Tool Box Buzz

Ryobi 18V ONE + Hybrid Cable Lights Review

Creative, Practical and Versatile!  18V ONE + Hybrid Cable lights (Model #P785) is Ryobi’s new addition to their lighting family. These lights can provide lighting anywhere from the family camping trip to a crawl space or shed with no permanent power access.

Ryobi introduced the P785, Hybrid Cable Lights into their 18v ONE + Hybrid line in the spring of 2017.   The P785 cable lights feature HYBRID technology, therefore allowing the lights to work either with any RYOBI 18V ONE+ battery or on electric power with an extension cord.

BRIGHTNESS

These P785, cable lights run on CREE LEDs with a white color that produces high definition clarity.  The cable lights have 3 modes and when on high mode produces 1,500 Lumens. It starts on high (1500 lumens), cycles to medium with the next press, then low, then off. Ryobi doesn’t specify a lumen rating for medium and low.

RUNTIME

The following are our tested run times on a fully charged 4-amp/hour battery on each mode:

Low Mode – 13 hours 25 minutes

Medium Mode – 5 hours 15 minutes

High Mode –  2 hours 05 minutes

When the light is about to turn off, it blinks about 1-2 minutes before powering off. This is a noteworthy feature we found helpful.  This being a Hybrid light you can plug an extension cord into it if you don’t have a spare battery ready to go to or if you don’t have a battery in 18v ONE + line. The Hybrid feature is useful whenever you are solely relying on this light for the task you are working on and don’t have a spare battery to use.

USING the 18V ONE + Hybrid Cable lights

Ryobi came out with this light at a perfect time and I took full advantage of it. I wanted to put lights in my shed and running power to the shed was a project I’ve been putting off.  The lights have a variety of mounting options, a total of 8 with the base having several options as well. The lights in the shed were for easily finding tools and material. Once I had the box open and the lights out, I took a quick look at the directions and the light hanging options. Finally, I got straight to work.  This project took a total of 30 minutes to complete and the lights were on and ready for use.

The Hybrid Cable Lights easily light the shed.

STAND-OUT FEATURES

The P785 light is bright and produces a clearly lit area.  The features on this light that stand out are as follows:

• 3 modes that let you help the brightness needed for your task.
• Hybrid Power – runs on electric power with an extension cord if batteries are not charged
• 10 feet of cord for each light helps you hang it where you need it
• 8 different hanging options therefore you can position the light either on a horizontal or vertical surface

The three brightness settings can be cycled through by repeatedly pushing the single power button.  You can not adjust any of the lights brightness individually.

SPECIFICATIONS

High Mode:  1,500 Lumens

Voltage:       18V or 120V AC

Weight:          3.5 lbs.

Improvements

One of the biggest complaints I have with these lights is the quality of the cable connecting each light.  The cable is not heavy duty.  This cable wouldn’t hold up to job site use.

WARRANTY

Ryobi offers a limited three (3) year warranty and a 90 day exchange policy on their power tools.  More information can be found at:  https://www.ryobitools.com/power-tools/support/warranties

Do you NEED the 18V ONE + Hybrid Cable lights…

If you are looking for a convenient way to provide lighting in a shed, attic, crawl space, trailer, tailgate party, or any other location where you have no access to wall power, these lights are for you. The lights are a great addition to the Ryobi 18V ONE+ product line and can be bought online at The Home Depot or at your local store for $99.00.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.