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We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Ryobi gear frequently ranks among the best choices for DIYers and homeowners seeking maintenance and repair equipment. Ryobi isn’t generally thought of as a professional-grade toolmaker, but the Japanese builder has a long history of producing quality tools at a great price. Ryobi offers a few interesting power tool ranges, including a small-form-factor USB Lithium option.
There is also a huge variety of hand tools and other gear available in the brand’s overarching catalog, but its 18V ONE+ system is without a doubt the standout solution that most tool buyers will focus on when shopping. Ryobi’s 18V tools frequently come in at lower prices than competitors’ models, and in many cases they can hang with some of the big dogs, too, including outpacing Milwaukee in some key categories.
Quality tools usually come at a steep cost, but Ryobi’s catalog introduces some surprises. There are actually scores of tools that sell for less than $60, sometimes even in kit formats with batteries and charging gear included. These 13 tools offer great support for any kind of project you might have on your plate, while also sporting uniquely low price tags that make them supreme bargains worth considering. 18V ONE+ 3/8-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
The 18V ONE+ 3/8-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit is a great starting point for any new power tool collection. It can also be a functional and valuable replacement for a tool user seeking a new light-duty drill, while also serving as a strong entry point into the Ryobi battery ecosystem.
The drill comes with a 1.5Ah battery and a charger for $50 (and is the same price at Home Depot). It’s a lightweight option (2.8 pounds) with a maximum speed of 600 RPM and delivers 150 in.-lbs. of maximum torque. The drill isn’t a high-powered fastening solution, so buyers should be clear about where this product’s wheelhouse lies before investing in it. However, if you’re in the market for a basic drilling unit that can handle routine renovation and maintenance tasks, including flat-pack furniture assembly or light-duty appliance repair, this can be a useful and cost-effective option to kickstart a new segment of your tool collection. 18V ONE+ Reciprocating Saw
A reciprocating saw is a valuable addition to plenty of renovators’ toolkits. The saw allows you to slice through multi-material surfaces without worrying about damaging the blade or tool in the process.
Typically, a reciprocating saw is seen as a versatile option that can handle many different tasks, leading many to assume it requires a significant purchase price.
But Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ Reciprocating Saw is listed at $39.50, down from a regular price of $79. This appears to be an older model that’s still going strong (and is available at Walmart for $102). It’s not listed at the orange home improvement store, but a range of other options are at Home Depot, with the main 18V model going for $89, giving buyers a clear reason to always compare prices between Home Depot and direct from Ryobi. This saw comes with a blade included and features a 1-inch stroke length with a maximum blade speed of 3,400 SPM. It includes a lock-off button to make operating the tool easier over lengthy use, as well as a quick blade-change lever.
The pivoting shoe is adjustable as well, making it easier to gain a foothold in your cuts and maintain consistent contact when slicing through material. 18V ONE+ Hybrid Whisper Series 7.5-Inch Fan
Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ Hybrid Whisper Series 7.5-Inch Fan runs on the brand’s quiet technology, allowing it to blend into the background while providing crucial climate control for your environment.
This is a great addition to a stuffy workshop or garage, and it can be a valuable option to add to a packing list of power tools for your next camping trip or RV excursion. The fan also operates on Ryobi’s hybrid power platform, allowing you to plug an 18V battery into its base for independent, mobile operation, or use an AC power cord to extend its runtime indefinitely. The tool features three speed settings, ranging from 930 at its lowest setting to a high of 1,850 RPM. It also features a pivoting head on a 160-degree swivel, allowing you to position the tool however you see fit, along with hanging capabilities and a handle for easy carrying. 18V ONE+ Hybrid Project Light
The $59.98 18V ONE+ Hybrid Project Light should perhaps be included among a vaunted list of excellent mechanics’ work lights. The tool features a locking hang hook at the top of its build and a pivoting head with 180-degree rotational capability.
These features combine to make the light capable of handling illumination tasks across a range of specialized needs. The tool also features Ryobi’s hybrid power technology.
This means it can be operated via an 18V battery or plugged into the wall, providing virtually unlimited lighting coverage for as long as you need it. The tool also features three lighting output modes and delivers 900 lumens. It also includes a MagTray that will securely hold fasteners and other small metal components as you tackle a repair or installation task, providing some additional functionality that’s an immensely welcome upgrade in just about any workshop environment. 18V ONE+ 120 Watt Automotive Power Source
Anytime you find yourself out on the road, it’s crucially important to have some sort of backup power option at your disposal. During light duty tasks, this may mean a basic power bank to keep your phone charged so you can stay in contact with colleagues or loved ones.
But during more demanding scenarios and as a contingency, a tool like the 18V ONE+ 120 Watt Automotive Power Source can be an excellent pick-up at a great price. Listed at Ryobi’s website for $45 (and at Home Depot for the same), the tool can power a range of electronic devices with an equally impressive cross-section of power support options to keep it going. The tool is built on the 18V platform, so it naturally operates well with a standard Ryobi battery. But the power source can also connect to your car’s 12V adapter to provide long-lasting 120W power. It can power multiple small electronic devices at once, including laptops, lights, and fans.
It can charge a phone up to six times on a single 4.0Ah battery charge and obviously provides much more range when plugged into a fully functional car adapter. This can be a huge productivity booster for those working on the road as well as homeowners looking to stay one step ahead of hurricane season or other similar localized weather threats. 18V ONE+ Compact Glue Gun
Ryobi makes a few different glue gun tools, but the 18V ONE+ Compact Glue Gun is both one of its most versatile solutions in this category and among the highest-rated by owners. The tool can squeeze through over 100 mini glue sticks on a single 4.0Ah battery charge. It also features a mobile base that houses the battery. You’ll lift the glue gun from the base to operate the tool, working cord-free as you go about your crafting or repair tasks. The glue gun has a maximum temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit and requires three to five minutes to reach operating temperature.
It’s a solid choice for small repair tasks and hobby crafting, and it’s compatible with 5/16-inch glue sticks. The tool is tiny and offers an ergonomic grip for superior portability and easy use over lengthy tasks or when tackling gluing operations in hard-to-reach areas that might otherwise be impossible with other fastening methods or a larger gluing device. 18V ONE+ 10-Inch Orbital Buffer
The 18V ONE+ 10-Inch Orbital Buffer is listed for $45 and features a full-sized buffing experience at a great price. It’s an ideal tool for detailed work on project cars, allowing you to achieve excellent visual results after cleaning or when handling tasks like paint repair. The tool can run up to 90 minutes when paired with a Lithium+ High Capacity battery and delivers a swirl-free finish. The buffer can reach up to 2,500 RPM, and the tool’s motor can maintain speed even under heavy load.
It weighs 4.3 pounds and features a dual-handle design that allows you to grab it on either end of the tool, a comfortable grip, and firm control throughout your buffing tasks. This piece of equipment can significantly improve your car-cleaning experience by reducing the amount of hand buffing required and making the overall process much faster. 18V ONE+ ¼-Inch Impact Driver
It’s hard to avoid using an impact driver for many home improvement tasks. This tool produces substantially more force than a typical drill, allowing for much faster fastener installation and providing considerable additional breakaway torque when removing stubborn screws and even bolts from a workpiece. An impact driver is the perfect complement to your drilling and fastening needs, providing a dedicated tool for screwing tasks.
The 18V ONE+ ¼-Inch Impact Driver is listed as a special buy for just $17 as a bare tool. That’s down from a list price that is still favorable, at $48 direct from Ryobi. The tool is also listed at Home Depot for the same price, but the outlet’s website notes that it’s out of stock here.
The driver features a 1/4-inch quick-connect coupler that makes bit changes fast and effective, and it uses a lightweight design without sacrificing impact power or turning force. The tool still produces a solid 1,800 in.-lbs. of maximum torque with a 2,800 RPM no-load speed. This comes with a 3,200 impact-per-minute rating, rounding out a versatile fastening tool at a fantastic price. 18V ONE+ 10-Inch String Trimmer/Edger
Outdoor power equipment is often at the top of home renovators’ minds, especially during the spring and summer months when growth outside the confines of your house starts to explode with deep greens and a bounty of other colors.
Rapid growth throughout the yard requires a more attentive trimming regimen, and a tool like the 18V ONE+ 10-Inch String Trimmer/Edger can be a valuable solution to meet this demand. The trimmer is listed for $59 as a bare tool, but it can also be purchased as a kit with a 2.0Ah battery and charger for just $20 more.
Ryobi notes that this is the “lightest weight string trimmer,” and it can also perform edging functions. The shaft twists to give its cutting head the proper angular momentum for handling edge work with ease. When paired with a 2.0Ah battery, it can deliver over 35 minutes of runtime and features an auto-feed head that advances the line as needed, so you don’t have to worry about bumping it or feeding the cutting component in some other way. It’s also adjustable, allowing for an 8- to 10-inch string line to support your cutting needs.
The tool itself weighs 4.28 pounds, making it easy to carry around the yard, too. 18V ONE+ Magnifying LED Clamp Light
Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ Magnifying LED Clamp Light is a great option for hobby crafters and those who frequently find themselves repairing small parts. It features a clamping base that can grip material up to 1-3/4 inches thick and two brightness settings at 250 or 500 lumens. The magnifying component offers up to 5x magnification, along with illumination, providing significant visibility enhancements for soldering tasks, nuanced fastening requirements, and more. This is a solid accessory tool that can dramatically improve all kinds of minute repair and building tasks that you might encounter in the workshop. The clamp light is available directly from Ryobi for $40 as a bare tool or with a 2.0Ah battery and a charger for $80. Its primary magnification element provides a distortion-free 2.25x view, with a 5x spot magnification for precision inspection.
The tool can provide over 20 hours of runtime, and its lighting element is substantial enough to serve as a desk lamp for your workspace if you don’t consistently require the additional magnification feature. However, its 16-inch flexible neck and rotating base combine to allow this tool to function in any way you require at a moment’s notice, delivering magnification for one task and overhead illumination during another.
18V ONE+ 4-1/2-Inch Angle Grinder
An angle grinder is a valuable piece of gear in just about any workshop, alongside many other key pieces of equipment. Angle grinders can cost hundreds of dollars, especially cordless models. However, the Ryobi 18V ONE+ 4-1/2-Inch Angle Grinder is listed as a bare tool for just $59.97. It’s also available at Home Depot for the same price. For those requiring a battery, it’s listed as a kit variant from the outlet, including a 4.0Ah battery and charger, for $114.
This grinder doesn’t lack form or function either. It utilizes an ergonomic grip segment with a trigger switch to initiate the disc’s rotation. It comes with a three-position auxiliary handle and a blade guard that adjusts without the need for any other tools. The grinder produces up to 9,000 RPM at no load to handle quick material removal or shaping tasks and includes onboard wrench storage. The grinder is also compatible with standard 4-1/2-inch discs, widely available in various layouts for cutting, polishing, shaping, and more.
18V ONE+ 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander
Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander is listed as a bare tool for $59.97 and comes with a set of sanding sheets included. The tool features a classic hook-and-loop sanding pad connection for easy attachment and removal of sandpaper and offers an 8-hole layout in the pad to allow debris to move clear of your work surface with relative ease. The tool produces a rotational speed of 10,000 orbits per minute to generate a swirl-free finish, and it uses an improved vibration-reducing build over its predecessor that minimizes the amount you’ll feel by 40% compared to the previous Ryobi model. The tool is a straightforward sanding solution that includes an onboard dust bag and is compatible with wet/dry vacuum hoses. It’s an inexpensive option that delivers plenty of power and features an ergonomic grip that makes holding and working with the tool easy.
This isn’t a flashy or fancy sander, but that’s generally not what woodworkers or home improvers are looking for with a tool designed to smooth surfaces and remove excess material quickly and effectively. 18V ONE+ Performance Hand Vacuum
The 18V ONE+ Performance Hand Vacuum acts as a great option for cleaning up your workshop or handling small messes around the house on a regular basis.
It’s listed at $55 directly from Ryobi, and even comes in a limited-edition build that Ryobi has priced at $50 on its website. Ryobi’s 30th-anniversary edition tools celebrate the ONE+ platform’s longevity, and they’re an interesting option, offering a black colorway that will naturally stand out against the lime-green tools that may already adorn your garage shelves. However, you’ll want to act fast if you’re looking for one of the limited-edition models in a hand vacuum or among Ryobi’s other tools that include the build (like the rare black drill). Regardless of the colorway you select, the tool comes with a variety of accessories to help reach crevices, tight recesses, and more. It also features a dust brush for cleaning delicate surfaces and operates with high-powered suction and a slim body that can reach tight areas on its own. The tool features an airflow of up to 40 CFM and a sealed suction rated at 37 IOW.
It has a 2.8-cup capacity, which isn’t huge, but it features a clear window into the collection tank, so you can visually check how full the vacuum is at any given time. This is a solid option at a great price for a workshop cleanup tool that can also come along for the ride during road trips or be used throughout the house for spot-cleaning tasks. Methodology
All of these tools provide great functionality in a workshop or DIY environment. Each one can be a solid upgrade opportunity to bring new capabilities into a toolkit that is lacking in one or more areas. Importantly, all of these tools are particularly cost-effective, with prices frequently falling well below the already favorable $60 mark. Among the Ryobi tools priced below this figure, these have received some of the highest overall ratings.
All of them have been rated by at least 100 buyers, with the lowest-rated receiving an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
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