What are the "AK-47" of items? (cheap, durable, just works)
What are the "AK-47" of items? (cheap, durable, just works)
This is not a conversation about guns. This is a conversation about items that have withstood abuse that are near unbreakable.
Some items I have heard referenced as AK47 of:
Gerber MP600: It's a multi tool
Old Thinkpad Laptops
Mag lights
Toyota Hilux
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I would say that most Ryobi One+ tools fall into this category. Cheap and I've never had one fail where I wasn't using it far beyond it's design parameters. Others are more comfortable to use for extended periods, but they are also usually more expensive. That said, there are apparently a few stinkers in their mix, a dust buster style vacuum comes to mind, but I've not run into many.
Yeah, Ryobi had a bad reputation for a long time, because they’re old (dark blue) tools were hot garbage. But when they were bought out by TTI (and they changed the color to the bright green) all the tools started getting made on the same production line as Milwaukee (also owned by TTI). The QA is a little looser on the Ryobi stuff, but it’s all sourced from the same place as the (much more expensive) Milwaukee tools that many people swear by. If I remember correctly, TTI also owns Ridgid.
It’s basically the Lexus/Toyota thing, where they’re both owned and manufactured by the same parent company, but the Lexus brand is much more expensive just because it’s marketed as luxury. You can get a Toyota for half the price of a Lexus, and find the same quality as a Lexus. And for the insanely cheap price and wide range of available tools, it’s hard to go wrong with Ryobi. The Ryobi may not stand up to the same level of abuse as other (more expensive) brands. But the average person isn’t a construction worker using and abusing their tools for 9 hours a day. The average person just needs to occasionally drill a hole in the wall, or cut the occasional piece of lumber. And for that, the Ryobi is the way to go. Hell, even if you’re a hobbyist in the garage, Ryobi will likely be fine for what you need.
Just avoid their larger power tools, like the vacuums and lawn mowers. From what I know, those have a range of issues that haven’t been worked out yet.
The tools sure, the batteries, trash.
For the price point and compatibility, it’s hard to beat them—especially if you’re okay with buying secondhand. I’ve pushed most of my One+ tools to their limits (not to mention a fair share of the even worse built Hart tools) and am always surprised how much they can do.
And before someone comments that they’re not as powerful as other TTI brands or DeWalts—yeah. I know. Most people also aren’t going to need the power that comes with those, either.
That being said, the vacuums are Ryobi’s weak spot. A lot of Ryobi users recommend buying other name-brand cordless vacs, and sticking an adapter on them. Their 40v lawnmowers and snowblowers used to also have a variety of issues, but it seems like the last few models have fixed those.
Hart
My wife bought a Hart brand shop vac and it nearly caught on fire the first time we used it. We swapped it for a DeWalt branded one (which are not actually made by DeWalt) and haven't had any issues.
Wow—I’ve gotta say, that comes as a surprise. Not doubting that it happened though. Anecdotally, we’ve run all of our Hart shop vacuums through some insane situations. It took one getting completely drenched with water to break it—they’re not easy to disassemble and repair, sadly.
The B&D/DeWalt/Porter Cable vacuums all seem pretty good. I hope it lasts you a long time!