Ryobi has announced a new 18V One+ HP compact brushless 5/8″ SDS Plus rotary hammer, model PSBRH01B.
A reader wrote in about it (thank you, Rog!), and so I took a closer look.
The new Ryobi cordless rotary hammer is part of their 18V One+ HP line of High Performance brushless power tools, and it’s also compact.
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Ryobi says that the new 5/8″ rotary hammer is 43% lighter than their full-size 1″ SDS Plus rotary hammer (P223), and provides users with better access to tight workspaces and overhead applications.
Key Features & Specs
- SDS Plus chuck
- 11.4″ length
- Weighs 3.3 lbs, 4.25 lbs with 2.0Ah High Performance battery
- Up to 6,200 BPM
- LED worklight
- 2 modes – drill-only and hammer drilling
- 3-year warranty
Price: $149, tool-only
ETA: June 2022
The new rotary hammer will be available exclusively at Home Depot. It is not yet available for ordering, but is expected to launch later this month.
Discussion
Ryobi has been going in a premium direction with their HP line, and with seemingly few – if any – compromises. They have also been focusing on more compact tool geometries, explaining why the new 18V HP compact brushless rotary hammer is showcased in product imagery with a compact 2.0Ah battery.
This is a good look for Ryobi.
This could be a good way to go if you mainly need to drill smaller holes in masonry materials (brick, block, concrete), and don’t need chisel-only mode. For demo-type tasks where a chisel-only mode comes in handy, you’ll probably want to step up to the Ryobi P223, a 1″ SDS Plus rotary hammer.
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Jared
I maintain Ryobi saw Craftsman’s investor materials showing its plan to offer tools spanning the market from homeowner to pro – and then just did it first (and so far better).
Everything I’ve seen in the HP line has looked considerably better than the normal stuff.
Stuart
If you’re talking about the bar graph, they’ve been showing similar for years.
I would mention that Bobby Shaw, formerly a product manager and then VP at Milwaukee Tools, is now President of consumer power tools at TTI.
I spotted him in a video introducing Ryobi’s HP expansion back in March 2021. https://toolguyd.com/ryobi-18v-hp-cordless-power-tools-2021/
via LinkedIn, Shaw joined TTI as president in October 2019.
Ryobi 18V HP launched around August 2020. https://toolguyd.com/best-ryobi-cordless-drill-ever-18v-one-hp-compact-brushless-082020/
I don’t know how instrumental he has been to Ryobi’s 18V One+ HP development or direction, but the HP series represents a dramatic shift in strategy for the brand, even if it’s just a sub-family in the 18V system. If a long-time Milwaukee Tool veteran isn’t behind that, who or what else could be?
Jared
Yep, the bar graph is what I was thinking of. I realize it’s over-simplifying to think Ryobi saw that and jumped into the higher-tier market in response. I’m sure there’s way more to it than that. But timing-wise, it just seemed like SDB showed what was planned for Craftsman and then Ryobi did the same. Surely there was some influence?
Craftsman certainly seemed like a threat to Ryobi’s market when SBD first bought it. They have the resources and know-how to steal a big chunk of the pie. Ryobi must have considered how to counter – and making higher-tier Ryobi-branded tools seems like an obvious move.
Franck B.
I’d be slightly concerned because the weight of the tool affects the amount of energy available in the hammering, so saying that it is “43% lighter” means it can’t hammer as effectively. Sometimes your hole is right where some aggregates left a rock, so some extra hammering is in order. When you use a large SDS-Max tool to drill a 1/2×8″ hole, it gets done faster.
On the other hand, we have a team that on some days does nothing other than drilling 1/2″ and 5/8″ holes in concrete, and in tight spaces. This might be a solution to get through some of those quicker. So I might give it a try for special situations.
I’m not convinced of the overall improved quality of the HP line. My first capitulation to our purchasing ban of Ryobi 18V tools was for the HP right angle drill, because the other manufacturers seem to think a stud drill is the proper tool to drill big holes in tight spaces (which pretty much obviates the stud drill due to its size). The HP version of the tool comes with a very poor quality chuck that can’t handle the newfound power of the brushless motor that Ryobi touts. Hopefully they’ve learned something in the last couple of years since that model was released.
Eric
Just like the M12 of similar size it’s going to be good if all you do is tapcons or small drop in anchors. No point in carrying around a big sds plus or even bigger sds max if that’s all your going to do. Especially if your going to be working overhead.
Franck B.
It looks smaller than the M12, at least in length? I think the M12 is around 10″ overall. We had poor battery life from M12 so I was hoping the 18V Ryobi might be smaller yet have similar power and greater runtime.
We’re drilling mostly 1/2″ and 5/8″ for Titen-HDs, and often hit rebar and large aggregates that benefit from more power. So this would only be used to where space is tight, sometimes one run will have a space limited cripple wall. (What’s the new PC term?)
Juergen
@Franck B.
You are right that the weight of the tool affects the amount of energy available in the hammering, but only if you use the tool as a hammer.
The trick is to switch the tool on.
Ok, seriously, the hammering force is a result of the mass and the speed of the drill. Not of the rotary hammer. The rotary hammer acts only as a counterweight. So if the resulting force at the tip of the drill is 1 Joule, it is one joule. Whatever the weight of the rotary hammer.
Pure physics.
Jared
😄
aaron s
But is it heavier or lighter than the same weight in feathers?
Juergen
I don’t understand the question?
Aaron S
It was meant to be a joke, referencing the “trick question” of which is heavier, a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers. Often people will answer that a pound of rocks is heavier. In my mind at least this lines up with the point you were making.
Franck B.
Sorry, I thought it was so simple that I didn’t have to explain it. I didn’t mean to imply the same energy delivered from a tool 43% lighter will be less forceful. Since this is marketing, we know Ryobi will state the tool is 43% lighter, but will not add the asterisk that the energy is also lower. A heavier tool will usually be rated to deliver more joules based on what you said… heavier hammers and faster higher powered motors in general make the tool weigh more. It doesn’t have to correlate, but for many reasons, it usually does.
However, in real-world usage… because a heavier tool has more mass acting as a counterweight, it means that the operator will not have to provide as much reactive force, and will not suffer from fatigue as quickly, thus improving the delivery of the hammering force available after drilling 200 holes. It’s more pronounced when the vector is downward, as we often drill holes for attaching mudsills into the foundation, because the gravity is 100% assisting.
Sorry I wasn’t clear! I often forget that not all readers have the same experiences to understand when I don’t expound an all my statements.
aaron s
Seems like it would have an opposite impact on overhead drilling, fighting the weight of the machine.
MIKE GUENTHER
If I was still working in the field, I’d buy one of these. We did a lot of drilling in ceramic tile and a regular hammer drill just didn’t cut it, whereas the Makita SDS rotary hammer cut cleanly through the tile and was so much quicker.
I own a lot Ryobi cordless tools and used them in commercial work for the last ten years. I used to get kidded by my crew, who either had DeWalt or Milwaukee. But often, they would borrow the green tool because the red or yellow one couldn’t cut it.
Jerry
I have the larger HP Ryobi SDS rotary hammer, and am very impressed with it, but it is overkill for Tapcons and the like. I also have an old smaller SDS Rotary hammer, and am not that impressed with it. If this new one is of similar quality/durability as the big HP SDS rotary hammer, it would be a good replacement for the old one. IMO the old version is good for only very light duty work. My hope would be the HP version would be built much better.
Mopar4wd
I have been looking at the dewalt 12V SDS, I just need it for concrete anchors., so smaller is ideal. I’m invested in Dewalt and Ryobi, depending on sale pricing this might push into the lead over the Dewalt.
aaron s
I’d really consider the DeWalt atomic over their 12v line unless you’re already bought in. The 12v tools aren’t substantially more compact and atomic prices a similar form factor in a much broader line of tools.
MM
Agreed. I compared the 12V and 20V line when I was shopping for a compact rotary hammer and the 20V line had much better specs and weren’t much bigger. I ended up going with a DCH273 which is rated for 1″ in concrete if I recall correctly. 2.1 joules. It does have a chisel mode, and I think it’s only about one inch longer than this Ryobi.
I have to say I’ve been very impressed with it, that little guy punches way above its weight class.
Mopar4wd
I will take a look at the atomic. I have been looking for an excuse to expand into the Dewalt 12V line from the 20V and 18V as I wand the screwdriver and the new multi head driver, but this might not be the best place to start.
Back in April Lowes had a special on the 12V SDS for $179 with two batteries, which seems like a deal but I didn’t pull the trigger.
This is just for my own project not for work so compact and low price are important factors.
OhioHead
Skimmed the information, I did not see “joules or impact energy” listed which is critical (IMO) for a rotary hammer, I think the big guys still advertise rotary hammers w/ this key piece of information.
Looked high and low for 1st gen Ryobi (green) rotary hammer in central OH-io, I never saw it on display (aisle or end cap), this new hammer looks very nice (compact, good ergonomics, etc).
I bet it will fly off the shelf for reasons listed previously, but will also be returned because uneducated users will “think” it is lacking power for jobs this hammer is not designed to do.
Jerry
If Ryobi is smart they will drop the old 1st generation version. I had one, had it fixed under warranty twice, and a replacement I bought wasn’t any better. Really, the only Ryobi 18V I bought that I was truly disappointed with.