Ryobi 18 volt Cultivator review

[@jeanneg7430]

We switched to a Ryobi lawn mower last year & it did take a few re-charges to get through our whole lawn, but we love it (& it's so much lighter if you're older & don't want to have to worry about the weight of a lawn mower).

[@KoubaKitchen]

I've thought about switching my lawn mower over to eletric. My yard is small enough that we may go with a corded option. For now, our cheap Walmart gas guy is doing the trick

[@8Jory]

It may sound stupid, but zip tying a brick on top of the business end of it would solve the problem with lack of weight.

[@KoubaKitchen]

If it works it ain't stupid.

[@8Jory]

@@KoubaKitchen Exactly

[@arnoldwilson3719]

i own this tool and thought of adding weight too. definitely a good idea.

[@michaeldoherty7434]

It works well on small areas and working among existing plants. It may take a couple of seconds to break through compact soil but it will cultivate quite quickly. Due to its size it doesn’t like lots of roots and thick weeds as they’ll get caught between the blades and you may need to stop and remove them. In summary it’s a handy tool for small areas and easy to use.

[@KoubaKitchen]

I totally agree. Thank you you

[@rickymeadows5176]

Thanks for review ! Bought a Mantis about 15-years ago (personal opinion), biggest pc. of $350 junk I ever bought, the Mantis engine and carb are crap ! Thought about one of these battery models for the wife's raised beds, believe you convinced me as this will be something she can manage also without dragging the tool box out to the garden to keep it running long enough to till a bed.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Hope it works well for you

[@terrylambert9788]

You installed the movable handle is upside down. The curve is to cause your second (force) hand to center as you put pressure on it. You also want to move the handles as far apart as you can comfortably use them. The handle with the power switch is essentially a fulcrum on a second class lever, which means the setup is a force divider, and the divisor is the distance between the handles, dividing into the total length of the tool. I'll tell you at the end why they build garden power tools this way. Same principle applies to rakes, hoes, etc., unless you fix the center, and use the end hand for force, so it's first class, but that's hard to do, and operate a power switch at the same time. It's also hard to do with a rake or hoe, and still pull or push it, so they end up second class levers in most uses, as well. FWIW, you really want the power switch in the center, but that's hard to design and make the center handle movable.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Thank you!!! Im definitely airing my amateur nature and appreciate honest input. :)

[@JPaulSmithArt]

Thanks for making this video...very informative. Looks like it may have been a display unit in a store.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Thay qas one of my guesses

[@UsernameBarbF]

Very helpful video! I need something small like this because I just cannot keep up with the weeds in my various garden areas. When I was a lot younger I could handle crawling around and pulling them all out but that ship sailed a long time ago. I have several of the Ryobi battery powered tools and would like to share an aid for older hands trying to heft out the battery while pushing down on the release button--frankly, my thumb simply didn't have the strength to push the lever down long enough for my fingers to grasp and pull the heavy battery up. My solution was to wrap a wide grosgrain ribbon (it's a ribbon made of a much thicker fabric, about 3/4" wide) around the battery in a loop--the loop should go under the battery and then up around the tall sides to the top. Now all I've got to do is slip the fingers of my non-dominant hand under the top loop and then squeeze the release lever with the thumb of my dominant hand while pulling up on that ribbon. Sounds a bit silly, but it really works. Oh--you wrap the ribbon around the battery before you slide it into the machine.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Great insight

[@Hun73rdk]

I just got one and my garden is a jungle and hard earth but damn that one is a beast.

[@KoubaKitchen]

It def did what i needed it to

[@dogfoodhouse139]

Love mine

[@KoubaKitchen]

Great

[@carytoms9500]

Just bought me one today. I line mine too

[@KoubaKitchen]

Glad to hear it!!! I used mine this year to get my raised beds all ready.

[@YoSpiff]

I've been buying Ryobi products from Direct Tools for a few years. They are the clearance unit of the parent company, TTI. I've bought both reconditioned and blemished items. The recons are often in a generic brown box and some of the "blemished" items appear new and unopened. I suspect they are just overstocks labeled this way to clear them out. I've had no problems with Direct Tools.

[@KoubaKitchen]

I have no complaints. Thank you for the insights

[@Pro1er]

He didn't buy it from Direct Tools Factory Outlet, he bought it from eBay seller Tools Direct which means that there is no manufacturer's warranty.

[@Andyb2379]

I’m in Sussex England & have an allotment for vegetable growing. The soil here is very heavy clay & right pig to dig at times, especially when let. I’ve been looking at this more compacted light weight tillers to help turn the soil over. I might give it a punt

[@KoubaKitchen]

I could see thid struggling with heavy clay. The power is decent enough, unfortunately it seems the light weight means it tends to bounce up from hard ground. If you end up trying it, drop a comment and let us know how it went.

[@deg262]

Hello from Yorkshire, did you have a good experience with the Ryobi 18v?

[@michaeldoherty7434]

Yes it does tend to bounce a bit on heavy or compact soil but once it starts to bite it breaks it up pretty well. I wouldn’t use it in wet, heavy soil that is covered in thick, long weeds.

[@shivchan3645]

thank you very much that was useful how long does the battery last?

[@KoubaKitchen]

It really depends on how hard you work the machine. I've gotten a good hour, but that wasn't constant use

[@fritzb.3978]

Did you or anyone try the brick on top theory to see if the tool dug down more quickly? If so, did the tool bog down or burn through batteries? I have a bunch of soil that needs turning over and I'm debating renting something bigger vs taking longer to do with this tool or just using a shovel and rake and really getting the job done right. I own the Ryobi edger that goes with this same 18v one-plus batts and for my purposes it's great and in terms of the One-plus system I do like all of the one-plus options from vacuums to insect zappers, etc, that for a very reasonable cost you can use the batts for. I think Milwaukee or that level is where I'm headed on drills, saws, etc, but for "this" level of work, I'm digging (pun intended) the ryobi. Thx! Good call doing both the grass and pre-worked earth on camera - very helpful to see the difference.

[@KoubaKitchen]

I never have. I really only ended up using it to prep my raised beds at the beginning of the season, so I didn't need the extra weight.

[@imlew7853]

Always fully charge a brand new battery before first time use for longer life.

[@KoubaKitchen]

This is true. I should have just started with one of my old charges batteries

[@mic12300]

There was a news article about stolen merchandise by truckload. And i know it happens allot since i am in the trucking business. Those products got to end somewhere.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Perhaps, typically people launder goods don't open a store front full of the product's. They tend to move them around to smaller sellers.

[@Rok_Piletic]

good for weeds?

[@KoubaKitchen]

The 4 blade wheels can get seized up if you are hitting too much vegetation.

[@Rok_Piletic]

@@KoubaKitchen maybe could use just 2 blades on each side?

[@corybrettbowden]

Good lord! It was $350 new for me.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Yeah, I found a great deal on Ebay.

[@8Jory]

The gas tiller looks like it's probably a two stroke, and it's had ethanol "enriched" gas run through it. The seals and diaphragms in the carburetor are likely rotted or cracked just like the primer bulb and fuel lines were. Even if it's a four stroke, most small lawn equipment doesn't get along with ethanol gas.

[@KoubaKitchen]

There is a decent chance it had ethanol gos go through it before I got it, so that could be it. Hopefully the person who bought it at the garage sale can figure it out.

[@isitlaw2919]

Just add a 5lb weight ...tie it around the bar , and duct tape it to the top front of the body of the machine

[@KoubaKitchen]

I've heard that one a lot, i hope it's been helpful.

[@robincoley2376]

Cultivator and a tiller are two different things

[@KoubaKitchen]

That is true. With our raised beds I will be turning the new soild with a shovel and adding soil on top, so I don't have the same need for an actual tiller. I did incorrectly classify my gas powered machine as a tiller.

[@baconsledge]

Seriously, 2 screws a challange?

[@KoubaKitchen]

humble me good sir.

[@catherinejackie8236]

Your raised bed is useless without filling it to the top with good compost.

[@KoubaKitchen]

Thank you. They do get filled

[@andrewbuzzell3542]

This is painful to watch. You need to charge batteries before using it. Your using a cultivator where you need to use a rototiller.

[@KoubaKitchen]

The point was to use it beyond its intended purpose.

[@andrewbuzzell3542]

@@KoubaKitchen I bet he's the same one that complains when his batteries die within a year

[@patriciaholliday7560]

My tines will not go on no matter what I do

[@KoubaKitchen]

Ryobiy does have a warranty if you bought it new