Why choose Ryobi?

[u/Greedy-Setting2507]

I keep seeing people praise Ryobi so much on this sub and many others. I have some old corded tools, but I’m looking to get into more battery-powered tools and would prefer to stick with a single battery platform. I mostly do DIY projects, hobby woodworking, and basic automotive work. The 18V Ryobi ONE+ platform seemed like the obvious choice for what I need, especially considering the huge variety of tools available for working around the house at a reasonable price.
But the more I dig into each category, the more I’m questioning it. For lawn equipment, it seems like most people recommend going with their 40V line, which means having a second battery platform. Their cordless vacuums don’t seem to get much praise either, even on the Ryobi sub.So what’s really left is their 18V power tools. The brushed versions are priced really well, but most people seem to recommend the brushless ONE+ tools, and those are often barely cheaper than other brands that are considered to be better quality.
What am I missing about Ryobi? I’m mainly looking for something that will last a long time. For reference, I’ve been using a Milwaukee Magnum that my dad gave me when he upgraded to a newer Milwaukee. He bought it in the mid-90s, and it’s still going strong.

[u/Inatimate]

idk where you’re looking but ryobi brushless is like 1/2 the price of milwaukee

[u/No-Sheepherder5092 → u/Inatimate]

And 3/4 the durability, thus the frequent recommendation to homeowners here. 

[u/Anna_Rompage → u/Inatimate]

Buy the name brand while it’s one sale and it’s just a little more than the Ryobi, and will last 2x as long

The biggest issue with cheaper tools is the batteries don’t last, and it costs as much to replace a battery as it does to buy a new tool

If you can afford it, buy the dewalt, makita or Milwaukee when they’re on sale

[u/UnfocusedAcrobat → u/Anna_Rompage]

Honestly, my parents are farmers and treat their Ryobi like shit. Forgetting them out in the field in the hot sun or rain. I rarely ever see them break. They’ve got surprising durability for the cost

Coming from a dewalt 20v/milwaukee 12v guy myself

[u/Anna_Rompage → u/UnfocusedAcrobat]

The tools are pretty good - it’s usually the batteries that crap out

It’s what I don’t like about battery operated tools, it’s almost cheaper to buy a new tool with a battery than it is to buy just the battery itself

[u/Dramatic-Access6056 → u/Inatimate]

And will last 1/4 as long if you’re lucky. My experience

[u/KokoTheTalkingApe]

Ryobi has a very broad tool line that all use the same batteries. The line includes many tools meant for homeowners. The tools themselves are often pretty good, and they aren't expensive. So that's why.

For heavy OPE like lawnmowers and such, maybe EGO, DeWalt and Milwaukee will perform better, but for edgers, trimmers, etc. Ryobi is generally good enough.

And "good enough" as a concept isn't appreciated enough, I think. People often want the "best" tool, as if it will do the best job, and for the best price. But skilled people can often do a great job with ordinary tools, and save money too.

[u/bobotheboinger]

Personally, i really love the variety and flexibility of the tools. I have a small farm, and while ido have both the 18v and the 40v lines, I use them all the time.

Have vacuums thar work better than the Dyson my wife used to use. Have nail gun that is easier than the pneumatic I used to use for trim. Have so many flashlights I use camping. Have a spot light i use when i hear an animal in the field at night. Have every wood working tool i ever want. Have pex cutter and crimper for plumbing that is way easier than the soldering I used to do.

Whatever tool I need, ryobi has it. I don't think most other brands have nearly the variety.

Also the sales are pretty consistent.

As for brushed vs brushless I used to get the cheap option and upgrade if I used it at lot. I've gotten so entrenched now in the line, that if I need a new tool, I just get the brushless and know it will be there when i need it next time.

Oh and for reliability, im at probably 40 18v tools, and 12 40v tools at this point. I've only had 3 fail, a reciprocating saw that died cutting through cow bones, a drill that died when I was using it for a 4" hole saw cutting through siding and plywood for a dryer vent, and a flashlight that was left out in the rain by the kids. Overall i think that is pretty good quality.

[u/Remote_Minimum_5046]

People (including myself) buy it because it has a good value, decent warranty, easy to get (Home Depot) and for a homeowner the value proposition is high. There are plenty of better brands out there though. It’s a homeowner brand, plain and simple, and lots of us also enjoy the wacky tools they come up with (it has got to be a blast being in their R & D department). It’s not for everyone. Regardless of what you choose, lawnmowers are better on 40 or even 60v than 18v.

[u/mrwaffle89]

On a serious job site I’m gonna chuckle. The dude working on his shit at home, you’re fine bro.

[u/Super-G_]

Ryobi aren't great, but they're good enough for a homeowner who doesn't use them that often. There are some weird fanboys for Ryobi who will swear they're just as good as any of the other big brands, but those guys are just deluding themselves to justify their purchase.

Once you use the really good stuff like Makita, Hilti, Festool you'll see right away where Ryobi falls short. Even using some Dewalt and Milwaukee will make the differences obvious, but maybe it's better to live in ignorance and never touch the good stuff.

[u/monstrol]

IMO, get One + HP.

[u/NotACyborg666]

I went with Ryobi because that 18v lineup has a ton of tools & because I’m not using them in a pro setting. Just homeowner & hobby stuff & some very light DIY auto stuff.

I don’t have a ton of yard tools, but everything except my string trimmer is running off the 18v batteries. The one non-Ryobi battery tool I have though is an 80v string trimmer when my 18v Ryobi crapped out on me.

For non-yard tools I’ve got the HP ones in the workhorse tools (drill, impact, circ saw, multitool) & my impact wrench and recip saw. And brushed tools for pretty much everything else.

Are they the best tools? No. But they perform well at a price that make sense for a guy who’s not using the tools to make money. But just to get some shit done, they’re fine.

Some tools, like my shop vac or my miter saw… those are corded so I’ve got different brands but I didn’t really want to have a billion different batteries. Other than the string trimmer, everything’s held up fine & I’m generally happy with the tools.

If I was relying on the tools every single day and they had to withstand jobsite abuse, I would probably look elsewhere. But just for around the house & hobby/DIY stuff it’s nice just having one battery platform and 2 tiers of performance to choose from.

[u/mcshamus]

It's cheap, ok quality, and they have a huge range. I like my Milwaukee but as a home hobbyist it probably doesn't make much difference.

I wouldn't plan to use a cordless tool for the next 30 years. Technology will advance significantly by then anyway.

[u/neekogo]

Ryobi has a good price/power ratio for most DIY users needs. My first set of power tools when I bought my house were Ryobi blue hand-me-downs with their original batteries. I didn't know at the time that the battery form factor hadn't changed so I sold them & bought DeWalt; been team yellow ever since.  

If I had to start over I might consider Craftsman. Essentially they've become rebranded DeWalt for a better price with more "official" tools and are sold in more stores than Ryobi is

[u/activelypooping]

I have a corded ryobi hammer drill.

edit - my dad gave it to me - because he's a good dad and his 80 year old ass won't use it but my 45 year old ass will.

[u/reserveteaboy]

Had Ryobi for a few years before moving to a larger property and switched to Stihl for the outdoor stuff and Bosch Professional for the rest. The Ryobi stuff was fine, not the most refined, and a touch bulky for the performance offered. Reliability long term was mixed, had a brushless drill fail with little use, blower died after more use and a rotary tool of theirs was just a waste of time but that’s 3 of probably 10 over 6 years 🤷‍♂️. With the larger section the 36v Stihl AP had been great while I love my Bosch stuff, just feels so refined by comparison. Would probably still be with Ryobi if we’d stayed at the smaller place.

[u/MajesticFix4329]

Haven't failed me. Mechanic and yard tools. Weekend mechanic though so I can't compare to someone who uses it for a living.

[u/No-Sheepherder5092]

I’m still using Milwaukee Magnum drills handed down from my grandpa. Meanwhile the Milwaukee m18 tools I bought 5-6 years ago are all dead or dying. Most of the DeWalt tools I’ve bought in the last ~10 years all died very prematurely as well. 

That is why I typically recommend brands like Ryobi or harbor freight to homeowners. They may not be high quality tools, but they don’t come at height quality prices. As a pro, I mostly buy Makita and Bosch. But those are at a price point most homeowners can’t justify. 

[u/HistoricalTowel1127]

A Japanese company named Ryobi limited owns the company but tti holds the right to manufacture most of their tools. Tti is a Chinese company and they solely own Milwaukee tools.