11 Of The Most Useful Ryobi Rotary Tool Accessories

Much like the radial arm saw, rotary tools can tackle a huge variety of jobs in the workshop, garage, or at a hobby station. Both are tools that users can get massive mileage out of, using for a very long time and perhaps never getting rid of them. Over the course of the Ryobi brand's history, the company has developed a reputation for affordable yet comprehensive DIY home improvement solutions. Naturally, it makes a rotary tool station that's small enough to be portable, and powerful enough to be fastened to a workbench or wall and deployed as a stationary do-it-all feature.

The older 18V ONE+ model has been discontinued by Ryobi, but anyone who still has it — or the newer variants still in production (including the USB lithium option) — will surely want a stock of important accessories. A rotary tool is, after all, only as useful as its collection of attachments. Those with experience using a rotary tool will almost certainly be familiar with the more common accessories it supports, like sanding bands or grinding bits. However, there's a huge marketplace of other options to expand the capabilities of your rotary tool. These ones are some of the most useful you'll find within the Ryobi catalog, keeping things in the same ecosystem and ensuring without any hesitation that compatibility is rock solid.

If you've ever thought about repurposing your rotary tool to tackle specific screwdriving needs, a keyless chuck could be the perfect addition to your accessory collection. With a Ryobi Rotary Keyless Chuck, you can immediately expand the potential for your tool by an order of magnitude. With the chuck installed in the collet, your rotary tool can now operate just like your standard drill — albeit with a significantly higher spin rate. The standard 18V ONE+ model offered currently by Ryobi features a speed dial that allows users to dial in between 5,000 and 35,000 rpm speeds for the tool.

The chuck can handle bits ranging from 0.8 millimeters up to a standard 3.2-millimeter hex bit holder or large split point bit. This gives users plenty of flexibility to add even more dimensionality to their rotary tool. You may not feel particularly inclined to use this expansion, but with it added to your wheelhouse, the option to deploy your rotary tool for precision drilling or fastening with a standard bit becomes a capability that can get you out of a bind when you inevitably run into the specific need.

A mandrel is a crucial accessory for any rotary tool user. This attachment allows you to use other accessories like cutting discs or grinding wheels. The standard Rotary Mandrel from Ryobi is a great place to start. The accessory is compatible with top screw rotary tool attachments and keeps your inserts secure with a screw that locks down on the equipment from above — the top screw mechanism is essentially self-explanatory. This piece of accessory equipment is important for anyone who plans on using their rotary tool for anything that requires spinning disc-type attachments rather than bit-style tool installations. You'll be able to engrave or grind certain materials without a mandrel, but not much else.

The Twist Lock Mandrel brings another dimension into the mix. Rather than clamping down on accessories via a top screw, the twist lock mechanism allows for faster exchange of tools and more time spent working on your projects. This kind of design can make any sort of power tool easier to use. The need to keep an angle grinder's pin wrench on hand when cutting or shaping with the tool, for instance, makes using it a little trickier. Busting a standard cutting disc or needing to replace one that's worn out becomes a sort of fire drill when you can't find the wrench. The twist lock mandrel helps prevent this kind of need to keep track of yet another thing while you're performing a precision sanding or slicing into a delicate workpiece to shape a design detail.

Operating in conjunction with a twist lock mandrel, the 1½-Inch Rotary Twist Lock Grinding Wheel delivers precision cutting and grinding just where you need it. The mandrel positions the wheel at a perpendicular angle to your rotary tool, allowing you to handle your cuts with extreme precision. The small scale of the grinding wheel also helps dial in the exacting specifications that a hobbyist needs when making delicate slices into metal components and workpieces. Whether you're shaping the finishing touches on a product or paring down unnecessary waste with more sweeping movements from small metal stock, these wheels are a massive ally.

These metal wheels can help with deburring, rust or paint removal, and even sharpening an edge. Their versatility makes them a must-have for anyone who works with a rotary tool, and a great addition to a mobile welding kit for cleaning up weld lines and edges. The ability to tackle precision material removal tasks is invaluable in both the crafting and delicate metalworking spaces. No rotary tool kit is complete without grinding wheels of this sort.

Cutting out space for knockout boxes or expanding damaged areas to affect crucial repairs in your walls is a core competency for doing renovation and repair work. In the past, a drywall saw was frequently the weapon of choice for making these kinds of incisions. However, their rough tooth pattern isn't particularly conducive to a light touch. Only experts in the craft will likely find their cuts with the manual option to be clean and completely accurate.

A few alternatives have naturally creeped into the picture. Multitools feature an oscillating blade that can be used to deliver accurate plunge cuts, but they also make a heap of noise and vibrate intensely, making them a chore to use in some instances. Conversely, rotary tool operators can use a Guide Point Drywall Cutting Bit to get the job done with extreme efficiency. These bits feature a guide point that prevents a straight punch through in the back side of the workpiece. This gives you greater control over your cut and prevents excessive tear-out that can lead to even more damage. Working around bespoke cutout shapes is also in the cards with a rotary tool's cutting bits, allowing for all manner of solutions. For instance, you might want to cut a series of small access holes to follow a new wire's route up or across a wall section.

Hobbyists are often individuals who wear multiple hats. A woodworker who engraves their creations with the help of a rotary tool is likely also someone who engages in plenty of gardening around their home or perhaps even dabbles with a little welding. The rotary tool itself is clearly an extremely versatile option for tackling a huge range of projects. One such function comes from the rotary tool's ability to perform basic maintenance on other tools. 

In addition to rotary tools, Ryobi offers a crucial accessory for arborists: a three-piece set of rotary chainsaw sharpening stones. No matter the chainsaw brand or type you buy, the tool requires routine chain sharpening to maintain its grisly cutting edge. A chainsaw that's dull isn't safe, especially given the penchant for this tool to be elevated at times alongside its user. Sharpening stones keep your chainsaw in good working order, allowing it to continue to quickly and easily slice through thick logs and branches. Manually sharpening your chain is always an option, but it can be a real hassle to perform this required maintenance without the help of a tool that can speed the process up tremendously. The Ryobi stones feature three sizes that can be used in place of files sized 5/32-inch, 3/16-inch, and 7/32-inch. They also double as knife, scissor, and other cutting tool sharpeners, and can grind metal surfaces or perform standard deburring work.

Ryobi's Rotary Rasp and Countersink is a true game-changer. It's of huge benefit to those frequently needing to bore out larger holes and recesses or requiring a hiding space for fasteners in their workpiece. The accessory can be used to tackle light metalworking, but is primarily geared toward wood mediums.

A countersink bit is a mainstay in the kits of carpenters, builders, and DIYers. Rather than punching a fastener directly into the face of a workpiece, the countersink allows you to open the hole up a bit around the area the fastener will enter. This gives the tapered head a place to sink into the wood rather than damaging the surface or standing proud of the otherwise flat face (above the surrounding surface). The value here comes from the fact that three drill bits are required for most finish work in this realm. You'll want a standard combi-drill with a woodcutting bit installed and another drill or impact driver from your favorite trusted brand to deliver the screw once you've placed the pilot hole. But where does the countersink bit fit into that equation? For most, a swap will be necessary, adding time and energy to what is ostensibly a simple process. With a countersink bit affixed to your rotary tool, delivering the all-important countersink can be done seamlessly without stopping to exchange bits twice per fastener.

Metal files are a key component in a well-rounded rotary tool arsenal. Filing away burrs and rounding down edges in metal components is a typical job that any DIYer or pro renovator will find themselves having to complete on a routine basis. Cleaning up moving parts on a gate, trimming down a new replacement part for a shelving unit, or putting the finishing touches on just about anything you might make that features metal pieces all benefit from the addition of a metal file to your process. Naturally, there are hand tools that can accomplish this feat, but the help of a rotary tool and Ryobi's 2-Piece Mixed Metal Rotary File set can drastically improve the experience of performing a key filing operation.

The set features a conical file for working around curved areas that may be impossible to fully attack with a half-round or flat file. The cylindrical file, on the other hand, can effectively smooth out edges and large surfaces. It features a flat edge that doesn't taper in diameter, giving you granular control over the file's angle of attack. The set is finished in a black oxide coating to reduce friction. The result is a file set better able to stave off heat as you work across a metal piece, keeping components in better condition and allowing you more time to work on the grinding, edge-busting, or shaping process.

Sanding is such a crucial task in any workshop. Many woodworkers will have a variety of sanding tools. Powered varieties include belt, orbital, and palm sanders, but these are by no means the only solutions around. There's the hand sanding method, which relies on traditional sandpaper sheets augmented by a sanding block, hand sander (that clamp paper in place and feature a handle on the back end), or your own fingers. There's also a range of sanding discs available to use with your rotary tool, too. These can make the job of precision sanding so much more satisfying, removing the hair-pulling frustration of tight nooks and corners entirely.

The rotary tool features a significantly scaled down sanding disc size when compared to typical sanding pads for powered solutions. This gives you immense control when applying the disc to a workpiece to remove material or smooth out a surface. Discs come in a range of grits from Ryobi including 60 Grit Sanding Bands for coarse material removal and first-pass smoothing, all the way up to a finish sanding grit in the 240 variety. This is fine enough to deliver silky smooth textures on just about any wooden surface you may be seeking to put finishing touches on.

Much like the rotary sanding discs that Ryobi offers, the brand's Cleaning and Polishing Discs come in a few grit selections to specify the exact smoothing and polishing aggression you need for any given project. These include an 80 grit texture, as well as 120 and 220 grit options. These link into your rotary tool with a one-piece build that doesn't require an added mandrel for support. Once attached, a polishing disc can be used to remove rust from delicate materials like a car part or even antique silverware.

These polishing discs are also operable without the addition of polishing compound, so you can simply plug and play with the accessory. This speeds up any restoration project you may have on your plate, allowing you to work through the cleanup and revival process of your tasks much faster. As is the case with sanding, you're likely to want to work your way up the chain, starting with an 80 grit disc and ending with a 120 for some projects and the higher finish disc for others that require just a little extra shine and material removal.

From wood to metal and beyond, a rotary tool doesn't just allow you to shave off edge components to shape a finished product. With the right tool you can dig right into the surface of your material and engrave personalized messages or sentimental notes. The ability to put engraved touches on whatever you might be building is a core piece of what makes the rotary tool so special. Carving with a chisel is certainly possible when working with timber products, but chisels can't place the refined and minute detail on a work surface that a rotary tool can achieve.

Ryobi offers a variety of engraving burrs for use with your rotary tool, including Spear Shaped Engraving Burrs. These can be used with a variety of materials, making them a versatile option for putting your stamp on projects. They are also fine tuned to create delicate, cylindrical engraving shapes in a workpiece. Tipped with carbide to deliver fast cutting action without compromising the bit's durability, they are a must-have component in any rotary tool user's collection.

The Multi Material Cutting Set (featuring a guide attachment) from Ryobi turns your rotary tool into something of a router. As is the case with many other attachments that feature in a well-rounded rotary tool accessory lineup, this addition expands what is possible with the base tool considerably. The guide allows for a precise depth adjustment to carve out grooves in a workpiece or drill holes to an exact depth. The twisting nut lock clamps your selected depth in place and assists in performing repeated cuts with the same parameters.

The set features three bits as well, giving users the ability to slash into wood and plastic workpieces, drywall and more (with two specialized bits for these purposes and a guide point bit to limit tearout). Using your rotary tool to perform these kinds of router-esque cuts is a great way to expand your functionality. Routers are excellent for rounding edges and channeling out large grooves in material. However, they can be a little unruly to work with, and the bits are frequently fairly large. Performing a similar cut with the help of your rotary tool can dial in the precision just a bit more when working with smaller cuts, and with the cutting bits working more like those in a drill than a router, you can perform much smaller cuts, too.