The Ryobi Drill and Saw Kit comes with the following items:

• 2 Year commercial warranty.
• Cordless Circular Saw Model Number: R10631
• Cordless Drill-Driver Model Number: CTH1802
• 2 Extended – Run Jobsite Batteries
• 1 Hour Chargerplus
• 2 Double Ended Screwdriver Bits
• 30 Day No Risk Satisfaction Guarantee

We ran the Circular Saw and Drill through a series of tests to check for actual battery life, physical equipment endurance and of course feature functionality. |

Lets start with the Cordless Drill-Driver Model Number: CTH1802.

Features:

• ˝ in. Keyless Chuck
• Adjustable Torque Settings
• 18.0v DC Motor
• Two-Speed Gear Train
• Variable Speed ( 1-350 RPM in low and 0 - 1300 RMP in high )

What we found was a very reliable and powerful drill. In our testing, the drill performed flawlessly. The following is a list of the things that really impressed us:

• The balance of the drill with the 18.0 v battery was very good. I had some reservations about the positioning and weight of the battery, but the Ryobi engineers did a fine balancing job. The unit really has a natural feel.

• All of the bells and whistles are in place and functional. The dual speed switch is obvious and other controls, such as the reverse switch, are where you would expect them. Another nice feature is the clip on screwdriver bits. Both bits are nicely tucked away in a recessed cavity on the top of the drill.

• The Torque Adjustment was good. They have a nice chart on Page 11 of the operation manual which gives torque setting to jobs (I think most of us still set the torque by holding the chuck and squeezing the trigger. Painful, but effective).

After completing the testing, we then field tested the equipment on a simple house painting job. For this, the drill was used to screw down a new pieces of trim and (I know you have already guessed it ) stir the paint. It was during the paint stirring that the chuck had problems.

Like most of you, my paint stirring “stick” is a little warped. This causes a fair amount of vibration. The vibration causes the chuck to loosen and thus the stir falls out. I finally got it to hold after applying a “significant” amount of force to the keyless chuck.

Even with the slight defect in the keyless chuck, I found the Ryobi Drill-Driver to be quite satisfactory. The extremely good balance and the abundance of power supplied by the 18.0v battery makes this one handy (and powerful ) tool.

The second major component of the kit, is the Cordless Circular Saw Model Number: R10631. I must admit, I fell in love with this little gem!

Features:

• 18.0v DC Motor (Same as the drill-driver)
• 4,200 RPM
• 5 ˝” blade

This little guy ran superbly in testing and in the field. Here are some of the many things I found I liked:

• Like the drill, the Circular Saw has excellent balance. The 18.0v battery positioning really brings a sense of balance.
• All the features of a standard Circle Saw are there. The bevel adjustments are easy to set and guide markings are clearly visible during use.
• The safety features are as non-intrusive as can be expected.

For the test we cut numerous types of wood of varying densities. The saw performed flawlessly. During the field test we cut everything from soft yellow pine to some ancient 2x4 boards that more closely resembled iron than wood. In each case, the saw had more than enough power and torque to rip through.

Overall we were very impressed by this powerhouse Circle Saw--definitely a must for the round-the-house-do-it-yourselfer.

Ryobi has comparable guarantees and manufacture warranties.

What I would like to focus on is their web site and how they are leveraging this powerful tool to build a community of Ryobi users.

Ryobi’s web site (http://www.ryobi.com) includes:

• Product Information.
• 2. Online Warranty Registration.
• 3. Help by email.
• 4. An online store.
• 5. And most importantly… A Tool Forum.

I would like to focus on the Tool Forum. The Tool Forum is a place where anyone can post a message about Ryobi products and have others respond. This is truly one of the best implementations I have seen. It helps create a significant value add to Ryobi tools and in effect builds a community out of the tool users.