Customer Reviews

Factory-Reconditioned Ryobi ZRP813 18-Volt Lithium Ion 2-Tool Drill Kit

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I already have a blue 5 piece Ryobi 18v tool set (drill, reciprocating saw, circular saw, flashlight, small vacuum) that I got several years ago. It has been a good set but the original 1.7 Ah Ni-cad batteries now have very limited life and a very short shelf life. I have been looking for new batteries and started watching ebay to see if there were any "deals". The Li-ion is definitely a better value and a better pack, but I don't think they are worth what is being charged for them. (I work for a major cell phone manufacturer and we purchase millions of Li-ion cells to make phone batteries so I have some idea of what these actually cost.)

So I have been looking for a better deal when I stumbled on this set on Amazon (I buy lots of stuff from Amazon every year A+++).

I read the reviews and did some research, looked at the pictures, and figured it would be worth the $[...] they were asking (although the price dropped to $[...] in the two days since I ordered it) to get the new charger and the two larger battery packs and placed my order Sunday night. Wednesday I receive my package (Amazon Prime A+++) and opened it up. I am very disappointed. :(

The "kit" arrived with two used P103 cells. These are the small/short Li-ion packs and not the P104 high capacity packs that are shown in the pictures on Amazon and the CPORyobi.com website. These are not much better than new Ni-cads IMHO AND they are obviously used. One has a guys name written on the bottom! Batteries have a limited number of recharge cycles in their "life". Typically a Li-ion cell (as used in a laptop or cell phone) is good for 1.5 to 2 years. While it may seem OK now and for the next 6-12 months, how do I know that they have not seen considerable use already?

We take used phones or field returns, fix any issues, update the software, and replace any parts that show obvious wear so they are "like new". This is what "Factory Reconditioned" is supposed to mean. THEN we send them back out to people/carriers as warranty replacements. It is very poor business practice of Ryobi to ship out items with such obvious wear and tear on them and call them "reconditioned" and "Like New". They should call them what they are... "Used Tools" that have been checked at the factory to see if they work. These are definitly not "Like New" as advertised.

The drill looks to be in pretty good condition (although it does show some use marks) and the flashlight is also in good condition (and very bright). The batteries and charger are beat up a bit and things were crudely hot stamped with "RECON" on them which definitely detracts from the "like new" condition. Overall if you were willing to pay the exorbitant price for one of these sets "new" this may be a good value for you.

Since I was really only looking for the two P104 batteries and the charger, (figured I'd sell the obnoxious green drill and flashlight for $[...] on Fleabay to recoup some of my cost) and what was shipped were the lower capacity P103 packs and not the higher 2.4Ah capacity P104 packs that were shown in the pictures, I will be returning it. I can pick up two NEW P104 packs and a New charger for $[...] more than I paid Amazon right now if I wanted to spend that much... Two stars and I am going to try and post some pics...

- followup on 4/01/09 - I was able to purchase this same reconditioned P813 "kit" from another website for five bones less (delivered) and it DID include two of the P104 batteries as shown in the Amazon pictures. They are also "like new" condition (except for the "RECON" stamp) so make sure to ask before you buy to make sure you get what you are expecting...

It arrived quickly and everything seems to work okay so far. I was surprised at how beat-up the tools were. The description said they were factory reconditioned and "like new", but they don't look it and arrived covered in mud.

Basically I bought this to help take out a wall in my living room and dining room. I looked over all the different brands and choose this one based on the price and plethora of different tools the batteries can handle. Reviews were virtually nonexistent so this was a purchase based solely on advertising and description. Well it holds true to its promise. I am used to having corded tools and this was my first foray into the cordless market and the batteries have a sensor that shows the level and the weight isn't to horrible. I love the drill it is extremely powerful but can do light jobs with ease. The circular saw has been able to handle the jobs with ease and the light is extremely bright. I discounted the light based on the fact that I have lots of flashlights around the house but I find myself using this one more often due to its bright nature and the rechargeablility. The reciprocating saw is my only complaint about the package. It's more due to the blades than anything as they bend easily but this can be resolved to buying better quality blades than the ones included in the package. Overall I have been very happy with the quality and workmanship put into all these tools and love my set very much. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to do minor to medium household repairs and building. It worked great for the carpentry and finishing involved in redoing an interior wall and a multitude of general household repairs.

I purchased this set 3 months ago from Home Depot. It was on sale for 215. While working on my house I had one battery that was charged and I was able to:
1) make about 20 cuts through 2x12's with the circular saw
2) make 4 or 5 cuts through 2x4's with nails with the reciprocating saw
3) drill about 20 1" holes with a speed auger bit
4) make another 20 cuts through 2x4's with the circular saw

after this the battery still showed a green indicator light.

The drill had some problems with the 1" auger. I had to reverse the bit at least once per hole. The drill had no problem with 0.5" speed auger.

The circular saw has no trouble with 2x material or with ripping plywood and the recirocating saw cut everything with no trouble.

I have used this set for at least 3 projects and I am very happy with it.

I have bought one of these sets from CPO and prior to that I reviewed all of the sets avail. This set is a steal at a refurb price of 170.00! The drill circular saw and everything else goes way beyond my expectations. One thing I wish is that I had one more set!
The Drill is 1/2"
The 5.5 Saw is very quiet when cutting!
The Recip saw has so much more power than you would think.
The light is OK but who buys a set like this for the light!

The batteries are cool! They have a button on the front to tell you how much charge you have left. All the reviews I have read tell you to not let them drain down. Charge them before that to extend the life of the battery.

I had the same experience as a previous reviewer. I purchased this item solely for the 2 Li Batteries and the charger because it was less expensive than buying the batteries separately. My set came with obvious wear marks on it (which I didn't mind) and two batteries. My initial thought was "gosh, these are small batteries compared to the previous NiCad batteries." I later found out that they are small because they are not the batteries shown in the picture!

Ryobi actually sells two Li batteries: the P103 and the P104. The P103 is a very small, light weight battery that holds around 1.5 Ah (Ryobi doesn't say, so this is an educated guess). The P104 is a larger battery with a charge indicator and holds 2.4 Ah. Ryobi is very unclear about this difference between these batteries. If you are buying this kit for the batteries that are supposed to be "2X the runtime of standard batteries" you will not get them. If you read the review carefully, you will not see any indication of which batteries you will get. Also, if you search Amazon for Ryobi one+, you will not find any reference to the P103 batteries. Come on Amazon, if you show a picture of an item, you should ship that item!

However, the new batteries are considerably smaller and lighter than the standard batteries (with about the same run time), so if you want these batteries for hand tools that you will hold above your head for long periods of time, then these are great batteries.

I have had this set for 4 weeks now. I used the set to do some work on my deck. The set worked great. Seems to be very well built and powerful. I had a set of Black and Decker 14.4 volt tools that I sold in a yard sale to help pay for these tools. The Ryobi are much more powerful. The batteries last a long time between charges. I used both batteries until they were almost out of change instead of having one on the charger. I put a battery on the charger and in 20 minutes the battery showed green - impressive charging time. My old charger would take several hours to fully charge the battery. Also, I love the battery charge indicator on the front of the batteries - great feature.
The batteries are also compatible with the old Blue Ryobi tools so you have a lot of selection for additional tools.
Overall, I very please with the tools.

Everything I asked for was sent to me. It included some tools that were scuffed up a bit, but everything works really well. A little disappointing, but overall I did get a great price on the tools I wanted.

I received my purchase quickly and in excellent shape. Unlike other reviews, my unit was in like new condition and I could see no wear. The batteries are at least 3 times better than the NiCad ones. The fact that I can use the Lithium batteries in my older tools has given them new life. The light, while nice, is of little use -- I have flashlights! That's the only reason I give it less than 5 stars. I bought this unit for the 2 full size batteries and the drill.

Yes, there are a few minor cosmetic issues with Reonditioned tools but they work just fine. Great price for an 18V set: drill, charger, flashlight and 2 large Lithium batteries.