Can You Cut Wood With A Ryobi Cut-Off Tool?

From drills and pressure washers to vacuums and string trimmers, Ryobi really does have it all and then some. Among Ryobi's many must-haves is the 18V ONE+ HP Compact Brushless Cut-Off Tool, a handy little device that is ideal for light- to medium-duty cutting jobs. But while it can cut through a wide range of materials with ease, you might want to think twice before using it on wood. 

On the Question & Answers section for the Ryobi Cut-Off Tool on The Home Depot website, one customer asked if the product can be used on wood. Ryobi answered with, "Unfortunately, no. This model is for cutting drywall, plastic, tile, ceramics, steel, stainless steel, fiber cement, and non-ferrous materials," which is reinforced by the product's operator's manual.

The cut-off tool's three different blades correspond to cutting different materials as detailed on Ryobi's website, with the metal cut-off wheel being suited for steel, copper, and aluminum; the carbide abrasive blade being used on drywall and PVC plastic; and the diamond tile blade being best for ceramic, porcelain, and cement board.

Outside of pictures on the site showing it being used on wood, no official Ryobi source recommends using the cut-off tool on wood. But if cut-off tools from brands such as Makita can cut through metal and wood with ease, why can't Ryobi's Cut-Off Tool be used on wood? Many customers have made an effort to test it out for themselves with varying results. 

Ryobi may not officially recommend using any of its cut-out tool's blades on wood, but that hasn't stopped plenty of customers from trying. Many reviewers on Ryobi's website have claimed to have used the tool on wood with little to no issue. However, many of them have only used it on thin pieces of wood, such as @Manup who commented, "I bought this a month ago and very pleased with the tool ... The 3 wheels cut everything as advertised as well as wood (at most ½ to ¾" thick)." A few others who have had a positive experience with the tool on wood have not stated how long they have had the product, so the longevity of these blades with wood is not entirely clear.

Others have expressed caution with using the tool for such a purpose. One Redditor who shared that they tried it out on fossilized eucalyptus wood stated that, "I can confirm it makes an ungodly amount of dust if you use an abrasive wheel." Meanwhile, another user also warned that the blade's intended rpm speed is incompatible with wood, commenting, "I would not use the abrasive discs to cut wood as they will just burn the wood instead." 

But just because the provided Ryobi blades aren't recommended for use with wood, that doesn't mean there's no way to get the job done. Many users have recommended using a compatible third-party blade that's rated for wood. Some have noted that doing so may potentially void your warranty, so keep this in mind if you're going to use a blade that's not from Ryobi.