Ding, ding ding. That’s the sound of Ryobi climbing into the brushless arena, but only in Australia (for now?). We’re seeing the same “brushless is better” claims that are tossed around whenever a brand comes out with a new brushless product, but Ryobi also incorporated some interesting features into the new cordless drill.
There’s also the E-Torque Control, which is a different take on clutch settings. This technology allows for quick mode selection, (10) torque settings, 2 speed range settings (this looks like a regular gear switch on top of the drill), and it regulates the power output to avoid over-tightening screws.
Instead of having to turn a ring to adjust the clutch, you slide a switch. It looks like this could make the drill more compact than if it had a traditional dial-adjusted clutch.
The Brushless Motor Means Up to…
- 40% more runtime
- 20% more power
- 10x longer durability
These figures are along the lines of what other brands have claimed as well, when comparing brushless cordless drills with entry-level brushed motor models.
Specs
- 0-440/0-1700 RPM no-load speed
- 60 Nm max torque (~531 in-lbs)
Price: $269 AUD (~$194 USD) for the compact and high capacity battery kit
More Info(via Ryobi AUS)
First Thoughts
The new Ryobi brushless drill looks like an interesting new cordless drill, but too bad it’s only available in Australia (for now?). It’s uncertain as to whether it’ll be available in the USA. Certain Ryobi products, such as their modular ToolBlox tool boxes, aren’t available outside of Australia.
I’m thinking that the pricing might be a roadblock here. ~$200 USD for the kit, even if brushless, and even with one of the batteries being a high capacity pack, might be a little high for USA.
TTI’s AEG brand came out with brushless drills, and I believe other tools as well by now, but we have yet to see any brushless tools from Ridgid. (TTI is the company behind Ryobi and Ridgid power tools in the USA.) The only thing I could think of is that the retail pricing was perceived as being too great for the USA market. Hopefully that won’t be the case, and we’ll see this Ryobi brushless drill available here too.
Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up!