Does Ryobi's Warranty Reset If You Get A Replacement Product?

Ryobi is one of the most popular manufacturers of power tools and outdoor equipment in the U.S. Owned and operated by Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries, Ryobi products range from handheld power tools and outdoor power equipment to vacuums/scrubbers, sprayers, and storage options. While known for its quality and reliability, the company offers comprehensive warranty coverage to all products in its lineup, in instances where manufacturing defects creep up. Ryobi's warranty policies — which include repair and replacement options — have played a key role in increasing the trustworthiness of Ryobi as a popular power tools brand.

Ryobi offers several types of warranties for its products sold in the U.S., with several of them featuring a replacement clause. In the event of select Ryobi products ceasing to function on account of a manufacturing defect, consumers are eligible for a replacement product (within the first 90 days of purchase). After the 90-day period, the consumer can send the defective product for warranty repair, and Ryobi will, at its discretion, either repair the product or send a replacement. In either case, Ryobi's warranty documents clarify that the warranty coverage for the replaced product will not be reset, and the unit will retain the balance of the original warranty term.

For example, if you use the exchange policy at 60 days into the warranty, the replacement still has 3 years from the original purchase date, not 3 years from the exchange. Similarly, if you send the tool in for repair at 2 years, and Ryobi replaces it with a new (or refurbished) unit, the replacement unit remains covered only for the remaining 1 year of the original 3-year warranty.

Given that Ryobi's products span several categories and price ranges, the company has formulated different warranty clauses. After reviewing Ryobi's power tool, battery, and outdoor equipment warranty PDFs, we observed that only a handful explicitly state that the balance coverage term is tied to the purchase date of the original product. However, in other warranty documents where the company doesn't specifically address this balance coverage policy, the practical effect is the same as a balance-of-warranty term.

Product lines that explicitly mention the balance-of-warranty term clause include Ryobi's Hand Held & Benchtop/Stationary Power Tools segment, Lighting, Audio, Heaters, Fans & Inflators, Vacuums/Scrubbers, and a handful of batteries and chargers. It is important to note that this balance-of-warranty term clause applies to products with different warranty lengths, ranging from 2 to 5 years.

Instances where Ryobi's warranty documents don't specify a balance of warranty cover clause, but the net effect is the same, include the company's Generator and Power Solutions product lines. The warranty documents for the three products listed here (18V ONE+, 40V, and Gas) all include a replacement clause. Similarly, Ryobi's entire outdoor power equipment product lineup doesn't explicitly include a balance-of-warranty term clause for personal, non-commercial use, but does include a replacement clause tied to the original warranty period. In all these instances, because it ties all repair/replacement coverage to the original warranty period, a replacement part or product does not restart the clock. 

As with most power tool manufacturers, including DeWalt, Ryobi ties warranty coverage to the original purchase date to prevent warranty extensions through repeated replacements.