5 RYOBI Products You Need (And 5 You Should Avoid)

Ryobi was initially founded as a die-casting company in 1943, operating out of a repurposed soy sauce warehouse. A name change in 1973 from Ryobi Seisakusho to simply Ryobi Limited, and a decision to focus on finished customer products like fishing tackle, golfing goods, and power tools led to the company gaining greater recognition, and by 2018, the company sold its successful power tools division off to Techtronic Industries Company, Ltd.

Several ardent haters of Ryobi's line of homeowner-grade tools and products will shudder to think that the company has any relation to a "real" tool line. Still, TTI also owns brands like Dirt Devil, Homelite, and even pro favorite Milwaukee. As a Home Depot exclusive, it's easy to assume that many of Ryobi's bright green tools are designed to catch the eye of the weekend DIYer, but Ryobi produces several reliable and well-designed products — and sells them for a fraction of the price of more established brands, in several cases.

Almost all of the products on our list today are part of Ryobi's 18-volt ONE+ line, a platform that features over 280 different items compatible with a single battery pack design. With a wide variety of tools and products, from drills and ratchets to glue guns and powered coolers, Ryobi was bound to hit on a couple of great successes, and a few stinkers as well. Today's feature will cover five of the best Ryobi products out there, suggested by ratings, product reviews, and comparison videos, as well as five that shoppers would do well to avoid.

One of the most essential tools for any homeowner is a fundamental drill/driver. Even the least handy individual needs a power drill now and then, for hanging a picture, mounting a TV, or just putting together some furniture. Ryobi's ONE+ 18-volt Brushless Cordless Compact ½" Drill/Driver is a great option for weekend warriors, with great reviews and a reliable battery.

With a ratcheting clutch, two-speed settings up to 1,750 rpm, 515 inch-pounds of torque, and a little LED light to illuminate one's work, the Ryobi drill/driver punches above its weight class for a sub-$100 product. A three-year warranty backs the product from failure, and reviews on websites for Home Depot and Ryobi are nearly unanimous in their praise of this tool.

We went with the ½ inch option, but all of Ryobi's brushless drills/drivers seem to garner great reviews. At only $59 for the tool through Ryobi's online store, or $79 with a battery and charger, the Ryobi drill/driver still features a good amount of power, comparable to Milwaukee's Drill Driver at half the price.

A miter saw is a great tool to have in the garage for any basic home DIYer. The ability to cut through a 2x4 straight and clean is always handy, and this Ryobi ONE+ 7-¼ inch" compound miter saw should be great for things like baseboards and basic framing cuts. However, hands-on experience with this saw proves otherwise.

The problem with the ONE+ cordless compound miter saw is a lack of reliability. While it's affordable and lightweight, a lot of little things add up to make this Ryobi saw less than ideal. The miter gauge doesn't move smoothly, and even when locked in, there's still a good amount of movement. The table itself is also quite small. Dust collection with a vacuum attached is sparse at best, with sawdust seemingly blowing everywhere except inside the vac. The blade guard isn't perfect, and the aggressive startup causes the whole saw to jerk, which is potentially unsafe and can mess up a well-lined-up cut. A heavier, better-built miter saw is definitely worth the extra money, even if it's just a corded one from another brand.

A brad nailer — or any nailer, really — can be a difficult sell for many homeowners. On the one hand, a nailer can seem like a unitasker, something a weekend DIYer might use for one project and never look at again — or something easily replaced with a hammer and some nails. Also, most nailers are powered by an air compressor, adding another expense to the purchase of the nailer as well as significant bulk and noise.

On the other hand, it's an exact and useful tool for installing molding and baseboards, repairing picture frames, or putting together smaller projects like birdhouses. In other words, jobs that require a delicate touch to prevent damage to the thinner wood used.

The entire ONE+ AirStrike line is praised for its performance and long-term dependability while removing the need for an air compressor. Whether it's the ONE+ 18-Gauge Cordless AirStrike Brad Nailer we've selected, or any of Ryobi's AirStrike nailers, the benefits are impressive and make the decision to purchase far easier. Easy depth-of-drive adjustment, speeds up to 60 nails per minute, and the ability to disperse 1,700 nails per charge makes the AirStrike Brad Nailer a standout addition to one's tool set.

At just under $160, and with a five-star average on both Ryobi's and Home Depot's sites, it's a tool that's easy to recommend to anyone needing a little more finesse than a hammer and a handful of finishing nails.

A buffer seems like it's a pretty straightforward tool to design. Balance it, give the handles some good grip, and maybe add some features to make it stand out from the pack. Unfortunately, the Ryobi ONE+ Cordless 10" Orbital Buffer doesn't manage to get those little things right. 

While it looks like it should be easy enough to control with two large handles on either side, a combination of the battery sitting high atop the center and aggressive orbital motion makes this buffer bouncy and difficult to control for a smooth polish. Redditors also mention that the buffer stalls out on anything other than flat surfaces, and the battery orientation can lead to unintentional contact with the work surface when trying to work the buffer into tight spots.

For a tool that's a unitasker with no additional features (literally just an on/off switch), having this many issues is unacceptable, no matter the asking price.

While not necessarily a power tool in the most basic sense, a leaf blower is something a new homeowner will learn to appreciate once they own one, especially on a property with multiple trees. The number of blowers out there can be overwhelming, and while even Ryobi's ONE+ line features a few 18-volt options, the 40-volt HP blower gets the nod from us.

This beast of a leaf blower boasts a whopping 730 cubic feet per minute, measuring how much air a leaf blower can output at full power, and 190 mph speeds. That much power helps move wet leaves or other heavier lawn debris like small branches or cut weeds. The tool is well-reviewed, with users touting its runtime, power, and low noise levels. As expected, both Ryobi's and Home Depot's sites give the blower stellar remarks. Still, independent sites also suggest it's a great deal for a useful tool, especially when coupled with a pair of batteries and a charger.

At nearly $330 for the tool, two 40-volt batteries, and a charger, the kit is a little on the expensive side, but the versatility of those battery packs adds value to the package. While this leaf blower is the only product on our list that isn't part of the ONE+ platform, it's still a great value, as the Ryobi 40v line sports over 85 products, including other Ryobi power tools that will help you clean up around the house such as mainstays like mowers, edgers, and pressure washers.

Many beginner woodworkers will avoid a router, especially if they haven't been shown how to safely use one by someone more experienced. While the tool can be a little daunting, the amount of amazing things one can create with a table-based unit or something more portable is impressive. However, poor design can negate or minimize the time one wants to spend with a tool — as evidenced by the Ryobi ONE+ Cordless Compact Fixed Base Router.

Just looking at the design, one can already see that balance will be an issue. Reviewers consistently mention that the collet doesn't securely hold router bits in place, which can be dangerous if those bits are thrown during use. Dust collection is subpar, and instructions on properly connecting a dust collection unit don't exist. And many users complain that if dust isn't mitigated, the unit will simply stop working mid-cut. A lack of compatible router guides due to the base design, and the failure to provide bits with the tool make this particular Ryobi router a "pass" for us.

While not the kind of power tool one might expect to see reviewed on a testosterone-fueled YouTube video, a glue gun is a versatile and handy tool to have around the house. Not just for little craft projects, a little wad of melty glue is great for waterproofing around cable holes, holding wood together while waiting for longer-term adhesives to cure, or for the occasional construction of some cosplay armor.

Ryobi's ONE+ full-size glue gun is the most (and best) reviewed on its website, with many praising the tool's three-hour life, reasonable heat-up time, and convenience compared to corded guns. The ONE+ line also includes options for those who want more temperature control, or a smaller size model that charges off a stand rather than attaching the entire battery pack to the unit.

At under $20 for the tool, it's worth the low entry price point, especially if one already has a battery pack for other Ryobi products. A three-year warranty covers the product, and reviewers mention the battery base as far more sturdy and reliable than the little wire stands many corded glue gun users are familiar with. All in all, this is one of the easiest and most affordable Ryobi tools to recommend to anyone looking to expand their tool kit.

Like routers, table saws often feel like the "second level" for beginner woodworkers and DIY homeowners. They tend to take up space, and even the most affordable ones aren't necessarily cheap, meaning a certain level of comfort with saws and other woodworking tools feels necessary before investing in a table with a big rotating blade sticking out of it. Even new users want a balance between safety, accuracy, and affordability when selecting their first table saw.

Unfortunately, the Ryobi ONE+ Brushless Cordless 8-¼" Compact Portable Jobsite Table Saw falters on all three of those principles. The fence, one of the most important components of a table saw, is unreliable at best. The clamp style design means the ends of the fence move independently, meaning constant measurement is required before a cut. Reviews note that the fence will even move during use because of weak clamping ability, a clear safety issue. The included miter guide is very loose when in position, and the miter gauge is poorly marked and doesn't lock in place. The blade adjustment requires a lot of faith in the decals being perfectly installed and never moving, with the alternative being a digital angle finder being used before cutting to verify the blade angle.

Even at $330, this cordless saw is simply too unreliable to recommend, especially when Milwaukee and Dewalt offer similar, but far better designed, cordless setups for a little bit more initial investment.

The oscillating multi-tool is another one of those tools that you don't realize the usefulness of until you've used it. This versatile Ryobi power tool for under $200 can sand, saw, make plunge cuts, or make a clean undercut on a doorway. Plus, the multi-tool is also great for removing old caulk or grout and stripping old paint.

Ryobi's ONE+ HP Brushless Multi-tool is a great balance between power and price. This multi-tool is well-liked for its diversity, compatibility with most other brands of tool heads, and handy accessory release that doesn't require a tool. And, as a battery-powered unit, the ability to get into small spaces without dancing around a cord cannot be overstated. Reviewers also mention a less severe vibration level than some pricier (if more powerful) competition.

At around $100 for the tool and a few accessories for cutting and sanding, Ryobi's HP Multi-Tool is an addition to one's toolbox that will earn its spot in the rotation after a few uses.

In theory, this is a good idea for a product. Pop a charged battery into the Ryobi Power Source, and you have a couple of USB ports or a full-sized 120-volt outlet ready to dole out 150 watts of power. Unfortunately, this unit is underpowered and mainly designed for charging things like a phone or laptop. And while that's not nothing, it's also not what many users expected when they purchased the product. One reviewer notes that his CPAP unit only lasted a half hour with a 6-ah battery pack.

You'll notice two things when you scroll through Home Depot's 3,000+ reviews on this power tool. The majority are positive reviews collected by Ryobi for a promotion. The negative reviews are more believable, with folks quickly realizing the power source is either underpowered or did damage to their electronics when plugged in. These reviews also have more specific issues with the product rather than the generic "saved me in a hurricane/tornado/rapture" line in many positives. 

Just be sure to read the full specifications of the product rather than just reviews, and double-check any products you intend to use with this power source for compatibility and run time.