Ryobi One + Lithium Ion Tools
UPDATE III: Our review of Ryobi's 4-Piece Lithium-Ion Kit is here.
While we were off on vacation, Ryobi opened their mysterious green box and revealed a new line of lithium-ion tools set for a late September release. Ryobi says the tools have twice the performance, twice the run time, and are 20% lighter than the old fashioned 18-volt tools.
Ryobi is initially going to offer two kits (with no indication if the tools will be available individually):
- 4-piece kit - Drill, work light, reciprocating saw, circular saw.
- 2-piece Kit - Drill, work light
Two things struck us about these tools. The first is the new color scheme which is very similar to what Worx uses on their Revolver series. The second, more importantly, is the affordable price tag that hangs off them. The drill and work light kit will be going for $159 and the 4 piece kit will retail for only $259. Considering that Milwaukee offers the same 4-piece kit at around $600, the Ryobi tools are bound to be popular with both DIYers and contractors. We've always liked Ryobi and while they may not be as indestructible as Bosch or some of the other big brands, they are still good, solid tools and we've seen many of them last a long time under some pretty brutal conditions. So we're looking forward to seeing how these new tools measure up.
The new Ryobi lithium battery is compatible with all of Ryobi's previous 18-volt products, so if you don't want to get a whole new set of tools, you have the option of just picking up a battery and a charger for about $100.
The 4 piece combo kit will be available at Home Depot on September 27th, but if you want the 2 piece kit or just the battery and charger, you'll have to wait until November 1st.
Update:
We just got word about Ryobi's new Compact 12-Volt Lithium Ion Drill. Check it out here.
Update II:
We just posted up some cool pictures of the new tools here.
Available at Home Depot
Read More in: Cordless | Lithium-Ion | Power Tools
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Posted by Tool Snob at September 19, 2007 4:57 PM