September 19, 2007

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

Comments

I would agree that the tools look nice and Ryobi products overall perform well today. What I didn't get when I went in to compare is the drill didn't feel any lighter than the current blue drill today but costs $70 more. So I guess I am paying $70 for more run time(as they claim) but the way I see it I can by 2 extra batteries for $40 and have plenty of juice. I was truly scared away from this new product line when I saw that to replace the battery costs $100 for one. Again I can buy 4 of the current batteries for $80.

The stuff looks good but I am not sold on why buy it!

Posted by: Brad Donigan at October 3, 2007 4:00 PM

I love the power factor of ryobi & the fast charge time over the competitors

Posted by: Anonymous at October 7, 2007 10:26 PM

battery lifetime better w/ lith, no?

sorry, holding baby, bad type.

Posted by: jo at October 15, 2007 1:33 PM

Yep, they've got a longer charge time. But the real bonus is that they're about 1/2 the weight of a traditional battery, so you'll have no problem using a li-ion drill with a baby in your hands.

Posted by: Tool Snob at October 15, 2007 7:47 PM

I am looking for a local reapir place for our Ryobi tools. Can you help????? Geneva, IL

Posted by: Jan at January 2, 2008 12:27 PM

Anyone know when they will offer just the battery and not the upgrade kit? I got the kit for Christmas and love the extended run time. I just don't need another charger.

Posted by: Jim G at May 16, 2008 12:14 PM

The lithiums wiegh about 12% less not half as described above--I have both systems. The original wieghs 2 lb and the LI wieghs 1.75 lb, but they last twice as long for 2-4 times the cost.

Posted by: al at July 12, 2008 7:33 PM

The tools are great but the batteries suck. The nicads really sucked then I bought the Lithium ones and they lasted about as long as the nicads. So stay clear of Ryobi stuff till they fix this.

Posted by: BJ at June 30, 2009 12:46 PM

I have 4 of the ni-cad batteries, and they last ok. since I have 4 I just swap them out. I recently bought the new drill kit for the new batteries. these new li-ion batteries last about one minute off the charger, then stop dead. they have been well cared for, always stored and charged indoors, but no life at all to the new li-ion batteries. Ryobi has a big problem here, and it is best to stay away from the new batteries, till they get it figured out.

Posted by: djofamusk at June 19, 2010 6:28 AM