Photo: Ryobi
Before I knew anything about tools, I bought a few Ryobi cordless units. A trusted friend had recommended them; she had done the same thing when she didn’t know about about tools. Which is what makes Ryobi’s cordless tools so great. The ONE+ line is easy to get started with, the breadth of the line is immense, and everything is interchangeable—batteries, scrub heads, accessories. I’m a fan.
This weekend is a good time to stock up, because Home Depot, which has an exclusive deal with Ryobi, has some worthwhile sales.
Level up your battery game
You can buy almost all tools with chargers and batteries, or bare (just the tool). After your first few purchases, you’ll realize you just don’t need all those chargers, and you probably don’t need a lot of batteries. What you need is longer-lasting batteries— many tools come with 1.5 Ah batteries, and you really want 4 Ah. You’ll be able to charge them less often, and you won’t burn through them during a day of projects. Grab this two pack, on sale for $79 (usually $121). A great starter kit with a 2 Ah, 4Ah and 6Ah is on sale for $199 (usually $350).
Get $20 to $50 off standard tools
A number of Ryobi tools have a deep enough discount that they’re worth stocking up on. The brushless, cordless multi-tool is down $30 to $99, and grabbing those brushless tools is clutch. They will last much longer than traditional motors. Here’s some more you should consider:
My favorite Ryobi tool, the brushless cordless hammer drill, is on sale
The first tool anyone usually buys is a power drill. It’s the tool you’ll use most often, and since it’s your first tool, you might make the mistake of buying the cheapest one. You don’t know better. Thus, it’s the first one that’s gonna burn out. So when you buy a replacement, I say, get the hammer drill, and go brushless. You don’t need to keep the handle on it, you can use it as a normal drill that’ll be easier and faster to change bits on, and it will take a lot more abuse. Right now it’s just $99—$30 off.
