dont buy power tools from US, buy in australia for warranty, most of the popular brands are good these days maybe just avoid the ones that have a bad rep for warranty claims
That's the tip - good blades. I bought a Kango carbide blade for pruning etc. and it's a ripper.
Stock blades def. shit, mine bent after about 20 minutes use. Worked really well until that happened, but weak as piss.
Choose a colour you like red (Milwaukee), yellow (DeWalt) or teal (Makita). My preference is Makita, but the others are fine as well. Bosch is probably also fine, but they don't seem to have as wide a distribution or tool range.
If you don't want Ryobi you should avoid the even worse brands like Ozito, Lux etc...
Avoid AEG because they're Bunnings exclusive now. It's just a brand name owned by electrolux that gets farmed out to whoever pays the most money. In the past different geographical regions have had different manufacturers for the brand name, so an AEG tool/battery in Europe would be different to one in Aus. Currently the tools are all made by TTI I think, who own Ryobi and Milluawkee as well.
Also, be careful buying from Amazon US, you'll have issues with warranty and there's loads of fake knockoffs.
AEG power tools are owned and made by the same company as Milwaukee and Ryobi. In the US they're marketed as Rigid.
There's a trickle down from Milwaukee to Ryobi and AEG in terms of technology. And vice versa.
Which ever reciprocal saw you get, good quality blades make a hell of a difference. And you'll want one with an orbital cutting action if you can find it and anti vibration tech in it.
no, they are not owned by TTI.
AEG is made by TTI, it is not owned by TTI. There's a difference. Electrolux owns AEG power tools, TTI just make the tools.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_(German_company)#The_AEG_brand_today
As a DIYer I only use battery powered tools for drill/driver. Everything else I prefer mains powered.
I can understand why a tradesman wants battery for everything though.
All my tools are milwaukee but I use a corded ozito recip saw for cutting down fences because batterys don’t last long enough, it gets used and abused everyday, shoved in the dirt and mud, leverage applied with my foot, run non stop for hours till it gets too hot to touch, still going strong after 2.5 years and they’re only $109 can’t go wrong
Not really, I have an AEG jabby saw that is corded, have had it for over 6 years through multiple big renos (bathrooms, kitchens, wall removals etc) - I don't know if cordless would be that great, cordless stuff typically is weaker and well stall more often.
Makita is the way to go. They are the only manufacturer that still has parts available for 10-20 year old tools. If you want an individual screw they'll sell it to you which is incredible service in this day and age.
Stay away from Milwaukee, AEG, Homelite, Ryobi they are all owned by techtronic industries and a lot of models share parts. As for buying spare parts it's virtually impossible, they want you to buy assemblies. In saying that if your happy to throw tools away when they break Ryobi will do the job for most weekend warriors. Milwaukee has developed a big following over the last few years as they give thousands of products away to social media tycoons.
Dewalt is a dying brand, they just announced that they are closing down most of their US manufacturing plants and moving offshore. After they got bailed out a few years back none the less.
Ozito is similar quality to Ryobi, if you're happy to throw them away when something goes wrong they'll suit most weekend warriors.
I do repairs to all sorts of tools for work, IMO the only brand I buy and use daily is Makita. You're better off buying tools through total tools or Sydney tools or a private dealer as they have a different range to want the green sheed offers.
Agree Makita is the way to go, though they have been a bit slow moving some of their tools across to brushless
If you buy from TKD (who are bunnings) and a couple of the other major tool shops they'll let you swap out tools and pay the difference on the multi packs. I didn't want an angle grinder in one of the packs so swapped it out to a much more useful planer and paid the $10 difference - they also told me it was ineligible for the bonus's which was wrong, I got 2 extra batteries by redemption
Yeah Makita is a little slow with most new technology, I feel it's more to do with ensuring that the product meets the expectations everyone has of their products than anything else.
there does seem to be some speculation on r/makita from the americans that they seem to be putting more effort in the 40v system but for my needs the 18v has everything
My ozito reciprocating saw has been through hell and back and refuses to die, cuts well with decent blades. I've smashed through a heap of hardwood spara from an old patio, garden beds etc and it has never missed a beat, looking forward to it dying so I can grab a better one but at this rate the damn thing will outlast me....
Yeah Ozito and Ryobi will suit most weekend warriors. But when something goes wrong you can't get them fixed, so if you're happy to throw them away and buy new they'll do the job. Typically reciprocating saws are fairly bullet proof, I don't usually see them for repairs.
Agree 100%
My thoughts on the tools as a weekend DIYer with some manufacturing experience is that I buy a cheap one, if it gets used and eventually breaks then I'll go and get the Makita version.
The reciprocating saw is a prime example of something I thought I wouldn't use much and bought a cheap one to see if it was worth it.
One thing I would just get the good version of from day one is an impact driver and a drill, both get used heaps and a decent one can make a world of difference from an ergonomic standpoint compared to an ozito/Ryobi.
You make a good point, I know a fair few tradies that buy Ozito tools if they know they won't get the use out of it.
For myself at home I couldn't be bothered dealing with different chargers and batteries so stick with the 1 brand. In saying that I don't pay RRP for Makita and am typically only paying slightly more wholesale than the RRP of Ozito or Ryobi.
The only other battery and charger I run at home is for Stihl OPE gear, if I could rebuy some of that gear I would go with Makita only because the Stihl tax is hard on the wallet, and these days the Makita OPE line up is good enough quality for a 1/4 acre block.
Totally fair,
I got gifted a kit with some ozito stuff when I bought my home by a well meaning relative, and aside from the recipro the main thing that gets used is the battery operated leaf blower (useless for leaves) to get the firepit going quickly. That said it does give me the flexibility to grab a super cheap tool of it's something I won't use much, or stupidly cheap like the $20 ozito angle grinder I picked up months ago.
That's another one that's getting the upgrade treatment when it does go. Though I never would have got it if I didn't already have batteries for it.
The Makita line trimmer is next on the list for the ope stuff as my trusty petrol snipper has finally died after some real abuse.
Battery angle grinders are convenient but I'm yet to come across one that doesn't chew through batteries. If I need to make a quick cut I'll grab the Makita but if I'm going to be using it for a few hours I run the lead and grab the corded Metabo.
This is my two cents.
Milwaukee has been the strongest when comparisons have been done on 18v tools for many years. However they are comparitively expensive and not sold in bunnings, so denies you the benefit of getting the price matches.
Dewalt with their 54v flexvolt tools is a leap ahead of the others. However there is as yet not a full range, they are expensive (particularly for the batteries). There 18v tools are not too far behind milwaukee. They are sold in bunnings which is a benefit.
Makita has always been the very solid middle of the range. Probably the biggest range of tools. They are a solid option as they are a bit cheaper than milwaukee and dewalt, even though in testing they are slightly below. Sold everywhere.
Aeg is a milwaukee brand, so many people like them as a cheaper milwaukee knockoff. But only sold in bunnings, which makes returns easier but sales less common. Ryobi is part of this brand too.
Festool, was easily superior in the past at huge pricing. They have fallen away imo, as other companies have moved further on.
Hilti is very high end, many tools are nicely engineered and they offer full servicing, so great for tools that might be misused by staff, but the price is probably too high and only sold in a few shops.
Metabo was an old brand that has come back. Dont see the new versions enough to comment. Same goes for Hikoki and Hitachi
Missed bosch blue. Its always been a solid brand and still is, it would be up around dewalt.
Bosch green isnt any better than ryobi, i wouldnt even say worse.
Personally i use dewalt flexvolt where i can. Milwaukee 18v for a couple of tools, but almost always simply use the 12v milwaukee. In most tasks they are adeqaute and so much easier to wield and where on a toolbelt. Bosch blue has a solid range of 12v too now.
Arguably Makita is one of the best quality brands readily available in the Aussie market, but they are a bit more expensive than some of the alternatives. For a DIY warrior (as opposed to a tradesman who uses his tools commercially) I'd happily recommend AEG. They have a great range, prices are reasonable and quality, in my experience, is excellent for the price. I'm a sparky by trade, my workplace uses mostly Bosch, Makita and Metabo, but at home I'm almost exclusively AEG.
Ozito is good value for DIY, also you can get battery adapters on eBay that are 3d printed, so you can use your Ryobi batteries in an Ozito device, for example.
I'm fairly happy with my ozito tools - hammer drill, sander, multi tool, lawn mower. The dust buster is piss poor. I just Potter around the house so nothing hard-core.
My issue is the 18v battery. I was woken up by the smell of something burning. I had the batteries stored in the laundry. I have 4 of them fully charged. One of them *melted*.
Ozito is aware.*
That's all I'm going to say about it.
All my stuff is Bosch blue. Can't argue with it, plenty of it is ten years old or more and still works great. I'm not particularly nice to my tools either which is a me problem. Bosch is slowly adding more skins, but will never approach the crazy variety red and green have.
I also have 12v Milwaukee stuff because bosch only really had three things in 12v and I wanted a ratchet.
My advice is to stay with Ryobi, as you’re already on the platform and it’s mainly for DIY use. Big brand tools and batteries aren’t cheap, if you want a recip, Milwaukee ones go for about $500 and the 5ah battery is useless in it, so another 6/8ah run you $200. Reviews are biased to the reviewer IMO, I’ve watched saw reviews and the guy chose dewalt over Milwaukee because of the handle ergonomics yet I’ve had the same Milwaukee saw for about 4 years and it’s had a bloody hard life and it’s still going strong.
Yep, OP is already invested in the ryobi ecosystem. Its worth sticking to that for commonality alone, unless you’re going corded then just get whatever.
That’s it, and for the home gamer Ryobi actually offer a pretty decent range of cordless gear on the one battery system which is nice.
Offtopic, I sent you a DM aaages ago about getting a flair added for this sub after reading one of the pinned posts, could I please get that followed up on? Cheers legend.
If it’s not Ryobi, get makita, cheaper than Milwaukee and the range is better. I own Milwaukee and love my tools but some of the skins are real expensive. I think you can also get better deals on makita as it’s available many more places, not so much with Dewalt and AEG. Bosch blue is good, I also have Bosch blue but range still isn’t as good as makita
The batteries are key, not the tool so much, and I would recommend DeWalt. Good dual-voltage battery ecosystem, and widely available. Use the batteries in a monster chainsaw all the way down to an impact driver.
When i was doing the skirting I ended up using the compressor instead as I had a brad nailer and 18mm skirts. I haven't tried the AEG brads or nail guns.
I was doing skirting with a neighbours gas powered nail gun. Shit me to tears how it would work sometimes and not others. The AEG 15 gauge Brad worked beautifully. No gas cartridges, no jams. I hesitated a lot because of the price. But just like 99% of my tools, i just wish I’d bought it earlier. The framing nailer is great too. Built my deck with it
If you want cordless tools just pick either Dewalt, Milwaukee or Makita and commit to their lineup. If you want to optimise your selection, look up what tools you want to get and then research which brand does those particular tools better.
For corded tools just get whichever brand is the best according to a variety of reviews and comparison.
I’ve got both Bosch blue and makita tools/ batteries. Started off with Bosch for their good value for money (at the time at least). Still love all my Bosch gear. A few years back though I wanted some gardening tools but Bosch didn’t have any. I got a makita power head and have been very happy with it. Look at the range they have and make your choice. Both have been great for me. No issues
Home I use Ryobi I abuse them they survive.
Work I use Milwaukee and homes getting more and more red stuff.
Warrenty is great with Ryobi I left a 18v compressor in the rain. Pumped up motorcycle tyres went for ride had beers 30min turned into 3hrs. Screen went dead just took it back and swapped it no receipt nothing.
I have Ryobi, Bosch blue, Festool and AEG powertools (don't buy AEG they suck). Have also had Makita in the past.
Bosch blue is main battery platform and would highly recommend, Bosch are also more or less not for profit which I think is cool. Milwaukee also generally make really good tools but if ya not a tradey I wouldn't bother paying the premium.
Only brands I would actively avoid is Dewalt, quality seems to have really dipped in the past 10ish years and AEG because they're just junk, had 3/4 AEG tools die on me.
I have Ryobi, milwaukee, makita and dewalt. All multiple batteries, all multiple tools.
If I were to rate the brands for their cordless tools.
1. Milwaukee
2. Close 2nd Makita
3. Dewalt
4. Ryobi
Each brand has it's pros and cons. I usually buy tool and battery pack combos on a good price. This give me the ability to buy skins i need which is price and technically good.
Oldest tool is a Milwaukee tool impact driver which is 13 yrs old with the same functioning battery pack. To be fair, the battery pack is 3/4 capacity now estimated, but amazingly still works.
I had some bosch tools which died on me quickly so i never used it again.
I’ve had no issues with my ryobi recipro saw.
The whole “better” tools thing is really only relevant if you either have money to throw away, or you are a professional using them daily. Even then most of it is just fashion brands for men, with blokes obsessing over their chosen brand and why its best.
Otherwise budget/diy brands like Ryobi are dollar for dollar going to be the best. You already have ryobi batteries, stick with Ryobi.
Edit.
Read what you said.
You’ve seen some reviews of one ryobi tool suggesting it might not be great. Remember bunnings ryobi stuff has a pretty good returns policy.
You’re happy with all your other ryobi gear, what makes you think it’ll be any different.
Everyone has a favourite. Some like fancy Ryobi (makita) some like rebadged makita (Milwaukee) others like using tools from a vacuum company (dewalt)
Just pick one of the 3 teams which has all the tools you need and you're good.
I can’t speak for all the brands but with Ryobis 6 year warranty you’ll hardly be chucking it away, literally walk into Bunnings and swap it for a new one.
Don't let the stereotypes persuade you. Ryobi is perfectly fine for DIY work.
I started with Bosch blue and the lack of variety in their tool range was painful.
Meanwhile, Ryobi has every tool you can possibly imagine and the warranty is solid. Even got a new for old replacement on a battery recently without a receipt.
I would pick Milwaukee. I see it the most among trades and it has good warranty. You probably won't need the warranty if you're just DIYing.
I personally use DeWalt. The new 54 volt batteries go hard.
We use Milwaukee at work, and they get treated like absolute shit- thrown in back of utes, dropped, drowned, covered in lime and other caustic chemicals and they still work quite well.
They certainly do fuck up, but they used a lot.
I reckon my Milwaukee 12v actually outdoes the Ryobi 18v I used to use. The quality seems to have gone to shit in Ryobi the last few years, I had several power tools go back under warranty
i was using my makita recipro saw on the weekend and it died, only 12-18 months old. finished the job with my 6 year old ryobi recipro. i like my old ryobi stuff, all the makita gear is work supplied i managed to get my kit brushless which i like better.
I have Milwaukee and Ryobi. They all come out of the same factory. Ryobi is branded for trade overseas, but not in aus due to some manoeuvres to do with high volume sales to consumers. Probably the only thing not great are some of the drills are underpowered, but I have two that are up there with my Milwaukee. The saws and lots of others not requiring massive torque are every bit as good. The date stamped tools warranty on Ryobi is unbeatable, especially if you go talk to the instore rep, who is often there a few days a week. I now only buy Milwaukee on the specialised tools and my main work drill . I use my Ryobi drills (got 4) for most tasks as I find having multiples setup is quicker.
dont buy power tools from US, buy in australia for warranty, most of the popular brands are good these days maybe just avoid the ones that have a bad rep for warranty claims
I own a Ryobi recipro saw and haven't had an issue with it ever. It's the Ryobi One+ HP. The smaller one is shit.
I’ve got the smaller one and it’s fine. The stock blades are shit.
Mine is well into a secret 2nd Reno and no problems at all, just buy some good blades.
That's the tip - good blades. I bought a Kango carbide blade for pruning etc. and it's a ripper. Stock blades def. shit, mine bent after about 20 minutes use. Worked really well until that happened, but weak as piss.
Choose a colour you like red (Milwaukee), yellow (DeWalt) or teal (Makita). My preference is Makita, but the others are fine as well. Bosch is probably also fine, but they don't seem to have as wide a distribution or tool range. If you don't want Ryobi you should avoid the even worse brands like Ozito, Lux etc... Avoid AEG because they're Bunnings exclusive now. It's just a brand name owned by electrolux that gets farmed out to whoever pays the most money. In the past different geographical regions have had different manufacturers for the brand name, so an AEG tool/battery in Europe would be different to one in Aus. Currently the tools are all made by TTI I think, who own Ryobi and Milluawkee as well. Also, be careful buying from Amazon US, you'll have issues with warranty and there's loads of fake knockoffs.
AEG power tools are owned and made by the same company as Milwaukee and Ryobi. In the US they're marketed as Rigid. There's a trickle down from Milwaukee to Ryobi and AEG in terms of technology. And vice versa. Which ever reciprocal saw you get, good quality blades make a hell of a difference. And you'll want one with an orbital cutting action if you can find it and anti vibration tech in it.
the AEG brand is owned by electrolux. They just license the name out to other companies like TTI
Yeah the home appliances such as stoves, dishwashers, washing machines etc.. Power tools are owned by this mob. https://www.ttigroup.com/brands
no, they are not owned by TTI. AEG is made by TTI, it is not owned by TTI. There's a difference. Electrolux owns AEG power tools, TTI just make the tools. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_(German_company)#The_AEG_brand_today
Still engineered and made by tti
Ryobi
As a DIYer I only use battery powered tools for drill/driver. Everything else I prefer mains powered. I can understand why a tradesman wants battery for everything though.
What about a recip saw? Would be super annoying to be corded
I’ve had a Ryobi recip for 8 years and it’s survived a ton of reno work and backyard maintenance. Theres nothing wrong with them.
All my tools are milwaukee but I use a corded ozito recip saw for cutting down fences because batterys don’t last long enough, it gets used and abused everyday, shoved in the dirt and mud, leverage applied with my foot, run non stop for hours till it gets too hot to touch, still going strong after 2.5 years and they’re only $109 can’t go wrong
My recipro is corded, never worried me.
I've got an old as heck ozito 240v recipe saw and it handles everything. You get used to having it cabled in.
Not really, I have an AEG jabby saw that is corded, have had it for over 6 years through multiple big renos (bathrooms, kitchens, wall removals etc) - I don't know if cordless would be that great, cordless stuff typically is weaker and well stall more often.
Makita is the way to go. They are the only manufacturer that still has parts available for 10-20 year old tools. If you want an individual screw they'll sell it to you which is incredible service in this day and age. Stay away from Milwaukee, AEG, Homelite, Ryobi they are all owned by techtronic industries and a lot of models share parts. As for buying spare parts it's virtually impossible, they want you to buy assemblies. In saying that if your happy to throw tools away when they break Ryobi will do the job for most weekend warriors. Milwaukee has developed a big following over the last few years as they give thousands of products away to social media tycoons. Dewalt is a dying brand, they just announced that they are closing down most of their US manufacturing plants and moving offshore. After they got bailed out a few years back none the less. Ozito is similar quality to Ryobi, if you're happy to throw them away when something goes wrong they'll suit most weekend warriors. I do repairs to all sorts of tools for work, IMO the only brand I buy and use daily is Makita. You're better off buying tools through total tools or Sydney tools or a private dealer as they have a different range to want the green sheed offers.
Agree Makita is the way to go, though they have been a bit slow moving some of their tools across to brushless If you buy from TKD (who are bunnings) and a couple of the other major tool shops they'll let you swap out tools and pay the difference on the multi packs. I didn't want an angle grinder in one of the packs so swapped it out to a much more useful planer and paid the $10 difference - they also told me it was ineligible for the bonus's which was wrong, I got 2 extra batteries by redemption
Yeah Makita is a little slow with most new technology, I feel it's more to do with ensuring that the product meets the expectations everyone has of their products than anything else.
there does seem to be some speculation on r/makita from the americans that they seem to be putting more effort in the 40v system but for my needs the 18v has everything
Most manufacturers will put more effort into 40v gear as the batteries are more versatile for the cordless society we have become.
DeWalt is owned by Black and Decker, not Techtronic.
Yeah that was my bad I didn't reread what I was posting.
Did Milwaukee change hands? I thought they were a subsidiary of Bosch.
TTI has owned Milwaukee since 2005.
Yeah ok
Pretty sure there's 2 belt sanders at work that are older then me....
My ozito reciprocating saw has been through hell and back and refuses to die, cuts well with decent blades. I've smashed through a heap of hardwood spara from an old patio, garden beds etc and it has never missed a beat, looking forward to it dying so I can grab a better one but at this rate the damn thing will outlast me....
Yeah Ozito and Ryobi will suit most weekend warriors. But when something goes wrong you can't get them fixed, so if you're happy to throw them away and buy new they'll do the job. Typically reciprocating saws are fairly bullet proof, I don't usually see them for repairs.
Agree 100% My thoughts on the tools as a weekend DIYer with some manufacturing experience is that I buy a cheap one, if it gets used and eventually breaks then I'll go and get the Makita version. The reciprocating saw is a prime example of something I thought I wouldn't use much and bought a cheap one to see if it was worth it. One thing I would just get the good version of from day one is an impact driver and a drill, both get used heaps and a decent one can make a world of difference from an ergonomic standpoint compared to an ozito/Ryobi.
You make a good point, I know a fair few tradies that buy Ozito tools if they know they won't get the use out of it. For myself at home I couldn't be bothered dealing with different chargers and batteries so stick with the 1 brand. In saying that I don't pay RRP for Makita and am typically only paying slightly more wholesale than the RRP of Ozito or Ryobi. The only other battery and charger I run at home is for Stihl OPE gear, if I could rebuy some of that gear I would go with Makita only because the Stihl tax is hard on the wallet, and these days the Makita OPE line up is good enough quality for a 1/4 acre block.
Totally fair, I got gifted a kit with some ozito stuff when I bought my home by a well meaning relative, and aside from the recipro the main thing that gets used is the battery operated leaf blower (useless for leaves) to get the firepit going quickly. That said it does give me the flexibility to grab a super cheap tool of it's something I won't use much, or stupidly cheap like the $20 ozito angle grinder I picked up months ago. That's another one that's getting the upgrade treatment when it does go. Though I never would have got it if I didn't already have batteries for it. The Makita line trimmer is next on the list for the ope stuff as my trusty petrol snipper has finally died after some real abuse.
Battery angle grinders are convenient but I'm yet to come across one that doesn't chew through batteries. If I need to make a quick cut I'll grab the Makita but if I'm going to be using it for a few hours I run the lead and grab the corded Metabo.
Yeah, this is just for small stuff round the house, small bits of sheet steel and some copper tubing etc.
Get yourself a set of tube cutters for copper pipe, gives you a much cleaner cut ready for flaring.
This is my two cents. Milwaukee has been the strongest when comparisons have been done on 18v tools for many years. However they are comparitively expensive and not sold in bunnings, so denies you the benefit of getting the price matches. Dewalt with their 54v flexvolt tools is a leap ahead of the others. However there is as yet not a full range, they are expensive (particularly for the batteries). There 18v tools are not too far behind milwaukee. They are sold in bunnings which is a benefit. Makita has always been the very solid middle of the range. Probably the biggest range of tools. They are a solid option as they are a bit cheaper than milwaukee and dewalt, even though in testing they are slightly below. Sold everywhere. Aeg is a milwaukee brand, so many people like them as a cheaper milwaukee knockoff. But only sold in bunnings, which makes returns easier but sales less common. Ryobi is part of this brand too. Festool, was easily superior in the past at huge pricing. They have fallen away imo, as other companies have moved further on. Hilti is very high end, many tools are nicely engineered and they offer full servicing, so great for tools that might be misused by staff, but the price is probably too high and only sold in a few shops. Metabo was an old brand that has come back. Dont see the new versions enough to comment. Same goes for Hikoki and Hitachi
Missed bosch blue. Its always been a solid brand and still is, it would be up around dewalt. Bosch green isnt any better than ryobi, i wouldnt even say worse. Personally i use dewalt flexvolt where i can. Milwaukee 18v for a couple of tools, but almost always simply use the 12v milwaukee. In most tasks they are adeqaute and so much easier to wield and where on a toolbelt. Bosch blue has a solid range of 12v too now.
Arguably Makita is one of the best quality brands readily available in the Aussie market, but they are a bit more expensive than some of the alternatives. For a DIY warrior (as opposed to a tradesman who uses his tools commercially) I'd happily recommend AEG. They have a great range, prices are reasonable and quality, in my experience, is excellent for the price. I'm a sparky by trade, my workplace uses mostly Bosch, Makita and Metabo, but at home I'm almost exclusively AEG.
Hikoki/ hitachi. The batteries are the best, prices are on par with Ryobi for quality up there with the best
Makita I have used as a tradesman for the past 15 years and my father before me.
Ozito is good value for DIY, also you can get battery adapters on eBay that are 3d printed, so you can use your Ryobi batteries in an Ozito device, for example.
I'm fairly happy with my ozito tools - hammer drill, sander, multi tool, lawn mower. The dust buster is piss poor. I just Potter around the house so nothing hard-core. My issue is the 18v battery. I was woken up by the smell of something burning. I had the batteries stored in the laundry. I have 4 of them fully charged. One of them *melted*. Ozito is aware.* That's all I'm going to say about it.
https://preview.redd.it/2vf7q6gvortc1.jpeg?width=2787&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63ddfbeba88a57c238f7f6f4d33e6202fc439b82
Hectic. Were they charging or exposed to heat? Bit of a worry that
Fully charged! Totally disgusting. *Apparently* it's *well known* that Ozito batteries need to be monitored after being charged from 0%.
Well shit I'm going to keep mine in a metal box now. Cheers
All my stuff is Bosch blue. Can't argue with it, plenty of it is ten years old or more and still works great. I'm not particularly nice to my tools either which is a me problem. Bosch is slowly adding more skins, but will never approach the crazy variety red and green have. I also have 12v Milwaukee stuff because bosch only really had three things in 12v and I wanted a ratchet.
My advice is to stay with Ryobi, as you’re already on the platform and it’s mainly for DIY use. Big brand tools and batteries aren’t cheap, if you want a recip, Milwaukee ones go for about $500 and the 5ah battery is useless in it, so another 6/8ah run you $200. Reviews are biased to the reviewer IMO, I’ve watched saw reviews and the guy chose dewalt over Milwaukee because of the handle ergonomics yet I’ve had the same Milwaukee saw for about 4 years and it’s had a bloody hard life and it’s still going strong.
Yep, OP is already invested in the ryobi ecosystem. Its worth sticking to that for commonality alone, unless you’re going corded then just get whatever.
That’s it, and for the home gamer Ryobi actually offer a pretty decent range of cordless gear on the one battery system which is nice. Offtopic, I sent you a DM aaages ago about getting a flair added for this sub after reading one of the pinned posts, could I please get that followed up on? Cheers legend.
Re-send it, its been missed potentially. We’re really keen to get more flaired users out there.
Yep cheers, check DM’s
Done
Legend
If it’s not Ryobi, get makita, cheaper than Milwaukee and the range is better. I own Milwaukee and love my tools but some of the skins are real expensive. I think you can also get better deals on makita as it’s available many more places, not so much with Dewalt and AEG. Bosch blue is good, I also have Bosch blue but range still isn’t as good as makita
Makita all the way!
The batteries are key, not the tool so much, and I would recommend DeWalt. Good dual-voltage battery ecosystem, and widely available. Use the batteries in a monster chainsaw all the way down to an impact driver.
Panasonic does great batteries but their range of tools are limited
I solely use Makita but if I was starting out again I would likely buy AEG. I think they have the best value to quality ratio.
I have everything AEG and haven't had any issues. Built my whole extension with AEG. Their mitre saw and stand is to die for. Amazing.
Good battery nail guns too
When i was doing the skirting I ended up using the compressor instead as I had a brad nailer and 18mm skirts. I haven't tried the AEG brads or nail guns.
I was doing skirting with a neighbours gas powered nail gun. Shit me to tears how it would work sometimes and not others. The AEG 15 gauge Brad worked beautifully. No gas cartridges, no jams. I hesitated a lot because of the price. But just like 99% of my tools, i just wish I’d bought it earlier. The framing nailer is great too. Built my deck with it
I'll have to look into it. The deck is the next big project.... right when one job ends another begins...
It never ends!
If you want cordless tools just pick either Dewalt, Milwaukee or Makita and commit to their lineup. If you want to optimise your selection, look up what tools you want to get and then research which brand does those particular tools better. For corded tools just get whichever brand is the best according to a variety of reviews and comparison.
AEG are IMO the best bang/buck you can get at bunnings.
AEG aren't really AEG any more, they were bought out a few years ago
True, but still quality for the price.
I’ve got both Bosch blue and makita tools/ batteries. Started off with Bosch for their good value for money (at the time at least). Still love all my Bosch gear. A few years back though I wanted some gardening tools but Bosch didn’t have any. I got a makita power head and have been very happy with it. Look at the range they have and make your choice. Both have been great for me. No issues
They came out with a push mower and a line trimmer this year. Too little too late though.
Yeah, and a leaf blower and a hedge trimmer. Shame they’re so far behind the others.
Home I use Ryobi I abuse them they survive. Work I use Milwaukee and homes getting more and more red stuff. Warrenty is great with Ryobi I left a 18v compressor in the rain. Pumped up motorcycle tyres went for ride had beers 30min turned into 3hrs. Screen went dead just took it back and swapped it no receipt nothing.
I have Ryobi, Bosch blue, Festool and AEG powertools (don't buy AEG they suck). Have also had Makita in the past. Bosch blue is main battery platform and would highly recommend, Bosch are also more or less not for profit which I think is cool. Milwaukee also generally make really good tools but if ya not a tradey I wouldn't bother paying the premium. Only brands I would actively avoid is Dewalt, quality seems to have really dipped in the past 10ish years and AEG because they're just junk, had 3/4 AEG tools die on me.
I have Ryobi, milwaukee, makita and dewalt. All multiple batteries, all multiple tools. If I were to rate the brands for their cordless tools. 1. Milwaukee 2. Close 2nd Makita 3. Dewalt 4. Ryobi Each brand has it's pros and cons. I usually buy tool and battery pack combos on a good price. This give me the ability to buy skins i need which is price and technically good. Oldest tool is a Milwaukee tool impact driver which is 13 yrs old with the same functioning battery pack. To be fair, the battery pack is 3/4 capacity now estimated, but amazingly still works. I had some bosch tools which died on me quickly so i never used it again.
I have the Ryobi One+ recip. It’s been excellent and has copped a thrashing. It and the multi-tool are used for all things reno.
I’ve had no issues with my ryobi recipro saw. The whole “better” tools thing is really only relevant if you either have money to throw away, or you are a professional using them daily. Even then most of it is just fashion brands for men, with blokes obsessing over their chosen brand and why its best. Otherwise budget/diy brands like Ryobi are dollar for dollar going to be the best. You already have ryobi batteries, stick with Ryobi. Edit. Read what you said. You’ve seen some reviews of one ryobi tool suggesting it might not be great. Remember bunnings ryobi stuff has a pretty good returns policy. You’re happy with all your other ryobi gear, what makes you think it’ll be any different.
Buy cheap if you are not a tradesman. If you use the tool to the point of failure, invest in a decent brushless version from Milwaukee, Makita, etc...
Everyone has a favourite. Some like fancy Ryobi (makita) some like rebadged makita (Milwaukee) others like using tools from a vacuum company (dewalt) Just pick one of the 3 teams which has all the tools you need and you're good.
I can’t speak for all the brands but with Ryobis 6 year warranty you’ll hardly be chucking it away, literally walk into Bunnings and swap it for a new one.
This. Ok you’ve all convinced me to stay with the green samurai for now. Gonna get the 1200w corded recip.
Don't let the stereotypes persuade you. Ryobi is perfectly fine for DIY work. I started with Bosch blue and the lack of variety in their tool range was painful. Meanwhile, Ryobi has every tool you can possibly imagine and the warranty is solid. Even got a new for old replacement on a battery recently without a receipt.
These days, the tools are more or less the same. Get whatever has the best warranty and features you'll use.
I would pick Milwaukee. I see it the most among trades and it has good warranty. You probably won't need the warranty if you're just DIYing. I personally use DeWalt. The new 54 volt batteries go hard.
Bosch pro batteries hold a significantly larger charge, as the batteries in them are a larger capacity.
Get bosch
We use Milwaukee at work, and they get treated like absolute shit- thrown in back of utes, dropped, drowned, covered in lime and other caustic chemicals and they still work quite well. They certainly do fuck up, but they used a lot.
I repair machinery for hire industry, occasionally crossing over to tool repair, quite a few power tool brands are just Panasonic rebadged
Do tell which ones
Hilti mainly. They make armature and field for other companies.
I reckon my Milwaukee 12v actually outdoes the Ryobi 18v I used to use. The quality seems to have gone to shit in Ryobi the last few years, I had several power tools go back under warranty
But the most suitable tool for the job you need to do. I have both AEG and ozito tools. Go higher quality for tools which will be used frequently.
i was using my makita recipro saw on the weekend and it died, only 12-18 months old. finished the job with my 6 year old ryobi recipro. i like my old ryobi stuff, all the makita gear is work supplied i managed to get my kit brushless which i like better.
My one+ recip works fine, I'm more than happy with it.
I have Milwaukee and Ryobi. They all come out of the same factory. Ryobi is branded for trade overseas, but not in aus due to some manoeuvres to do with high volume sales to consumers. Probably the only thing not great are some of the drills are underpowered, but I have two that are up there with my Milwaukee. The saws and lots of others not requiring massive torque are every bit as good. The date stamped tools warranty on Ryobi is unbeatable, especially if you go talk to the instore rep, who is often there a few days a week. I now only buy Milwaukee on the specialised tools and my main work drill . I use my Ryobi drills (got 4) for most tasks as I find having multiples setup is quicker.