RYOBI RB1820C ONE+ Compact Rechargeable Battery, 18 V, 2.0 Ah - 5133005052

RYOBI RB1820C ONE+ Compact Rechargeable Battery, 18 V, 2.0 Ah

RYOBI RB1820C (article 5133005052) is a lithium-ion Lithium+ battery pack from the ONE+ 18 V platform with a capacity of 2.0 Ah. In the manufacturer's own catalogue the article is listed as the 18V ONE+ Lithium+ 2.0Ah Compact Battery - that is, this is the compact pack of the range, not the high-capacity one. It weighs 0.4 kg - about 300 grams less than a 5.0 Ah pack from the same platform (0.7 kg). The product is a battery on its own: the delivery contains no charger and no tool.

What the compact pack is for

Choosing between 2.0 Ah and a large pack is not a choice between better and worse - they solve different problems. 2.0 Ah is the pack you fit to a tool that is held in the hand for a long stretch or worked overhead: a drill driver during furniture assembly, a cordless light, a small random orbit sander, a trimmer while edging a lawn. There the 300 grams of difference at the wrist are felt after the first half hour, while capacity is rarely the limiting factor.

The other way round, on an angle grinder, a circular saw, a mower or a rotary hammer the compact pack will do the job but will run flat noticeably sooner. The arrangement that works in most workshops is one large pack on the heavy machine and one compact pack as the second, moving between the light tools and sitting on the charger while the first one works.

What ONE+ 18 V means

ONE+ is the RYOBI platform on which one and the same 18 V battery powers the whole range. The manufacturer describes the system as over 200 cordless tools for the home, the garden, the car and crafting - drill drivers and drills, saws and angle grinders, vacuums, lights, trimmers, hedge trimmers, mowers and blowers. RB1820C fits every one of them without an adapter - on its own data sheet for this article RYOBI calls the pack compatible and backwards-compatible with 18 V ONE+ home and garden tools, so it also works in older machines on the platform.

The practical consequence is that ONE+ tools are often sold in SOLO form (with the suffix "-0" in the designation) - without a battery and without a charger. The buyer pays for the tool alone, because the pack is already on the shelf. This article is the other side of the same arithmetic: the pack only, with no tool.

Lithium+ and IntelliCell technology

The cells are lithium-ion of the Lithium+ series. In the manufacturer's words this series delivers more power, longer run-times and better durability than previous RYOBI lithium technologies. On top of the cells sits IntelliCell - the electronics monitor and balance each individual cell instead of treating the pack as a single block. The aim is an even discharge, a longer life both in use and in storage, and higher safety.

As with all lithium-ion cells, the pack has no memory effect - it can be topped up at any time without losing capacity, and it does not need to be run flat before charging.

Four-LED charge indicator

The housing carries a 4-stage fuel gauge, each LED standing for 25% of the charge - the readings are 100%, 75%, 50% and 25%. It is checked with a button on the pack itself, without putting the battery into a tool or a charger. It is a small feature that earns its keep mainly when two batteries are in the bag: you can see which one is full before leaving for the site.

How much work one charge does

RYOBI publishes two measurements for a 2.0 Ah pack:

• up to 600 screws of 4 x 32 mm driven into wood on a single charge, with a RYOBI 18 V ONE+ drill driver;
• up to 34 metres of cutting in 13 mm plywood with the R18CS cordless circular saw.

The manufacturer explicitly adds that run-time varies with the tool, the battery and the application. The figures above indicate the order of magnitude; they are not a guarantee for a particular job - the same pack on an angle grinder cutting profiles will give a fraction of that.

Charging

In the charging table on this article's own page RYOBI lists the RC18150 charger at 5.0 A with a charge time of about 30 minutes. With a slower charger from the ONE+ system the time grows accordingly. A charger is not included in the delivery - if this is your first ONE+ pack, you will need one as well.

Construction

The housing has a tough design with built-in impact protection, which in the manufacturer's words is there for long term durability. The pack is supplied in blister packaging.

Technical specifications

What is in the box

• 1 piece RYOBI RB1820C rechargeable battery, ONE+ 18 V, 2.0 Ah, Lithium+
• Blister packaging
• No charger - bought separately (from the ONE+ 18 V system, for example RC18150 or RC18120A)
• No tool - this article is the battery alone
• No case and no bag

Working tips

• Do not leave the pack fully discharged for long. For storage over the winter the kindest state is a partial charge - about two of the four LEDs.
• Keep it dry and at a moderate temperature. A cold pack brought in from outside is better left to reach room temperature before charging.
• Do not force the tool when the pack is nearly empty. Lithium batteries hold full power almost to the end and then stop abruptly - the electronics cut out to protect the cells. That is not a fault.
• Keep the contacts clean. Concrete dust and wood shavings on the rails of the interface cause poor contact and dropouts under load.

Questions and answers