One of my favorite Ryobi purchases lately isn't even a power tool.Instead, it's the new power source battery charger that lets you use your Ryobi battery pack as backup power for small devices, recharging phones and more during a blackout.Here's what you need to know and how I used it to power my Wi-Fi router during an outage.
Add How-To Geek on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover All of us DIYers and homeowners likely have several Ryobi 18V ONE+ or 40V battery packs sitting around.While they power hundreds of tools and accessories, you can also turn them into a portable power station.Ryobi's 18V and 40V Power Source Chargers Charge your battery, use it as a power bank, and so much more Close Ryobi has sold power inverters for years that let you use your tool battery as a power bank, but its latest models are better than ever.
There's an 18V ONE+ 200W Power Source and Charger, although I bought the bigger 40V 300W Power Source.What makes this the perfect Ryobi item for your garage or home is everything it can do.This one accessory sits on my workbench and recharges my Ryobi battery packs, has two USB-C ports for charging phones or powering gadgets, a USB-A port, a built-in LED light, and an AC outlet.
It's a single clean setup for my garage.Pop the battery off and use it with your tools as needed, and recharge it when it gets low.However, if you go camping, tailgating, or have a power outage, it becomes the perfect portable power package.
Related You don’t have to be a DIYer to love these 5 Ryobi tools You'll use these gadgets more than you think.Posts 2 By Cory Gunther The 100W USB-C port powers my unit, and an additional 30W USB-C port charges my phone while I'm fiddling in the garage.And when you're using it as a power source instead of a charger, both USB-C ports come in handy for phones, laptops, lights, and more.
That's true versatility, and it's why I bought the larger 300W model.I can't wait to take this thing camping or to my family cabin in the woods.The built-in handle doubles as a phone stand, and the LED light will come in handy, too.
In the meantime, I've been using it at home, including running my Wi-Fi router when the power went out recently.Use your Ryobi battery to power a Wi-Fi router in an emergency Or anything else via the 120V AC outlet Close I know what you're probably thinking — just buy a UPS.Don't worry, I already have one, but I'm also constantly looking for ways to be better prepared while taking advantage of the gear I already own.
So when Ryobi came out with these new battery chargers that double as a power source, I bought one for all the capabilities mentioned above.Depending on what modem and router you own, especially if it's an all-in-one gateway, your home network won't need more than about 15W of power.And considering my Ryobi 40V battery delivers over 300W, I have more than enough when the grid goes down.
During a power outage, there's a good chance the cable or fiber running to your house is still up; you just need to power the router.So, last week, when my neighborhood had a scheduled power outage that lasted 2 hours, I tested my Ryobi 300W power source, and it worked beautifully.I plugged in my router, waited for it to boot, and that's all she wrote.
Ryobi claims an 18V 4Ah battery can run a home router for around 7 hours, and considering I'm using a 40V 6Ah battery, I can likely stay online for far longer than that.Yup, I'm turning amp-hours into Wi-Fi, and you can too.Swap in a new battery when necessary You'll be back up and running in no time Like many of you, I own several Ryobi 40V battery packs, and over a dozen 18V ONE+ models of various sizes.
If you're in an extended blackout or emergency, run your lights, fans, Wi-Fi router, and recharge your phones for as long as you can.Once the battery runs out of juice, swap it for another.Naturally, the Ryobi 200W or 300W power source will cut power to whatever is plugged in, so you'll probably be a few minutes without Wi-Fi, or a couple of seconds before your phone or other items get power again.
In my case, I didn't even need to reach for a second battery, but I had one sitting on my desk ready to go if needed.It's also worth noting that your Ryobi battery packs like to sit around the same temperature as a human.Don't leave them in a freezing cold garage during winter storms or in the heat during the summer months.
This is good advice overall, but you'll want to charge them up and bring them inside before any potential storms or emergencies.So now that you know about Ryobi's neat little power source adapters and chargers and all the ways they'll be useful, grab your own at the link below.Ryobi 40V 300W Charger and Power Source Special features Low Battery Shutdown, Mountable, On Indicator Light, On/Off Switch, Overload Protection, Replaceable Battery, USB Port Tool Type Battery Turn your Ryobi 40V charger into a portable power and charging station with this 300W accessory. $119 at Home Depot Expand Collapse On-demand power when you need it most Running a home Wi-Fi router might not be the first thing you think about when you see a Ryobi product, but it's just one of countless clever ways to get the most out of all those battery packs sitting on a shelf.
Personally, I like that Ryobi's new power source chargers serve multiple purposes on my workbench.They can charge my battery packs or my phone, have built-in lights, and I can take them anywhere I might need some extra portable power.Buy one, you'll be glad you did.
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