Sorry, the title is inaccurate. Kyocera did buy Ryobi, but not the Ryobi tool brand that most ToolGuyd readers know about.
As discussed in our tool brand corporate affiliations guide, TTI owns the Ryobi power tool and accessories business division in most parts of the world: North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
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That entire business is through a sort of licensing arrangement – I think. It’s complicated. The last I looked into things, I read that TTI OWNED the Ryobi brand name in these spaces, meaning it’s not as simple as a licensing agreement.
A few months ago, Kyocera acquired Ryobi Limited’s power tool business. Here’s the press release. Thank you to everyone who wrote in about this at the time! I had decided not to post about it previously, partly out of concern it would cause confusion. But it seems that there’s a lot of confusion out there anyway.
I’ve tried to look into the non-TTI-related Ryobi tool brand before, and I didn’t find much. Even now, if you go to the new Kyocera page for the brand’s tools, you’ll find PDFs titled as being part of their 2011 catalog.
I unfortunately cannot find it at the moment, but TTI also issued a release, clarifying that their worldwide operations are completely unaffected by the Kyocera-Ryobi Limited deal.
Ryobi Limited has said the same, here:
Ryobi brand power tools sold in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, will remain available in these regions, with Techtronic Industries Co., Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company that has no capital relationship with Ryobi, continuing as the manufacturer and distributor of these products.
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The “other” Ryobi brand has always been very unfamiliar to me. Will Kyocera build the brand up? If so, then maybe that will change.
Do you own any Ryobi tools, outside the ones purchased in the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, or New Zealand?
mattd
I know there is a youtube woodworker that owns a ryobi chain mortiser ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0wVJ8A4VUQ). I am pretty sure that this is only made by the ryobi that kyocera bought.
pete
the SAMURAI Carpenter! I think Pure Living for Life has one too. I was going to mention this exact tool.
mikeh
that guy is awesome and hysterical
fred
I have an old Ryobi detail biscuit jointer DBJ50 that was made by some other OEM – but that was almost 22 years ago. In that time frame – and up to about 10 years ago some Ryobi-branded accessories also bore varying UPC’s coming from sources in the USA and Germany. At one time the Jore brothers (founders of what became – in the early 2000’s – a bankrupt Montana based drill bit manufacturer) were making some of the Ryobi countersinks and drill bits. The deal with TTI may have come later.
Matt
Similar to that, I have an old (stamped 1988, almost as old as me!) AP-10 surface planer from Ryobi. From what I gather, at the time, Ryobi had only recently come into the North America market. The story I’ve heard is that TTI was partially owned by Ryobi in the early 90s and they “sold off” the Ryobi brand for the markets discussed in the article to TTI, but it was really just a reorganization and refocusing, distancing themselves from the consumer grade business as they hadn’t made many inroads in the industrial/construction sectors. They then later sold out of TTI, but TTI retained power tool licensing rights for the NA/Oceania markets. Take this with a grain of salt as it’s mostly things I’ve heard and seen while trying to get parts and knowledge for my AP-10, but I will say that that thing is built like a tank compared to modern Ryobi, which leads me to believe the gist of it about market refocus is (at least partially) correct.
pete
I wonder if the ‘other’ ryobi tools will be like the ridgid(black and red) and ridgid(black and orange). Technically they are the ‘same’ BUT… they aren’t.
Jim Felt
In photography this would be like having a discussion of Kodak vs. Polaroid. Film.
ChrisP
I have a Ryobi water blaster model RWB4000, purchased early 1990’s. Made By Kew in Demark who were an OEM for Ryobi Japan at the time. Very well made, still going strong.
ChrisP
In a Forbes article it states “Ryobi ended up taking a 20% stake in TTI (1988), leading to an initial public offering two years later”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shuchingjeanchen/2016/01/07/father-son-in-power-tools/#7fac33f66519
Does that mean Kyocera now own 20% of TTI?
BTW there are Ryobi branded fishing reels out there!
Stuart
Kyocera didn’t buy Ryobi, they bought their power tools business. I believe other parts of their business were left alone.
Kind of like how KKR bought Hitachi Power Tools from Hitachi.
Jeremiah
Am I really the first one to notice the typo in the title “kyorcera”?
I own a ryobi, corded, circ saw i bought used a couple years ago. My guess is it’s 15+ years old. It’s a lot heavier duty than any ryobi stuff I own or have seen. The plastic parts are bluish but a different color and material/texture than the first one+ stuff. I think the ser# and mod# are legible if anyone’s interested. It belonged to a roofing contractor who passed-away.
Stuart
You’re the first to mention it!
Thanks – fixed!
Vic
I know ryobi in Japan or Asian there are fishing tools. May not be under TTi.
MacLean
One Ryobi biscuit cutter that I got at a garage sale for $20.
My neighbor has their 18v combo drill driver and it’s super torquey…but heavy. Drives 3″ timber locks with no problem.
Alick
Looks straightforward to me.
Ryobi manufacture an extensive range of tools which they sell “direct” and via a network of distributors in many asian, middle eastern, latin american and african countries.
They license TTI to make and sell their tools in the “western” / Australia / New Zealand markets you listed.
Kyocera buy the Ryobi tool division.
The TTI licensing deal is unaffected by the change of ownership.
When that deal expires, it will be Kyocera and TTI who negotiate terms if they both want to renew it.
Jim Thompson
20+ years I had a dark blue 12v drill driver. It was much heavier and powerful than the 18v 1+. It would snap off a 4″ drywall screw. It was used to install custom cabinets.
Jim Thompson
sorry that was a Ryobi brand.
John fal
Works for me, I love Ryobi cordless tools and hope they keep on making more newer stuff for their one + and 40v line. Im glad they didn’t get bought up because I think they are doing a pretty good job. They seem to be quicker to make new things and at a great price. I own and love Dewalt and Milwaukee tools but Ryobi fills my void and I love them for that. My first Ryobi tool was an 18v fan and my second ryobi tool was their )arctic breeze) misting fan and my collection of their stuff just keeps growing. I’d really hate to see that change. I wished they would hurry up with some of the cordless pressure washers they’ve promised. lol
clayton
I own a square sander and a friend of mine has a router both say made in japan, both good quality tools and probably from the early 90’s
Jeff Deutsch
Ryobi sold the markets you mentioned to TTI. They retained Japan and the rest of Asia. Apparantly, Ryobi was also making their power tools in China. They have other products they make in Japan. They decided to concentrate on them. They are now out of the power tool business after selling their Chinese factory to Kyocera. This stuff is best found in business publications like Bloomburg or Forbes.