Ryobi 150-Watt ONE+ Power Source Review
We love backup batteries over at the BOBB Compound...probably not surprising to any of you who've been here for more than a few minutes...
I inherited some older Ryobi battery powered tools a few years back, and was looking to add a cordless items to the shed so I checked out what Ryobi was doing and boy-howdy, they've been busy beavers over there.
Wow! They make all-the-things cordless now. The amount of stuff is staggering.
BTW If you buy anything with the links we provide on this page we might get a small percentage of the sale. For more info click here.
So I went crazy and bought too much because it was on sale: hedge trimmer, line trimmer, air pump, circular saw, jig saw, lantern, and a bunch of the 4 AH batteries.
Then i came across a real beauty, the Ryobi 18V ONE+ 150 Watt Power Source.
It totally took me down the rabbit hole of how to integrate these batteries into our emergency supplies, and I'm glad it did, cause their stuff is awesome.
Ryobi Power Stations & Inverters
So say you're like me, and your already invested in the Ryobi ecosystem (which by my review of other brands, is probably the best overall) for tools, etc.
It only takes a little extra dough and 2 or 3 Ryobi products to enhance your off-grid or emergency gear to incorporate all that extra power into your natural disaster survival plans.
Ryobi has made a few charge/inverter/generators you can use. Some cheap, some not so much.
At time of writing, here are their offerings which include 110v charging options (meaning, plain old electrical plug outlets, for my non-techies.)
First-off you should know that Ryobi offers 2 different battery types: 18 volt and 40 volt.
We prefer the 18 volt, they are less expensive, super reliable, and lighter.
18-Volt Options (smaller, cheaper option)
- 18V ONE+ 120 Watt Automotive Power Source (RYI120AVNM) $50
- 18V ONE+ 150 Watt Power Source (RYI150BG) $70
- 18V ONE+ 800 Watt Automotive Power Inverter (RYI8030AVNM) $129
40-Volt Options (more power, higher cost)
- 40V 300 Watt Power Source (RYI300BG) $90
- 40V 1800 Watt Power Station Kit (RYI1802B6) $850
They are all cool products, and it would be awesome to have them all, but we found the sweet spot for us was the One+ 150 Watt Power Source which uses the 18 volt batteries.
(The ONE+ 800 Watt Automotive Power Inverter is probably in our not too distant future as well, it has multiple charging/power options, only thing its missing is recharging of the 18-volt battery - something you'll have to contend with off-grid - we'll discuss it more further on.)
The Ryobi ONE+ 150-Watt Power Source Review
So why the 150 W Power Source vs the other models Ryobi offers?
For starters, it was form factor. It sits right on top of the 18 V battery. No cables to deal with.
The other reason is the size. It's no larger than it needs to be, and can fit easily into my electronics bag when we go camping.
It's the Mini Me to our Gaol Zero Yeti 150, and lives next to our tent, while the Yeti lives in the kitchen / center camp.
We mostly use it to run our Goal Zero Light-a-Life Mini Camping Lights via USB. With a 4 AH battery we got 5 nights worth of use out of them. It also serves as a backup for phone charging.
If i have to work when we are off-grid, I'll use it to charge up my laptop as well. It's not a pure sine-wave inverter, it is modified, but the laptop seems to handle it OK.
(Good explainer on Sine Wave types)
The USB ports are 2.4A at 5VDC and the AC plug is 120V AC at 1.25A and 150 watts which means you can use it for all your small electronic devices.
What Does It Power?
Small devices work best, but i think you could even power some fridge coolers like the ones Engle Coolers make, since they only pull 1 to 2 amps (I have yet to test that however, when I do I'll report back.)
Anything that is charged up via USB will be no problem.
If you want to keep tabs on how much power your devices are pulling, grab a Kill A Watt Electrical Usage Monitor. It's a great way to verify manufacturers claims for power usage, or to check the usage on devices you need that info for.
Knowing how many amps a device can pull can help you figure out how long you can power devices based on the battery you have.
And if you are using solar / battery power at all, thats really helpful to know.
Using on online battery run time calculator, like this one, tells me that my 9 AH battery will run this fan, which pulls 10.5 watts for around 8.5 hours.
Recharging Ryobi Batteries with Solar
The One+ 150 Watt Power Source does not unfortunately come with an input for charging. (Hopefully this will change with new models.)
However if you plan on using solar to charge up your Ryobi batteries you can do so with one of their 12-volt chargers.
Here's the setup you'd need to charge your Ryobi batteries with solar, courtesy of our friends at Rich Solar:
- Mega 100 Watt Solar Panel Black $130
- 10 Gauge 20 Feet Cable Connect Solar Panel to Charge Controller $45
- 30 Amp PWM Solar Charge Controller $34
- 10 Gauge 10 Feet Cable Connect Charge Controller to Battery $30
- Weize 12V 20AH Lead Acid Battery $40
- NOCO GC018 15A 14AWG 12V Adapter $12
- ONE+ 18V In-Vehicle Dual Chemistry Charger for use with 12V DC Outlet $40
The total cost for this setup will be around $340, plus any shipping or tax you might have to pay.
Preferred upgrade: get the Rich Solar Mega 100 Watt Portable Solar Panel Briefcase for $200. It gives you a more portable panel, with a built-in kick stand.
If you already have a DC to AC inverter, you can use that instead of the 12 volt charger, just plug your 120 volt charger that came with the battery into the inverter. You will lose some energy in inverter that will decrease the efficiency of the setup listed above.
Whats nice about using the Ryobi 12-volt charger, is now your car or truck also becomes a potential power source for your batteries as well.
Converting Ryobi Batteries to Anderson Powepole
Here's a fun project that's fairly easy to do, you can add Anderson Powerpole connectors to a Ryobi battery for power output.
(If you are into emergency communications and ham radio at all, you can immediately see the benefits of this idea.)
It's fairly simple to do. You'll need the following:
- Power Wheels Adapter for Ryobi 18V Battery Dock
- DC Converter 24V to 12V 5A 60W
- Anderson Powepole Connectors
You just need to connect all these parts together. Very basic wiring.
Tools required:
- Wire cutter / wire stripper (This is my favorite)
- Powerpole crimper (don't use pliers!)
Here is a great article which explains how to assemble the connectors should you need it.
Here is where we got the idea from. He built a 3D case for it too. Nice.
We have all these parts - just haven't put the project together yet. Once we do we will update this article with a link and more info.
Where to Get One
BTW If you buy anything with the links we provide on this page we might get a small percentage of the sale. For more info click here.
We're a family run business. When you purchase via the links below it really helps us out, and we take our cut from the sellers end, your cost doesn't change. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Ryobi 150-Watt Powered Inverter Generator
Typical Price: $70
The RYOBI 18V ONE+ Power Source provides convenient on-the-go power. With a modified sine wave and 150-Watt of continuous output, this inverter is perfect for powering laptops, tablets, cell phones and other small electronics.
The compact and lightweight design is compatible with all existing RYOBI One+ batteries.
- Fits all RYOBI ONE+ 18V batteries
- 150-Watt of continuous output
- 2 USB ports and one 120-Volt outlet
- Ideal for laptops, tablets, smart phones and other small electronics
- External LED light
- 3-year warranty
My Favorite Battery
Ryobi 18V ONE+ 9.0AH High Capacity Battery
Typical Price: $159
Ryobi makes a whole host of battery sizes, and for our power tools I typically use the 4 AH batteries, since they are smaller/lighter. But when it comes to backup power, the big boy of the lineup is the 9 AH battery, and it's the one you want.
It's roughly the same size as the 150W Power Station and weighs 3 lbs.
- Built-in 4-bar illuminated charge indicator to warn of diminishing charge
- Stands up to frigid weather conditions
- Lithium-ion chemical composition resists drainage when idle
- Recharge on any 18V ONE+ Dual Chemistry Charger
- Easily snaps into place and detaches with quick-release button
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