http://sitelife.woodmagazine.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/10/6007a016-d215-4dff-9ace-dc70ef290df4.Large.jpg

What size do you guys think that circ saw blade is? Do you think they kept the old 5 1/2 saw size?

[erngum]

Now that the lower end of tools has lithium, I think most diyers will use RYOBI.

I agree with Onlycordless. I go to HD several times a week and I always seem to see at least one person headed for the register with a Ryobi cordless tool. That is where I started years ago with my first cordless tools. The poor battery life is what led me away to Makita, Bosch, and at least one Ridgid. The tools did the work I needed (I'm a hobbyist) the not so long lasting batteries just had me P.O.'d all the time.

Ern

[l_bilyk]

See the thing is, ryobi packs are designed to have a short battery life. The cells in there are antiquated 1200 mAh (i think) sub c. The price difference between one of those and something around 2100 mAh is negligible especially if you're buying in bulk like TTI. Ryobi is now going to offer lithium ion but why only 2.4 Ah?! That can be easily done with NiCad cells

[Woussko]

Yucky looking aren't they? I don't want tools that bother my eyes.

As to the cheapo cells, try looking at it this way. TTI wants to make as much profit as they can. If the cheapo cells cost only 2 cents less (their cost) than the better ones and they buy up 100,000 that's $0.02 x 100,000 which means that they saved $2000 on them. Remember there are huge profits from what the factory gets and what tools sell for retail. Now let's think in terms of far more cells. They save more $$$ and to TTI the parent of Ryobi it's all about making $$$ for the greedy head officers and stock holders. They don't care if the product is any good just so long as they can sell them. As long as it sort of works that's what matters.

[cellardoor]

Well we got the 4 pc kit in this morning and of course they weren't in my department for more than 5 minutes before i opened up a kit and was checking them out. Over all they seem to be of good quality and in line with their standard ONE + line. The green is pretty awful though, worse than the pictures. The battery weight i thought was surprisingly heavy for the 18V 2.4aH li-ion. They say only 20% lighter and I believe them, not as much of a change versus the other brands. The drill in my opinion is worse than the current Torque IV out there because there is no quick change from drilling to driving and also the chuck seems abnormally long. The one thing I did like was the way the battery sits on the circ. saw. It makes it fairly compact but I would have liked to see the saw in a 6 1/2" (It's only 5 1/2")

All in all for $259 i'd say its a great entry level set for the homeowner/hobbyist.

[Frankiarmz]

I agree Ryobi is not as good when it comes to quailty compared to the Ridgid line. I was looking at the new Ridgid 18volt lithium Ion drill today at Home Depot and for $179.00 I get two lion batteries and the new charger too which will fit all my Ridgid 18volt nicad tools:rolleyes:. I called Ridgid tech support and was told the amp hour on the lion battery is 3.0, not bad compared to the 2.4 MAX HC nicad, at it will hold a charge longer too. Anyone with differing information please post. The lion battery is smaller and lighter than the MAX HC and I hope they told me the right information. Thanks.

[mdm]

The HD tool guy wheeled in a box with 4 sets of these while I was there today. Dewalt had one of their reps there and I overheard him say that the sets could be stocked in the trash. He was quick to check them out though and take pics. I didn't get a chance to handle any of them, but man are they green!

[dwcurry]

It would be nice if the Lithium Ion battery could be used on my current set of Ryobi 18V tools, of which I have about 7.

[cellardoor]

It would be nice if the Lithium Ion battery could be used on my current set of Ryobi 18V tools, of which I have about 7.


They can. They will be selling a charger and one 18v lithium battery for about $100. The new charger will also charge your current 18v batteries.

[dwcurry]

They can. They will be selling a charger and one 18v lithium battery for about $100. The new charger will also charge your current 18v batteries.

So the foot print of the battery will be the same?

[Velosapien]

Ryobi will never be built as well as its higher end counterparts. They are designed to be inferior on purpose. Even if they can build them far better for same for the same cost they won't. There is a market segment they need to fill and they will not make them good enough to compete against themselves with the more expensive Ridgid or Milwaukee line. There probably is no good reason for the batteries to have such a relatively low amp hour rating but the higher capacity batteries are reserved to distinguish the high end products.

[onlycordless]

I agree Ryobi is not as good when it comes to quailty compared to the Ridgid line. I was looking at the new Ridgid 18volt lithium Ion drill today at Home Depot and for $179.00 I get two lion batteries and the new charger too which will fit all my Ridgid 18volt nicad tools:rolleyes:. I called Ridgid tech support and was told the amp hour on the lion battery is 3.0, not bad compared to the 2.4 MAX HC nicad, at it will hold a charge longer too. Anyone with differing information please post. The lion battery is smaller and lighter than the MAX HC and I hope they told me the right information. Thanks.


Wow, surprising to hear that the 18 volt li-on is 3.0AH. The 24 volt is so much larger and same capacity. Good Job RIDGID.

[Disaster]

I agree Ryobi is not as good when it comes to quailty compared to the Ridgid line. I was looking at the new Ridgid 18volt lithium Ion drill today at Home Depot and for $179.00 I get two lion batteries and the new charger too which will fit all my Ridgid 18volt nicad tools:rolleyes:. I called Ridgid tech support and was told the amp hour on the lion battery is 3.0, not bad compared to the 2.4 MAX HC nicad, at it will hold a charge longer too. Anyone with differing information please post. The lion battery is smaller and lighter than the MAX HC and I hope they told me the right information. Thanks.

The MaxHC battery is only 1.9Ah. The Max 2.5 is 2.5Ah. Before the MaxHC, Ridgid 18V batteries were only 1.4Ah. The new Ridgid 18v lithium is 3Ah....same as the 24v line.

Ryobi 18v batteries are 1.7Ah, their older batteries were 1.2Ah. The new Ryobi claims to have twice the life. That should be possible wit the 2.4Ah battery since LiIon run longer for the same power rating because they have a flatter curve and less power loss under load.

I have an entire set of Ryobi tools. They make nice backups or for lighter jobs. I will definitely pick up their Lithium upgrade kit.

[Disaster]

See the thing is, ryobi packs are designed to have a short battery life. The cells in there are antiquated 1200 mAh (i think) sub c. The price difference between one of those and something around 2100 mAh is negligible especially if you're buying in bulk like TTI. Ryobi is now going to offer lithium ion but why only 2.4 Ah?! That can be easily done with NiCad cells

Ryobi hasn't sold 1.2Ah packs in years. The ones they sell today are 1.7Ah. 2.5Ah is pretty darn good, actually. As was mentioned, they have to keep them one step below the Ridgid line.

The tools, on the other hand, are generally very cheaply made compared to Ridgid and DeWalt. They are closer in quality to Black and Decker. You notice the "cheapness" more with more expensive tools (like the reciprocating saw) because they try to keep all tools within a $30-$60 dollar price point and the higher cost tools suffer the most from this cost cutting.

[Disaster]

What size do you guys think that circ saw blade is? Do you think they kept the old 5 1/2 saw size?

The tools all appear to be "carry over", with just a color change.

[cellardoor]

The tools all appear to be "carry over", with just a color change.


It isn't a 'carryover' All 4 tools are of a design I have never seen from Ryobi. I can confirm the the circ. saw. size is 5 1/2" and I was a bit disappointed with that. Where the battery loads in the circ. saw is something I have never seen in another 'pod' style battery' tool and personally i like it a lot better and seems more compact.

[DuckButter]

On a a ladder I've dropped $250 drills to cement pavement.
I've also dropped $50 drills.
They both break.
I've owned a Ryobi 18v for 4 years, first one burnt out after 2 years when I was drilling 1-1/2" holes on a large residential gas job not from being dropped or mishandled..it burnt out.
A $250 drill would likely have burnt also, but I'd guess you'd get more life from it.
Would you get 500% more?
Homeowners & DIY'ers are attracted to what appears to be powerful, bright or shiney.
I'd rather put the money in a CD.
There are two advantages to using LI over NiCad or Nimh, it's lighter and the batteries have no memory.
Not enough difference for me to run out right away and restock my whole cordless "wardrobe" just yet.
As for Ryobi's new look on the LI, it's almost insulting.
But then there's DeWalts bright yellow....

[Disaster]

It isn't a 'carryover' All 4 tools are of a design I have never seen from Ryobi. I can confirm the the circ. saw. size is 5 1/2" and I was a bit disappointed with that. Where the battery loads in the circ. saw is something I have never seen in another 'pod' style battery' tool and personally i like it a lot better and seems more compact.

Though "carryover" might be going a little too far, I don't see anything in the tools that looks better....just shaped a little differently. I strongly suspect the motors and drives are very similar if not exactly the same.

While all Ryobis are good values, many are more limited in capability, while others are downright abusive to use. For example the reciprocating saw is a lightweight, buzzing, shaking beast that does half as much damage to your hand as it does to what you are cutting. On the other hand, their little impact wrench works great.

[Disaster]

On a a ladder I've dropped $250 drills to cement pavement.
I've also dropped $50 drills.
They both break.
I've owned a Ryobi 18v for 4 years, first one burnt out after 2 years when I was drilling 1-1/2" holes on a large residential gas job not from being dropped or mishandled..it burnt out.
A $250 drill would likely have burnt also, but I'd guess you'd get more life from it.
Would you get 500% more?
Homeowners & DIY'ers are attracted to what appears to be powerful, bright or shiney.
I'd rather put the money in a CD.
There are two advantages to using LI over NiCad or Nimh, it's lighter and the batteries have no memory.
Not enough difference for me to run out right away and restock my whole cordless "wardrobe" just yet.
As for Ryobi's new look on the LI, it's almost insulting.
But then there's DeWalts bright yellow....

I've gone through quite a few tools in my lifetime too...and like to take them apart when they fail. I can tell you there is a huge difference between cheap and expensive tools and it is one of the reasons the more expensive tools last longer, are more efficient, and are more comfortable to use.

Some of the things you will find on more expensive tools.


More and better bearings and bushings
Vibration reducing technologies...like flywheels and offset weights.
Better motors with improved cooling and bearings instead of bushings
Thicker battery leads and cooling panels and vents on the batteries.
Replaceable service parts like bearings and brushes


All of these things make the tool last longer, and be able to be pushed harder without failing.

While this isn't as important to a homeowner, or weekend handyman, who might take his drill out once or twice a year, it makes a huge difference to a contractor who might be up a ladder chasing in lag bolts for two hours...day after day.

Ryobi tools are a great value and definitely have their place in the market. Many might even be acceptable for some contractors who don't abuse their tools so much and don't mind running out to the store for a replacement if need be.

As far as the dropping thing, it generally does get better with more expensive tools, but some manufacturers design better for this...even in high end tools. For example Bosch does drop tests on their tools and they have a reputation for being able to take several story falls in stride. I've read of Hitachi drills, on the other hand, snapping, at the handle, when dropped 4 feet.

[funkymonkey1111]

My first post--

I am a new homeowner in the middle of building firewood racks out of pressure treated lumber. I have a 6 year old dewalt 9.9 (9.6?)V driver, and it mightily struggled with drilling the 1/2" holes needed to put in the lag bolts to hold this thing together. After charging both batteries 6 times during a morning working, I decided I needed an serious upgrade. I'm not a contractor, but just a weekend wannabe handyman that has a whole slew of projects with a new-to-me 30 year old home. So, I face the perpetual tool dilemma--the prospect of buying more than you need, but wanting reliability and the tool to work every time. I take good care of my stuff, but the poor little dewalt was taxed beyond its capability on this project.

I went down to the Home Depot thinking I would buy a corded Ridgid 3/8" drill--my projects will all be within the yard, and i'll always have power. At $57, it really seemed to fit the bill. But, the 18v Li-Ion Ridgid drill caught my eye. I've got a ridgid shop-vac, but that's the only Ridgid brand equipment I have, and frankly had been a little nervous about buying their battery tools based on Consumer Reports' review that the batteries did not last as long as other companies' offerings.

While looking at the Ridgid 18v Li-Ion, the tool salesman started chatting with me. I told him the above--my needs and uses, and he steered me to the Ryobi Li-Ion. I said "moreso than the Ridgid?" He said "Yes, Indeed."

I came here to learn-up on the varying tools, etc. and hope to make the right choices as I get started, but I was surprised the HD man would push Ryobi over the Ridgid, when it's not their brand, and it was $20 cheaper.

I haven't made my decision yet, but that Ryobi set sure looks good now that I study it, but I sure like the assurance of the Ridgid free battery program, too.

[oldslowchevy]

My first post--

I am a new homeowner in the middle of building firewood racks out of pressure treated lumber. I have a 6 year old dewalt 9.9 (9.6?)V driver, and it mightily struggled with drilling the 1/2" holes needed to put in the lag bolts to hold this thing together. After charging both batteries 6 times during a morning working, I decided I needed an serious upgrade. I'm not a contractor, but just a weekend wannabe handyman that has a whole slew of projects with a new-to-me 30 year old home. So, I face the perpetual tool dilemma--the prospect of buying more than you need, but wanting reliability and the tool to work every time. I take good care of my stuff, but the poor little dewalt was taxed beyond its capability on this project.

I went down to the Home Depot thinking I would buy a corded Ridgid 3/8" drill--my projects will all be within the yard, and i'll always have power. At $57, it really seemed to fit the bill. But, the 18v Li-Ion Ridgid drill caught my eye. I've got a ridgid shop-vac, but that's the only Ridgid brand equipment I have, and frankly had been a little nervous about buying their battery tools based on Consumer Reports' review that the batteries did not last as long as other companies' offerings.

While looking at the Ridgid 18v Li-Ion, the tool salesman started chatting with me. I told him the above--my needs and uses, and he steered me to the Ryobi Li-Ion. I said "moreso than the Ridgid?" He said "Yes, Indeed."

I came here to learn-up on the varying tools, etc. and hope to make the right choices as I get started, but I was surprised the HD man would push Ryobi over the Ridgid, when it's not their brand, and it was $20 cheaper.

I haven't made my decision yet, but that Ryobi set sure looks good now that I study it, but I sure like the assurance of the Ridgid free battery program, too.





frist off welcome to the group, secondly, ryobi makes a darn good tool for a home owner and they have a very large selation of tools to chosse from, but the down side is some of they tools are very under powered(some not all) but i agree that the ridgid line is a tad pricey (for a homeowner/hobbiest) but you get what you pay for, also the ridgid line has a lifetime service agreement on the tools and the batterys as long as you regerster the tools so that is something to think about also

[Frankiarmz]

Funky, as a new homeowner you have plenty of options and OSC made some good points. If you are just looking for a drill and guaranteed performance with no future inventment in batteries, then get a good corded drill and have fun, however if you are planning to do diverse tasks around that house and property you have a lot of decisions to make. Do you want to invest the least amount of money on a starter set of cordless tools to learn on? I'd go with the Ryobi, decent quality for the money and if you bang them up along the way no great loss. If you are good with tools but just haven't had your own house or tools and want to invest in something that will perform better and last longer you have to step up and spend more money. I don't think there have ever been more choices in good cordless tools and batteries. All of this can lead to confusion, but these "threads" have already provided lots of useful information. Unless you are planning to hire contractors or handymen to do most of your repairs, it's a good idea to have a variety of tools to make all the various jobs easier. Cordless circular saw for cutting trim wood or small projects, reciprocating saw for tight spaces, even handy for plumbing and auto work, of course "The Drill". I would probably spend closer to $400.00 and get stronger and better quality tools. I would choose lithium ion batteries for their ability to hold a charge longer than nicads, no problems with memory and stronger performance during use. I like my Ridgid tools and I think the warranty is a good feature. All considered I don't think you could make a bad choice among the top brands if you tried, they will all be more than a homeowner would need. Best of luck with your new home and let us know how you do with the tool decision.:D

[Disaster]

...I was surprised the HD man would push Ryobi over the Ridgid, when it's not their brand, and it was $20 cheaper.

Home Depot has the exclusive rights to sell Ryobi and Ridgid. Neither are their brand.

Ryobi is aimed more at the homeowner and casual user. There tools are going to take the abuse that a day to day contractor might put them through as well as a Ridgid or DeWalt.

For your use, the Ryobi OnePlus line might be a great match. I have quite a few tools in their line and they vary in quality vs. contractor grade tools, but some are quite good. I have contractor grade tools too, but Ryobi fills the gaps for tools I use less...like right angle drills and impact driver.

I agree that you may want to consider getting some quality corded tools before you invest in cordless. You will get more power, and not have to worry about battery maintenance.

Depending on the work you may tackle, you might also consider bumping up to a good 1/2" corded drill...as opposed to that 3/8". It won't cost that much more for a good quality 1/2" and they are more versatile. Your little 9.6v DeWalt might be a nice companion to it, for all those jobs where you don't need power.

Good luck,
Danny

[erngum]

Funky,
For your purposes, I think the Ryobi lithium drill is a good recommendation for you. I tried the drill today at HD. I drilled a bunch of 3/8" holes in a block of pine using the high speed setting. it did quite well, only hesitating slightly as the hole got to about 4" deep. I was impressed.

I'd consider the drill kit ($159) and the Ryobi (P230) impact driver for $69 since you are working with lag screws and such (you'll be amazed at the power).

OSC is correct in saying, "you get what you pay for" and this is absolutely true. But I think that in the case of Ryobi cordless tools, you actually do get an exceptional value, and some pretty darn good tools for the price.

You might also consider the Makita compact lithium kit for $269 at HD. That is a screaming deal, even compared to Amazon.com. I have the Makita compact drill and impact although I bought them separately over time. The Makita is a higher end tool for just a bit more if you are considering both the Ryobi drill and impact both. But the Ryobi batteries have a higher capacity than the "compact" Makita's.

What ever you choose, I'd stay clear of any Black & Decker, Black & Decker Firestorm, Skil, Kawasaki (from Costco), Denali, Worx, GMC, or Harbor Freight cordless tools. I think those cordless tools are just plain ripoffs.

Good luck,
Ern

[funkymonkey1111]

folks,

thanks for the thoughtful replies.

here's another question--(sorry, another ryobi question).

Are the tools (drill, compact circular saw, reciprocating saw) included in the One Plus Lithium Ion kit (the chartreuse ones) any different other than color than the blue Ryobi tools in the regular-old One Plus kit?

[Disaster]

They are pretty similar with some updates...some good, others just different. The battery has been repositioned on the circular saw...possibly an improvement. The shape of the reciprocating saw is a little different...not sure I like the new shape as well. The drill loses the magnetic tool holder...which I never cared for, and the tiny bits that get lost way to easy from the rubber holder.

[erngum]

I'm still waiting for the Ryobi lithium starter kit to come out. I just won two lithium batteries on an Ebay "best offer" deal today ($115 for two batts. no charger). Who knows if that a good deal or not, but I don't need another (fourth) Ryobi drill, so I don't want to get the drill kit just for the charger and batteries. After the starter kit comes out, I'll have three batteries and plenty of uses for them.

Ern

[Disaster]

I'm still waiting for the Ryobi lithium starter kit to come out. I just won two lithium batteries on an Ebay "best offer" deal today ($115 for two batts. no charger). Who knows if that a good deal or not, but I don't need another (fourth) Ryobi drill, so I don't want to get the drill kit just for the charger and batteries. After the starter kit comes out, I'll have three batteries and plenty of uses for them.

Ern

Compared to what they would cost from Ryobi, it is probably a good deal.

The individual tools, batteries and accessories you see for sale on Ebay are 99% of the time from big kits people break apart and sell. It is a win-win situation. You save money on the individual tools. They make money by buying a big kit and parting it out.

[Disaster]

P.S. Our local HD had the battery upgrade kits since last week. However they were $109 vs. the $99 that was reported originally. I saw someone post on the Ryobi forum that they were able to buy the kit for $99. Not sure why it is higher in our store.

[Jay6]

There is a huge difference between cheap Ryobi tools and brands like Bosch and Milwaukee. We repair these tools and when you get inside you can tell the difference. Cheap tools like these you don't repair because they are essentially disposable tools. They break you throw it away.

For a DIY guy who uses these tools once a month to hang curtains for his wife and builds a deck every 4 years these tools are fine. Chances are they will last for the first 25 uses which might get you through 2 years. For them a Bosch 36v Litheon is over kill but they want the best and have the money so they buy them. Most Porsche drivers don't use their cars to race on the track but they'll be pissed if you switch it with a Hyundai.

For professionals who use them everyday and put several thousand screws into sheetrock each week you'll get a whole different view. We have Milwaukee 18V that have been in the field for 4-6 years with daily use the batteries get replaced all the time and recently we've been upgrading them all to Lithium Ion (batteries and chargers are reverse compatible) and they just keep on going. If we tried to sell them a Ryobi we would get laughed at.

[Disaster]

For a DIY guy who uses these tools once a month to hang curtains for his wife and builds a deck every 4 years these tools are fine. Chances are they will last for the first 25 uses which might get you through 2 years.

Agreed. For most homeowners they are fine. I've even seen contractors use Ryobis as "disposable" tools. They get a year or two out of them in day to day hard use and then replace them. They don't worry about them getting stolen like they would a $400 drill. I knew one electrician who was on his 4th year with a Ryobi drill (used for lighter dutys...not boring through rafters) so I wouldn't go as far as to say they are only good for 25 uses or 2 years. It really depends on whether those 25 uses are to put up blinds or drive 2000 deck screws.

My recent Ryobis have all held up pretty well. I did waste two Ryobi drill clutches years ago when I was really pushing them on some big projects.

[GilBeQuick]

The only real gripe I have about Ryobi is the battery life.

For what you pay for the tools you get an excellent value for your money. The batteries don't last long and wear out realatively quickly. Maybe the newer lithiums will solve this.

My HD has the lithium batt and charger for $99. They also have the flashlight/drill/charger and 2 batteries for $159. So for $60 more you get another battery, drill and flashlight. Maybe purchasing it this way would be cheaper than buying another battery. Definately cheaper than ebay right now for a 2 batts and a charger.

[Frankiarmz]

I agree that for the money my Ryobi tools have held up fine. I would not put them up against my Ridgid 18 volt for heavy duty applications but they are still adequate for many jobs. I agree the Ryobi batteries have always been a weak link, didn't help that I got two for only $40.00, they were just too weak and did not last very long. I plan to get that drill kit with the two lithiums for $160.00. If the lithiums perform as expected I will end up with two handy drills another tool light and finally a battery that won't let me done. Not to mention a charger that will handle both the old nicads but the newer lithiums.

[funkymonkey1111]

instead of the ryobi, i ended up getting the 1/2" Ridgid corded drill and a new ridgid 1/2" boring bit.

The firewood rack i built with my little dewalt 9.6v (described earlier) called for a 1/2" hole to be drilled through three 2x4's (treated). These easily took 3-4 minutes per 2x4 with the dewalt. at 4 of these joints per rack, this took up a ton of time and sucked the batteries down to nothing. of course, its probably no surprise to anyone here the ridgid replacement went through the combined joint in about 10 seconds.

i'm not a carpenter who relies on tools to make a living, but it sure was nice not to waste a bunch of time building a simple rack--this ridgid drill has paid for itself in one afternoon in time savings.

[Frankiarmz]

Well, you got the job done without spending a ton of money. If you don't mind using an extension cord the drill you bought is great for around the house. There will be all sorts of cordless kits coming out very soon, so when you decide to expand your tool collection the choices will be even greater. You also have the added advantage of reading the comments on this site by the guys who do use these tools every day.

[erngum]

instead of the Ryobi, i ended up getting the 1/2" Ridgid corded drill and a new Ridgid 1/2" boring bit.

....this Ridgid drill has paid for itself in one afternoon in time savings.

I have that drill also, and yes its very powerful. It drills pocket holes lightning fast. You can't beat the 12' cord.

Ern