At Home Despot. It doesn’t seem as good as last year though - fewer choices, I think. They’re also doing a Memorial Day sale so I got those 6 Ah batteries. I wanted a small chainsaw though and those aren’t a deal right now.
@tinamarie1974 Didn’t they let you get two tools of your choice last year? Whereas this year you have to get a battery set as one choice and then one of a handful of tools. I might have gotten a grass edger (after spending time out in my yard the past couple of hours) but I have enough batteries now.
@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 ok sorry to butt in on your conversation but I’ve been comparing trimmers to get my own dad all day and have gone crosseyed looking. What trimmer do you have??
@jcpseattle@Kyeh no worries! Ill warn you it is nothing fancy. Its the one I got free last year w my battery purchase. I like it because its not super long (im 5’1" so some trimmers seem to be talller than me!!)
@jcpseattle@tinamarie1974 A friend of mine found something clever - you can get harnesses for weed wackers on Amazon! It helps keep your arms from getting as tired, and if you stop don’t have to lean it somewhere, just let it hang.
Except, the blurb says it makes the trimmer “feel lighter”. But, physics being physics, holding something off the ground does NOT make it lighter. But the springiness does absorb some of the impetus of the movement, so your arms will face less impact.
@phendrick ooh, good idea. I don’t need one for my weed whacker thankfully, but something like this would be great for my pole saw. I was excited to purchase it for some big tree trimming projects but it has the -worst- design, with the heavy motor up close to the blade and a long, non-adjustable pole so you’re holding that vibrating, weighty, deadly blade way out.
@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 thank you!! That’s a great price.
My dad gave me his older, corded Troybilt when I got my own home and now he’s coveting his old tool. But I like it and want to keep it, haha. He wants an electric (corded) style so I’m sifting through those options.
I have the 10" 18V chainsaw, and it’s worth grabbing on sale, but not at full price in my opinion. I suspect that the selection will improve next week with the Father’s Day sales
@blaineg@werehatrack
Most EVERY saw I have ever had (cordless or 2 stroke) leaked bar oil. Some more than others but they all seemed to leak.
I try not to overfill my saws for the task at hand so they won’t fill the case when I am done using them and put them up.
@blaineg@chienfou@werehatrack My Makita 2 stroke chainsaw does not leak oil from the reservoir, but the constant-loss nature of the bar oiler certainly drips/flings some in action. How could it not?
@Kyeh
yep.
ryobi 18v 10"
ryobi 40v 14"
greenworks 20v(?) pole saw
and getting a 40v ryobi pole saw from a guy at work that is changing to gas tools (working on the side as a landscaper)
I can tell you the 14" 40v chainsaw is a real beast though. Works great.
Also there is talk of a ‘new and improved’ 18v battery with ‘edge’ technology coming down the pipeline. https://www.ryobitools.com/edge
@pakopako
not sure why you have trouble with yours. I currently have about 6-8 of them and they range from 1-5+ yrs old. I have had some crap out but overall I am super happy with the life span. I have also had good results from aftermarket/non-OEM batteries for my tools.
As with most Lithium batteries you should NEVER run them all the way flat or leave them with really low charges if at all possible. Don’t want them to sit in a charger 100% of the time either.
@chienfou@pakopako
Well now I need to know more about these 3rd Party batteries. I switched from DeWalt to Ryobi about 10 years ago, so I am not firmly locked into the Ryobi battery system.
@pakopako None of my genuine Ryobi packs have died so far, with the oldest at around five years now. I was late joining the cordless movement. I also bought a few third-party ones, and they are all utter crap, some failed at six months, none having even 50% of the marked capacity.
@pakopako I definitely disagree. My dad is a heavy diesel mechanic/General Bob the builder, and uses Ryobi tools on the regular. The tools and batteries have lasted him years and years. I personally have a Ryobi lawn mower and my 40v battery is on its 4th year. When my lawn isn’t over grown it still can cut my whole yard (little under 1/4 acre). If it is overgrown it will cut about 2/3s of my yard before the battery dies.
@jjnova
There are 3rd party (non-OEM) batteries available from vendors on Amazon. They fit the same, and most have built in lights to indicate the battery charge. They can be a savings but can also be a bit of a crap shoot as to capacity and longevity. As usual, reading the reviews will help winnow out the crap from the good ones.
Buying batteries when Home Depot has a ‘free’ tool available is another way to build up your tool arsenal and your battery supply.
Routine maintenance will also go a long way towards keeping the batteries alive.
I’ve seen conflicting info on whether or not it’s an official Ryobi outlet, but I’ve bought a few things from them with no problems. Normal prices vary from “ok” to full retail, but they have big discounts on their sales.
Factory Reconditioned appears to mean exactly that. While Factory Blemished seems to mean brand new overstock.
@blaineg I have been in their B&M store on I-85 in Georgia, just down the freeway from the Ryobi office building. Meh. It had some stuff I’ve never seen at HD, but overall it was no better than a Home Depot sale.
I agree, I.dont think the options are as robust this year. I didnt see anything I wanted as the free tool option.
@tinamarie1974 Didn’t they let you get two tools of your choice last year? Whereas this year you have to get a battery set as one choice and then one of a handful of tools. I might have gotten a grass edger (after spending time out in my yard the past couple of hours) but I have enough batteries now.
@Kyeh you may be right. I got a trimmer and a blower. I dont think I purchaaed two battery packs.
And dad has his eye on my trimmer lol. Its super light, easy to change the spool, etc. He keeps telling me how much he likes it. Hint, hint
@tinamarie1974 Father’s Day!
@Kyeh yup!!!
@Kyeh @tinamarie1974 ok sorry to butt in on your conversation but I’ve been comparing trimmers to get my own dad all day and have gone crosseyed looking. What trimmer do you have??
@jcpseattle @Kyeh no worries! Ill warn you it is nothing fancy. Its the one I got free last year w my battery purchase. I like it because its not super long (im 5’1" so some trimmers seem to be talller than me!!)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-18V-13-in-Cordless-Battery-String-Trimmer-Tool-Only-P20015BTL/315685813
@jcpseattle @tinamarie1974 A friend of mine found something clever - you can get harnesses for weed wackers on Amazon! It helps keep your arms from getting as tired, and if you stop don’t have to lean it somewhere, just let it hang.
@jcpseattle @Kyeh interesting. Going to check now
@jcpseattle @Kyeh @tinamarie1974
Got this at Lowes couple weeks ago. Works as advertised.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/GOOD-VIBRATIONS-Trimmer-Shoulder-Strap/5014640589
Except, the blurb says it makes the trimmer “feel lighter”. But, physics being physics, holding something off the ground does NOT make it lighter. But the springiness does absorb some of the impetus of the movement, so your arms will face less impact.
@phendrick ooh, good idea. I don’t need one for my weed whacker thankfully, but something like this would be great for my pole saw. I was excited to purchase it for some big tree trimming projects but it has the -worst- design, with the heavy motor up close to the blade and a long, non-adjustable pole so you’re holding that vibrating, weighty, deadly blade way out.
@Kyeh @tinamarie1974 thank you!! That’s a great price.
My dad gave me his older, corded Troybilt when I got my own home and now he’s coveting his old tool. But I like it and want to keep it, haha. He wants an electric (corded) style so I’m sifting through those options.
@jcpseattle @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 My Stihl KombiTool 2-stroke came with a padded shoulder strap. It’s very nice to have.
I have the 10" 18V chainsaw, and it’s worth grabbing on sale, but not at full price in my opinion. I suspect that the selection will improve next week with the Father’s Day sales
@werehatrack I hope so - I’ll look for that.
@werehatrack I bought a barely used one from Ebay last month, it works great for removing branches and chopping them up.
I’d looked at the DeWalt as well, but almost every review said it leaked bar oil. Seems like a pretty basic screwup.
@blaineg @werehatrack
Most EVERY saw I have ever had (cordless or 2 stroke) leaked bar oil. Some more than others but they all seemed to leak.
I try not to overfill my saws for the task at hand so they won’t fill the case when I am done using them and put them up.
@blaineg @chienfou @werehatrack My Makita 2 stroke chainsaw does not leak oil from the reservoir, but the constant-loss nature of the bar oiler certainly drips/flings some in action. How could it not?
@chienfou @werehatrack Yes, I’d expect some leakage as the nature of the beast. But these complaints were talking about puddles of oil in a short time.
One guy’s “fix” was to put the saw on its side. Sounds like they goofed a seal somewhere.
@chienfou @werehatrack
So @blaineg, you got the Ryobi?
@Kyeh
yep.
ryobi 18v 10"
ryobi 40v 14"
greenworks 20v(?) pole saw
and getting a 40v ryobi pole saw from a guy at work that is changing to gas tools (working on the side as a landscaper)
@Kyeh
Whoops… just noticed that was not addressed to me!
@chienfou That’s okay - I appreciate your input too!
@chienfou @Kyeh @werehatrack Yep, the 10" Ryobi, slightly used on Ebay for $80 with battery & charger. It works great.
I’ve got a pole chainsaw attachment for my Stihl, but it’s unwieldy for short/close cutting.
I have no lumberjack needs, so the Ryobi is great for my use.
I can tell you the 14" 40v chainsaw is a real beast though. Works great.
Also there is talk of a ‘new and improved’ 18v battery with ‘edge’ technology coming down the pipeline.
https://www.ryobitools.com/edge
@chienfou Huh - maybe that’s why the 6Ah ones I just got are on sale.
@chienfou
/giphy more power
@chienfou Looks like tabless cells.
https://toolguyd.com/ryobi-18v-edge-battery-launch-2024/
@blaineg
That’s exactly what the link says…
I swear these batteries last only two years: high, moderate or low use.
@pakopako
not sure why you have trouble with yours. I currently have about 6-8 of them and they range from 1-5+ yrs old. I have had some crap out but overall I am super happy with the life span. I have also had good results from aftermarket/non-OEM batteries for my tools.
As with most Lithium batteries you should NEVER run them all the way flat or leave them with really low charges if at all possible. Don’t want them to sit in a charger 100% of the time either.
@chienfou yeah 3rd party is what I switched to. But I went 0/5 on year three with the ones that came with the tools.
@chienfou @pakopako
Well now I need to know more about these 3rd Party batteries. I switched from DeWalt to Ryobi about 10 years ago, so I am not firmly locked into the Ryobi battery system.
@pakopako None of my genuine Ryobi packs have died so far, with the oldest at around five years now. I was late joining the cordless movement. I also bought a few third-party ones, and they are all utter crap, some failed at six months, none having even 50% of the marked capacity.
@pakopako I definitely disagree. My dad is a heavy diesel mechanic/General Bob the builder, and uses Ryobi tools on the regular. The tools and batteries have lasted him years and years. I personally have a Ryobi lawn mower and my 40v battery is on its 4th year. When my lawn isn’t over grown it still can cut my whole yard (little under 1/4 acre). If it is overgrown it will cut about 2/3s of my yard before the battery dies.
@jjnova
There are 3rd party (non-OEM) batteries available from vendors on Amazon. They fit the same, and most have built in lights to indicate the battery charge. They can be a savings but can also be a bit of a crap shoot as to capacity and longevity. As usual, reading the reviews will help winnow out the crap from the good ones.
Buying batteries when Home Depot has a ‘free’ tool available is another way to build up your tool arsenal and your battery supply.
Routine maintenance will also go a long way towards keeping the batteries alive.
As @chienfou says, I take care of mine and they seem to last. Even this old dinosaur
@tinamarie1974
WOW! All my ni-cads bit the dust loooong ago. Nice work.
@chienfou @jjnova @pakopako I have one Dewalt 18V tool, the beastly DCF961 impact for uncooperative fasteners.
@chienfou yeah thanks. It lasts about 10 minutes on any of my tools, but its there in the rotation if I need it.
@tinamarie1974
https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/brand/ryobi
Is worth a look also.
I’ve seen conflicting info on whether or not it’s an official Ryobi outlet, but I’ve bought a few things from them with no problems. Normal prices vary from “ok” to full retail, but they have big discounts on their sales.
Factory Reconditioned appears to mean exactly that. While Factory Blemished seems to mean brand new overstock.
@blaineg I have been in their B&M store on I-85 in Georgia, just down the freeway from the Ryobi office building. Meh. It had some stuff I’ve never seen at HD, but overall it was no better than a Home Depot sale.
@blaineg @werehatrack
The nice thing is if you are local, and you need something, you don’t have to wait for a sale at HD.