Hands On: Ryobi One+ 4-PC Lithium Power Tool Kit
By Sean O'Hara
Small spenders take note: Ryobi has added lithium-ion power to their low-buck One+ system, dramatically increasing the line’s potential and raising the bar significantly for affordable cordless power tools. You’ll find several combination sets on store shelves now — all featuring the new batteries plus a retina-burning, high-visibility green color scheme.
For today’s test, we snagged a four-piece set — the “Ryobi One+ 4-PC Lithium Power Tool Kit,” which includes a charger, two batteries, a drill/driver, a reciprocating saw, a circular saw, and a worklight. Wondering just what $300 buys you in a four-piece li-ion combo? Read on past the jump to find out.
The first thing that you’ll notice when unboxing the kit is that the tools and the bag are day-glo green. Laugh if you like, but they should be easy to find even in a dark tool shed, or even with the absence of all light in the solar system. You know — whichever happens first.
The nylon bag features hard side inserts and feels quite sturdy — like it’ll withstand plenty of abuse. Its internal compartments separate the tools (including the charger) like cafeteria food. Better yet, Velcro strips hold the compartments together, which means you can detached them to open up the entire bottom of the bag or re-arrange them however you’d like. A handy tip: pay attention to the way the tools come out of the bag. If you intend to store all the tools in the bag, the best arrangement for fit (read: the only arrangement for fit) might not be obvious at first when you try to put them away.
We also quickly noticed that the new tools’ grips are uber-comfortable. They feel right for frequent use and fit in the hand extremely well. The circular saw and worklight look a little funny without battery packs attached, but then thats not how you’ll use them. The circular saw and drill/driver both feel light and quite comfortable.
Batteries And Charger
The kit’s 18V batteries seem like standard fare, but the charge tester on the batteries is first -class. The button is big and easy to push even while wearing gloves — unlike many manufacturers’ (cough, cough, Milwaukee) — and the batteries’ three-color indicator makes reading charge a snap: green for full, orange for low, red for charge now.
Another quick unboxing thought: the li-ion powerplant isn’t just all about go-power. These batteries will hold their charge on the shelf much longer than NiCds — a boon for weekend warriors who might use the tools once-a-month before dropping them back in the bag.
And if you happen to own any existing One+ tools, the new kit’s charger will charge both li-ion and your older NiCd batteries. We also appreciate the charger’s easy-to-read status indicator with explanatory chart attached right on the front.
Read on to page two for more unboxing.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Are the new batteries interchangeable with the old tools/ old batteries with new tools?
April 10th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Mel - yes, they are. New tools, old batteries or old tools, new batteries, it doesn’t matter. That’s one of the big selling points of the One+ line.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I bought the drill/flashlight combo. I’m quite happy with both. The drill replaces an old DeWalt 14.4v whose NiCd battery will not hold much of a charge and it has been next to impossible to find a replacement battery for it (This was one of the very first 14.4v to come out. 12v was the standard then, and DeWalt subsequently changed to the XRP battery line).
I find the drill very easy to use and I’m happy with the upgrade in power and reduction in weight. The 18v LiIon is lighter than my NiCd 14.4v. I’d recommend it to anyone.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I just left Home Depot and bought this set. Street price was 159.00, but was on sale for 129.00. Brought it up to the register, and it can up for 159.00. Had to have the manager verify the display, and he marked it down to 129.00.