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Ryobi, The Home Depot’s flagship brand for DIYers, is known for making affordable power tools for homeowners, hobbyists, and budget-conscious consumers. I recently tested Ryobi’s new high-capacity battery, the Edge, which offers more power and a longer runtime than their standard battery.
I tried out the Ryobi Edge battery with three Ryobi tools: a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a bucket-top shop vacuum. The Edge is a souped-up, 18-volt, 4Ah battery that’s surprisingly more compact than Ryobi’s standard 4Ah battery. It fits all of Ryobi’s 18V One+ line of cordless tools and appliances, and in my hands-on tests, it offered noticeably more power and an extended runtime.
Our rating: 4.5/5
Ryobi Edge Battery
I charged a standard battery along with the Edge to do some comparison testing. With the standard Ryobi 4Ah battery in the reciprocating saw, I was able to cut through dimensional lumber, plywood, and OSB. But when I used the Edge battery, the saw had more power and didn’t bog down when I exerted pressure to cut faster. That’s a clear advantage for those who want to speed up their work time. More power means getting the job done quickly.
The Edge’s battery performance with the circular saw was similar—it cut faster and didn’t lag under pressure. After a few hours of testing, the standard battery started to run down, and I had to put it on the charger. The Edge was still going strong.
Another nice feature of Ryobi’s battery upgrade is the Edge’s built-in LED gauge that indicates how much battery life remains. When the standard battery ran out of oomph, the Edge LED gauge indicated it still had more than half its battery life remaining. At that point, I slipped the Edge into the Ryobi bucket-top shop vacuum and cleaned up all the sawdust mess I’d made with the saws.
My overall experience with the Ryobi Edge battery was positive. Lithium-ion technology continues to improve, and the Edge brings Ryobi closer to competing with professional, higher-end tool brands. Currently, the Edge 18V High-Performance Battery sells for $129.00 at The Home Depot and Ryobi. A charger is not included, but the Edge fits a regular Ryobi 18-volt charger. Compare that to two standard Ryobi 4Ah batteries that sell for $79.
While the Edge costs more, it’s worth the investment for the extended runtime, additional power, and higher performance it offers Ryobi 18V One+ power tools.
