Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Hi
Around January I bought my first power tools ever, ayy (I’m 19) to work on my soon to get car and stuff. I got a Drill driver combo with 2 4 ah batteries because it was cheaper than getting a actual impact wrench and also got a shop vac to and I’ve read reviews that the driver was powerful enough to remove normal bolts and nuts on the car.
Now, I’m thinking about future tools and I’m feeling like I should get Ryobi and sell these. I know Ryobi is not the same quality obviously but for home use and DIY I feel like I wasted some money on the Milwaukee stuff. I haven’t even used them yet so it would be a good time to make this decision to sell or not.
Should I sell my stuff and switch?
I wouldn’t. A)you probably lose whatever savings you would have had in the first place through resale. b)Milwaukee has sales and battery promos all the time so it’s not that extravagant to expand the collection gradually.
Bremon wrote:
Just now, Bremon said:I wouldn’t. A)you probably lose whatever savings you would have had in the first place through resale. b)Milwaukee has sales and battery promos all the time so it’s not that extravagant to expand the collection gradually.
I got them at a pretty good deal. I’m sure selling I could get at least even.
I know what you mean with the sales, but here in Canada in comparison the sales suck. I lust over what I see on the home depot USA website…
TheMidnightNarwhal wrote:
3 minutes ago, TheMidnightNarwhal said:
I got them at a pretty good deal. I’m sure selling I could get at least even.
I know what you mean with the sales, but here in Canada in comparison the sales suck. I lust over what I see on the home depot USA website…
Welcome to the forum dude. Just out of curiosity, whata do you do for work?
@TheMidnightNarwhal I’m Canadian lol, I have a pretty good idea where prices sit.
ChrisK wrote:
6 minutes ago, ChrisK said:Welcome to the forum dude. Just out of curiosity, whata do you do for work?
Thanks for the welcomeing!
I do IT support for Correctional Service Canada… nothing related to tools :lol::lol::lol:
This is why I’m considering doing this switch, it’s solely for DIY projects and car work.
Bremon wrote:
Just now, Bremon said:@TheMidnightNarwhal I’m Canadian lol, I have a pretty good idea where prices sit.
Uh, I never really saw Milwaukee sales here, except for the combo kits.
I check the flyer every week and never spotted any Milwaukee Impact Wrenches on sale, and even then, they seem to only have the fuel in store stock and I don’t need a brush less tool… it’s just for DIY.
Could always go corded for most things. Keep cordless for drills and impacts and corded for the rest. Ryobi is decent but most of my stuff is professional quality and used for diy purposes most of the time.
Where are you looking? Home Depot? Canadian Home Depot sucks. What province are you in and how averse are you to online shopping? When I first got into M18 my circular saw and Sawzall were both free toss-ins with drill and impact kits, etc. They still have sales like that, or free battery deals if you’re patient.
Bremon wrote:
1 minute ago, Bremon said:Could always go corded for most things. Keep cordless for drills and impacts and corded for the rest. Ryobi is decent but most of my stuff is professional quality and used for diy purposes most of the time.
Where are you looking? Home Depot?
Yeah I was thinking corded but my dad’s garage doesn’t really have outlets and it’s a bit of a pain how it’s setup.
Yes home depot ,seem to be the only place that had Milwaukee in person, but my Milwaukee tools I bought were online from Black Rock Tools.
It’s just, I’m not saying Milwaukee is bad for DIY, it is definitely better since it is a pro tool, I just feel like my money is there for nothing. If I can get even back what I paid for (since it was kind of on sale) I think I might do it.
TheMidnightNarwhal wrote:
5 minutes ago, TheMidnightNarwhal said:
Thanks for the welcomeing!
I do IT support for Correctional Service Canada… nothing related to tools :lol::lol::lol:
This is why I’m considering doing this switch, it’s solely for DIY projects and car work.
Awesome bro. To be honest with you, if you are using those tools at home for DIY, I think Ryobi might make a lot more sense for you to go with. From outdoor equipment, saws, planers, pumps fans etc. Ryobi and Milwaukee certainly have it all but Ryobi is $ vs Milwaukee at $$$. If you can make back your cash Ryobi is a solid brand and you can’t got wrong there!
The best power tool decision I made was stop being brand loyal. I kept doing it to keep common batteries. Once I gave up on just Dewalt and added Bosch and Milwaukee my tool collection became so much better.
I think being brand loyal for the sake of batteries drags you down !
I wouldn’t spend money on a brushed Milwaukee impact, that’s for sure. If you don’t want to spend on Fuel look at Ryobi. Plus it’s something that actually goes on sale at HD lol.
BC Fasteners and Mississauga Hardware, and if you’re in the GTA, IHL, are all much better options than Black Rock for sales and service imo. Browse the flyers, you can find great deals.
rrmccabe wrote:
20 minutes ago, rrmccabe said:The best power tool decision I made was stop being brand loyal. I kept doing it to keep common batteries. Once I gave up on just Dewalt and added Bosch and Milwaukee my tool collection became so much better.
I think being brand loyal for the sake of batteries drags you down !
That’s funny, because I thought in my head staying loyal to one brand (only need 1 or 2 battery) would be more cheaper in the end?
Bremon wrote:
19 minutes ago, Bremon said:I wouldn’t spend money on a brushed Milwaukee impact, that’s for sure. If you don’t want to spend on Fuel look at Ryobi. Plus it’s something that actually goes on sale at HD lol.
BC Fasteners and Mississauga Hardware, and if you’re in the GTA, IHL, are all much better options than Black Rock for sales and service imo. Browse the flyers, you can find great deals.
Thanks but I’m from Ottawa/Gatineau . I’ll look in their online store though.
Well in my case it limited me to some better tools. Not one company has the best of everything.
I got in a rut. I had Dewalt 18volt stuff and the batteries were not cheap and did not last that long. I kept buying kits to get more batteries and ended up with at least 4 drills.
Depends on your needs.
Just telling you that its liberating to give up sticking with one brand. Keeps you out of the rut. Keep in mind whatever you buy, the batteries are not going to last forever !
rrmccabe wrote:
9 minutes ago, rrmccabe said:Well in my case it limited me to some better tools. Not one company has the best of everything.
I got in a rut. I had Dewalt 18volt stuff and the batteries were not cheap and did not last that long. I kept buying kits to get more batteries and ended up with at least 4 drills.
Depends on your needs.
Just telling you that its liberating to give up sticking with one brand. Keeps you out of the rut. Keep in mind whatever you buy, the batteries are not going to last forever !
Ah I see what you mean. Yeah, I was seeing some tools that some brands had and Milwaukee didn’t.
That’s why I’m interested in Ryobi, I read they have been using the same battery connector so you can keep using the same tools years and years without needing to change them to accommodate the new batteries?
Not sure the numbers on cost savings for reselling but if it’s a big savings I would go ryobi for DIY.
I love my Millwaukee fuels but I can also justify the cost. They enable me to make money. I rely on them day in day out. If there not working neither am I.
I don’t like ryobi for myself, but think there well worth the money. My first sawzall was a ryobi an it was well worth it. Even my ryobi 18 volt ni cad was good for its Day in the garage.
TheMidnightNarwhal wrote:
7 minutes ago, TheMidnightNarwhal said:
Thanks but I’m from Ottawa/Gatineau . I’ll look in their online store though.
I’m in Quebec and I often buy online from outils pierre berger and elite tools (they have english websites). Lot of times they are cheaper than Amazon. A good time to buy tools is around father’s day and christmas. Lot of promos. Home depot are always the most expensive in my experience.
As for staying with Milwaukee or not, it’s depend. Do you like DIY or is it just a chore? If you enjoy it, invest in tools you truly want and can afford and keep them for a long time. The way I see it, a DIY has limited time so you don’t want to waste your time with tools you don’t like. Not that ryobi is bad or anything but you should really try the tool first and think what you want out of it.
I don’t want to keep the story going if it isn’t true, but I know in the past I’ve heard of ryobi batteries having some issues. I have no personal experience with them and I also know they’ve been making improvements in their battery technology. I’ve actually considered ryobi as a cheap way to fill some holes in my line up but never done it because its another battery line and if they don’t last there goes your savings.
All manufacturers seem to moving towards longer platform life and backwards compatibility so that doesn’t concern me personally. Plus, all batteries die from all manufacturers because the cells all come from the same 3/4 OEMs. Buying more batteries is a fact of life with cordless. Should still get a long life out of each battery regardless though.
Bremon wrote:
1 hour ago, Bremon said:I wouldn’t spend money on a brushed Milwaukee impact, that’s for sure. If you don’t want to spend on Fuel look at Ryobi. Plus it’s something that actually goes on sale at HD lol.
BC Fasteners and Mississauga Hardware, and if you’re in the GTA, IHL, are all much better options than Black Rock for sales and service imo. Browse the flyers, you can find great deals.
Further to those two stores, I’ve never had a bad experience with Atlas Machinery. They are not lightning fast for shipping, but will treat you well enough.
I understand what you’re saying about feeling like Milwaukee might be a waste for you. I don’t make my money with tools either. I don’t think Ryobi will match Milwaukee for power though, and I’d personally rather have power and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Biggie wrote:
24 minutes ago, Biggie said:I don’t want to keep the story going if it isn’t true, but I know in the past I’ve heard of ryobi batteries having some issues. I have no personal experience with them and I also know they’ve been making improvements in their battery technology. I’ve actually considered ryobi as a cheap way to fill some holes in my line up but never done it because its another battery line and if they don’t last there goes your savings.
I know it’s true. My dad had some Ryobi tools that had garbage batteries. He switched to DeWalt because of it. The story might be out of date though. I haven’t seen anything bad about them since the switch to neon green.
Agreed re: Atlas @jkeating3, they have an amazing selection, they just don’t have amazing prices. Good people and good service though.
jkeating3 wrote:
23 minutes ago, jkeating3 said:Further to those two stores, I’ve never had a bad experience with Atlas Machinery. They are not lightning fast for shipping, but will treat you well enough.
I understand what you’re saying about feeling like Milwaukee might be a waste for you. I don’t make my money with tools either. I don’t think Ryobi will match Milwaukee for power though, and I’d personally rather have power and not need it, than need it and not have it.
What is your definition of power in that reply. That’s something I’m not quite getting being kind of new. Because reading specs they all seem in line. The differences I thought was overall build quality.
Pouet wrote:
53 minutes ago, Pouet said:I’m in Quebec and I often buy online from outils pierre berger and elite tools (they have english websites). Lot of times they are cheaper than Amazon. A good time to buy tools is around father’s day and christmas. Lot of promos. Home depot are always the most expensive in my experience.
As for staying with Milwaukee or not, it’s depend. Do you like DIY or is it just a chore? If you enjoy it, invest in tools you truly want and can afford and keep them for a long time. The way I see it, a DIY has limited time so you don’t want to waste your time with tools you don’t like. Not that ryobi is bad or anything but you should really try the tool first and think what you want out of it.
I’m in Gatineau and I’m actually french. Salut!
I’ll check out the stores but I’m more and more leaning towards Ryobi. Combo kit on sale right now at 130$ for a drill driver and I could add their impact wrench to that and be set.
TheMidnightNarwhal wrote:
3 minutes ago, TheMidnightNarwhal said:
What is your definition of power in that reply. That’s something I’m not quite getting being kind of new. Because reading specs they all seem in line. The differences I thought was overall build quality.
I’m talking torque and rpm. Ryobi and Milwaukee both have 1600 in-lbs of peak torque, but the Fuel has an extra 400 rpm. Won’t matter when you’re using one in place of an impact wrench, but if you ever find yourself driving fasteners (building a deck for example) you will theoretically be 11% faster with the red tool, which is not nothing.
It all boils down to you though. If you want to switch, then it makes sense to switch. You will use the tools more if you feel more comfortable with them.
it is great that you are conscious of the options economically but trust me when I say if you eventually get the tool bug full blown, you will not be able to control all the purchases. You have a Milwaukee set, keep them and if you want to get into ryobi just buy them minus the milwaukee tools you have already. as for all the specs and features don’t worry about them if your buying DIY level tools.
I paid 269$ CAD for a Hammer Drill and Impact with 2 4ah batteries. I think I’ll keep them but just get the Ryobi Combo Kit (4ah battery, charger and tool) for the Impact since it’s 200$ CAD on Ebay for 300foot pounds. I can’t find a Milwaukee one just the tool that has 300 foot pounds that’s around that price.
Like you said, I’ll pan out and if I ever need a grinder for example I’ll be able to get the cheaper Ryobi. It’s more special tools like that the difference was big between Milwaukee and Ryobi. @rrmccabe
BL motors can’t do very low RPMs, so if you’re doing delicate work a brushed impact is actually more desirable than BL. Or use a screwdriver.
Only recently started getting different brands, got some 12 and 28 Volt red kit, then some Ryobi that I’m not fussed about being stolen. I also use Ryobi for things an electrician doesn’t need in high-end form; jigsaw for example. Now got some flexvolt from Yellow because………..I just really wanted it. Then got some 18 Volt from Yellow to compliment the 54 Volt sds. I need to stop buying, a sparks only needs so many drills.
Stick with what you got, they have a very comprehensive line up that is only getting better. The tools are more durable than a ryobi and higher resale value. Yea they cost more but unless you switch to a makita or dewalt of such I’d stay red.
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@Tug isn’t rpm just a matter of gearing? Brushless motors spin pretty damn fast but the motor in a brushless drill still spins faster than it’s max speed or 2k rpm or so. Brushless is more than capable of delicate work.
Speed control is handled by electronics/speed controller with a brushless motor, and you usually hear the whine from the mosfets etc at low speed. The lower the speed the greater the whine and strain.Bremon wrote:
[mention=56288]Tug[/mention] isn’t rpm just a matter of gearing? Brushless motors spin pretty damn fast but the motor in a brushless drill still spins faster than it’s max speed or 2k rpm or so. Brushless is more than capable of delicate work.
A brushed motor can be very simply controlled through the trigger switch / variable voltage. Much simpler design. The Newer 4 poles are damn near bulletproof. A brushed will always take more punishment!
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But won’t always have more power or efficiency, so horses for courses I guess.
I don’t find brushless motors to be an issue. my dcf887 spins slow enough
I’m not real familiar with Canadian tool prices but I just went to ebay Canada and it looks like for around $170 you could pick up a m18 2663 bare tool. Its a brushed model and has about 450 ft/lbs of torque. For $215 you could have the new brushless m18 2860 which has 450ft/lbs of torque as well but it’s much smaller in size. I would say both of these are superior to the ryobi and really in the same price range.
Biggie wrote:
1 hour ago, Biggie said:I’m not real familiar with Canadian tool prices but I just went to ebay Canada and it looks like for around $170 you could pick up a m18 2663 bare tool. Its a brushed model and has about 450 ft/lbs of torque. For $215 you could have the new brushless m18 2860 which has 450ft/lbs of torque as well but it’s much smaller in size. I would say both of these are superior to the ryobi and really in the same price range.
Hmm yeah you’re right… it would actually be around 30$ cheaper than the Ryobi Wrench kit since I already have 3ah batteries.
You talking about this wrench right?
Yep that’s the one I was looking at. I have one and it’s not the latest and greatest but it’s still a lot of impact for diy/home auto.
Biggie wrote:
16 minutes ago, Biggie said:Yep that’s the one I was looking at. I have one and it’s not the latest and greatest but it’s still a lot of impact for diy/home auto.
Yeah well that’s the thing. I was just looking for something cheaper or same price as ryobi while giving the same specs.. This blows it by 150 ft pounds and I don’t need brush less… I won’t ever burn out the brushes, if I do, it’s a easy fix right?
Yea brushes are pretty easy to change but I doubt you would ever wear them out. To me the biggest advantage of brushless is runtime but with the 4.0 batteries that won’t be an issue for you either. The one downside to the 2663 is that it does have some weight to it.
Biggie wrote:
7 minutes ago, Biggie said:Yea brushes are pretty easy to change but I doubt you would ever wear them out. To me the biggest advantage of brushless is runtime but with the 4.0 batteries that won’t be an issue for you either. The one downside to the 2663 is that it does have some weight to it.
I actually have the 3.0ah battery, I confused them with 4ah but they should still serve well right, I got 2 of them.
Watched a video it’s around 7 pounds but shouldn’t be to bad.
Hey this is a bit off topic, but regarding impact sockets, do you need them? I know if you use regular and they break they shatter everywhere but if you’re in a pinch, they won’t break if you use them 2 or 3 times eh?
I would guess using it in the home garage for a project you’ll go all day without having to worry about the battery. I’m using it in production where I’m tightening hundreds to thousands of bolts at a time.
I have impact sockets and I know people say it’s a big no no to use a chrome socket but at work we have guys grab chrome sockets all the time and I’ve never actually seen one shatter. I have seen them crack but I would say you’ll probably get away with some occasional use.
Bremon wrote:
6 hours ago, Bremon said:@Tug isn’t rpm just a matter of gearing? Brushless motors spin pretty damn fast but the motor in a brushless drill still spins faster than it’s max speed or 2k rpm or so. Brushless is more than capable of delicate work.
Going from zero RPMs, a brushed motor is far smoother. BL motors will always be slightly notchy, it’s inherent in how they work. It can be tamed through more expensive electronics, but that pushes prices up and can make them more fragile. BL will do small delicate work, but I don’t think they’ll ever be as good at ultra low RPMs as the tried and tested brushed variants.
And as Hilti mentioned, you’re not likely to wear the brushes out. My V18 set was eight years old and the brushes were still showing no sign of wearing out. Then they were stolen. 🙁
In my opinion what tool brand you go with depends on your needs. I am a Ryobi user myself and it suits my needs just fine. I am a DIY guy like you and I find their tools to be perfect for my needs. They are much cheaper than most pro brands and they almost always get the job done just fine. In my opinion they are so far above other DIY brands that they are almost approaching some lower end pro brands. The only tool that made me wish I was a Milwaukee user instead is the cordless shop vac. If Ryobi ever made one of those again (apparently they made one many years ago but it was not successful because it was ahead of it’s time and the batteries of the time (ni-cad) could not adequately support it and now those vacs are rare and expensive since they have long been discontinued) I would buy it as soon as I could. I have their latest impact wrench and it has worked perfectly for taking off lug nuts when I rotate my tires.
Biggie wrote:
On 5/29/2017 at 5:59 PM, Biggie said:I don’t want to keep the story going if it isn’t true, but I know in the past I’ve heard of ryobi batteries having some issues. I have no personal experience with them and I also know they’ve been making improvements in their battery technology. I’ve actually considered ryobi as a cheap way to fill some holes in my line up but never done it because its another battery line and if they don’t last there goes your savings.
Are you talking about the NiCad or Li-Ion batteries? If it’s the latter are you talking about first gen or second? Most of mine are several years old at this point and they all still work fine. I don’t use them all the time though so I’m sure that is a factor as well.
In my entire life I don’t think I have ever looked at a prior purchase regretfully and said, “Gee, I wish I’d bought something crappier.”
In fact, I have kind of the opposite thing going on right now. I have a whole lot of Craftsman hand tools, bought new 20 to 30 years ago. By spending extra for Craftsman over other consumer channel brands, I thought I was buying for the future. Now the future is here, Sears is circling the drain, Craftsman is owned by Stanley, my investment is devalued, and I wish I’d spent a little more to buy actual pro tools (Matco, Snap-On, etc) instead of “prosumer.”
There’s nothing wrong with Ryobi per se, for what it is, but it’s a cheap tool and won’t give you the quality or the service life of a better brand. Cheap tools are expensive in the long run because you have to keep buying them again and again. Spend money to save money. Buy the best thing you can afford from the best brand you can afford.
Keep the Milwaukee. If you want something better than Ryobi for your next purchase but less expensive than Milwaukee, look at Hitachi. They’re ugly as turtle dicks, but some of them are great deals.
cliu wrote:
9 hours ago, cliu said:Are you talking about the NiCad or Li-Ion batteries? If it’s the latter are you talking about first gen or second? Most of mine are several years old at this point and they all still work fine. I don’t use them all the time though so I’m sure that is a factor as well.
Like I said I have zero personal experience with ryobi but you don’t have to scroll too far over on the ryobi page to find a topic talking about battery issues. Is it really a widespread issue? I don’t know but it’s enough to make me not want to start up another battery platform with them. But I’m pretty well invested in milwaukee and dewalt so having a lot of those batteries makes spending a little more on a bare tool from them more advantageous to me.
if you just started to collect tools then by all means switch over to Ryobi.I work as a electrician during the day and woodworker at night and Ryobi will serve you fine.Milwaukee and dewalt and mikita are overpriced.I have used all and I can do anything with the Ryobi as the big names and half the cost.Bosch is nice but they too are expensive and they are falling behind in new tool releases