fm2176
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Posts posted by fm2176
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These forums, and similar sites dedicated to power tools and those who use them, are filled with people who dedicate themselves to certain brands. Many of us can objectively say that certain brands make certain tools better than others, but the dislike for various brands' marketing, their current and past mistakes, and sometimes just their overall business practices is evidenced by numerous threads and post about why Brand X is inferior to Brand Y. Usually, Ryobi slips under the radar as a "DIY-brand" that is either dismissed outright or is begrudgingly given respect as an inexpensive, yet capable, alternative to the two dominant brands in my area of the US-Milwaukee and DeWalt. I've owned and used Ryobi tools for quite some time now, but a recent release has caused me some concern in how the brand markets and sells some of its more niche tools.
Searching "Ryobi Power Tools" results in a Home Depot ad making the claim in the thread title. With "over 175 cordless tools", Ryobi truly does offer one of the most diverse and innovative tool platforms out there. Usually marketed as the bottom tier of the Ryobi/Ridgid/Milwaukee triad, the brand nonetheless sells not only drivers and saws, but also a plethora of more specialized tools such as a cordless caulking gun, hybrid floor dryer, and even a pool vacuum. Over time I've noticed something, though: no matter how innovative a product or how well they work, Ryobi seems to have a large number of limited release tools that disappear within a year or two of being introduced.
Last month, I read ToolGuyd's post about the new PCF02 cordless fan, and at $20 each I anticipated buying two for personal use. Being unavailable online I knew that a little patience would have me finding these in store. Since then, I've checked the website regularly and visited a few stores, only to find them listed as being available at two Richmond, VA area stores (which now show limited stock). Given the population density of where I live and work in Northern VA I felt sure that some stores would receive these, but for the past 2-3 weeks it's been only those two medium-sized stores located about 10 miles from each other, ignoring not only the other four greater Richmond-area stores, but the multitude of Home Depots in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
My Ryobi "collection" has a few similar products that seem to have been dropped after only a brief period. For example, the Devour sweeper has been a mainstay in my household for over three years, yet I can't find any parts for it on the Ryobi parts website (one of the locking knobs has been missing for a couple of years). The Score speaker system seemed overpriced initially, but after picking up a set on clearance it's become my go-to audio system for entertaining guests.
If/when I find the clamp fan(s) I'll likely forget all about my current concerns (okay, I won't really). Ryobi has done something no other tool brand has, sticking with the same battery format for 25 years and ensuring that most of their One+ tools work regardless of the age of the tool or the battery chemistry. I can't grab my old UniVolt drill in the garage, slap a modern DeWalt 12v Ma battery in it, and go to work, but I can grab my father-in-law's old blue Ryobi drill, put any of my One+ batteries in it, and get the job done. Similarly, if I had any of the old Ni-Cad batteries, I could put one in my newest One+ tool, albeit with limited performance and runtime.
Ryobi has an established and loyal customer base, and continues to attract those who are already heavily invested in other platforms. In the end, though, if having the "largest 18-volt tool system" relies on decade old models and limited availability items like the PCF02, does the claim truly stand? With few exceptions such as upgraded models and such, I can still go out and buy just about any of the DeWalt or Milwaukee tools I currently own. I could very possibly replace them at the Home Depot and Lowe's stores a mile or two down the road. If my Devour stops ingesting, or my Score speakers play their final note, however, I'm unlikely to find replacements at a reasonable price even online.
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I'm sure that this is possible, but Milwaukee is known for its promos, which reduce the cost of M12 batteries significantly. For example, I picked up my first M12 drill/impact combo on sale for $99 during a free 2.0Ah battery promo. For around $105 w/tax, I got two-1.5Ah and one-2.0Ah batteries along with a charger, drill, and impact driver. I'm not sure how much power banks cost since I always use my power tool batteries as portable chargers (I currently have M12, DeWalt 12v/20v, Ridgid 18v, and Bosch 18v USB adapters).
The compact M12 batteries work well for my family (two heated hoodies and a Toughshell jacket), and recently the newer 3.0Ah (same size as the 1.5Ah) has been included in some promotions and starter kits.
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On 5/2/2021 at 6:07 PM, Eric - TIA said:
I have the Ryobi glue gun also. I love it and use it a lot but your right, it does take a lot of time to heat up.
The mini version has a nice spot designed to catch dripping glue (which it doesn't seem to eject much of). I can deal with the amount of time it takes the large gun to heat up, but the biggest annoyance is the fact that it seems to constantly drip when it's ready for use. This is easily rectified by placing a piece of paper or plastic under the glue gun, but I can see where it could possibly damage materials if the user doesn't pay attention.
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It sounds like a charger issue, if you are using multiple batteries. I had a similar issue where the battery itself was to blame. Multiple chargers worked fine with other batteries, but one of my 4Ah ones had a corroded terminal, which caused the charger to read it as charged.
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16 hours ago, ToolBane said:
Dewalt’s had a brushless blade-left for quite some time and it’s pretty well-respected:
But if that is insufficient for you, their Flexvolt is quite possibly the strongest cordless circular saw on the market:
It’s not an actual worm-drive, but per some online reviews it outperforms some saws that actually are.
I've had this saw for about four years. It's a beast! I don't use it as regularly as I do my Fuel, MultiVolt, or X5 saws due to the heft, but when there's a lot of heavy cutting to be done, the FlexVolt wins the day!
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I found the Ryobi mini glue gun in store in North Carolina, so I picked it up. I also picked up another of the full sized ones a couple weeks ago, since my son's girlfriend seems to love the old one.
It seems to take a while to heat up, but that may just be me. Also, the 4" mini glue sticks go fast, but I guess that this is designed for (very) small projects. Also, I'm spoiled by the 12" full sized sticks.
Next up, if and when I find them in store, are a couple of the new Ryobi clamp fans. I want one for the gym and the other for...something. The misting fan is back in stores, but I think my Arctic Cove (same fan in blue and white) is enough for now. Also, there's a DeWalt promo with a free 5Ah battery at Home Depot. The fan was tempting, but my Ridgid versions have served well over the past four years.
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13 hours ago, Jronman said:
The Sears Hometown near me recenty changed locations but managed to stay open. I wonder how long it will stay open.
Sadly, there's no way of telling. The Gonzales, Louisiana Hometown store closed in late 2011; I got a dishwasher for cheap before the Army moved me to Georgia. The Hinesville, Georgia store closed while I was stationed at Fort Stewart, probably around 2015 or so. Columbus, Georgia's regular Sears closed in 2017 when I was a Drill Sergeant, but the LaGrange Hometown seems to still be open.
It's hit or miss, and with Sears selling off their brands (and with it a reason for people to continue shopping at the chain), the end seems very near. I do see some Sears appliance repair vehicles, so there's that, but the Hometown stores depend on the franchisees that own them, and with the parent company itself not doing so well there's no telling how long we'll see those smaller stores.
Speaking of Sears' brands, people really did buy into the hype. Besides Craftsman, long considered a go-to brand by our parents and grandparents, Kenmore was a trusted name in appliances, and companies such as Allstate Insurance originated at Sears. Diehard, now owned by Advance Auto Parts, was similarly trusted as the best battery by a lot of people. A friend of mine bought into the 19.2v Craftsman cordless platform and was convinced that it was the best option due to using Diehard batteries.
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On 4/20/2021 at 5:06 PM, ToolBane said:
...I’m at the end of a large tool-buying campaign replacing almost all my corded tools for cordless and then some. I feel I stepped in at a great time because lithium batteries and brushless motors have brought the market to a new plateau. So performance improvements from here forward are going to be more piecemeal until the next big paradigm shift (like solid state batteries or whatever). I’m a DIY guy and am respectful of my tools to boot, I’m unlikely to prematurely destroy any of my new tools any more than I did the corded ones they’ve replaced....
Well stated. I started my tool-buying after a burglary saw most of my corded and pneumatic tools stolen (the thief left my Porter Cable kit). Initially, I expanded my PC 18v system, then invested in DeWalt when I saw that my then-current platform was obsolete.
Lithium-ion batteries coupled with brushless motors have truly been a renaissance of sorts for cordless power tools. I still have my old UniVolt drill from the '90s as well as my B&D retro drill from the early 2000s, and I recall my brother's dependence on his DeWalt 18v tools for his various jobs 10-15 years ago. A majority of my tools nowadays are brushless, and all my batteries are lithium. I couldn't imagine going back to older technology, or even to the days of dragging around a cord. We'll see what the future brings...let's hope it doesn't make our current stuff obsolete like the PC 18v system was made.
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I stopped by my local Lowe's on a whim and found collated decking screws marked down to $5 or so. They rang up at $3.02 a bucket, so I grabbed four more (eight total). The 2-1/2" and 3" screws were the ones on clearance.
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I voted "yes", but have no personal interest in adding another battery platform to my tool boxes. Then again, that's how I felt six years ago when I started investing in DeWalt, five years ago after buying my first Milwaukee and Ridgid tools, and four years ago after jumping onboard Ryobi. Since January, I've added MetaboHPT and Bosch to the mix, so we'll see if Flex ends up at the homestead.
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Hopefully the title isn't too misleading...I didn't use any tools in the preparation of food yesterday, but they sure helped out. My family and I had been planning a shrimp boil for the past few months, and yesterday was the day. A friend arrived at 6am with a truck load of wood and he and his wife helped with the final preparations. My DeWalt 20v max chainsaw is buried somewhere and the gas Ryobi is at the other house, so he broke down the wood with a Fuel Sawzall while I pressure washed the pollen off everything.
After a morning beer run that saw us come home with a case of Coors Light along with the last 10 Bud Light Cheladas and last four boxes of Pabst Blue Ribbon hard coffee, the cooking commenced. First up, 16 pounds of chicken wings smoked over apple wood. While those were going, I used a Jawhorse to clamp one of my cooking pots while I cleaned it (I have a tendency to keep them outside and to not thoroughly clean them after use, so they get nasty). No problem, a little degreaser and the pressure washer had it looking like new.
Before the bulk of guests showed up, we made our musical selections. FM radio on the Score speakers inside for those playing pool, and SiriusXM Ozzy's Boneyard on a ToughSystem radio outside. I also set mounted two of the Ridgid fans to a tripod, placed the Air Cannon on the patio, and set up the Arctic Cove misting fan near the cooking area. Once people started arriving, the newly commissioned mini-bar came into play, with frozen drinks of every variety being made. I came up with a twist while making pina coladas, adding a couple moonshine cherries to the blender. Maybe the Cheladas and beer warped my taste buds, but the resulting drink reminded me of pineapple upside down cake.
The pot of water went on the burner soon after with a jar of Zatarain's crab boil seasoning. Once it started boiling, potatoes, corn, and mushrooms were added. About 20 minutes in, fresh andouille went in. The little 30-qt. pot was filled to the brim, so I pulled the basket out and added the shrimp for a few minutes. Some people were already raiding the other stuff before I could even put the shrimp on the table, but once the shrimp went out everyone had plates in hand.
As a final touch, I put two dozen crabs in the pot for a few minutes. I had asked my wife to pick up live crabs (her face was priceless) so I could either steam or boil them. For better or worse, she came home with unseasoned steamed crabs a couple of hours before the boil even started, making it necessary to refrigerate them for food safety. My family pounced on the crabs and before I knew it they were down to the final few.
Anyway, I love cooking outdoors for groups of people and would count yesterday as being as successful as Thanksgiving was. As usual, I grossly overestimated the amount of food to buy and now have 24 pounds of shrimp and a couple pounds of andouille in the freezer, a bit of uncooked sliced andouille that may become breakfast, and plenty of potatoes and corn to incorporate into dinner over the next week. I also have a back porch stocked with soft drinks and a near-untouched case of Coors Light to work on today. My friend that showed up early made a late-day beer run, then disappeared shortly afterward without saying anything. Guess I'll be cleaning the back porch and patio by myself today...
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I'm surprised that this hasn't been brought up here, but with Chervon's Flex line of tools coming to Lowe's, what are your thoughts? I've heard that they are looking to compete with the likes of DeWalt and Milwaukee, that they are looking to dominate like their sibling EGO did with OPE, that they are a DIY brand at best, and that they are little more than beefed up Kobalt tools. Personally, I have a hard time believing Chervon would release a new cordless platform simply to appeal to Harry Homeowner. In my opinion, Flex is looking to compete with the so-called "big boys" of the American cordless tool world.
Anyway, I watch a lot of YouTube videos, more than I'd care to admit. Teleworking? YouTube is on the Chromebook. Cleaning? YouTube on the phone, streamed through Ryobi Score speakers. Showering? YouTube on the Chromebook or on the rugged phone, streamed through a ToughSystem radio. Driving? Okay, usually SiriusXM, but sometimes YouTube streamed through a DeWalt Bluetooth adapter. You get the point.
Over the past week or two, my suggestions have been filled with YouTubers flexing (see what I did there) the tools sent to them for testing and review. Honestly, I have yet to watch any because we all know what a majority of the videos will be...generic "these are great (because they were free)" reviews, or outright promotions of the new brand. Okay, I did watch one, from a channel with 132k subscribers, which did not receive any of the promotional tools. He was overall objective despite his disdain for Lowe's, seemed (to me) a little bitter he didn't receive anything to test, and called out both fellow YouTubers and Flex itself for how skewed a lot of the videos are. Browsing the comments, it seems that Flex has gotten some level of backlash for the way they selected which "influencers" they chose to promote their products.
My humble opinion is that Flex has an uphill battle on its hands. I have no doubt that Chervon is seeking to compete with the pro-level market leaders by using a known brand for this new platform, with Skil taking a backseat as a less visible but still capable little brother (think DeWalt/Craftsman or Milwaukee/Ridgid. However, if they want to dislodge brands like Makita and Bosch, much less DeWalt and Milwaukee, from their dominant positions they need to ensure their tools perform and build up a loyal fan base. Unfortunately, the market is saturated with "best", "good", and "good enough" tool brands that will continue to have their share of consumers, while serious tool users will continue to turn towards their favorite brand. If Flex is expecting to just come in and compete with our favorite tools, they may be surprised at how biased Americans can be, but with the right marketing and a little patience, I could see this becoming an alternative to the brands we all know and love (or hate).
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I can't compare my cordless nailers to other brands as I only have one of each type, but I love the DeWalt finish nailer. I also have the Ryobi brad and pin nailers along with the M12 stapler. All of those are outstanding for my uses, and the low price of the Ryobi nailers make them a great value for anyone not wanting to deal with a compressor.
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Will do, now I need to get a good portable dust extractor, but until then I'll probably use these with my DCV580 or M18 vacuum. I still need to put a cord on the Jet extractor I got for free to see if it works.
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I didn't buy a tool per se but rather an attachment for my rotary hammers. A few weeks ago I bought a similar attachment for larger holes.
I don't use my rotary hammers regularly, but I do like the thought of having these to extract dust when I do. At the moment, I have the d-handle M18 Fuel 1" and a corded DeWalt 1", to use with numerous SDS-Plus bits for occasional concrete drilling (though I have to break out a chisel to rebuild some brick steps in the coming weeks).
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Most major tool brands have adapters made for other brands' batteries, albeit usually third party ones that can void the warranty or even lead to safety concerns. It's odd that Worx would have a different battery platform between countries, though, as DeWalt and other brands use the same basic battery style regardless of whether the tool is made for Europe, North America, or another continent. The only first-party adapter I can think of is the DCA1820, which DeWalt produces to adapt 20v Max (18v XR in the UK) batteries for older 18v XRP and other 18v pod-style battery tools.
Quite frankly, I don't know much about Worx, but I'm sure that someone with a 3D printer and some basic knowledge of electronics could fabricate and adapter if needed.
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I recommend contacting DeWalt, their warranty service has been excellent in my experience.
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I second EGO for OPE. I've had their push mower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer, and backpack blower for a few years and love using them. I also have the DeWalt string and hedge trimmers, along with their older blower. While those are perfectly serviceable, they lack the power of the EGO stuff.
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Sears was a Chicago-based behemoth in its day, one that etched fond memories in the minds of many Americans at its retail store height. It's hard to believe that the stores I bought my tools in as a young naive mechanic in, and the stores I found my first tool deals (to include my first Milwaukee [corded, since stolen] tools) in, are now vacant anchors at dying or deal malls.
As Eric stated, Sears failed to change with the times. In an alternate timeline they might be the juggernaut Amazon is nowadays.
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5 hours ago, DR99 said:
It looks like Metabo and Bosch are either out a Lowes or significantly scaled back.
They still have a number of MetaboHPT and Bosch tools at regular retail, and MetaboHPT seems to have supplanted Bostitch as Lowe's primary nailer line. I think the Bosch clearance is due to the new Profactor tool lineup, and we may see some of those in store.
Regardless, Lowe's is (as usual) a mess of power tool brands, with DeWalt, Craftsman, and Kobalt being heavily pushed in dedicated aisles while MetaboHPT, Bosch, Skil, and Porter Cable are relegated to a back burner...getting only small end caps or a half-aisle at best. The Home Depot has a more refined power tool setup, with their cordless platforms sharing one long aisle in most stores, and each major brand (DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Ryobi) getting an end cap and/or prominent display in the lawn and garden and seasonal sections.
Since we don't have a third big box option like Menards here on the East Coast, it will be interesting to see where brands like MetaboHPT, Bosch, and Makita would go if Lowe's and Home Depot stopped carrying them. While each of those brands have some great tools and outstanding innovations, the limited lineups they offer compared to DeWalt and Milwaukee--coupled with their relative lack of marketing--make them far less visible on the job site and less tempting for anyone wanting or needing more than basic drivers and saws.
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I passed on them, but some of the Bosch 12v tools are also on clearance at Lowe's. I've seen the impact driver marked down to $51, the drill down to $65 or so, and the Flexiclick down to $88. All of these are the kits with two 2.0Ah batteries. They also have a light or two on clearance.
I think I'm going to hit up one of the Northern Virginia stores on my way back home from work.
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I couldn't find this box or anything similar in appearance either. Unfortunately, plastic tool box designs come and go.
Something that may work for you is a Keter cantilever box. I have a number of these, including Husky tool boxes and Keter organizers (they sell these under a number of brand names). The tool box is 22", has an organizer compartment on top with a clear lid, and can fit quite a few tools. The cantilever design is sturdy and for the price it's hard to beat.
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How old is it? DeWalt would probably do a warranty repair or replacement.
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The Bosch handsaw was down to $91, and Lowe's is currently running a free starter kit promo with purchase of a bare tool. So, for under $100 you can score the band saw (with 3 blades included), 4.0Ah battery, and charger. I used mine a couple of days ago to remove the top of a steel drum that's now my burn barrel. It works great and provides a bit more cutting capacity than my M12 saw.
Ryobi: "World's Largest 18-Volt System" (A Rant)
in Power Tools
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It does seem like TTI utilizes Ryobi as such, but some things seem to work backwards. For example, the Ryobi crown stapler recently popped up in local stores and seems similar to the M12 stapler I've owned for a couple of years (not sure when the Ryobi was released, though). Also, the Ryobi AirStrike nailers seem to get a lot of good reviews (I own the brad and pin nailers), while the earlier M18 Fuel nailers were disappointing (it might have only been one or two models, but I recall a lot of grief expressed by those who suddenly realized that Milwaukee isn't infallible).
Lighting is one of the few things I don't own in green. I have plenty of Milwaukee lights and a few DeWalt and Ridgid. Also, the "niche" items I've gotten such as the Score system and Devour sweeper were picked up on clearance, so I can't complain too much.
Oh, and as an aside, I picked up the last five of the fans at the store that's fifty miles from me. I wanted two and was considering the Ryobi or Ridgid cordless caulking gun. Instead, I passed on those ($60 and $80 respectively) and grabbed the five fans. One is going to a friend, and the other four will be for the family's use.