I was recently looking at Ryobi's cordless drills and came across a few different models that are available and was wondering what the difference was between them.
I figured if I wanted to know, then others might too and wanted to compare them to see what the specs were, how the kits differed and so on.
Here is what I found out!
I found that Amazon has better pricing for Ryobi's cordless drills (bare tool) and Home Depot was a little better in price for the tool in a kit form (charger, battery, tool, etc.). Do your own research before committing but I thought it is worth mentioning.
An Overview On What Ryobi's Drill Lineup Looks Like...
I noticed that Ryobi doesn't have the selection that Makita, DeWalt or Milwaukee has but they do have a few to choose from. They offer cordless drills in 4V, 8V, 12V and 18V models...
Smaller drills that Ryobi offer are really categorized as "power screwdrivers" and are good for screws and bolts that require smaller amounts of torque.
These are lightweight and compact and have enough power to unscrew and screw in bolts that are smaller in size.
They don't require a lot of torque like door knobs, kids toys, lightweight shelving, etc. These are in the 4V range of power.
ryobitools.com
Ryobi's drill drivers are made for drilling and screwing in bolts, nuts and everything else. These drills are really a "swiss army knife" of drills and are usually an all-purpose type of tool.
Ryobi has drill drivers in the 8V, 12V and 18V range and a good rule of thumb for these is that the more voltage, the more power the drill has.
ryobitools.com
Ryobi also has a few impact drivers to choose from and these are all 18V models.
These are made for driving bolts, screws, nuts that require a lot of torque. These can be used for drilling purposes but would not do as good of a job as good as a drill driver would.
ryobitools.com
Ryobi also has a couple of different hammer drills that work like an impact driver but also has the capabilities of a drill driver too.
These are great for many "multi purpose" types of tasks but can also be used for drilling into harder materials like concrete, cinder blocks, stucco, etc.
ryobitools.com
There are also a couple of specialty drills that Ryobi offers and these ranges from sds rotary hammer drill, a drywall gun and a right angle drill, to name a few.
These are usually suited for a specific task or two and is why I have labeled them as "specialty drills".
These are usually helpful when you have to do a lot of specialty tasks like screwing in drywall nails, drilling holes in concrete, etc.
ryobitools.com
Ryobi's Power Screwdrivers (Light Weight Drills)
There are three distinct power screwdrivers that Ryobi offers and they are basically all the same when it comes to specs and functionality. The main differences are the design minor features and price.
The price range for the three power screwdrivers is between the $20 and $40 price range and is quite affordable, for what you are getting, no matter which model you choose to go with.
They all come with the tool, a charger and one battery so they are equal as far as that goes and they all use Lithium-Ion batteries as well.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi HP34L is the cheapest power screwdriver that Ryobi makes and it has a simple, straight design to it but also has a battery that has a little bit more juice than the other two models (1.5 Ah). This is a fixed design with no lights, 200 rpm (no load speed) and a two finger handle.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi HP44L is the mid grade tool from Ryobi's power screwdriver lineup and has the ability to change to a straight screwdriver, as well as a standard type (as shown in picture). It has two speeds (200 rpm - 600 rpm) and has a 1.3 Ah battery.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi HP54L is the most expensive power screwdriver that Ryobi makes. I am guessing it is because it has the added feature of led lights and uses Ryobi's Tek4 battery.
Which can be used for an inspection camera as well. It uses a 1.3 Ah battery and is a fixed design. It does have two speeds available as well, 200 and 600 rpms.
Ryobi's Drill Driver Selection...
Most of the drill drivers that are offered by Ryobi are 18V models but they do have a 12V model as well. I found 4 different drill drivers in total and these seem to only come in kits with batteries, a charger and the drill itself.
There are combo kits that have a drill driver and another Ryobi tool included with it but I chose to exclude those for comparative purposes.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi HJP004L is a 12V model, the only one in fact and is the most economical drill in their lineup. It won't have the power that the 18V models will but is more of a light duty, general purpose drill driver.
The price is around the fifty dollar mark, making it one of the most affordable drill drivers out there.
The HJP004L is a variable speed drill (trigger) and comes with one battery, the drill and a charger. The chuck is 3/8" but is standard for the less powerful drills.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi P1810 is the most economical drill driver set in their 18V lineup and is the most affordable as well, priced at around the seventy dollar mark.
This is a decent "entry-level" drill with two speed settings (for torque and speed), 24 clutch settings, an 18V battery (1.3 Ah) and can charge a battery in about an hour or so, not too bad for the price. This is equipped with a 3/8" chuck.
ryobitools.com
The next drill driver is Ryobi's P1811 and it is a major step up from the P1810. It has two batteries (1.3 Ah), instead of one, 24 clutch settings, led lights, a case and two speed settings that is useful for more torque or higher speeds.
The P1811 also has a larger chuck (1/2") than the other two drills we looked at already. This kit is a bit more, coming in at around the $100 mark but is well worth the extra money, in my opinion.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi P1815 is the top drill driver in Ryobi's lineup and is the best choice for people who demand more from their drill.
The P1815 comes with a brushless drill driver, which increase the battery life, motor life and power of the drill.
On top of that, it has all of the clutch settings (24 settings), led lights, two speed configurations and comes with two higher capacity batteries (2.0 Ah) than the other kits.
The belt clip is another handy little feature that I really like and it comes in handy.
The price for the P1815 is around $130, so it is higher than the rest but is a great deal for what you get and is my top choice for Ryobi's drill drivers.
On To Ryobi's Impact Drivers:
Ryobi's impact drivers are pretty popular and they have a few different choices available, which makes sense!
The public has grown to really enjoy impact drivers because of their unmatched driving power and convenience.
I am only going to be looking at the drills alone to get a better overall comparison and am not going to include kits in this comparison.
ryobitools.com
The P235 is one of the most affordable impact drivers (around $35 bucks!) made by Ryobi because it is an early model but still has respectable specs.
It can pump out 1,600 in. lbs. of torque which can drive large lag bolts and drill into some pretty hard materials.
It is a bare bones tool though with a little additional weight and a larger profile than some of the newer impact drivers made by Ryobi.
ryobitools.com
The P236 is one of the older impact drivers made by Ryobi but is still sold and has decent power still. It is also pretty affordable, averaging in price at around the $50 mark.
It has 1,600 inch pounds of torque (comparable to newer versions) led lights and spins at 3,200 rpms.
This is a great starter impact driver due to the lower cost with comparable specs to some of the newer versions.
ryobitools.com
The P237 impact driver is a little bit different than the P236 because it has a little more torque (1,800 inch pounds) and it actually is a three speed model.
A lever on the back has three speed options (400 in. lbs., 1,100 in. lbs. and 1,800 in. lbs.) that sets a maximum torque for less aggressive fasteners.
The only other difference is that the P237 also has a belt clip attached to the drill, making it more convenient to carry around with you. The P237 will range in price from around $50 - $80, depending on where you look.
ryobitools.com
Ryobi's P238 is a newer impact driver that uses a brushless motor, making it more economical and gives it a little more torque (2,000 in. lbs.).
That is compared to the other impacts in the lineup. It was in the $70-$100 price range, depending on where you look.
The P238 has the belt clip, led lights and is a three speed model as well. This impact has different RPM ranges though, instead of variable torque capabilities. It is also capable of 4,350 BPM (blows per min.) which is also higher than the other models.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi P290 is an impact driver that is much quieter than other impact drivers and is really useful in enclosed areas or working with material that tends to be louder, like metal. It was around the $70-$80 mark at the time.
This has the led lights on it, 2,200 BMP, spins at 3,200 rpms and comes with the belt clip. It does lack the torque that the other impacts have though, having only 450 in. lbs. compared to the 1,600 - 2,200 that the other models have.
Let's Look At Ryobi's Line Of Hammer Drills...
Ryobi has a pretty decent selection of hammer drills available and these are great for drilling through harder materials and are great as a heavier-duty drill driver.
There are smaller hammer drills that have a tradition drill look and feel to them and larger sds type hammer drills.
The smaller versions seem to be more popular because of their compact size, I would assume mixed with their impressive specs. Here's what I found.
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The Ryobi P213 is one of their older models and is now discontinued by Ryobi but is still available and is around $50 in price. It has 330 in. lbs. of torque, which is much less than the newer versions (almost 50%).
It is capable of producing 19,500 BPM, has two speed settings (0-400 and 0-1,500 rpms) and 24 clutch settings.
It also has a drill mode and a drive mode for specific applications and a 1/2" chuck, overall a decent hammer drill at a decent price.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi P214 is a newer and upgraded version of the P213 and has nearly double the amount of torque (600 in. lbs.). The P214 is also able to produce up to 24,000 BPM and is a dual speed model as well (0-375 and 0-1,600 rpms).
The addition of led lights and a belt clip are also found on the P214, that was not equipped on the older P213.
Everything else is basically the same, including the 24 different clutch settings and was priced around $50 - $60.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi P251 is one of the top hammer drills that has the traditional drill style to it. It is a brushless model and has the most torque at 750 in. lbs. and has three different modes (drill, hammer and drive). It also spins a bit faster at 1,800 rpms (max) and has a 2 speed switch for torque or speed.
It was hard to find the P251 as a solo tool and seems to be more popular in a kit. Everything else was pretty standard, including the belt clip and the 24 clutch settings and it was priced around the $80 mark for the bare tool.
Finally, Ryobi's Specialty Drills
Ryobi does have some specialty cordless drills available too and these are really suited for specialty applications, for the most part.
I wanted to mention these because they are drills but are not as popular as some of the other more common Ryobi drills but still deserve a shout out.
ryobitools.com
The Ryobi P241 is a right angle drill that is pretty basic in design and features and is really just a handy tool in tighter space.
It uses a 3/8" chuck, has a variable speed trigger that allows for 0 - 1,100 rpms but only has 130 in. lbs. of torque so it is more of a light duty drill but can come in handy for some. Expect to pay around $70 for the P241.
ryobitools.com
Another specialty drill is Ryobi's P222, a rotary hammer tool that also has the ability to drill through materials like concrete, cement and other masonry materials.
The P222 can produce up to 5,000 BPM along with 1,300 rotations per minute. It has three different modes which are drilling, rotary hammer mode and chiseling mode.
This will work for light to medium duty drilling and chiseling jobs on different masonry applications. The P222 was around the $100 dollar mark at the time for the bare tool, no kit.
Let's Talk About The Different Kits That Are Available...
What I noticed when looking around, comparing the various cordless Ryobi drills was that a lot of them were available as a bare tool and nearly all of them also came in a kit.
The kits usually came with the tool, a battery (or two) and sometimes a charger and/or a carrying case.
Sometimes the kits were worth the extra money to get the extra battery, charger and whatever else it came with because those items would be much cheaper than if you simply bought them separately.
So keep an eye out for any kits that may come with the cordless Ryobi drill that you are looking at to see if it is something you would be interested in.
Where To Get Them And What To Look For:
There were two main places I found cordless Ryobi drills and these were Amazon and Home Depot. There were other stores that offered the models
I covered in this article but Amazon and HD were the two places that I found the tools for the best prices and where availability was much better.
Amazon - Amazon had much better prices on the bare tools that I have listed in this article, at the time and if you are only wanting the tool itself, then I would recommend checking prices at both places to compare.
Home Depot - Home Depot did have better deals for the tools listed that came in a kit of some sort. These included a battery or a couple of batteries, the tool, a charger and sometimes a case.
I did check Amazon for their prices on the same Ryobi kits and most of the time they were much higher than HD's prices.
Home Depot's online selection is way better than the in store selection, so check availability at your local HD stores to see if they stock it. If they don't, you will have to place the order online and have it shipped to your house or to your nearest store.
What About Some Older Ryobi Drill Models?
There are some older Ryobi tools out there that are no longer made (discontinued) and these will usually have the blue color to them but some also have the modern green color too.
I did not include these tools because they are harder to find and are antiquated compared to the newer versions when it comes to specs (torque, features, etc.) and I thought it would be better to leave them out.
You can find older Ryobi cordless drills on websites like Ebay and Amazon every now and again, if you are interested in them though.
