Ryobi 18V one+ R18RS

Failed after ~12 months - motor burned out - beware Ryobi's warranty "gotcha" – After around 12 months of use around a semi-rural property, tasks such as cutting lantana and other bushes, a little bit of "demolition" work cutting up some old house framing, this recip saw failed. I believe the motor burned out, as it started making that "underpowered motor smell" towards the end of its days. Took it back to Bunnings and decided to pony up for the far more expensive brushless version. Turns out by doing that Ryobi are now saying the new saw is not eligible for the extended warranty - I should have requested a refund (as per the warranty conditions) and then bought a new one. Lesson learned.

This machine is under powered – I had a the same saw from the the former Masters store. It came with two batteries. The Ryobi is under powered and the battery does not last very long under heavy use. I will not buy this brand again. You have to be careful when a company offers exclusive buys to Bunnings. In fact I would say the item is nothing more than a second rate machine. Be careful when you buy.

Bought this instead of chainsaw – I went to buy a chainsaw but the rep talked me out of it for safety reasons. This tool does all i want in my gardening foray. It is not too heavy for me to handle. The only negative is that I struggle to pull the release to change the blade. It closes okay but I struggle to open it.

Does the job. Presumably better than previous models – Judging by the reviews of other Ryobi One+ 18V recip saws, this looks to be at least the third model they have made. Mine was manufactured in 2017, in China of course. It has a 28.5 mm stroke and does a maximum 2,900 strokes per minute with variable speed controlled by trigger pressure. Its claimed by Ryobi, to have 40% more power than their "standard" model and to have "anti-vibration technology" which sounds like they tried to improve things with this model. I bought mine specifically to cut thick HDPE plastic that bogged a corded jigsaw and because I have other 18V One plus tools. The R18RS saw did the job and, with the appropriate blades, has also been used for pruning and cutting up pallet slats. I can't fault its power given its a battery tool. It does tend to get hot fairly quickly if used under full load and I noticed that sawdust cakes around the vents. The mechanism to release and swap blades was very stiff initially but came better with use. Its convenient to be able to swap blades without any allan keys etc. It weighs in at just over 2.3 kg even without a battery, so holding it at arms length to prune branches is a workout. It runs a reasonable time on a 46Wh battery. Overall, I'm happy with the purchase.