5 Of The Best Places You Can Buy Ryobi Tools Online
When it comes to the best power tool brands, few names can hang with Ryobi. The Ryobi brand is known for crafting quality products for both pros and novices and for providing an accessible lineup of affordable and well-made devices. Whether you're a DIYer working on a project car or building a custom workbench, Ryobi has a tool for you. However, the primary downside to Ryobi tools is that you can only buy them from Home Depot — if you want to buy them from a brick-and-mortar store, that is.
While in-person Ryobi sales may be exclusive to Home Depot, online sales of Ryobi tools are not — there are many digital stores and marketplaces where you can find Ryobi tools for purchase. Excluding the official Ryobi website, you can buy Ryobi devices from sites like Amazon and even Walmart. Some of these websites even offer exclusive deals that you can't find anywhere else. But which places offer the best bang for your buck? When searching for online stores for this list, we compared three tools – the 18V One+ HP Brushless 1/2" Drill/Driver Kit, the 18V One+ HP Brushless 7-1/4" Circular Saw, and the 18V One+ HP Brushless 4-Mode 1/2" Impact Wrench — across various sites and considered factors like seller reputability, price, and availability. But we'll expand on our methodology later. For now, let's check out five of the best places you can buy Ryobi tools online.
Home Depot
You may not feel like visiting a physical Home Depot location to shop for Ryobi tools, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider checking out the store's website. As a contracted Ryobi partner, Home Depot provides many benefits for Ryobi shoppers. It has a large inventory of Ryobi devices, and the home improvement store quickly updates its supply each time Ryobi releases a new product.
As for cost, Home Depot provides prices similar to those on the official Ryobi website. Of the three tools we compared, Home Depot priced all but one identically to the Ryobi website. That said, the one tool that was priced lower at Home Depot — the 18V One+ HP Brushless 1/2" Drill/Driver Kit — was the best deal on a new drill out of all the stores on this list. Additionally, Home Depot is an independent store. That means it releases its own sales and promotions occasionally. If you're planning to purchase Ryobi tools, it's worth checking out the Home Depot website before you make your decision.
Amazon
Amazon is one of the most popular online stores. It's known for its overwhelmingly massive selection of items, rapid shipping times, and moderately straightforward return process. So, it should come as no surprise that you can also buy Ryobi tools on the Amazon website. While Amazon stocks a variety of Ryobi products, most of those tools are sold by independent sellers. (This can be an excellent way to find deals, but you'll need to follow a few tips to keep your money safe when shopping on the Amazon site.)
Regarding cost, most Ryobi tools on Amazon have prices similar to those on the official website. We compared three different tools on the Amazon site and found all but one of them to have the same price as Ryobi's official online store. One item — the 18V One+ HP Brushless 4-Mode 1/2" Impact Wrench — was priced substantially lower on Amazon. However, remember that these deals come from independent, third-party sellers. Amazon can't always guarantee the validity of all its sellers, so be sure to do your due diligence by reading reviews and researching vendors before making a purchase.
Walmart
Everyone knows Walmart. For many of us, it's our go-to location for any number of products, including food, cleaning supplies, clothes, and even budget-friendly power tools. You won't see Ryobi tools on the shelves of a Walmart store, not even a Walmart Supercenter, but you can find a fairly comprehensive selection of Ryobi devices on the Walmart website. While its inventory is less extensive than the official Ryobi website and Home Depot, Walmart is a great option to check before making your purchase — the company even offers free shipping with speeds that rival those of Amazon.
Concerning price tags, two out of the three tools we compared were cheaper on Walmart's website than the official Ryobi store. That's not to say that you'll always find a better deal from Walmart, but it's certainly worth checking the superstore's website before you make a purchase. Doing so may yield a great deal and significant savings.
Direct Tools Factory Outlet
Direct Tools Factory Outlet is a lesser-known retailer of factory-reconditioned and damaged tools. The company only sells factory-rebuilt items or those with factory blemishes, which allows the store to offer lower prices than you'll find on many other websites. The company is generally well-rated by users across various sites, with the highest level of praise coming from users on forum sites like Reddit and the worst complaints coming from domains like Yelp and the Better Business Bureau. Positive comments celebrate the company's prices, legit deals, and product quality, while most negative comments complain of shipping issues and order cancelations.
As far as price goes, each of the three tools we compared was cheaper on the Direct Tools Factory Outlet site than the official Ryobi store. However, remember that Direct Tools only sells factory-refurbished or factory-blemished items. That means tools purchased from this site may feature minor flaws, such as scrapes or scratches, or be preowned in the case of rebuilt items.
Ryobi Deal Finders
Like Direct Tools, Ryobi Deal Finders sells factory-refurbished tools and is a great place to check for deals on Ryobi products. The site offers substantial discounts on Ryobi devices and has generally favorable reviews across multiple forums and websites. According to its website, Ryobi Deal Finders buys its products wholesale from manufacturers across the U.S. It sells a mixture of new and factory-reconditioned items and has its headquarters in Hollister, Missouri. Customers have primarily positive things to say about the company, with most expressing satisfaction with their purchases. However, a few users complain that the return window is too small and that shipping is expensive.
In terms of product cost, Ryobi Deal Finders had lower prices for each of the three tools we looked at when compared to the official Ryobi website. However, take that information with a grain of salt because all of the tools were listed as being on sale. The normal prices for those items were substantially higher than the prices on Ryobi's official site. Additionally, the drill was only available by itself from Ryobi Deal Finders, as opposed to coming in a kit from other retailers. The best thing to do if you're in the market for a Ryobi tool is to check each of the sites covered here. Compare prices at each store, and then choose the one that offers the best deal.
Why did we pick these stores?
When choosing websites for this article, we considered a few criteria: price in comparison to the official Ryobi store, inventory size, seller reputability, and user reviews. To compare prices, we looked at three Ryobi tools on each site and compared the prices to the official Ryobi store. Most of the websites covered here provide prices similar to those of the Ryobi website, with the exception of Direct Tools Factory Outlet and Ryobi Deal Finders. Those final two sites offered prices generally cheaper than Ryobi and the three other sellers on this list. However, it's worth remembering that Direct Tools and Ryobi Deal Finders sell refurbished and blemished items.
Inventory size was another factor that we considered. While all of the stores in this list provide an expansive lineup of Ryobi devices, sites like Amazon and Walmart had a much more limited selection than Home Depot. The resellers and deals sites, like Direct Tools and Ryobi Deal Finders, had a relatively large inventory of Ryobi items, but again, most of these tools are factory reconditioned or factory blemished. Seller reputability was another important factor we considered, and we searched for sites that had largely positive user reviews. A few of the stores included here had their share of negative ratings. That said, most comments were positive across the board, and all of the stores included are legitimate retailers.
Finally, remember that prices change periodically. Each store included on this list is a great option to check before purchasing Ryobi tools. However, you shouldn't just choose one resource and stick with it always. Compare prices on each website to find the best deal before making your decision. Your wallet will certainly thank you, and you can get started on your DIY projects knowing you found a great bargain!