Who Makes Ryobi Power Tools & Are They Actually Any Good? Here's What Users Say

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When buying tools, and especially power tools with their many points of failure, it's a good idea to assess the value of the purchase. You don't have to shop at the top of the power tool price range to get a good value. Ryobi power tools, for example, are widely considered a budget-friendly option that delivers a solid value, especially for homeowners and frequent DIYers. However, there are some important things to consider before buying Ryobi tools, such as who manufactures them and whether they are of good quality. 

Ryobi was founded in 1943 by Yutaka Urakami in Fuchu, Hiroshima, as a die casting company to support the Japanese military, known as Ryobi Seisakusho Co., Ltd. By 1947, the company was producing products for the automotive industry and began making power tools in the 1960s. Following Japan's economic downturn in the 1990s, Ryobi Seisakusho sold a portion of its power tool business to Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. 

Today, China's Techtronic Industries (TTI) owns several popular power tool brands in addition to Ryobi, including Milwaukee, Ridgid, AEG, Hart, and Homelite. While it's doubtful that Ryobi shares the same assembly lines as Milwaukee, AEG, or Rigid, TTI's contractor-grade brands, Ryobi power tools are highly rated by users. One example, the ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit, sold at The Home Depot for $299.00, has a rating of 4.6 stars on a 5-star scale.

As an owner of Ryobi's 6-tool Combo Kit for over five years, I can attest to the dependability of all six pieces. However, counting the flashlight as a "tool" seems like a bit of marketing sleight-of-hand. It seems that Home Depot customers agree, with nearly 80% of the 7,764 reviews coming in with 5-out-of-5 stars and 91% of respondents recommending the kit.

On the r/BeginnerWoodWorking subreddit, egyptianstriker11293 asks why Ryobi tools get so much hate. AutumnPwnd responds to the query, "For most task[s], Ryobi is perfectly fine. Budget friendly, [with] decent performance."

Many users agree that for most DIYers, Ryobi is a solid choice. A jigsaw is one tool worth adding to any DIY power tool collection, and the Ryobi ONE+ Cordless Jigsaw ($59.99 on Amazon for the Tool Only version) is highly rated by users with a 4.8-star rating. Craig Buchanan, a verified purchaser on Amazon, gives the Ryobi Jigsaw five stars and says, "Great solid tool. Seems much more rugged than any other jigsaw I've owned."

Ryobi also makes a line of battery-powered lawn care tools, including mowers, string trimmers, edgers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, and leaf blowers with operating voltages ranging from 18 to 80 volts. The most expensive piece of Ryobi lawn care equipment at Home Depot is the 80V 42-inch Ryobi Zero Turn Mower priced at $5,598.00. With 424 reviews, the Ryobi riding mower has a 4.1-star rating. Lakeguy says in a review posted on Home Depot's product page, "The cutting level is so precise that the resulting look is far superior to my old Cub Cadet's cut."

One of the common problems with Ryobi power tools is their batteries. However, in the five-plus years I've owned my kit, I've never had a battery fail, though I have recently upgraded to higher-capacity Ryobi batteries.

Some of the most common issues with Ryobi batteries include their ability to take and hold a charge. While these are common problems with older rechargeable batteries in general, keeping your charger and batteries, especially around the charging contacts, could help prolong their service life. Other tips to help lithium batteries last longer are to store them in a cool place away from direct sunlight and to avoid completely discharging them.

Overheating is another, more serious issue seen with some Ryobi batteries despite their built-in temperature regulation features. Some tips to mitigate the overheating problem are to allow them to cool down between heavy usage and charging, or charging and use.

Bryan, a Home Depot reviewer, says the Ryobi circular saw included with the 18-volt 6-piece kit that they were using started to lose power and became "a bit warm" under heavy usage. The saw was placed on a workbench to cool, where it caught fire and was engulfed in "foot high flames."

We consulted information from Ryobi and TTI to determine who actually makes Ryobi's power tools. To answer the question of whether the company's power tools are any good, in addition to the author's personal experience, we turned to reviews posted at The Home Depot, Amazon, and Reddit.