RYOBI’s Next Generaton of Lithium-Ion

RYOBI Signals End of Ni-Cd Battery Platform for Cordless Tools

It was only a matter of time and it appears Ryobiwill make a significant push to end the life of Ni-Cd batteries. This

week they introduced a new line-up of Lithium-Ion batteries and revamped the pricing significantly. The new offering will still offer one Ni-Cd battery but it will be priced the same as a comparable Li-Ion battery. So there will be little reason at all to buy the Ni-Cd battery when you can get an Li-Ion for the same price with far better performance.

In addition to the new line-up of Li-Ion batteries they are also going to be selling a 4.0 Ah battery pack which keeps them in stride with other manufacturers. The best thing about this line-up is the fact that any 18V Ryobi battery pack (Ni-Cd, Lithium, and Lithium+) will fit any 18V Cordless tool ever built by Ryobi.

New Lithium Batteries Ship This Fall

Starting in October all of the new cordless tools, combo packs, and kits will include the new Lithium+ batteries. They are also going to offer charger/battery packs so that users can switch over existing tools. If you’ve got an old ONE+ tool with a Ni-Cd battery you can go buy the new charger/battery combo kit for $59 and give that old tool a nice boost!

Todd Fratzel

Todd Fratzel is the Editor of Tool Box Buzz and the President of Front Steps Media, LLC, a web based media company focused on the Home Improvement and Construction Industry. He is also the Principal Engineer for United Construction Corp., located in Newport, NH. In his capacity at United he oversees the Residential and Commercial Building Division along with all Design-Build projects. He is also the editor of several other sites including: Home Construction & Improvement and Today's Green Construction