If you keep your eyes open, the big H D puts this set on sale, INCLUDING a cordless jigsaw for around $150 every few months (christmas, etc.) That set also includes a tool bag.

You're spot on that you cannot beat these tools for the price. If you're like me and you've shopped around a little, you will discover that this set can be had for the price of just ONE tool of another brand name. Even if the quality isn't quite professional, if you have to replace a tool at least you're not out your entire initial investment.

The new and improved lithium ion batteries that are available for this set also make it last almost twice as many cuts with the cordless circular saw (my biggest complaint) And buying this set, and the lithium battery set yields more for your dollar than the lithium ion set by itself, since the only difference in the tools is the green color.

Last and not least, this set has been so popular that Ryobi has seen fit to expand the line of tools that work with these batteries, I'm putting the impact driver and the rotary (zip) cutter on my wish list for this christmas.

I love 18V cordless. An 18V cordless impact driver is amazing--my Makita will drive 3" screws into PT lumber all day. And, an 18V drill is fantastic.

Where I fall down is the whole battery operated saw thing. I bought my Makitas in an LXT kit and it came with both a circ saw and recip saw. I've used them once each. When it comes to saws, there is no substitute for power, and power means a cord. I suppose I can even conscience an 18V battery circ saw for a quick cut, but the recip saw? Those mainly get used for demo work, and its not just one quick cut. Mine doesn't have anywhere near the guts of my Makita AVP with a cord, and I can outrun the charger--burn through one battery before the second has charged. YMMV, but I was shopping now, I'd get a good 18V Lion drill/driver set, skip the big kit, and buy a corded circ saw and recip saw.

This a great system. I have have a few of the tools, and will buy a couple more later. I have the drill and flashlight, a fan and a tire inflator which is AMAZINGLY convinient. A saw will be next. The great thing is that since I don't use all these tools at the same time, I only own two batteries and I don't anticipate buying any more.

I, too, have had Ryobi cordless tools, specifically, cordless drills, two of them. In both cases, the chargers failed within months of purchase, the batteries lost their capacity quickly, and I thought neither tool was worth the money. I asked at Home Depot, where I purchased the tools, about replacement chargers, with no luck. The Ryobi website just directed me back to the point of purchase. I also searched for alternative, perhaps universal, chargers with no luck. I have honestly had better luck with cheap ($20) cordless drills from Harbor Freight. On sale, the replacement batteries can be bought for about $10, versus over $30 for replacement Ryobis. When the whole thing dies, just toss it and buy a new one. If they last a year or so, you're money ahead. The only other choice, for me, is professional quality (and professionally-priced) cordless tools.

This is not just a rant about Ryobi, either. I have a Ryobi table saw with which I am very pleased, and corded power tools from Ryobi (drill, sabre saw) which have been a pleasure to use.

I have the driver and lamp combo. Previous to that, I had the little 12v driver, and this one is significantly more powerful and holds a charge much longer. I was just thinking about getting a saw, and I had forgotten about this line. The best part is you can swap out batteries of devices you're not using while waiting for them to charge up.

I have owned many Ryobi tools over the years. Note that is past tense.

I am extremely surprised to see them listed on this site. They are poorly constructed and easily broken.

I have the 12.0V drill. I'm not completely happy with how long it holds a charge, but it did come with 2 battery packs, so there's always power when I need it.

Years ago I bought a cordless 3-1/2" circular saw to cut edges on thousands of cedar shingles to "weave" the exterior wall corners on my house. The light weight and freedom from cord were a godsend and saved much time.

Cordless or corded, I've found consistently poor durability in all Ryobi products -- garden tools with cheap plastic gears, a jigsaw with cheap hardware. The very best tools cost not that much more, and are by contrast incredibly satisfying to use -- for a long time. If we quit buying crap, they'll quit selling it. That simple.

they're really nice. i have two sets - one at our main residence and a larger set at out vacation home. buy them at a home center around xmas time for extra savings - they're a great deal. the recip saw is really fantastic and works really well for yard tasks like cutting branches off trees. they're not hard-core like dewalt or hitachi but for the average to above-average weekend warrior they're perfect and a fantastic value. the vacuum is nice, too.

flatulently,

cf

I have 2 of the circular saws and while I really like the Ryobi stuff, the circular saws have a very weak bearing housing right behind the blade. I can almost guarantee it will break. Both of mine broke with light careful use-- second one with no drops that I know of.

I suggest keeping your receipt handy for warranty purposes. They will continue to cut -- sideways for quite a while.

Most of the tools are great and the lithium batteries outlast the others 4 to one or better I think. I have most of the extra tools also.

Other noted problems for your information -

18v Chainsaw -- oiler push button cap will soon break
18v Compressor -- plastic pin to push in valve stem will likely break soon.
18v Grinder - power is intermittent

I am in the mountains so don't easily get to town to get them repaired, but they are cheap enough that replacement is not going to break the bank.

The saw problem is one they need to fix though.

Still not knocking them. Decent tools at a fair price. Nearly all the Ryobi tools I have seem to have outperformed their cost.

I agree with the value for the money. Had a DeWalt drill previously. When the 2 batteries died, replacements were $60, each. The Ryobi's are $20 ea. same quality, same battery life.
The vacuum sucks, cause it barely sucks. The safety buttons are very annoying.

I've had the Ryobi combo set mentioned here for about six years. Like all cordless power tools after about five years they lose power when the batteries begin to die. Unlike other tools though where one replacement battery can cost ~$50 I was able to buy two for $30 retail.

After I bought new batteries they were as powerful as they were when new and it didn't cost me ~$100 for a new set.

To me it's the best thing about the Ryobi line.

The best thing you can do to improve the Ryobi 18v One+ tools is get the Lithium battery. They last longer while using them, but they also keep their charge while not using them.

Absolutely the best.

Cheers, Liam

Even better - get the inexpensive tools and the 18V Li-on batteries. Lasts forever and inexpensive.

If you can afford them, I also highly recommend the new Lithium Ion batteries from Ryobi for these tools. Won't have problems with charging memory and you can just plop a slightly drained one right back in the charger.

I particularly like some of the garden tools - I have the blower which works great and the hedge clippers. The clippers aren't too heavy duty, but I only have three shrubs - I end up keeping them a lot nicer since I don't need to drag a cord.

I also like the small wet, dry vac - great for cars and cleanup of small home repairs (drywall dust, sawdust, etc.)

The Ryobi tools now have LITHIUM batteries (also available at Home Depot) that are fantastic. They rejuvenate the whole Ryobi line as far as I am concerned.

I too have the Ryobi 18V set. Granted, they may not compare head to head with yellow or blue brands, but.....Home Depot is supporting this brand with enthusiasm. IMHO, the weakest link in cordless tools is the batteries. This is even more important for hobbyists and occassional users. The batteries may need replacement long before the tools wear out. A replacement battery on a commercial tool may often cost 2/3rds the price of a replacement tool.
With Ryobi, a single 18V battery is just $25 and a pair is $40. I've already replaced my original batteries with 3 new ones and am pleased to see that the new Ryobi Lithium-Ion batteries will fit my older tools. For the purchase of a new charger and a Li-Ion battery, I can upgrade my tools to state of the art. As it should be.....

Have had a larger version of this system for maybe 4 years. Drill broke after 2 years of college projects. The included NiCd batteries were worthless after about 3 years. Lithium came out right after I got new NiCd batteries : ( Very decent tools overall though.

I rarely purchase new batteries for old cordless tools; I have the packs rebuilt by Primecell. Less expensive than new and MUCH more powerful than OEM.

No relationship with Primecell other than being a satisfied customer.

http://www.primecell.com

I've never used it but Ryobi is the red-headed stepchild of tool-nerds. It definitely doesn't have a great rep even as a tool for the market it's targeting (casual use homeowners). That said, I think you'd do better with Hitachi's lithium ion stuff which is much better regarded and costs less than double.

I can understand a casual tool user's desire for a cordless drill/driver as these are fantastic choices for prefab furniture building, attaching stuff to walls/furniture, and assembling/disassembling bicycles or computers. I recommend a nice lith-ion subcompact driver for that sort of thing and wish I'd had one back when I was an IT guy.

But for the other stuff, if you're not sure whether you're going to be using a tool twice a year, why bother with cordless versions of it? How much pain over the long-term are you really sparing yourself for a huge increase in price, and a major drop in performance/longevity of the tool. Not having to plug stuff in 1-6 times a year doesn't really strike me as worth the tradeoff. If you're using tools more frequently than that, it's worth paying more for them.

Ryobi's cordless Circular saw for 150 or Milwaukee's finest award-winning corded circ with adjustable handle, quick lock power cord and an electric brake for 160 (120 without). If I was damned to an eternity of cutting lots of 100 2x4s each within a quarter mile of a clearly marked power outlet scattered all across Hell and could only choose one of these two, I wouldn't think twice about picking the Milwaukee corded over a Ryobi cordless.

Not to mention, weaker saws are more dangerous, IMO. Be careful with those things even if you think I'm wrong about everything else.

And don't bother with anything other than Lithium Ion unless it's a Panasonic NiMH drill. Nicad is junk in comparison and the reason I never developed an interest in cordless until more recently.