Ryobi 7.2v Cordless Drill

It’s a drill.  It’s a driver.  Functional, yes.  Overall impression … not so much.  Here’s why: battery & power stink.

This Ryobi drill was cheap ($$).  Unfortunately, it is cheap (quality).  The battery charger is slow, the life of the battery is poor, and the power is just not there.

Ryobi does an excellent job and getting into the entry-level market and some of my experiences with their tools have been favorable, but not this one.  The drill was inadequate in every regard for a woodworking shop or serious DIYer.  And with the unreliable battery, I didn’t even feel comfortable giving it to my wife.

Maybe if the battery had been better would I rate it better, but it is what it is.

What’s Included:

The drill, a 7.2v rechargeable battery, and a simple plug-n-wire slow charger.

Ryobi, the company (link):

Directly from their website:

Ryobi Limited is a worldwide manufacturer of die castings, printing equipment, power tools and builders’ hardware, with group companies in Japan as well as the United States, Europe and China.

Design & Use:

This entry-level cordless drill is aimed at the infrequent home user rather than the woodworker or DIYer.  The overall design is impressive at the price point, and the finish is excellent.  Ryobi is good at tool design and usually puts the “little” features in their tools that some of the other companies just miss.

Unfortunately use was limited by the battery life.  Under normal use in my shop I was lucky to get 10 minutes of use before the drill could hardly turn.  From there you’d be looking at hours before the battery was ready again … unrealistic.

Purchasing Advice:

Spend a couple more bucks on something else.

Images:

Top View

Side View

The Trigger

The Chuck

The Battery (bottom)

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