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Ryobi ONE+ 18V Bolt Cutter Tool Review

Designed to replace a 14″ manual bolt cutter the Ryobi ONE+ 18V Bolt Cutter takes the pain out of cutting chains, bolts, locks, and even wire shelving.

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

The Ryobi One+ 18V Bolt Cutter saved the day.  A friend reached out and asked if I had anything that could cut wire shelving.   My response was, ‘Yes, it just so happens, I do.’  She was taking on the task of installing custom shelving in her closet and had run into a snag where the length of the shelves, she’d just purchased, were a little too long.

Photo Credit: Aneris Photography

I was so glad I was able to help. And it gave me the opportunity to test out my new Ryobi Bolt Cutter.  I’m so excited to share this tool review with you.

The Ryobi One+ 18V Bolt Cutter is that tool you don’t realize you need until your in the situation where you need to cut a chain or lock or wire shelves in the case.

What is a bolt cutter?

A bolt cutter is designed to cut various material such as a bolt, lock or chain.  Bolt cutters come in various sizes from12 in. to 42 in.  The 14in bolt cutter is meant to cut soft to medium hard material.  The Ryobi 18V ONE+ Bolt Cutter is designed to replace 14″ manual bolt cutters and has the ability to cut materials like chains, locks, bolts, fencing, and wire shelving up to 3/8 in. in diameter.

Features

For soft material, the maximum cut capacity is 3/8 in. While for hard metals its reduced to ¼in. in diameter.

On a fully charged battery, you can achieve 200 cuts.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Cutting Capacity Medium to soft materials …………………………………………………………………………………….3/8 in.

Hard materials…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1/4 in.

 

The Ryobi 18V ONE+ Bolt Cutter comes with an easy to use forward and reverse button that allows you to open and close the jaw of the bolt cutter with ease and precision.

 

 

Cut capacity put to test:

So now it was time to put the cut capacity to test.  Let’s see what this baby can do and how well it cuts various materials.  I have screws and bolts and,  chains and threaded rods ranging in size from 1/4 in. in diameter to 3/8 in.

I laid out everything that I could find in my workshop that looked like a great test subject to be cut.

Materials to cut.

Wire Shelving

Photo Credit: Aneris Photography

Honestly, the wire shelves were no match for the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Bolt Cutter.  I was able to cut all the wire shelves down in minutes.  There was no pressure to my wrists or hands.  The bolt cutter cut the material with ease on the first pass.

3/8 in. Screw

This snapped right off, no issues.

S Hook

I tested various S hooks at various sizes between 1/4 in to 1/2″ in diameter.  Like the screw before it, it cut smoothly.

Fixture Chain

This one was a little tricky.  The bolt cutter isn’t exactly intended to cut materials that is this small.  So I had to place the chain at the optimal location within the jaw for it to grab a hold of the material to complete the cut.  This took 2 passes but it worked.

3/8in. Coil Chain

For the final test I brought out the big daddy of chains that I had in my workshop.  So this one I actually was curious how it would handle it.

The material of the chain is dense. This job took several cuts.  I had to make sure the jaw of the cutter fully gripped the chain.   This one took the longest to cut

But finally I broke through.

Here’s what I found

Some materials will require a second attempt (or maybe a third or fourth attempt like with the chain) to cut all the way through.  One thing to look at is the jaw gap, on softer materials, there should be almost no gap between the jaws when they are closed.  You also want to make sure that the jaws are fully open and the material is placed all the way in the back of the jaw when you start a cut.

This is a great tool to have on hand because unlike the manual bolt cutter it doesn’t place any stress on your hands or wrists when making cuts.  It works well with items you would typically need to cut around the house.  In addition, it’s very easy to use with two simple buttons that open and close the jaw.  It can’t get any easier than that.

Looking for other tool reviews?

Raising and Leveling Sunken Patio Pavers

Review of Bosch BLAZE 135 ft. Laser Measure (The New Tape Measure)

Review of the Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Brushless Drywall Screw Gun

 

I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the ProSpective 2018 Campaign. As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

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