Ryobi Launching New Lithium Battery System September 27th
Wednesday, 19 September 2007 14:57
Ryobi, Home Depot's store brand of consumer power tools, is readying a new One+ 18v battery system based on Lithium Ion technology to be launched September 27th.
The new batteries will be backwards compatible with all Ryobi One+ 18v cordless tools (including their pecuiliar fan) and will provide twice the runtime and four times more storage time than previous One+ batteries, while weighing 20% less. Like most current Lithium Ion batteries, it also features an onboard "fuel gauge". Ryobi owners who are upgrading to the new batteries will also need to purchase a new charger...your old one won't work with Lithium Ion. A $100 "lithium upgrade kit" including a new 2.4Ah battery and charger will be available November 1st.
Ryobi is also apparently changing their tool color scheme from predominantly blue to a bright lime green.
More info and some pictures are available at RyobiTools.com
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Big Tony
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Awesome What else can Ryobi do for us in the tool market? They are clearly driving the market while others react! |
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Ben Jackson
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Re:Will this one+ system interchange with other brands such asNo, unfortunately it will not work. Power tool batteries are not uniform like normal AA, C , or D batteries. If you have craftsman tools, you'll need craftsman batteries. In almost every case, batteries from a manufacturer different than the tool will not even fit the tool. It's probably better this way because cordless tools are designed to work with specific batteries and tool manufacturers have too much to lose by agreeing on a standard size and shape of battery. Besides, the differences between brands is key to driving innovation in the industry. |
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Rodney S
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... Can batteries be purchased separately? Do I need a different charger than the one I am using for my OnePlus batteries? If so, can that also be purchased separately? |
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Ben Jackson
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Purchasing Batteries Separatel Your old One+ charger will not work with the new Lithium Ion batteries, so if you want to upgrade, you'll need a new charger. Fortunately, a $100 "lithium upgrade kit" including a new 2.4Ah battery and charger will be available November 1st. |
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David Robbins
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New Color Great to have the Li-On technology at a Ryobi price. I looked at the new system today and can't say I'd want that color in my toolbag. I'd go for the new battery system and stick with current dark blue tool designs. |
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Dave D.are
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Batteries a little pricey A single lithium battery upgrade is $100? That is 5 times the price of the regular 18V battery (two pack for $40). You can buy a new lithium combination kit including two batteries for $260. The two batteries alone would set you back $200. |
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Ben Jackson
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Upgrade kit includes new charg The $100 upgrade isn't just for one battery, it also includes the new charger that is compatible with lithium ion batteries. I'm sure pricing is set high to encourage people to spend the extra cash to just buy a whole new kit. |
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Batman
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... #8 yes it is. I was just in home depot yesterday and tried it out and tested the power. It is a better value to just purchase the kit which contains 1 new flaslight, two batteries and a drill for $149 or the $249 kit which adds a reciprocating saw and circular saw. I was amazed at how much lighter the batteries seemed. They claimed double the run-time and I concurred after testing them. Wow I'm impressed and they seem great for the price. Although Milwaukees' lithium line is more powerful and of slightly higher quality it just doesn't warrant being 2-3 times the cost. Once again Ryobi appeals to the average joe income living at 50k a year lane in not-rich Ohio. |
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Guest
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... For the homeowner this might be a good thing. But for me day to day on a jobsite Ryobi just does'nt have the quality and durability, Lithium or no Lithium. |
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dave D.
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Durability I disagree with the comment about Ryobi being of "homeowner" durability. I have been using Ryobi 18V for several years building houses for Habitat, and every tool I have purchased is still doing its job and doing it well! |
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Guest
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... Will this one+ system interchange with other brands such as Craftsman? — Harold Lawrence No, unfortunately it will not work. Power tool batteries are not uniform like normal AA, C , or D batteries. If you have craftsman tools, you'll need craftsman batteries. In almost every case, batteries from a manufacturer different than the tool will not even fit the tool. It's probably better this way because cordless tools are designed to work with specific batteries and tool manufacturers have too much to lose by agreeing on a standard size and shape of battery. Besides, the differences between brands is key to driving innovation in the industry. Posted by Ben Jackson (Unregistered) They're made by the same manufacturer, sear’s craftsman and ryobi cordless drills are made by TTI. So the question remains, will the new lithium ion ryobi battery be backwards compatible with sears’ craftsman. |
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Ben Jackson
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Milwaukee and Ridgid are also owned by TTI and their battery systems are definitely not compatible with each other. Manufacturers do not have a lot to gain by allowing cross-brand compatibility like this, and they certainly don't promote it if it were possible. |
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Guest
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... The craftsman batteries slide on and the ryobi batteries "plug in". No go for compatability. |
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Red
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burn out your brushes on the O The new Lithium Battery is very powerful however they will burn out your brushes on the One + tools still waiting for Ryobi to get back to me with a replacment tool will let you know |
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Guest
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Re: WrongFor the homeowner this might be a good thing. But for me day to day on a jobsite Ryobi just does'nt have the quality and durability, Lithium or no Lithium. As a custom gunite in ground pool builder, Ido a lot of free forming using my Ryobi One 18v cordless drill. The gun is constantly subjected to dirt, dust, water and any other outdoor elements that mother nature can throw at me. I've had this gun fo two years now and it still performs just as good as my DeWalt, and Porta Cable drills. And has outlasted two Makita's that cost twice as much. Performance, price, and ingenuity to boot. I for one am sold by this sleeper. |
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Guest
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... As for the comment that Ryobi is only for the homeowner, this pro disagrees. I'm a GC and do my own punch work, so I'm not that guy that visits the site in the morning and evening. I'm there all day slogging it out. . . with my Ryobi's. I've made some converts out of the cynics too. 2 months ago, the only complaint was that the batteries were weak, and I agreed: the Ni-Cads were terrible but I looked at the price for a pair ($40) as a reasonable trade off for low end charge time. Now with the Lithiums (I got the battery charger kit b/c I have the circ, recip, drill, and lite already) and that sucker rocks. The charger does both Ni Cad and the Lith (the Ni Cad charges super fast now, Lith in about an hour I suppose) and the battery is a mack. I ran a chainsaw to remove some heavy limbs from some framing on my latest job with the Lith and the sucker got through the whole job without a change. I cut for a solid 25 minutes with no detectable diminishment in charge. Never could do that with the Ni-Cad. Ryobi just eliminated their weakest link. This GC with the "cheap-o, won't hold up" Ryobi's is a happy man. |
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Guest
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... Will ryobi ever develop a better radio (cd+ tuner w/mp3 input) for the one plus system? |
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jude
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... we could only hope so. in my opinion, most of the tool manufacturer's radios leave a bit to be desired. |
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Guest
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It\'s the User...Not the Tool. I've used and then returned the combos of DeWalt, Makita, and even Craftsman (which has similar designs/features to the Ryobi) and being the one that wants to be prepared on using ALL his tools with one single battery (r.a. drill, grinder, hand vac, etc.), I had to go with Ryobi all the way. Makita's new lithium combo seemed to be limited on getting certain tools using one single battery and needless to say, quite expensive. DeWalt on the other hand seemed to have every tool out there, but their batteries couldn't hold their charge long enough. The same goes for Craftsman and their C3 tools. Now they both have their new line of lithium tools, but again... highly expensive! Being involved in the home theater industry and being at different jobsites from day to day, I don't use my cordless tools that often. So to get a line of combo tools like DeWalt or Makita, that got to be a bit of an overkill for me. The bottom line is, I wanted tools with lithium-ion technology, battery versatility and the same performance that you'll find on most of the other competitors out there. Ryobi made my decision for me. I'm just waiting for them to release their new impact driver in the lithium version. According to the reps at Ryobi, I was told that it'll be coming out soon. Lithium-ion is the future and it will just improve in years to come. So get on the bandwagon, save your money, and stop listening to all your co-workers that say Ryobi is junk. Remember, it's the user... Not the Tool. |
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GEO
said:
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PURCHASING BATTERIES ONLY I have the new battery and the requisite charger. Now I want a couple more batteries, but do not want another charger. Can I but the battery without another charger? |
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jude
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... It looks like you can purchase the One+ 18v batteries from HomeDepot.com separately but I couldn't find the Lithium Ions ones available for separate purchase. They may have them in the stores though. |
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Guest
said:
Re:I wonder if these are using the A123 Systems battery cells like the DeWalt 36 volt? NO. DeWALT has exclusive rights (as far as power tools go) to the Lithium Ion cells developed by A123 Systems. |
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Guest
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... ARe the cells inside made by MOLI cell in Canada? Sony or Sanyo out of Japan. My guess is the 26650VT size cell from Sony. Its a 2.5Ah cell and would fit nicely. I wish someone could take some pictures of the inside.... |
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Cliff
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... At home depot, I've only seen the Li-Ion sold with the charger. I've looked and looked online for just the batteries and the only place I've seen the Li-Ions sold alone is on ebay I have no idea where they are getting the batteries from |
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Craig C
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... I've been using my Ryobi 1+ hammer drill for 3 years now without any problems. Well, its "hammer" may not be the most powerful on the market, but it serves my purposes, but I digress. My biggest complaint is with the "Yellow Top" Ni-Cads. If you left it in the charger too long, typcially over an hour, the battery would begin to degrade. If you did this "overcharging" too many times, the battery would not take a charge. What I'd like to know about the new Li-ION is if you leave it in the charger after it's been fully charged, is there a cutoff incorporated into the charger which prevents damaging the battery? |
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Carson
said:
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compatible with old ryobi 18v? I bought the big combo kit when it first came out... my stuff is not marked ONE+. will these fit my set? |
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dms
said:
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... i also own some of the original ryobi tools that do not say one + and the batteries fit fine. ive had my drill for over 8 years and its still going... |
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thomas c gray
said:
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Dewalt does not have exclusivi Dewalt does NOT have any exclusive contract with A123 Systems. A123 Systems has the best li ion (nanophosphate) battery technology out there and would never give an exclusive contract to a brand like Dewalt, or any other single brand. That simply makes no business sense. |
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thomas c gray
said:
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Milwaukee leads the way Milwaukee has offered li ion battteries that are backwards compatible wiht all their cordless tools. The claim made here that a manufacturer wouldn't do this is thus totally false. Some didn't do it because it put their tools out of balance and they felt they had to redesign (Dewalt, for one). And I don't believe anecdotal evidence about the quality of tools. You get what you pay for. No manufacturer has any magical way of producing significantly better products in a competitive market for the same price. That's a fantasy. |
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mark charles
said:
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Ryobi been good to me I own a cabinet refacing buisness, and we use the Ryobi battery powered laminate routers and have had great success with them. True we have 6 battery's cooking at any given time and the new Lithium ION Sounds like just the ticket. But the comment made somewhere above about them burning out brushes has me a little wary. But Im game wish I could find the drill flashlight and two battery deal also mentioned above for $149.99. The only Ryobi Li ION set up at that price is not the 18 volt set up as far as I can tell. As far as Ryobi tools I can't complain. Ive owned Dewalt and found them to be good tools if you can afford to have the switches replaced every 6 months. At least with a Ryobi drill at 1/3 the price only the variable speed will go out after awhile not the whole trigger. I give Ryobi a big thumbs up for the price. |
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mark charles
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Ryobi been good to me. I own a cabinet refacing buisness and we use and have had great success with the Ryobi battery powered laminate routers .Its true we have a half a dozen batterys cooking at any given time and the new lit ION sounds like just the ticket. The above mention of brush burnout has me wary, but Im still game I have not found the drill flashlight combination with two LI ION batterys for $149.00 What I found was a lower voltage unit not compatable with the 18 volt.. Ive owned my share of everybody's tool offerings Makita Dewalt ,Millwaukee Porter cable Hitachi. and for the price and the least amount of hassle Ryobi Wins. Ive got Dewalt drills with dead triggers after 6 months while the Ryobi still runs? Yes the variable speedd may give out but you can still use the drill. Hey Ryobi gets the thumbs up from me durable enough esspecially for the price. That works for me. |
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Robin Tillett
said:
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battery function I seem to be pretty happy with the 18 volt Ryobi lithium set up , all except the batter is hard to get on and off.If you have smaller hands you cannot reach finger and thumb around the battery to press the clips in, it takes two hands and some effort to remove the battery.This also applies to depressing the safty switch to squeeze the trigger on the saw. |
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charlie
said:
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Ive had the same problem i recently purchesed a ryobie plus one nicd combo kit and worked the balls for 4 months, then the batters would go on charge plus mode (the yellow and green light where on at the same time) and the batteries just wont charge up, it sucks so bad |
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Lew
said:
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... will the One ni-cad batteries run the new Lithium/Green tools? I'm wanting to buy the worklight but not if I have to buy the new battery and charger. |
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norman zimmermann
said:
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... very good fan, but the switch on this item breaks really easy and tends not to work! but, other then that a good purchase...norm.z |
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Lee Johnson
said:
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Lithium battery and old charger I don't see why the old charger won't work with the lithium batteries. It may take a little longer to charge the lithium batteries on the old charger but the principle is the same. Unless the old charger would cut off before a full charge, but I don't think so. THe charger stops working when the battery reaches a certain temperature. Have to think about this. Here is tip if your batteries are not charging put them in the freezer and they may take a charge. |
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Ian Smith
said:
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Lithiums will not work in old chargers. Lithium Ion batteries have a much more complex chemistry than NiCad and NiMH cells. They need smart chargers that won't burn them out. I would be suprised if they will even fit in the old chargers, but due to having to fit in the tools too they may have had no way of preventing it. But regardless, I would NOT put one into a standard nickel charger. It will certainly ruin your expensive new battery. |
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Steve
said:
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... 2 comments-1)I put my ryobi li-ion batteries w/correct chargers on in my garage when it was cold about 35 degrees and they wouldn't charge!Worked fine when I took them down downstairs!Anyone else? 2)We have a TTI factory Outlet at "Prime Outlets of Waterloo" and they had a recon 18v li-ion drill w/flashlight and 2 batteries for $99.one battery alone at home depot is $89.I got it just for the batteries! |
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Kjames
said:
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... does anybody know if they will start selling the Ryobi P103 shorty lithium 18v batteries as a seperate pack? |
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markl
said:
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Ryobi = Crap I bought the 18v compact lithium drill at Home Depot a couple weeks ago. I drilled one hole in a masonry wall. When I released the trigger, I heard a kkkkkkkkkk sound. I pulled the trigger with no bit in the chuck, same thing. Made sure it was fully in gear, same thing. Took it back to HD, exchanged it for a new unit. Drilled one hole in 1/2" drywall, let of the trigger, kkkkkkkkkkkk. Mouthed a few expletives. Took the drill back, plunked down the extra $40 to get the Milwaukee. Bad batch, perhaps. More likely a design flaw, though. Don't waste your time, which = money. |
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Clarence
said:
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... What is the run time for the 18v lithium battery on the P2002 cordless string trimmer? The salesman @ Home Depot said 3 hours. Is that true? |
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SuperTrkr
said:
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... From what i have read, and i have read a lot about the 18V li-ion trimmer is 30-45 minutes. When you use a non-li-on battery in it it lasts 10-15 minutes. I just ordered one of the 18v trimmers today from the website. I have my fingers crossed that it will be worth it. |
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