6 Ryobi Tools You'll Want To Have When Moving
Moving day can either be one of the most exciting or frustrating days of your life. Whether leaving your parent's home for the first time or finally moving into your dream house, there are a million and a half things to keep track of when the big day comes. One of the most important — and easiest to overlook — is making sure you're equipped with the right tools when the time comes.
As any professional tool user will tell you, the right equipment can make a difference between a potentially disastrous day and a smooth and productive one. This is no exception when it comes to moving, as you'll need supplies and tools to aid in everything from transporting items to cleaning to setting up your new home. Thankfully, you don't need to be an expert to find the right kind of gear for your next move.
Ryobi has garnered a well-earned reputation for making economical tools and appliances of good quality. While The Home Depot exclusive brand is more well-known for its array of affordable power tools and has yet to carry items such as dollies or ladders, there are still plenty of products within its lineup that are sure to be a big help on moving day. Here are six of them worth getting your hands on, based on versatility, customer reviews, and price. More about our selection method can be read at the end.
Whole Stud Detector
One of the most exciting parts about moving is decorating the walls of your new home with your shelves, photos, and posters. But before doing that, it's important to locate where the studs are in the wall. Studs are the wood or metal frames hidden underneath drywall and are what you'll want to use to secure any item you attach to the wall. Of course, you won't be able to detect these with your bare eyes, which is where a quality stud finder will come in handy.
The Ryobi Whole Stud Detector makes it easy to do this. It comes equipped with a set of LED lights along the top that activate once it senses a stud. Once a stud is found, you can either mark its location by tracing a pencil across the top of the stud finder or press the button on the center of the device to release the built-in stud marker on the back of it. The marker punches a small indent in the wall that gives you an accurate way of locating the stud without needing extra supplies.
With a 4.7 out of 5-star rating average on the Ryobi website, it's safe to say most buyers are satisfied with the product, with many praising its ease of use and efficiency. It's also extremely affordable, coming in at only $31.97.
Multi-Surface Laser Level
When hanging up items on your wall, locating studs is only half the battle. You'll also want to ensure that your belongings are aligned to your liking. A small crooked picture frame may not be all that hard to readjust, but trying to do the same with your expensive art piece or 4K 100-inch television is another story. Thankfully, the Ryobi Multi-Surface Laser Level offers a versatile way to get the job done.
Whereas most laser levels only indicate straight vertical and horizontal lines, the Multi-Surface Laser, as its name suggests, covers much wider ground. The 90-degree protractor it comes with can be attached to the device and is marked to allow you to measure out various angles, even diagonally, with the laser extending upwards of 20 feet. For those hanging items up along a stairway, this is especially useful. The level itself is equipped with magnets and suction cups to give you a range of ways to mount the tool to the wall.
Customers have been largely satisfied with the Multi-Surface Laser Level with many praising the strength of its laser, its ability to stick to different surfaces, and the accuracy of its angles. Currently, you can buy it from The Home Depot for $36.97.
Multi-Function Folding Knife
Moving means you'll be opening a lot of boxes, whether they're belongings packed up from your previous home or new items you're going to be digging into. As a result, having a quality knife on hand during your move is a no-brainer. But why stop there? The Multi-Function Folding Knife is another nifty tool from Ryobi that offers more than meets the eye.
While it may not be one of the most versatile multitools or utility knives out there, it's still an effective tool in and of itself. When unfolded, the knife reveals a 3.25-inch stainless steel blade while remaining relatively lightweight. Interestingly, the knife also comes with an additional package opener, which may seem odd at first given it already comes equipped with a knife. However, its slimmer build and flatter blade make it better-suited for packages that require delicate opening, whereas the sharper blade may potentially damage whatever's inside. Along with this, the knife contains a built-in bottle opener and a flat Phillips head screwdriver.
If you're seeking a durable knife and can find use in its added features, then you're likely to get plenty of use out of this. It can be bought for $18.29 at The Home Depot, where it holds a 4.6 rating average from nearly 100 buyers.
25 Foot Tape Measure
It's easy to get carried away with envisioning how your treasured possessions or new buys will look in your home. But nothing can crush those dreams more quickly than finding out that your items won't fit in your living space. Heck, they may not even go through the doorway. That's why it's a good idea to have a tape measure on hand throughout the process.
Ryobi carries a quality tape measure that is perfect for such a scenario. The 25-foot-long tape measure should be more than sufficient to measure your belongings and any space you plan to put them in. The blade possesses fractioned markings for precise measurements while the hook is imbued with what it calls "Accuslide technology" for measuring inner and outer dimensions. You won't have to worry about the tape measure wearing out on you, as its exterior is covered by an impact-resistant reinforced rubber over mold while its blade is nylon-coated for added resilience.
At just under $8 and sporting a 4.8 out of 5-star review average, this is sure to be an easy buy for many movers. Sure, there are far more advanced tape measures on the market, but that shouldn't invalidate the functionality of this simple yet sufficient little tool.
11-in-1 Multi-bit Screwdriver
Whether moving or not, screwdrivers are a must-have tool in any household. But if you are in the process of setting up your new home, it can be time-consuming to go back and forth between different-sized screwdrivers. If convenience is what you're after, then the Ryobi 11-in-1 Multi-Bit Screwdriver could be what you're looking for.
Rather than having to switch between a set of physical screwdrivers, a multi-bit simply allows you to attach tips and bits to the screwdriver itself, saving you time and hassle. The Ryobi model contains 11 commonly used bits and nut drivers. Unlike similar items that have the bits kept in a separate bag or container, Ryobi's product houses these attachments in a special shaft hidden within the screwdriver itself. Many customers prefer this method, as it prevents them from misplacing these parts. The screwdriver also comes equipped with a tip identifier that lets you switch bits with great speed.
Ryobi buyers have rated it 4.6 stars on average, loving its convenience and comfortable grip. It can be bought at The Home Depot for only $10.97.
LINK Rolling Tool Box
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that boxes and storage bins are a necessity when moving. For many of us, a solid set of cardboard boxes or plastic containers are more than enough to get the job done. But if you're seeking something with a bit more power and some special features, the LINK Rolling Tool Box from Ryobi is a heavy-duty solution that won't disappoint.
This is part of Ryobi's LINK Modular Storage System, a series of storage bins and crates that can securely lock onto one another thanks to their specialized interface. While advertised for tools, it's not hard to see the Rolling Tool Box being used for other purposes, as some buyers have demonstrated with everything from car supplies to artwork. Its ability to carry upwards of 200 pounds and the inclusion of an organizer makes it more than capable of handling any task. Whatever you choose to store in it, you know it'll be safe with its impact-resistant locks and IP65 rating for water and dust resistance.
At $89.98, this is certainly a pricier pick than most of the other tools on this list. Nevertheless, its handy features and 4.7 rating average justify such a cost.
Why we chose these tools
While Ryobi is a one-stop shop for everything from the garage to the backyard, the company may not be the first name that comes to mind when talking about moving. As a result, picking what made this list took some creative thinking. But at the end of the day, given the versatility of the brand's lineup, it wasn't all that difficult to figure out what would be most suited for such a scenario.
We took another look at Ryobi's selection and assessed what would be the most useful items to have on moving day, based on our own experience with these products in our own lives and what other platforms generally considered to be good tools to have while moving. We also ensured that users were largely happy with their purchases, with nothing on our list coming below a 4.6 rating average. On top of being sure that the overall quality was good, we also kept an eye out for reviews that praised a tool's functionality while moving or setting up a new home. Finally, we sought out products that were economical as they were effective. Nothing on this list crosses the $100 mark, meaning that these items can be attained at practically any budget level with the knowledge that they are of good quality.