The Best Ryobi Power Tools If You Enjoy Woodworking
Woodworking can be a very rewarding hobby. Not only is it a pleasurable way to spend your downtime and focus your mind and hands-on physical projects, but you can also end up with great final products — like furniture and household items — that you can admire up close or sell to make some side cash. One way to make woodworking a more accessible pastime is by making sure you've got all the tools you'll need for your DIY projects. By eliminating the frustration and increased effort that using inferior woodworking tools may lead to, you'll allow yourself to better focus on the actual craft itself.
Ryobi has a line of woodworking power tools that can help transform your garage into a full workshop with everything you need to complete projects from start to finish. Many of Ryobi's power tools are part of its ONE+ system of interchangeable batteries and chargers, and having a uniform collection of tools from one brand, like Ryobi, can save both money and time. Plus, the cordless and corded tools are powerful enough to complete tasks while being lightweight and portable — making your hobby feel much less like hard labor.
18V ONE+ Jig Saw
One of the best aspects of woodworking is transforming plain pieces of lumber into art by creating designs right into the wood. Ryobi's 18V ONE+ Jig Saw will allow you to easily make these carvings, whether simple or ornate. Because it's cordless, it's a lot easier to handle and work at the best possible angles you need when cutting shapes into wood. Plus, the tool's motor is built to vibrate less, which increases control, and is capable of 3,000 strokes per minute for precise cuts. If you need less power than that, the saw is also equipped with a variable-speed trigger.
Other features include four orbital settings, an attached LED worklight, and a blade release that makes blade changes quick and straightforward. The saw can be bundled with a kit that includes a 1.5 Ah battery, 18V charger, non-marring shoe, hex wrench, and a T-shank wood cutting blade. You'll likely want other blades as well, and considering how small and cheap they are, it's a shame they're not included in the kit as well. The 18V ONE+ Jig Saw Kit costs around $99 and is available from Amazon and Home Depot.
18V ONE+ Quarter Sheet Sander
A good woodworking product is a smooth woodworking product, which is why you'll want to invest in a quality sander. Ryobi offers multiple sanders, but if you can only afford one, the 18V ONE+ Quarter Sheet Sander is an excellent choice for a starter tool. As part of Ryobi's 18V ONE+ system, you can share its battery and charger with many other Ryobi tools. It's also cordless and lighter than most other sanders, which is great if you want to take it out of the garage. Despite this, it's powerful enough to generate 12,000 RPM and last 40 minutes on a charge. The quarter-sheet design means it should be compatible with most sandpapers. The tool also features a lock-on switch so that you can sand continuously without any hand or finger fatigue.
The sander may be a little small if you're working on bigger jobs, so opting for a bigger tool to save time and effort might be more efficient. If you're working on smaller projects, though, the 18V ONE+ Quarter Sheet Sander is a solid option. Ryobi sells it directly for around $50, and it's available for a little more than that from both Home Depot and Amazon. Its battery and charger aren't included, but the sander comes with three sandpaper sheets, a paper punch, and a dust collection bag. A vacuum adaptor will help keep your workspace even cleaner, but that's also sold separately.
18V ONE+ Compact Router
Ryobi's 18V ONE+ Compact Router is a great choice for any woodworker's tool collection. Thanks to its ability to round off edges and corners, it can come in handy when adding detailing to projects like picture frames and cabinets. As the name suggests, the tool is small, and lightweight, utilizing an ergonomic design to boost comfort and control. This makes it easier to use for greater periods of time. A variable-speed dial lets you run the router from 20,000 to 30,000 RPM, and you can easily adjust the tool's depth of cut.
Keep in mind that for larger projects, you'll likely need a more powerful router. While its compact size can be an advantage, it won't always be the best tool for the job. Ryobi's 18V ONE+ Compact Router costs $79 and is available from Home Depot and Amazon. However, this price is only for the tool, as it doesn't come with a battery or charger.
18V ONE+ AirStrike 18GA Brad Nailer
Depending on the woodworking task, different types of nails may be required to finish the job. However, if you're working on smaller to medium-sized projects, you may require brad nails, so Ryobi's 18V ONE+ AirStrike 18GA Brad Nailer would be a smart addition to your set of Ryobi power tools. The cordless tool has a very streamlined build using Ryobi's AirStrike technology, and can fire 1,700 18-gauge nails per charge, depending on the battery. Features include a selectable drive shift, jam release, depth-adjustment dial, and dry-fire lockout.
You'll be out of luck if your project requires finish nails or other larger-gauge nails since the gun is explicitly made for brad nails. If you're trying to keep your tool collection smaller and don't want multiple nailers, you'll want to choose which one you get very carefully(or you can just use a hammer.) Ryobi sells its 18V ONE+ AirStrike 18GA Brad Nailer for $99, and it's available for a bit more from Amazon. The tool doesn't come with a battery or charger, but it does include a belt clip and 500 18 GA brad nails.
12.5 Thickness Planer
The Ryobi 12.5" Thickness Planer is a 120-volt workhouse that is great for larger projects. Extended infeed and outfeed tables give the planer over 31 inches of material support. Plus, it's precise, allowing you to control your cuts to 1/20 of an inch. It also has a four-column frame that helps keep things uniform and reduces snipe. The planer includes two planer knives, a hex key, a knife removal tool, and a dust hood. And, like most Ryobi power tools, it comes with a three-year warranty.
Ryobi's 12.5" Thickness Planer is powerful enough to generate 15 amps for smoother cuts. While corded power tools were the norm for a long time, it's easy to get spoiled these days — especially when Ryobi makes its line of versatile cordless power tools that still pack plenty of punch. Since this tool is meant to be situated on a workbench, it's not that big of a downside, but don't expect this to be the most portable tool in your collection. You can purchase the Ryobi 12.5" Thickness Planer for around $320 on Amazon and from Home Depot.