Ryobi P1813 18V One+ HP Brushless Drill Kit Review (2026)

Why you should trust this review

I write reviews of cordless tools and have owned drills from DEWALT, Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, and Ryobi at various times. I bought the P1813 kit at retail from Home Depot, with no manufacturer involvement, originally as a gift for my dad after his old Black and Decker died. I tested it at my own house for two weeks before handing it over, then borrowed it back periodically over the next six months for my own projects, so the verdict reflects two different users with different needs.

My dad is a 68 year old retiree who builds birdhouses and helps neighbors with light repairs. Between the two of us the drill saw furniture assembly, deck board replacement, shelf hanging, and a pantry refresh. I also benched it against the pro grade drills we have already reviewed on this site, because the only fair way to judge a value kit is against the tools it is undercutting.

How we evaluated

I drove three inch deck screws into pressure treated 2×10 with one of the included 4 Ah batteries until cutout, averaging three runs, then ran the same test on a DEWALT with a larger battery for a direct screw count comparison. I drilled a one inch spade bit through doubled 2×4 to probe power under sustained load, and bored two and an eighth inch door knob holes with a bi metal hole saw.

To check clutch precision on small fasteners I built two flat pack bookcases, and I weighed the drill with battery on a digital scale rather than trusting the spec. Each test maps to a real homeowner task, because that is who this drill is for and where its limits actually show.

Torque and power

The P1813 is rated at 750 in lb of torque. On the deck screw test, one 4 Ah battery drove an average of 268 screws across three runs. The DEWALT I compared against pulled 312 on the same test with a larger pack. The gap is real but small for casual use, and 268 deck screws is more than most weekend jobs ever require from a single charge. On the one inch spade bit test the Ryobi did not stall in standard 2×4, though I noticed slightly more bog down on the second of two doubled bores than the DEWALT showed.

For homeowner level work this is plenty of drill. It is honest to say it runs out of headroom before a pro tool does under sustained heavy bits, but it is equally honest to say the typical user will never reach that ceiling on a normal project. Know which user you are and the torque story is simple.

Kit value: where the P1813 wins

This is the heart of the recommendation. The kit includes two 4 Ah batteries, a 55 minute fast charger, and a soft side bag, all in one box. The comparable DEWALT and Milwaukee kits ship with smaller packs and cost more, so if you measure by total useful work delivered out of the box, the Ryobi wins by a noticeable margin. For a first time buyer that matters enormously, because the batteries are usually the most expensive part of getting started.

The two HP 4 Ah batteries are also the higher current cells, so they are forward compatible with high draw One+ tools like circular saws and reciprocating saws. You are not buying batteries you will outgrow the moment you add a second tool. That future proofing is part of what makes the kit such a strong entry point.

Build quality and ergonomics

The P1813 is heavier at 4.7 pounds with a battery and longer at 7.5 inches than the compact pro drills. The body feels less premium in hand, with visible plastic flex around the gearbox housing under maximum torque load. None of that stops it working, but it is the tactile reminder of where the price sits. The clutch ring rotates smoothly through 24 settings, which is enough granularity for cabinet work and small fasteners. My one real ergonomic complaint is the bottom mounted LED, which throws a shadow when you work overhead, exactly when you most want light on the fastener.

Battery system and ecosystem

The HP batteries in this kit are designed for high draw tools, and runtime on the deck screw test came within 14 percent of a larger DEWALT pack, a reasonable result at this price. But the bigger story is the One+ ecosystem. More than 300 compatible tools means that buying into Ryobi today gives you access to inflators, lights, vacuums, and yard tools that all share this battery. Few platforms offer that breadth, and for a homeowner building out a tool collection one purchase at a time, that ecosystem is arguably worth more than any single spec on the drill itself.

Who should buy the Ryobi P1813?

Buy this kit if you are a homeowner purchasing your first serious cordless drill, if you already own One+ tools and want a drill that keeps up with the platform, or if you want a drill that pairs with affordable accessories for occasional weekend use. The included two battery kit makes it an unusually complete starting point.

Skip it if you are a working contractor, where the DEWALT and Milwaukee pro drills are worth the extra cost under daily load. Skip it if you need a sub seven inch drill for tight stud bay work, since this one is 7.5 inches long. And skip it if your projects regularly involve one inch or larger self feed bits, where a higher torque tool will be less stressed.

The verdict

The P1813 is the easiest cordless drill recommendation I can make to a homeowner. It delivers genuine brushless torque, ships with two real batteries and a charger, and unlocks one of the broadest tool ecosystems on the market, all at a price the pro kits cannot touch. It is heavier and less refined than those pro drills, and it gives up some headroom under sustained heavy loads, but for weekend projects, furniture builds, and light repairs it handles everything comfortably. Pros should spend more for the tools they run all day. Everyone else should put this kit in the cart.