A Landscaper's View

The other day, I purchased a Ryobi tool combo set.  For anyone in the construction/building industry, you have probably noticed an array of new tools and products that have come out over the past couple years.  With the advancement in technology, a myriad of cordless tools with better batteries are making their way onto shelves at your nearest hardware store.

Late last year, I purchased a new 18v cordless drill and sawzall from Ryobi with the new lithium battery technology.  I’ve been please with these tools, so when I saw that Ryobi came out with a 4v version of “mini” tools, I was interested.  I finally broke down the other day and bought a Ryobi 4v litium tool set that was on clearance rack for $49.00.  For something that was originally priced at $100 and already had a $100 discount because of the bundle package, I knew I was making a good deal.

This set has a small cordless drill, auto scissors, flashlight, phone charger, ear protectors/headphones, two 4v batteries, and a charger.

I’m really excited about a few tools in the set.  First of all, I use an iPhone (that I love) which has a horrible battery.  For being out in the field, the phone charger is a nice backup if my iPhone battery dies on me.

Second, we tend to cut a lot of black fabric (to hold back dirt) and rubber sheets when building a pond.  The scissors will make these jobs a lot easier to complete.

Since I already have an 18v drill, I don’t expect I’ll be using the mini 4v drill anytime soon.

The flashlight is nice to have.  I was surprised by its brightness, but after realizing the battery’s potential, the flashlight was a nice addition to the set.

I was really excited about the headphones.  At first, I thought these were normal headphones that I could plug my iPhone into and listen to music.  But they’re more than that.  They have a couple mics on the front of the set that pick up on human voices and cancel out loud noises like saws, lawn mowers, chainsaws, etc.  I was VERY impressed by their quality.  By far the best product in the entire set.

Over time, I will be reviewing different equipment that we use in the field.  There are some weed eaters and blowers that we purchased last fall.  Look for those product reviews in the upcoming future.  If you have a product that you want reviewed, contact me on the “Contact Us” page.