It is easy to look at certain tools and mistake them for cheap toys that won’t hold up during a serious project. We typically assume that “real” work needs heavy, specialized machinery, but dragging out massive equipment for simple tasks gets frustrating very quickly. Ryobi makes many exciting tools, but also many unusually small, battery-powered tools.
These are more useful than they seem and handle heavy-duty tasks without taking up your entire garage.
The Ryobi 18V ONE+ Dual Function Digital Inflator is not a toy
They look like toys, but work like commercial gear
Credit: Ryobi
When you first pull the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Dual Function Digital Inflator out of your trunk, you might forgive onlookers for thinking you brought a brightly colored plastic toy to a serious mechanical rescue mission. This measures just over seven inches deep and weighs only a fraction of a pound without the battery attached, but don’t let the small size fool you.
This small tool easily matches the accuracy and power of those expensive, heavy garage air compressors that take up half your workbench. It has high-pressure inflation up to 160 PSI, so it can handle a standard sedan tire but also an SUV if needed. It is a niche power tool, but definitely worth the space it will take up.
We’re way past needing heavy machinery for something like this, and you get great features too. You can attach it, input your target tire pressure on the clear digital pressure gauge, hit the start button, and wait patiently. The tool works and then automatically cuts off the moment it hits your specified limit.
This keeps you from overinflating, saving you from constantly checking the pressure or needing to release air. It’s a weird tool but solves a real problem.
Material
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Color
Ryobi Green
This cordless power tool inflates up to 160 PSI for tires and air mattresses. It is hands-free with an auto-shutoff setting, a digital pressure gauge, and an LED worklight.
Hot glue guns are still laughed at
This is like a heavy power version
There’s a weird stigma about glue guns that needs to end. Glue guns are pretty delicate, and it’s hard not to chuckle when thinking about attaching them to a bulky 18-volt power tool battery. However, the battery attached to the Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless Dual Temperature Glue Gun is what makes it great. A standard glue gun can’t be put down easily without tipping it over, and this can act as a stand.
This unit keeps things clean by not dripping at all. It maintains a consistent flow, so it stops whenever you stop. It also heats up far faster than other regular glue guns, reaching the melting point in three minutes. It works with 1/2-inch full-size glue sticks and high-strength adhesives, and comes with interchangeable nozzles for different needs.
It looks like a drill and has the reliability of a power tool, but for a glue gun. Even if you’re only going to use this for crafts, it’s great to have on hand because of how reliable it is. You just have to get over the fact that it makes you look like a tradesperson who works exclusively with hot glue.
Color
Green, grey
Product Dimensions
Glue gun, 3 glue cartridges, long nozzle diameter 0.1″ (2.5mm)
This glue gun heats up within three minutes and has an LED indicator. It has dual temperature settings of 130 degrees C and 200 degrees C.
Motorized kitchen scissors that cut cardboard
Sometimes cutting is hard
Credit: Ryobi
The Ryobi USB Lithium Power Cutter looks like a motorized version of kitchen scissors, and that’s pretty funny. It may not seem like you’d need a powered version of such a basic household staple, but in reality, it can cut through tough materials really well. This little device comes with a self-sharpening wheel that slices through heavy cardboard, thick leather, and plastic clamshell packaging that you’d typically struggle with using a standard utility knife.
Instead of relying on your own strength, the cutter glides through easily, which is worth looking strange for a bit. It prevents hand strain during long projects, meaning it doesn’t need constant physical force from you. Since those who avoid cutting due to arthritis, joint pain, or limited hand strength won’t have a painful experience with these.
It runs on a 4-volt USB Lithium 2Ah battery, which gives you plenty of runtime, and it has a USB-C port so you can charge your other mobile devices with it. It has a built-in LED fuel gauge that stops you from guessing about the remaining battery life.
Material
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Color
Ryobi Green
This tool uses a self-sharpening rotary blade to slice through cardboard, plastic, carpet, and leather. An integrated guideline helps with straight, precise cuts.
Industrial Christmas lights for your parties
Lights are always useful when you least expect them
Credit: Ryobi
The Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Hybrid LED Cable Light runs on its standard 18-volt battery. It may seem like a heavy-duty string of oversized, industrial Christmas lights, but these hanging work lights are actually great for other things.
These cable lights have 1,500 lumens of light output powered by high-quality Cree LEDs. So you can light up a backyard, picnic area, or party site much more easily than with traditional lights.
You can use a standard battery or extension cords, so you’re not really limited by power options. If you’re working in a remote location, a pop-up canopy, an RV, or a shed where running permanent electrical lines isn’t really possible, you can easily power the entire string using any standard Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ battery.
If you run the lights on the medium setting, you can squeeze out seven hours of continuous use with a 4Ah battery, which makes it perfect for long workdays or extended barbecues. While running the unit on the highest setting eats through batteries much more quickly, the lights have a clever built-in warning system that will blink three times to let you know when the power is running low.
You get precise control of your work
Credit: Ryobi
The Ryobi 4V USB Lithium Rotary Tool is a lot smaller than the bulky, corded behemoths that you’re probably used to. However, people can chuckle at the idea of a 4-volt battery-powered device taking on serious projects, but that laughter ends when this tool is powered up.
This rotary kit may be a pen-sized tool, but it packs a punch. Its lightweight body weighs a mere 0.6 pounds and lets you precisely engrave, sand, and craft what you need. The brushed motor can reach a maximum speed of 25,000 RPM despite having a slender, 8.28-inch frame.
The tool comes with a keyless quick-change collet that fits 1/8-inch accessories, letting you switch between the 15 included carving, sanding, and polishing bits up to four times faster than standard rotary tools.
The included 2.0 Ah lithium-ion battery charges with a standard USB-C cable, and can charge your phone too. Ryobi even added an LED battery indicator light and fuel gauge that clearly shows the battery’s status with the press of a button.
Color
Green
Product Dimensions
9.06 x 2.36 x 5.12 inches
This slim, pencil-style rotary tool can engrave, polish, sand, and carve. It has a variable speed dial that goes from 5,000 to 25,000 RPM and a quick-change collet.
A good tool doesn’t have to be serious
Relying on downsized, battery-powered tools isn’t the perfect strategy for every scenario. If you are running a commercial workshop or constantly running massive industrial jobs, you will still need standard, heavy-duty machinery. However, if you want a highly portable setup that doesn’t demand half your workbench or a massive budget, this Ryobi collection is an incredibly practical alternative.
