Tool Box Buzz

Ryobi One+ 4-tool Super Combo Kit Review

Where you hoping for a big box of power tools under the tree and Santa didn’t deliver? Have a lot of post holiday projects but not a lot of cash to spend on all the tools you need? The Ryobi One+ 4-tool Super Combo Kit may be just the ticket. It’s a slug of Li-Ion tools for a Ni-Cd like price of just $179. I received this kit just before Christmas and have used it on a bunch of small parts of our big stair project. The tools were the perfect size for some quick actions without having to get out the extension cords and heavier tools.

Just barely kissing the framing below.

What’s included in the kit:

• P271 1/2″ Drill/Driver with Screwdriver Bit
• P504G Circular Saw with Thin-Kerf Carbide-Tipped Blade
• P515 Reciprocating Saw with one Wood and one Metal Blade
• P701G Flashlight
• P118 Dual Chemistry Charger
• (2) P102 18V ONE+™ Compact Lithium-ion Batteries
• Tool Bag & Operator’s Manuals

SPECIFICATIONS:

Drill

• Battery: 18V
• Speed: 0-440 / 0-1,600 RPM (No Load Speed)
• Chuck: ½” Heavy Duty
• Clutch: 24 Positions
• Weight: 3.1 lbs.

Circular Saw

• Battery: 18V
• Blade Size: 5-1/2 in
• Arbor Size: 10mm
• Speed: 4,700 RPM (No Load Speed)
• Depth of Cut: @0⁰ 1-9/16”
• Tool Weight: 5.3 lbs.

Reciprocating Saw

• Battery: 18V
• Blade Stroke: 7/8 in
• Speed: 0-3,100 SPM (No Load Speed)
• Tool Weight: 4.2 lbs.

Work Light

• Battery: 18 Volt
• Tool Weight: 0.7 lbs.
• Incandescent Bulb

18V Dual Chemistry Charger

• Battery: 18 Volt
• Input: 120V, 60 Hz, 50w
• Output: 18 V DC
• Cord: 6 ft.
• Tool Weight: 1.1 lbs.

Using the kit

Used the recip to finish out the cut that the circ couldn’t reach.

I have to admit when it first arrived I didn’t have high hopes for it. I’ve used cordless circular saws in the past and wasn’t impressed. This was with old Ni-Cad tools from almost 5 years ago. Things have come along way and once again I’ve been pleasantly surprised, nay impressed with Ryobi. It did everything I asked without incident or hiccup. I did test it in a way it should be used though. I didn’t try framing a house with it or try to cut 4x4s into kindling, that would be silly. I used it for small demolition and remodeling tasks.

Our house is a split entry that has the stairway as the first feature off of the foyer. The stair way leading upstairs has 12 LF of balcony or landing that it intersects with. The previous flooring was carpet so the builder ran the top layer of subfloor about 3/4″ past the drywall so that the carpet could be wrapped around creating a bullnose of frieze. Since we are tearing out the carpet on the floor and stairs and replacing with hardwood, the overhang had to go.

I used the circular saw and reciprocating saw to even up the subfloor in no more than 3 minutes. It would have taken me twice as long to set up extension cords and my bigger saws and then an equal amount of time to put them away. The convenience and speed of using the tools couldn’t be beat. It didn’t hurt that I always have my batteries charged and ready to go thanks to the 6-port charger (Awesome tool, by the way). I just grabbed a couple batteries and buzzed the subfloor flush. Onto the next task.

It’s no secret that we love pocket holes around Tool Box Buzz and Home Construction Improvement so of course that’s what I was using the drill for. The drill is a little larger than the one from the RIDGID combo set I tested a few months ago but didn’t have issues drilling pocket holes in oak. One really nice feature I really appreciated is the level vial molded into the rear of the drill. I know that drilling level doesn’t come natural for most without a bit of practice and I think it’s a feature DIY-ers will really find useful.

Drill tilts slightly upward when setting on the battery but vial is on plane with chuck.

I didn’t get to use the flashlight a ton but it’s a tool we all have plenty of experience with. At first I thought this tool was just thrown in as a bonus to up the tool count to 4 from 3 but it has one really unique feature. It has a twisting head the angles the light in different ways so that it can be aimed without having to be held. It’s a simple feature but works very well. I just wish it came with an LED bulb instead of incandescent. Decent amount of light though.

Improvements

Overall I think that this is the best kit for the money but could use a couple improvements. First the tool bag needs some pockets. Currently it has zero and any extra blades or bits that come with the kit just bang around with the tools. I’d love to see a sleeve or something on the outside of the bag. It wouldn’t up the cost more than a buck or two (if that).

Second, if the flashlight came with an LED bulb it wouldn’t feel like so much of a bonus tool. I realize this would add maybe $15 to the kit but in my opinion, it would be worth it.

Third, this one is a long shot and would change the cost of the kit significantly, the circular saw only cuts 1 1/2″ at 90 degrees. That’s pretty much the max most people cut but if you have to cut 2x material at anything but 90 the 5 1/2″ blade won’t cut deep enough. In my opinion, 6 1/2″ is the sweet spot for small circular saws just like the RIDGID Fuego saw.

With a quick twist the angle of the beam can be adjusted. Clever.

Overall

This kit is great. It’s the perfect price and it comes with very capable Li-Ion tools. You will get a lot of projects done with this kit. The suggested improvements shouldn’t deter anyone from picking this up. It’s also a great reason to get into the One+ system. There are over 50 tools in the line and they all run off the same battery style. There’s good reason that this kit has 5 stars on The Home Depot’s website. It does exactly what people expect it to do.

Where to Buy

The Ryobi One+ Super Combo Kit can be picked up at any Home Depot or at their website for just $179. It’s a great way to get started on all those home projects you’ve been meaning to tackle.

Ryobi One+ Super Combo Kit 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.