pretty good deal

[Ace]

Home Depot

Ryobi 18v kit $149.00 and get 1 free tool up to $99.00 value.

Sawzall
Drill
Flash light
Circular saw
Bag
2 batteries
Charger
Plus 1 free tool choice

[jackhartjr]

I like the warranties on the Ridgid products sold at Home Depot...lifetime, even on batteries.  Not lifetime on air compressors.
Jack

[Sean]

Home Depot

Ryobi 18v kit $149.00 and get 1 free tool up to $99.00 value.

FWIW, we have this set (well, a 6 year old version of it) and are very happy with it.

When we moved aboard the bus, I just did not have the room to bring my previous power tools, which were a collection of best-of-breed models from a variety of different and incompatible brands.  I just could not see storing four battery chargers, eight batteries, and all the boxes and paraphernalia that goes with it.

At the time I went to my Consumer Reports subscription web site and was a bit surprised to find CR recommend the Ryobi set and rate it fairly high.  As I recall their comments were more or less exactly what our experience has shown:  not the best tools in any category, but perfectly adequate for most purposes, well integrated as a set, and attractively priced.

We immediately ditched the carryall bag, as it was the wrong shape for the bus.  And I also immediately added a right-angle drill, which did not come in the set.  If you are noodling about which additional tool to add on this offer, that would be my suggestion.

Our set came with a chain saw and jig saw in addition to the tools Ace listed.  I honestly thought I'd end up selling a couple of the saws, maybe the circular and jig or chain saw.  But I found room to squeeze them all in and in six and a half years I have had occasion to use every one.  The chain saw has come in handy to cut firewood (although a battery does not go far) and is nice to have in case we need to hack off a low tree limb.  The two drills, of course, get the most use.  And the reciprocating saw is a must-have for heavy work, whereas I find the jig saw much easier to control when adding those outlet and switch cutouts that somehow we forgot to include in the original design.

After six years of mostly living in the bay with little to do between bouts of project or maintenance chaos, the two NiCd batteries are about done.  But they still get the job done if I keep swapping between the two packs, and I can't bring myself to spend money on new ones yet.

About the only downside to Ryobi in the US is that they have an exclusive arrangement with Home Depot, so you are at HD's mercy in terms of replacement items.  That said, I have never seen an HD that did not have plenty of One+ stock on hand.

HTH,

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Dreamscape]

I bought a Ryobi 18v drill and saw because my other drill died due to extensive use in the bus. It lasted for almost 7 years. It works for me!

At least the new drill is 1/2" not 3/8" like the old one. I'm a happy camper!


Paul

[belfert]

Sean, the new Ryobi Lithium-Ion batteries will probably work just fine with your current tools.  You would likely need a new charger.

I bought a set of Makita tools when lithium-Ion first came out.  This was around the time I started on the bus.  Those tools have been used to death and still work fine.  I do have a battery that one day refused to charge and I had to get a nwe battery.  I don't know if I would buy Makita again simply because many more options exist today.

[Sean]

Sean, the new Ryobi Lithium-Ion batteries will probably work just fine with your current tools.  You would likely need a new charger.

Sure will, but at $90 a battery, it's not something I need anytime soon.  And, yes, I would need a different charger at $40.

I can probably crack the cases on the two NiCd battery packs I have now, and replace all the cells with surplus or sale items for less than $30, if I want to spend the two hours or so doing it.

If I was a contractor depending on these tools every day, I would go for the Li-ion in a heartbeat.  The way I use these today, though, there is no way it is worth the money.  JMO and FWIW.  But thanks for the suggestion.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[philiptompkjns]

I got the same set, when my first battery goes out i'm waiting to take it apart and use it for an adapter with allegator clips on one end to hook it to the bus batteries.   
I think 24v will realy let em scream, plus since they are all variable speed, i think that NOT running them at full tilt would help them last.

[Mike in GA]

Just my two cents worth regarding Ryobi tool choices - the right angle drill has seen the most action on the bus, and the standard pistol grip drills seem to get more use at home. Chalk it up to more tight spaces on the MCI I guess. Indispensible.
Mike in GA

[Van]

I'm still waiting for a deal at my local ACE Hardware store Lol