What To Know About The Ryobi 18V ONE+ Bolt Cutter Before You Buy
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Bolt cutters can come in handy when you need to get through locks or fences or when you are deep in a home DIY project that requires cutting through pipes or metal. However, using a manual bolt cutter can put strain on you. The Ryobi 18V One+ Bolt Cutter is battery-powered, automatically cutting through material with ease. It also performs better than manual bolt cutters when cutting through thick metal. Ryobi claims that with its 3/8-inch-in-diameter jaw, this bolt cutter can tear through locks, fencing, and wire shelving, among other materials.
When the forward button on the handle is pressed, the blades bite down on an object and cut into it. The separate reverse button located next to it retracts the blades, allowing you to adjust the tool as you want it. Ryobi states that the device is durable thanks to its hardened mechanism and hot-forged steel jaw.
This tool will work with any Ryobi One+ 18V Battery. So, if you already use a Ryobi One+ tool, you probably already have a compatible battery lying around your DIY workshop. With one of Ryobi's High-Capacity Lithium+ batteries, the bolt cutter is good for 200 cuts before needing a recharge.
It doesn't cost a lot
The Ryobi 18V One+ Bolt Cutter is exclusive to Home Depot, which offers the tool for $129. However, it is not always in stock. You can subscribe to email alerts on the store page to get notified when the product comes back in stock. Luckily, there are places where you can buy Ryobi tools from a third party online. Amazon has the tool through a third party at the list price of $199. However, the price has fluctuated as low as $94, so you can always toss it in your Amazon Wishlist and await a discount if one is not already offered. Ryobi itself lists the product for $99, marked down from $129. Unfortunately, it is accompanied by a Coming Soon text box instead of a purchase button.
Home Depot offers an exclusive $218 combo kit. This comes with a 2.0 Ah Battery and an 18V Charger. With this battery, you will probably get less than 200 cuts per charge because it is not the more expensive high-capacity battery Ryobi used for the statistics on the tool's description page. This combo kit is currently out of stock, but you may have luck snagging it from a third-party retailer.
The Bolt Cutter is well-reviewed
The tool is highly rated on its Home Depot product page. It has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Home Depot and 350 reviews at the time of publication. Customers stated that the bolt cutters offered great value because they could perform various tasks despite their price tag hovering around $100. Some use cases outlined by customers included cutting cattle fencing, bolt seals, and metal wire shelving. Customers also mentioned that the product was easy to use, making it suitable for even novice DIYers. Additionally, many found that it cut faster than what they were expecting.
Some complaints about the product were found on the Home Depot review page among the positive reviews. To their disappointment, some customers stated that the device struggles with anything smaller than 1/8-inch bolts. A few reviewers claimed the tool broke after only a handful of uses. However, it's unclear if it was the tool's fault or the result of improper maintenance by the user. In any event, be sure to register your Ryobi 18V One+ Bolt Cutter with Ryobi so you can get assistance if the product is faulty or does not meet your needs.