Ryobi impact driver

These cordless impact wrenches are good

The Japanese company Ryobi offers power tools and gardening equipment. The company’s hallmarks are a modern design and a light green appearance. The range also includes impact wrenches. A Ryobi impact driver is powered by a rechargeable battery and promises a high level of operating comfort. The brushless motor provides enough torque during operation to allow tyres to be changed on any standard passenger car. Another unique feature is the fact that the manufacturer offers a guarantee of at least 3 years across the board.

In the following, we will show you which Ryobi impact wrench is recommended. You will also find out what you should always look out for when choosing an impact wrench. We hope that this guide will help you.

Ryobi impact driver – 3 models in the presentation

Ryobi R18IW3-0

Some Ryobi impact drivers are particularly popular. The current best-selling model is the Ryobi R18IW3-0 .

The tool is available individually or with a battery and other accessories. The standard scope of delivery always includes a 1/2″ square socket and a 1/4″ HEX adapter. The tool is operated with an 18V ONE+ rechargeable battery. You can adjust the power in 3 steps. Under full load, the speed is 2900 revolutions and the torque is 400 Nm. The latter is sufficient to loosen and tighten all screws and bolts on a classic car.

Although the cordless impact wrench is very powerful, the total weight is limited to 2 kg. The rubberised handle and the 3 LEDs on the front also make the tool very comfortable to use. The latter can also be used to adequately illuminate hard-to-reach areas. According to customer experience, you can change tyres on approx. 6 vehicles with one battery charge.

Ryobi R18IDBL-0

Ryobi impact drivers can be used flexibly around the house and yard. A good example is the Ryobi R18IDBL-0 .

This model comes with a 5/8″ tip adapter. Since the impact can be switched off if necessary, you can sink screws into wood and steel in the classic way. The speed can be preset via the DeckDrive preselection mode. In addition, there is the possibility of changing tyres, as there is a torque of up to 270 Nm. The DeckDrive technology also automatically throttles down the idle speed, so that the final results are very precise.

Including the battery, this Ryobi impact wrench weighs only 1.5 kg, which makes it ideal for women and senior citizens. The GripZone+ is heavily ribbed, so you won’t slip off even with slightly wetter hands. Furthermore, the power can be adjusted 3 times. You can tell that this is a high-quality appliance just by looking at the die-cast aluminium housing.

Ryobi R18IW7-0

Ryobi is constantly improving its own impact drivers. One particularly new model is the Ryobi R18IW7-0 .

This cordless impact wrench weighs only 1.3 kg when fully assembled. It promises maximum operating comfort, which is not least due to the extensive rubber coating. As with the previously presented model, the maximum torque is 270 Nm. This makes it a universal tool for everyday use by mechanics. This circumstance is favoured by no less than 4 different torque settings.

According to the manufacturer, up to 240 wheel nuts can be mounted with a 5 Ah battery. The first signs of artificial intelligence are also already being used. AutoStop always ensures that the desired torque is implemented with pinpoint accuracy. It prevents even minimal lagging. Incidentally, the other equipment here also includes 3 front LEDs that illuminate every area as desired.

Ryobi impact driver – This is what you should look for when choosing

Drive

Currently Ryobi produces only 5 impact drivers in series. All are powered by an 18V lithium-ion battery. Every model in the ONE+ series fits. With the latter, Ryobi has created a uniform battery system for a wide range of home and hand tools. The respective batteries can be exchanged back and forth.

Lithium-ion technology promises decisive advantages. Because the energy density is high, a lot of energy can be stored in a very small space. The dimensions and dead weight are also kept to a minimum. In addition, there is virtually no memory effect, which is why such batteries can be reused particularly often. Another convenient feature is the fact that the natural self-discharge is very slow.

When it comes to the motor, Ryobi relies on brushless technology. As the name suggests, there are no carbon brushes. Accordingly, there are no friction losses and the motor can develop more power. As there are no carbon brushes, there is no need to replace them, so there is no need for maintenance.

Power

The power capacity is of decisive relevance. It must be appropriate for the task at hand. In general, it can be said that cordless impact wrenches are superior to classic cordless wrenches in this respect. This is due to the impact mechanism that acts in addition to the rotary movement.

The first point of contact for an impact wrench in terms of power development – but not an all-embracing indicator – is the torque. It is given in the unit Nm (newton metres). To be able to successfully change a tyre on a classic car, 160 Nm or more should be available.

A Ryobi impact driver develops up to 400 Nm. That is definitely enough to loosen and tighten all screws and bolts on classic cars. Other manufacturers’ tools can reach up to 950 Nm. Such values are then primarily intended for working on large vehicles, such as tractors and other commercial vehicles.

Another indicator of the potential power development is the battery voltage. The ONE+ batteries from Ryobi all have an electrical voltage of 18V, which is common and perfectly adequate in this segment.

Drill chuck

A Ryobi impact driver is supplied with a 1/2″ square drive chuck as standard. Accordingly, various sockets can be used. With a simple exchange, you can tighten and loosen all common screws and nuts.

In addition, the model R18IW3-0 is supplied with a ¼” (6.35 mm HEX) adapter and the model R18IW7-0 also with a ¼” hex adapter. The delivery with 2 adapters has meanwhile become standard at Ryobi.

Handling

Handling should of course be as comfortable as possible. Battery-powered impact wrenches, such as those offered by Ryobi, naturally have a number of advantages in this respect. They can be carried completely independently to any desired location. You don’t need separate hoses, compressors etc., which also reduces the risk of tripping.

Ryobi has visibly made an effort to improve comfort to the maximum. The grip elements, for example, are not only rubberised, but also grained. This allows you to grip securely and firmly without having to fear a feeling of pressure in the palm.

The light weight, which amounts to a maximum of 2 kg including the battery, also contributes to energy-saving handling. Accordingly, even work above the head and above the shoulders can be done quite effortlessly.

The speed can be intuitively regulated via the pressure on the throttle switch. You are certainly already familiar with this from other power tools. There are also several preset power levels.

In general, you can successfully perform the following tasks with a Ryobi impact wrench:

• Assembling pieces of furniture (e.g. screwing down side struts of basement shelves)
• Screwing together wooden and transport boxes
• Assembling cupboard doors
• Changing tyres
• Changing car shock absorbers
• Removing tight screws from roof beams
• Loosening rusted screws
• Countersinking screws in stone, concrete and metal

Functionality

The Ryobi impact drivers have various additional functions that improve the comfort and the application possibilities even more. We will briefly explain which ones are particularly helpful in the following.

You have either 3 or 4 power levels at your disposal, all of which make use of a different speed and torque. This makes it possible to meet small and large challenges adequately.

Thanks to AutoStop, there is no overrun. This means you can be sure that wheel nuts are tightened exactly to the desired torque.

In addition, the impact mechanism can sometimes be switched off. For this reason, it is also possible to drill through wood and metal as required. However, this is often only possible with cordless impact drills (or with the R18IDBL-0 model).

There are also 3 LEDs on the front as standard. These allow even dark recesses to be brightly illuminated, so that you can always reliably follow the progress of your work.

Price

A Ryobi impact driver is certainly not cheap, which is mainly due to the lithium-ion technology. However, due to the quality of workmanship and the expected durability, the price/performance ratio can be considered fair. If you already have an 18V battery from the One+ series and a suitable charger, you can of course save money on the purchase.

In general, the costs should always be in a fair ratio to your own requirements. The more power and comfort you expect from the impact wrench, the more you have to invest. Otherwise, there is a greater potential for disappointment.

Ryobi impact driver – It has many advantages to offer you

The impact drivers from Ryobi offer various advantages. Although they are small and handy, you can make use of a torque of up to 400 Nm. This is definitely enough to quickly change a tyre on any standard vehicle. The cordless freedom also makes it possible to use them anywhere. Nevertheless, not every requirement can be met. So that you can quickly weigh up the pros and cons of the devices, we have provided you with an overview below:

Ryobi 18V impact wrenches in practice