Ryobi recently announced new hand and hobby tools, and today sent out news about another new online-only tape measure.
There are a couple of other noteworthy tools, which I’ll cover separately, and when looking up the price I came across this product image in a Home Depot listing.
Ryobi doesn’t just have a smattering of random hand and hobby tools anymore, this is a lineup.
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The image shows Ryobi hammers, scissors, pliers and cutters, aviation snips, levels, screwdrivers, wrench sets, hand saws, socket sets, mechanics tool sets, adjustable wrenches, zippered pouches, utility knives, a mini hacksaw, stapler, and a selection of hobby tools.
Home Depot’s Ryobi tool brand is best known for their value-priced power tools and accessories, which are primarily aimed at homeowners, DIYers, and hobbyists.
They entered the hobby space in recent years, and have been complemented their battery-powered offerings with hand tools. The focus on renovation and general purpose tools is relatively new.
While Home Depot and Ryobi entered this space with limited offerings over the years, their current efforts look to be concerted and part of a larger brand strategy.
Lowe’s – Home Depot’s top competitor – has two flagship tool brands, Craftsman and Kobalt. They have a partnership with Craftsman, and Kobalt is a Lowe’s house brand in the same way Husky is Home Depot’s.
Both Craftsman and Kobalt are well-rounded brands, each with a broad selection of products in many categories, such as power tools, outdoor tools, storage, hand tools, workshop accessories, and more.
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The same cannot be said about Home Depot’s Ryobi or Husky brands, but this could change if Ryobi’s new offerings sell well enough to fuel further expansion.
I’d say that Home Depot has Lowe’s beat with respect to mid-level and professional hand tools, but that Lowe’s seems to have a stronger focus on entry-level and value-priced offerings for home users.
So far, Home Depot still seems to be testing the waters with Ryobi’s hand tool offerings. Many of the new hobby tool SKUs are set to be available in-store. However, Home Depot seems disinclined to give shelf space for most of the general purpose tools, especially in categories where they already have value-priced options by Husky or Crescent.
It’s going to be interesting to see how things progress, and whether Ryobi’s hand tool line picks up enough steam.
Jared
I wonder how this came about. Since Ryobi is a Home Depot exclusive brand, I wouldn’t expect TTI to develop a new line of hand tools without Home Depot committing some shelf space. Yet the tools are here and the shelf space isn’t.
Did TTI take the initiative in hopes the line will sell well and Home Depot will expand the in-store offerings later?
Bonnie
Could be that they’re seeing more online sales and thus focusing some of the new product lines there.
Hon Cho
As Jared stated, Ryobi is an exclusive to Home Depot, I believe, in just North America. I was just in Europe and saw Ryobi being sold in a couple of different hardware outlets in France. Perhaps TTI / Ryobi pays Home Depot for shelf space (like many grocery products) or offers such wonderful margins and terms that Home Depot makes room for the products.
Koko The Talking Ape
Well, I’d buy a Ryobi hammer before I bought a Ryobi power drill, but the profit margins on hand tools must be razor thin.
startagl
I use Ryobi power tools professionally and they hold up much better than Milwaukee
Adam
Agreed I do as well, my only complaint would be their orbital sanders
Jon
I own Ryobi, Milwaukee M12, M18, and Bosch 18V. My Ryobi stuff is 90% the quality of Milwaukee and 100% the quality of the Bosch, and the Ryobis often have features the others don’t. My only significant complaint about Ryobi is that the tools are often larger than other brands because of the legacy battery support, but I also applaud them for not abandoning the system since there are SO MANY out there.
Tom
Ryobi is a global brand, so it could be that they have traction outside the US that justified the investment. From there, it’s a much lower investment to simply adapt packaging and any on-product labels to try to build relevancy and volume in a different region vs. starting from scratch.
Mark M.
I guess I need to just get past it in my head, but from a brand positioning standpoint I equate Ryobi with “hobby” or like an entry-level-homeowner quality/price. Which isn’t necessarily a bad place to occupy, but it would take something very compelling to make me pick Ryobi over Husky or Kobalt or Craftsman (or any more premium brands).
RK
Lol husky or kobolt are equal or lesser then ryobi.
I’d have trouble replacing Klein Milwaukee or wirra with ryobi
Noe
You’re right, Klein is excellent. Irreplaceable
Foxo
IDK I started replacing my Klein and Milwaukee with Ryobi. I build, design and repair emergency vehicles for different government agency’s. I have even had diehard Milwaukee fans admit Ryobi holds its own. Personally with all the electrical I do I’ve seen such a decline in Klein. Brand new tools falling apart or not working right from the box. I have no problem paying for quality but I expect stuff to work.
startagl
I use Ryobi power tools professionally and they hold up much better than Milwaukee. Every single Milwaukee drill has a broken chuck after only a year and a half. I’ve had Ryobi doing the same work for 6 or more years.
Mark
Husky and Craftsman are definitely inferior to Ryobi. I haven’t used Kobalt so I can’t speak to that
David Z
I’d definitely consider Ryobi before Husky or Kobalt. 20 years ago? Probabably not. But the last ten at least, definitely.
Adam
Lol Kobalt I wouldn’t buy just like Hart at Walmart
Lenny
I saw some of these at a Direct Tools Factory Outlet store in when I was in NC. Most seemed pretty nice. Bought a folding utility knife that I love. Similar to the Milwaukee that I lost but it has a different button. Took me a little while to get used to it but it’s great. Keep looking for another whenever I go to Depot but cannot find them. Hopefully they will be out soon.
Calvin
Lenny you can order them online.
https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/search?query=Utility%20knife
Steve
Quite a lineup that TTI has with Ryobi and Milwaukee. I”ve been tempted a number of time to buy some Ryobi tools, but have stuck with red for now…
fred
I wonder if all of these are being sourced through TTI – or if HD is going directly to other OEM’s for some. In the past some Ryobi drill bits and countersinks had UPC’s starting with 051667 – suggesting that the OEM was Jore Corporation (makers of Montana brand).
TonyT
Since at least some are available from DTO (I bought a set of Ryobi precision screw drivers from DTO, and have seen other Ryobi hand tools there), probably sourced via TTI.
Ike
I’m a electrician and every power tool I own is Ryobi , I get more money in my pocket at the end of the day and I don’t have to worry about my tools being stolen ,as far as hand tools go I’m strictly Klein
Keith
Wound you ever consider converting to Milwaukee for their US made electrical hand tools?
Ike
Yea I would but not until they bring those prices down , lol I like to eat and drive to and from work . Their prices are too high the plastic is cheap I mean I guess red plastic yellow plastic and black plastic are very expensive but very fragile cuz DeWalt and Milwaukee have done nothing but shatter around around my Ryobi tools,
Ike
And honestly I have trouble buying stuff made in America anymore seeing how that now that today’s generation of employees that are working it’s hard to find one that takes the pleasure and the innovation to the next level of making the tools we have no inspiration we have no guidelines hell half of us don’t even want to go to work so probably most likely honestly I would not change anything to an American made tool because well I’m sorry but American made tools suck now we don’t have the ambition it’s a throwaway nation and it always has been ever since 1990
Noah
I totally agree. I was in the market for needle nose pliers the other week and between Channel Locks and Klein it was like they couldn’t even get the tips symmetrical or aligned properly. I ended up getting made in China Duralast that at least looked like a quality tool. So far the teeth have showed signs of wear.
Ike
What happened to pride in your craft and trade
Jerry
I got a couple pair of the Ryobi pliers that look like a Knipex Cobra knock-off or copy. I was very impressed with the quality for the price. No, they aren’t Knipex, but they actually come pretty close. They would be hard to tell apart if they had the same color scheme. The ones I got said they were made in South Korea.
Redeye
House brand or not, there’s no need for another brand of ubiquitous tools being sold at hd. In stores or online. Especially when it’s a lower end brand of tools. What’s Ryobi offering? More of the same? No thanks. Why even bother if you don’t have anything fresh and innovative to bring to the table? Everything pictured is already sold in hd stores and made by better quality brands. I don’t see hd coming to an agreement with Ryobi for these tools to go on their shelves. Why would they give up shelf space for Ryobi over better brands? I wouldn’t. Based on my experience of using a few of Ryobi’s power tools, which imo underperformed, and some of their electronic hand tools and a few of their rotary tool bits, these hand tools will be overpriced low quality junk. I’d bet that Hart tools are better quality than these are gonna be. And Hart isn’t even sold at hd. Ryobi gets way too much hype than they deserve credit for. And hd has already made some bad decisions regarding shelf space being made for Ryobi’s junk. Namely ditching dremel rotary tools and accessories for Ryobi’s lone rotary tool and their poorly made accessories. I did try a handful of Ryobi’s rotary tool bits and they were junk. Didn’t last more than a couple of seconds. Literally tore apart on contact. I’m not kidding. I immediately returned the rest of what I bought and went to Lowe’s for some dremel accessories. I expect Ryobi’s hand tools to be of equal poor quality. They’re going to let a lot of people down. Mark my words. That’s been my experience with Ryobi tools. Their popularity is undeserving imo. Overall they suck. And so here we are 20 plus years later and this is what they came up with. The most ubiquitous tools available worldwide. Such innovation Ryobi. As if there hasn’t been enough ubiquity in the hand tool market for years and years. Great job Ryobi of making it worse.
David Z
There are a lot of people that disagree with your experience. Not only is their quality better than you’ve indicated (for tools, not necessarily accessories), but you’re clearly not familiar with their line-up. Ryobi has 8 rotary tools in their line-up covering a range of capabilities including different AC and battery types, not just one as you’ve indicated. My HD also carries Dremel items still, in their own section. Perhaps you missed them.
Your feeling about innovation is interesting also. If nothing else, Ryobi has been known for bringing a wider range of power tools/devices to their line-up. Have orher brands started to expand to catch up? Certainly. But note that they are generally catching up and not Ryobi. Do other brands offer certain tools that are more robust? Definitely. But the vast majority of people, including many tradesmen, don’t need this for most of their work. Definitely not most homeowners or DIY.
You might be surprised if you let down your guard and tried a couple of their current brushless tools.
Jon
You are a hater and deserve to have your comment stricken from this space for the same reason you comment state’s.
It’s low quality and out of date!
You’re incorrect, not right and completely and utterly wrong.
Until you pick up some of their current offerings and put them to use you will not be able to change your own worthless opinion.
Ryobi is on par or above Husky, Craftsman, Kobalt and has offerings that compete on par with Milwaukee, Rigid, Dewalt, Makita, Bosch and many, many other’s in any of the space’s on the market and any market niche.
Your comment reflects that you don’t know or have any knowledge that is recent and therefore is low quality might even be worth less or worthless.
Stuart
Ryobi is NOT on-par with Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, or other such brands.
It’s not junk – depending on the model – but Ryobi is definitely not competitive against higher tier pro tool brands.
Ike
Agree to disagree, I use Ryobi tools everyday as a commercial/residential electrician and I will admit that DeWalt and Milwaukee have more pro tools but my brushless series Ryobi tools compete with DeWalt and Milwaukee and so far so good I haven’t ever burned up a Ryobi drill cutting in 6 inch cans , (knock on wood ), but honestly I’m a firm believer that if have to depend on a brand to get the job and have to bash another mans tools your not an actual tradesman , it’s not the tool it’s the way you use em, thank you for your time
Jason. W
hopefully these tools have better quality then their usables (drills bits, hex bits, blades, etc) because those are straight trash even for occasional homeowner use.
David Z
The quality of their consumables is a disappointment. It undermines the reputation of the power tools themselves.