Differences Between Ryobi and DeWalt
Reputation:
Ryobi is known as a brand of professional quality tools at affordable prices, while DeWalt Power Tools is known as the premium brand of power tools preferred by professionals.
Both brands are owned by Ryobi and DeWalt respectively. Both companies have their own distinct features and benefits that make them stand out from each other.
Number of Drills:
DeWalt offers a wide variety of tools ranging from cordless drills to corded drills with varying levels of power compared with Ryobi’s selection of cordless drills.
Speed:
Dewalt’s 12V drill reaches higher speeds than Ryobi’s 12V drills, but Dewalt’s 12V drills run at a lower RPM than Ryobi’s 12v drills.
Torque Control:
Despite having lower maximum rpm speeds, Ryobi’s 12v drill has more torque control than DeWalt’s 15v drill.
Battery:
While the battery life is virtually the same, Dewalt’s drill comes with 2 batteries, you only get 1 with Ryobi.
Warranty:
Both brands offer three years of warranty coverage, but DeWalt offers one year of free service plus a 90-day money back guarantee.
Price:
Dewalt drills are generally more costly than Ryobi. You can use these links to compare their current prices on amazon.com.
Reputation Affordable power tool for personal use power tools for professionals
Tools include drills, saws, lights, sanders, nail guns, air compressors, and stapler machines. Less options than Dewalt. A wide range of power tools: drill, saw, sander, demolition hammer, grinder, air tools, nailer, dust management, etc..
Downside: Battery does not last with frequent use. Chuck often becomes loose, and his teeth fall out. The battery doesn’t last long when used heavily.
Dewalt makes high quality power tools that are the preferred choice of professionals.
Ryobi makes professional quality tools at affordable prices for homeowners.
Dewalt has a strong reputation among professional tradespeople for producing high-quality tools. That reputation comes from an even longer history that began in 1923 when Raymond DeWalts founded the company in Leora, Pennsylvania. After being bought by American Machine & Foundry Co., Inc., DeWalt became part of the AMF Group. and in 1960, Black and Decker bought the company for $1.4 billion.
Today, DeWALT continues to be a subsidiary of Black and Decker. DeWalt manufactures most of its products overseas, but it has a strong presence in the US market. Dewalt positions itself to be the brand that provides professional-quality power tools that are built for long-lasting use.
Ryobi is a manufacturer of power tools. Founded in 1943, it is headquartered in Japan. Besides power tools, the company also manufactures printers and building hardware. Their power tools are sold exclusively through Home Depot or online.
Ryobi tools are known for their quality and affordability. They target homeowners and DIYers who aren’t interested in spending a lot of money on tools they may only use once in a blue moon. Despite their lower prices, the quality and performance of Bosch tools are very similar to DeWalt.
Dewalt and Ryobi offer power tools, including drills and accessories, for both professional and DIY use.
Dewalt has almost everything you could need as a builder or contractor, from saws to sanders, air compressors, grinders, nails, and staples.
Photo credit: Dewaltofficial.com Ryobi’s products cover a range of tools and equipment including saws, surface prep equipment, garage door openers and staplers, lawn mowers, and much more.
They both make a variety of different drills ranging from small automatic screwdrivers to 60-volt stud/joist drills.
DeWalt offers 77 different drills, while Ryobi has a whopping 27 on its website. Both brands have a wide range of drills for every possible project that needs a hole drilled, nail pounded, or hardware fastened.
Which one is best for you depends on your situation.
Performance, warranty, and price are the three most important factors when buying a new car.
There are several aspects to consider when it comes to the performance and efficiency of a household drill, including speed/power, battery voltage, size/weight, torque, and accessories.
We’re comparing the two most popular cordless drills/drivers from both Ryobix and Dewalt. Some of the most common household drills are used for standard projects around the house.
How to choose a drill?
The first thing you should think about is how much power your project requires. If it’s just a small hole, then you can use a simple hand drill or even an electric drill.Speed/RPM: DeWalt Offers More Control and Higher Speeds The speed of a drill is measured in RPMs or Rotations Per Minute. For a household drill, you want between 300 and 1,500 RPMs. Higher speeds are best for drilling holes, and lower speeds help avoid stripping screws.
The Ryobi 12V cordless drill can go from 0 to 600 RPM, which is a great range for all projects.
The DeWalt 12V cordless drill has 2-speed settings, which gives you better control. The low-speed setting goes from 0-400 RPM, and the high speed goes from 0-1,500 RPM.
With DeWalt, you get more control over the speed and a higher RPM, which can help with drilling holes into hard materials.
Battery/Voltage:
Lithium-ion batteries are used in most cordless drills. They’re also used in laptops and cell phones.
Size refers to the number of cells in the battery. Power refers to the capacity of the battery. The higher the voltage (or current), the more power. Drills with a current of 12 or 18 (20) are more than sufficient to power most homes.
The DeWalt 18V cordless drill comes equipped with two 18 volt lithium-ion batteries, a battery charger, and a toolbox.
On average, battery life is highly variable depending on what you’re using the drill for, however, it will last for approximately two hours of continuous use and take about an hour to charge. The second battery ensures that you never have to put your project on hold while your batteries recharge.
The Ryobi 12-Volt Cordless Drill comes with only one 12 volts lithium-ion battery. It has a maximum runtime of 1 hour. It takes about 40 minutes to charge up and can last for two years. Battery life is very close to DeWalt, at about two hours, depending on the kind of use.
With respect to the battery and voltage, Dewalt and Ryobi are essentially the same. The main difference between DeWalt and Bosch is the fact that with Bosch, you get two batteries, whereas, with DeWalt, there is only one battery. When choosing between two drills, one of the most important things to consider is the ease of use and the handling.
When I use my power tools, I’m usually standing up on a ladder and bending at various angles. For drilling holes in wood, I needed a drill with the right kind of power, but one that could be easily maneuvered in tight spaces and controlled with one hand.
Both the Ryobi and Dewalt 12V drills are compact and built for small space. Ryobi’s weighs three point five pounds and is seven point one inches long. Dewalt’s is 2.4 pounds lighter than its competitor and 7.5 inches longer.
They’re both small, light, and easily handled in tight spaces.
Clutch and Torque:
First off, what is torque control on a drill, and what difference does it make?
Clutches control the amount of twisting power applied to the drill bit by the motor.
The clutch is located right behind the chuck (the clamp that holds the drill bit). It has a series of numbers surrounding it.
You can adjust the transmission to deliver the desired torque; the higher number, the more torque is delivered. The whole point of using a power drill is to achieve the correct depth when drilling holes into wood or other materials, so if you’re not achieving that then you need to adjust the torque setting. The clutch prevents you over or under-driving so you can avoid screws that are buried in wood or screws that stick above the surface.
You should generally go with higher positions for maximum power and lower for more fragile jobs.
Ryobi provides more control with a 22 position gearbox compared to 15 positions on DeWalt’s drill.
Warranties:
DeWalt Provides Better Protection with a Money-Back Guarantee The DeWalt drill comes with a three-year limited warranty, one-year free service, and a 90-day money-back guarantee.
See the manufacturer’s site for more details.
The Ryobi drill comes with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Price:
On average, DeWalt power tools are significantly more expensive than Ryobi’s.
As I mentioned before DeWalt is considered to be the professional brand of tools while Ryobi is geared towards homeowners and professionals are usually willing to spend more for better quality and performance.
To get an accurate price comparison between Ryobi and Dewalt, use the links in the table below to compare drills and some other products across each brand on Amazon.com.
Ryobi VS DeWalt
It’s important to know what consumers say they complain about the most before buying a drill. Despite having overwhelmingly positive reviews, no products are flawless, and DeWalt drills are no exception.
The biggest complaint with Dewalt tools is about the battery. Some heavy users claim that after two years, their batteries won’t hold a charge longer than a few minutes.## Inputs A smaller proportion of customers report that the chucks malfunction often. Finally, one common theme is that the light from the LED built into the drill gets obstructed by the chuck and, thus, is useless.
Most of the Ryobi complaints are made by heavy-duty users, which is not unexpected since Ryobi was designed for lighter household use Like Dewalt, a common complaint among Ryobi drill owners is that their batteries die after a year, and they don’t hold a charge. Other people complain about the chuck loosening and causing drill bits to fall out when they’re using them. Some people say that the drill isn’t powerful enough for their needs, but they’re wrong.
These complaints are entirely valid; nevertheless, I haven’t experienced them with my drill.
Ryobi vs. DeWalt: Which Drill Should You Buy?
Dewalt and Ryobi are reputable, well-known power tool brands. They both make high-quality drills that are affordable, easy to use, and will help most household projects be completed easily. Which one should you buy? Well, that depends…
With DeWalt tools, you get a brand trusted by the professionals, two batteries, a large warranty, a service contract, and a money-back guarantee.
Ryobi offers a cheaper drill that is comparable in power and performance but only comes with one battery. It doesn’t come with any service contract or money-back guarantee.
After all the expenses associated with buying a house and having to move, I decided to buy a Ryobi drill. For smaller projects, I chose the less expensive option because it was the best fit for me.
If you’re planning to use your drill to tackle more serious projects and are willing to spend a little more, I’d recommend Dewalt.
If you’re leaning toward DeWalt, I’d strongly recommend checking out Milwaukee as a second option. Their drills are very comparable to Dewalt in quality, performance, and price.
Check out our recent review of Milwaukee. Dewalt to learn their similarities, differences, and get all the details.
You now know what to look for when buying a household drill, and have all the information needed to make the best decision.
DeWalt vs Ryobi Brief Histories Backgrounds
It goes without saying that Dewalt makes great tools; They’re reliable, efficient, Durable, they come with a good warranty, and they prove their worth day in and day out in professional job sites all around the country (world)
It never ceases to amaze me how many people out there think that Dewalt is some ‘SOLITARY ENTITY’ – an American company building 100 percent American tools.
It’s just plain wrong. Raymond DeWalt has been building the brand from the ground up since the 1940s, but they’ve operated under a larger corporate umbrella since then. While today they’re just a small part of the much larger, multinational corporation that is Stanley Black and Decker; while a small percentage are made in the USA (of “global” materials, no less), most of them are produced in far-eastern factories.
While Ryobi is owned by Hong Kong’s tech giant Techtonic Industries, we don’t want you thinking that DeWalt is an American brand, or that you’re buying American quality at high prices, because unfortunately, those days have passed.
DeWalt vs Ryobi Warranties
Warranty is another major consideration that cannot be overlooked. Even if you’re only spending half the money on equipment, you still want to be sure that they’re backed up by some kind of guarantee, just in case something goes wrong.
A lot of people just assume that because their DeWalt tools are more expensive, they’ll have a better warranty than their Ryobi or any of their cheaper counterparts. Both companies offer virtually the same warranty: the industry-standards 3-year limited warranty on all power tools.
Ryobi Corporation History
Ryobi Limited is an electronics company based in Japan. It manufactures various products including car parts, electronic components, and telecommunication equipment. It also sells printing supplies, construction materials, and power tools.
The Ryobi we know here in America is actually Ryobi Power Tools and Ryobi Outdoors Power Equipment. Both are brands of Ryobi Limited, used under license from Techtronic Industries.
Techtronic Industries is also the parent company of Milwaukee Electric Tool, Aeg Powertools, Homelite, Hoover, Hart Tools, O’Reck, Dirt Devil, and Vacuums. Since 1996, the RYOBI brand in America has operated under the control of TTI, a Hong Kong company founded by Mr. Tsai.
Ryobi manufactures both battery-powered and cordless power tools. The company has just announced its new ONE+ line of brushless tools. They also make hand tools as well as accessories like saw blades and drill/driver bits.
Around 2008, Ryobius did something no other manufacturer has ever done. They introduced lithium-iron-phosphate battery technology while maintaining perfect backward compatibility with every tool they’ve ever made. Dewalt tried this…and failed, having to change from a short period of Lithium-Ion Stem Packs to a whole new Slide Pack Design with the launch of their XT tools in 2013.
Ryobi Tool Manufacturing
Ryobi and its parent companies manufacture most of their cordless power tools and batteries outside of Japan. The company has factories located in China, Vietnam, Germany, the Czech Republic, and the United States
Ryobi Limited invested $100 million into its U.K. subsidiary Ryobi Limited in 2016, acquiring and equipping a 350 000 square foot factory in Sheffield, England. This facility, however, does not produce Ryobi power tools that fall under the brand agreement with TTI.
Ryobi designs and engineers its tools in Anderson, South Carolina, which is where the company was founded. They also assemble several tools in their 1,000 thousand square foot manufacturing plant and warehouse. It includes their new lawn mower line.
DeWalt Company History
Dewalt is an American company representing a worldwide brand of power tool products for the construction, manufacturing and woodworking industries. The Dewalt brand actually falls under Stanley Black & Decker. This parent company also has brands like Irwin Tools, Craftsmen, Lenox, Porter-Cable, Proto, Bostick, Vidmar, and others.
Eventually, the company became part of the Black & Decker Corporation in 1960. It wasn’t until 2004 when Black and Deck bought Porter-Cable, combining it with DeWalt, in Jackson, Tennessee.
Dewalt expanded into the production and distribution of hand tools in 2011. In 2013, they added mechanics’ tools to their product line. Three years later, DeWalt debuted the FlexVolt, the first hybrid voltage battery pack for the construction industry. It runs at either series or parallel mode depending upon whether it’s placed into a 60V or 20V Max tool, respectively.
DeWalt Manufacturing
Like most power tool companies, DeWalt manufactures much of its inventory overseas. However, the company has made some recent strides to bring more of its manufacturing back to the USA at least in part. In December 2013, DeWalt announced it would be assembling certain products domestically from globally sourced parts imported from Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, the UK, and here in the States. You may have already seen or used some of those products bearing the label “Built in the USA with global materials.” Fast forward to 2015 and DeWalt operated seven domestic manufacturing facilities to build DeWalt tools and products. These facilities are located in New Britain, Connecticut; Hampstead, Maryland; Shelbyville, Kentucky; Greenfield, Indiana; Cheraw, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jackson, Tennessee.
If you go back to the parent company, Stanley Black & Decker, USA-based manufacturers operate on a much larger scale, claiming 48 U.S. manufacturing facilities.## Inputs: The company has facilities in twenty-two different states.
Most DeWalt power tools are manufactured overseas, mainly in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Italy, the UK, and Mexico. If you’re looking for tools with at least some manufacturing happening in the US, then the Ryobi vs DeWalt debate tilts towards the former.
Ryobi vs DeWalt Depth of Line
When comparing the general costs of tools between Ryobi and DeWalt, you quickly realize that both manufacturers make a lot of tools for similar prices. Ryobi Tool has more than 225 tools in its 18v ONE+ line alone, and another 50 or more 40v tools.
Dewalt boasts more than 200 different products in its 20V MAX line before adding in its new FlexVolt line (around 30 or more in this category) or its corded products.
Both brands have a large commitment towards making tools, however, Dewalt seems to favor the professional contractor and tradesman while Ryobi goes after DIY markets and trades that don’t need the highest power or torque. We see a lot of Ryobi tools used in construction trades as well as for DIYers who need to do basic home repairs.
Both brands also offer a range of accessories including blades, bits, hole saws, and specialty fasteners. Dewalt takes the lead here with a much larger and more diverse selection of accessories that cover a wide range of tools. They also offer more options when it comes to saw blades and grinder wheels.
Dewalt has a decisive advantage in the power tools category. It was acquired by its parent company in 2012. We don’t make any fasteners and aren’t aware of any plans for us to expand into this area either.
What About Compact V Models?
If you want a smaller, more compact tool, DeWalt gives you several choices across their line. They have compact reciprocatorsaws, compact drills, and Compact (Atomic) impact drivers. With Ryobi Tools’ Compact HP Brushless line, you can choose between their compact cordless tools, but no 12 volt models exist. They do, however; have one-handed reciprocators, mini four-inch circular saws, and others that save on space.
Overall, Dewalt offers a much wider range of compact tools than Black + Decker. Because they’re made from high-quality materials, their tools typically last longer and weigh slightly more than higher-priced brands of similar products.
Ryobi vs DeWalt Impact Drivers
This Dewalt DCF850 is one of the smallest impact drivers we’ve ever tested. It’s small enough to fit into tight spaces
These tools remain fiercely competitive. If the above hammer drill comparisons indicate anything, it’s that they’re still fiercely competitive. Two things immediately jump out when comparing the Ryobi vs Dewalt impact driver. From our best impact drivers comparison, we know that DeWalt’s DCF850 shaves more than 1 1/2 inches off the length of the RYOBI. We also know that Dewalt has significant advantages in terms of both speed and torque.
We really like the chuck-based Tri-LED light from DeWalt. It illuminates the workspace much better than any other LED light we’ve used. The DeWalt DcF850 features three speeds while the Ryobi gives both three speeds and an assist mode that helps when tightening fasteners.
Both tools perform very well, and we predict that solely based on these tools alone this would be an extremely difficult decision. As a professional or home user, the choice will be largely determined by the product line you choose.
Shop DeWalt Impact Drivers
Our tests showed that Ryobi high-torque wrench outperformed DeWalt’s. It’s similar to the Dewalt DCF899 impact wrenches in terms of power and speed.
Here is some other Ryobi vs DeWalt impact wrenches considerations to consider. If you want a bigger tool for your job, Dewalt makes an impact wrench with a diameter of 3/4 inches. Second, Ryobi provides a feature that DeWalt doesn’t offer, an auto mode for controlling speed while tightening and loosening nuts and screws.
With its mid-torque, this Ryobi P262 impact driver provides up to 450-foot pounds of fastening torque. Compared to the 330 foot-pound capacity of the DeWalt DCFW856 1/2″ impact driver DeWalt has other compact options with other Atomic Impact drivers. Even if you cut off the tip of the DeWalt 1/4-inch DCF924 Impact Driver, it still stands out nearly an inch from the smallest Ryobi 3-inch impact driver.
Shop DeWalt Impact Wrenches
When it comes to buying DeWalt vs Ryobi circular saws, we have to say DeWalt gets the nod for pro-level performance. Ryobi makes a good 7-1/4″ cordless saw, but its professional feel isn’t quite up to par with DeWalt’s offerings. Ryobi doesn’t have a rear-handle circular saw yet, but they do have both blades right (7-1/2″), and blade left (6-1/4″).
The prices for the various tools differ by almost as much as their actual features. The DeWalt DCS578 adds nearly 2 pounds to the weight of Ryobi’s PBLCS300B, which makes for a heavier-duty power tool. The DeWalt has an aluminum shoe while the competitor’s tool uses stamped steel. It turns out that the Ryobi actually has a slightly better sightline than the Bosch.
Only DeWalt has a DCS520 track saw that is capable of cutting through concrete. They also have the DW Series if you want a cordless model.
Conclusion | Is Ryobi better than Dewalt?
If you’re looking for a general contractor, DeWalt is the better choice.
Ryobi is a good option if you’re looking for a homeowner’s power tool.DeWalt is a good choice if you’re looking for an entry-level cordless tool.
Ryobi is a better choice if you’re looking at a high-end tool.
